Recruiter Question #6: Outside interests
Recruiters...what kind of outside interests do you want to see on a resume? How do you feel about hobbies, religious affiliations, fraternities/sororities, travel, clubs, etc?
What's the most unusual non-work-related thing you have seen listed on a resume?
Comments
Anonymous
November 08, 2006
Heather's getting into recruiters' heads to help jobseekers. You'll want to look at their answers to her questions. What is the first thing you look at on a candidate's resume? What are common red flags on a resume? What will...Anonymous
November 09, 2006
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November 09, 2006
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November 09, 2006
I usually put my internships/hobbies if theres room. It gives possible common ground with who is interviewing you and adds another dynamic.Anonymous
November 09, 2006
I would advise leaving personal info and hobbies off the resume and talking about them in the interview only if asked. I have to say, whenever I see “golf” listed as an interest or hobby I wonder how many sunny afternoons are going to be spent away from the office. It doesn’t influence the hiring decision but it crosses my mind. I’ve seen some strong religious proclamations as email signatures that I would prefer never to have seen. It needs to be kept professional.Anonymous
November 09, 2006
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November 09, 2006
Since Heather works for Microsoft, I thought it would be fitting to share a story of a question I was asked in an interview back in the .com days (it wasnt a microsoft interview). "If you were a MS Office product, which one would best describe you and your work style?" Thought it was a great question. I think I answered that I was a little bit of everything. MS Word to collect my thoughts, MS Excel to back up my thoughts, MS Powerpoint to express and present my thoughts/ ideas.Anonymous
November 09, 2006
Hmm, I think my answer is oak or maple. It's hard to decide : )Anonymous
November 09, 2006
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November 09, 2006
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November 09, 2006
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November 09, 2006
I think that my volunteer work is important to add to my resume - but only when it is pertinent/relevant and has value to the job that I am applying for - but hobbies? Hmmm... I'm not a recruiter, I've only played one on TV....! But that is a whole 'nother resume! ;)Anonymous
November 09, 2006
Heather: "Fraternity/Sorority - yeah, I like beer too. Many people are "anti" Greek. It's not worth alienating them." I am a not a recruiter, but I would hate to think that sort of attitude is prevalent. There's much more to a "Greek" organization than just "beer". First of all, there are many honors societies and academic societies that may appear at first glance to be a Greek organization. Even if a Greek organization is of the socializing "beer" kind there are certainly a lot of skills and involvement required in being a member of a Fraternity/Sorority. Depending on the College there may be few other groups with as much oppurtunity for personal advancement or the opportunity to take leadership roles against as large of a potentially complex and/or diverse group mix. Certainly not everyone that lists a Fraternity or Sorority might have gotten much out of it, but that's true of involvement in any organization of any type. Just like anything else on the resume, I would certainly hope that it might be something for a recruiter to challenge and maybe the recruiter might learn something in the process.Anonymous
November 09, 2006
Vicki...funny Max- you're a college student, right? Good guess? : ) Academic organizations are not what I was refering to. I think the college activities like social fraternities and sororities may be relevant if you are going for your first position out of school, but after that, it's not something that is important. Sorry, I'm not going to sugar coat it for you. It's my opoinion so just take it as that. People have perceptions about fraternities and sororities and you have to deal with their perceptions whether or not they match your own personal opinion. I was in a sorority, I was the treasurer and nobody cares. I was NEVER asked about it in an interview....never! I can't make it more than what it was. Sure it was a good experience but it was mostly social and pales in comparison to what I learned my first year out. I do not want to see it on the resume of an experienced candidate. If you are a new grad, use your own judgement (maybe include the leadership and philanthropic stuff). I'm not telling you not to join a social Greek organization or not to be a leader (hey, I had a great time in college), I'm just saying that I personally prefer not to see it on a resume of an experienced candidate. Honors, non-profit work, internships...all great stuff (though I still think that if you add too much extra stuff to the education section of an experienced candidate, it distracts away from the work piece). An experienced candidate should never give the impression that they peaked in college.Anonymous
November 09, 2006
I'm not a recruiter but it would seem reasonable to include hobbies that are of direct relevance to your job of interest. I'm a software engineer and the most productive engineers that I currently work with all have a rich set of computer-related hobbies outside of work. Seeing this on a resume would be a definitive plus for me.Anonymous
November 09, 2006
Andrew-that is something that I definitely agree with!Anonymous
November 10, 2006
I listed my involvement in a local Subaru club and was asked to compare the WRX STi and the Mitsubishi Evo. At first I was stunned that I would be asked to compare two cars, but I figured out why - if I list something on my resume, I have to be prepared to back it up. So I gave my comparison (the WRX handles way better than the EVO in an autocross situation, platform is easier to upgrade, etc. etc.) and the interviewer felt I knew what I was talking about and thereby was credible in terms of the rest of my resume.Anonymous
November 13, 2006
Still not a fan of the personal interests part of a resume. Weirdest thing I've seen listed: Member, John Birch Society.Anonymous
November 13, 2006
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April 10, 2007
I've heard you should keep your resume as concise as possible. You can list sports, excercising, reading, stamp collecting, volunteer work, club memberships, even certain licenses and honors should be mentioned. I have created instant rapport with the employer and landed several jobs because of the hobbie and outside interest section.Anonymous
May 01, 2010
ok so I need some advise here. I am applying for jobs and I do struggle with hobbies as i have really weird ones. So would it be a better idea to leave it blank? is that what is probably the right thing to do? Thank youAnonymous
May 02, 2010
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