With all this talk about online profiles, social networking and everything else ‘web 2.0’ we thought we’d go back to basics and put the CV/Resume on trial.
So, just as we used LinkedIn to discover the 9 questions they’d really love to ask, we thought we’d go back to the experts with another question. Well it was more of a statement really, but certainly one that generated quite a response…
“Who cares if you’re a pole dancer in your spare time? Hobbies. No, not interested thanks.”
We’ve sieved through almost 40+ responses to find out if recruiters really do want to know what you do in your spare time? As always, there are two sides to an argument; here’s a selection of for, and against:
Should you include hobbies on your CV?
For
“Interests/hobbies help build rapport…sparking conversation and even building empathy. This can help win a job. True, they might cause a negative reaction in extreme cases. In which case you would probably be better off working somewhere else anyway…”
“…personality is what will often win you the job above those that have similar skills and/or qualifications.”
“Leave them on I say….Take golf for example if the employer is recruiting for a sales role, it is widely known that a lot of business is conducted on the golf course…Mud wrestling could apply to an employer looking for a ‘hands-on’ person who liked ‘getting their hands dirty’….”
Against
“Ditch the hobbies…why risk irritating them by revealing a side better left private?”
“Socialising, walking, spending time with family are things we all do, unless these activities are done on some extraordinary level then they should most definitely not be included.”
“Each and every item in the CV can affect the reader in one of three ways; positive, negative, neutral…if there is a probability of reacting negatively to something, don’t put it in there.”
Judgethejob verdict
With the jury still out on this one, we’re going to risk wading in with a suggestion for jobseekers.
Exercise a little common sense. If you think it’s relevant and can help differentiate you then great, if not then use the space for something else. At the very least just make sure you “don’t give people a reason to say NO.”
Comments/thoughts welcome…
Thanks to Lee Knowles UK Regional Director NES Group for raising the topic in an article at www.recruiter.co.uk
1 Man. 1 Year. 52 Jobs. A lifetime of experience.
July 28th, 2010Between Feb 2007 and March 2008, Sean Aitken took it upon himself to complete an epic journey around North America, working 52 jobs in 52 weeks! This week we had the pleasure of catching up with Sean and finding out what he discovered from this unique experience.
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Tags: Advice, career, One Week Job, Sean Aitken
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