Others’ Responses:
– It can be useful for employers though. For example i used to think it was a plus if people played team sports.
– Sometimes it can be useful depending on the complexity of the role and the culture of the organisation though. We are employing human beings after all. I’m always fascinatinated by people who like to read,depending on what is it they read of course.
– Agree…..I guess it should depend on which position u r applying, normally if it’s militry or police, they need such kind of activities which might be a good point for u, but if the job refer to customer service or business development stuff, it might be unsuitable as they need a people of high goal achievers..
– I think your view is not universal amongst employers and human resource professionals as many employers take an interest in the hobbies or interests of their candidates…if your hobby has been rewarded with recognition or it may show team and leadership qualities. If you have participated by helping in the community that is also very positive.
– One of my areas of interest is rural property management (I’m on a few acres) and I do quite a bit of work with dairy companies. They are actually pretty happy to find I know one end of a cow from the other and understand farming issues, even if on a much smaller commercial scale.
– I beg to differ with your position. I find that every single word on a cv gives me the chance to get to perceive who has written it. If I’m looking for an admin manager, who has an excellent academic/professional background and enjoys stamp collecting, doing yoga and meditating, I can consider him/her for an organization where there is very little need for relating to colleagues (do they still exist??). Through this person’s hobbies I can reasonably say they are probably an introvert, tend to ponder about who, what, where they are. That’s fine, but in a dynamic organization where I need an admin manager who can “sell” the value of their work and the budget restrictions they will be obliged to impose, I’d give this individual a miss!!! On the other hand, same academic/professional profile with, travel, latin-american dancing, reading about different cultures/countries, current affairs as interests, would make me fix an interview with the person! I could continue to give several examples of role/hobbies that are important for a recruiter to identify the most interesting profile, but don’t want to tediate you all!! In a nut shell, Candidates, PLEASE continue to send us your hobbies and interests, a professional recruiter will very much appreciate you sharing this information with them!
– In this bland world in which we live, so afraid to put anything on a CV in case we are discriminated against because of age, race, religion, sexual orientation etc., etc., please lets keep this last bastion of personality on a CV. We are employing human beings and unfortunately (or very fortunately depending on your point of view!), they stubbornly persist in being so very different, irrespective of any employment law.
– In my experience, finding out what a potential employee does or likes gives me a little more information. It gives me a clearer picture of who they are outside of work.
– A professional career advice firm I know says that you should enliven your CV and bring your application more to life by adding a brief summary of hobbies and interests. I think this is good advice on standing out, but you need to be careful not to provoke any introversion vs extroversion bias and list hobbies that both involve individual reflection/solitude and socialising with others. Recruiters are human, and readily jump to conclusions, just like the rest of us. You need to be sure you won’t be misinterpreted.
– Hobbies and/or any non related work activities demonstrate a needed and healthy balance between work and one’s personal life. It also shows one has the ability to learn and accomplish. Given this, I believe it does a specified place on the resume. Also, people who have diversified interests tend to be more flexible and innovative when identifying and solving problems. Hobbies and other non work related interests develop skill sets that translate well to ones work life.
– I absolutely agree with James in both his comments. Hobbies define a profile and may give it an extra push in many jobs. If my potential employer should by any chance “hate” one of my favourite hobbies,…. it is first of all his problem and then better to tackle the situation it at the beginning!
– Hobbies give an insight into the type of person the candidate is. During the personal interview, it can provide an insight into the type of person we are interviewing and hence, it should be an integral part of the CV.
– I strongly agree with above comment I think people should write about their interest in Games, that will be easy to assess the personality of the candidate, also will be able to assist further development.
– In my experience if you have a really nervous candidate at interview, the hobbies can be a subject that is familiar to the candidate. A quick chat on the subject can settle the candidate thus setting the stage for a much more relaxed and often insightful interview.
– I think hobbies can give you an insight to the person, it gives the individual time to explore those passions they can’t do whilst at work. For a new starter, its a good way for the employer to learn a little bit more about their character and personality.
– As MBA graduate, I’ve learnt it is imperative to recognize a candidate’s personal values & beliefs and align it with the values & ethics of the company. These hobbies and interests may just show just who that person is outside of his/her work environment, a general idea may surface of what he/she believes is right/wrong, and might just show you how this person may fit in with your organisation’s culture. Alignment of personal- and organisational values influences employees’ behaviours and attitudes. When organisations recognize a person/individual/employee’s personal values & beliefs, it shows that the company really cares for its employees. At the end of the day it is not all about being qualified and experienced to do a job, its about creating a committed relationship between employer and employee, and an engaged sustainable workforce will save you a lot of time, money and effort in the long run. Keep your employees happy!! Be inquisitive of who they are as persons outside of the workforce.
– Right Lydia, I may add that it is good to be sincere in inserting hobbies in a CV: somebody who thinks himself extrasmart will surely invent hobbies just to please a C level who, he has discovered, enjoys the same. Bad and mortal idea!
– I think that having a hobbie and showing it, is definetly not a bad impact on your CV. Having a hobbie means that you do something that can differentiate you from other candidates. For example: if you play a team sport, it certainly halped you to develope some additional skills. A CV with just technical skill does not mean much, soft skills that can partially be deducted from hobbies could help you to see if the person you hire will blend with your type of organzation.
– Wasn’t there a piece written about how some of the bigger organisations look at hobbies first, it really tells a story and how that persons mind works. One of the intelligence agencies referred to suduko and crosswords as a look for! I concur with some of the hobbies chats being a great icebreaker – enabling getting the best from a candidate at interview.
– I believe hobbies are welcome and gives for the both sides a good opportunity to “break the ice”, demonstrates certain emotions, way of thinking as well as identify potential behaviors that can be double checked and aligned during the interview process. The resume is your advertisement board. It must be attractive, focused and written aiming the position you are interested in, calling recruiters attention on linking your description with the proposed position and, at the same time, leaving a positive curiosity provoking the interviewer to know more about you, your achievements and how you reach them in a face to face conversation. As a tip: Whether you have hobbies or not you must evaluate if it is part of the whole picture and makes sense this kind of exposure for the company you are interested in.
– Focus on your knowledge, skills, abilities, core competencies, and experience where they they add value to any prospective organization. Provide past measurable results from your work history that align and validate these.
– Every hobby of a person speaks about its personal traits, these may be use full sometimes not only to the employers but the members of the group with whom you are working. These qualities of yours reflects on your functioning also.
– Are the Hobbies and Interests Relevant? You should only list hobbies if they are professionally relevant. An interest in blog writing is an advantage when applying for a writing or editorial position. An interest in drawing and art could be seen as a positive when applying for a job at an architectural firm. Make sure the hobbies in your resume show an interest or devotion to the job that you are applying to get.The point is to not list anything you like to do. Tons of people enjoy watching football but that won’t help in obtaining employment at most companies. Keep it relevant.
– Does the Hiring Company Want Hobbies in Your Resume? A job application description usually won’t explicitly say they want to hear about your interests outside of work. However, you can get a good idea of what they want see by looking at what type of personality the employer wants. If they require someone who is serious and self-motivated, mentioning your hobbies may not be a good idea. If the company requires someone who can inject new ideas into the office, showing you have an interest in creative endeavors, like music or photography, just may help. If you are not sure, it’s best to err on the side of caution and simply stick to your educational and work achievements.
– Does the Hobby Translate to Skills? Hiring managers typically don’t care to read through what you like to do when you have free time, unless it is something truly of note. Being a high school baseball coach, for example, may prove to an employer you have leadership skills and the ability to organize a group of people in order to achieve a common goal. Volunteering abroad may prove to a company you are able to interact with people from different cultures. If your interest does not offer anything useful to the job, listing it will only have a negative impact on your chances.
– Talk about Your Hobbies at the Interview. Resumes are meant to show you have what it takes, and more, to do exceptional work at a given position. Generally speaking, hobbies have nothing to do with this. However, hiring managers may ask about your interests during an interview to better understand you as a person and how you would fit within their work environment. Thus, often times it is better to wait for the employer to ask you.
My Response:
– As a recruiter, I never read hobbies, all I cared about were the facts of the job relation. However, I met hiring managers that have interviewed candidates based off a hobby that they also had a mutual interest in, so it worked positively for that candidate. I say leave them on, they don’t take up too much space and you can snug it in at the bottom of page two.
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