I'll try to keep this short.<p>Basically, I had a job interview 2 days ago at some startup, I'm a self-taught programmer with over 20 years of work experience.<p>I've been working for several startups in the last 10 years and made significant contributions to high profile open source projects so I have a reasonably good working history.<p>2 days ago I had this interview with a female recruiter/psychologist and the first thing she asked me was "What's your nationality?" with a sarcastic smile.<p>I responded, and while I was expressing myself I got some funny looks from her that I thought was humiliating/condescending.<p>I even saw she was talking with the employees and I know she was talking about me because I saw her stare me and they were laughing.<p>I thought it was maybe because I'm from a different country or because I don't have a very good accent (I struggle with my speaking sometimes), but I hate when I'm being treated differently.<p>She also asked me about my education/training, I said "self taught" followed by her saying "Oh, so you are self taught. Uhmm..." and I had to explain myself that it was never a problem.<p>I explained that I tried to apply for university in the country I currently reside but that immigrants are not allowed to enter the public university by law, even after me taking the exams and passing them.<p>She explained that the market would take me more seriously if I had a degree, I thought "maybe she is right" but I think it's rude not to consider someone for their skills and experience.<p>Anyway, maybe I'm paranoid or something but I always observe the same patterns at job interviews, do I really have to tell you my nationality, age, education, marital status, economic status, where I meet my wife, if I have children, if I smoke weed, etc?<p>Is it reasonable if I can keep some of these things to myself?<p>As a recruiter, do you ever think about how the person being interviewed feels like when you are being so disrespectful?<p>Do you think that your startup is so special that you feel entitled to ask all sort of personal questions?<p>I don't think these things have anything to do with the job at all, and I feel they always use one information or another against you.<p>Just because you live a normal life and you went to college and your job is being a recruiter for some startup doesn't give you the right to be disrespectful to others. I didn't had to do any of these things and I'm sitting here right in front of you, have you ever thought about that?<p>I don't think it's fair and honestly, I'm really fed up of playing this game.<p>I'm not interested about climbing your corporate ladder, I just want to get work done.<p>Feel free to share your stories if you feel like, I'd appreciate any advice and sorry about the rant.