Including "other interests" in your resume

I saw something interesting today. A sys admin had a section in his resume entitled - other interests/interests other than IT(I can't remember off the top of my head which one but you get the idea). When I asked him about it, he said he has that on his LinkedIn too and has always included 1-2 sentences about it in his resumes. Furthermore, he pointed out that until now in his career it has been nothing but helpful. According to him, that way he gives employers an idea of how he is like as a person too.

I had never seen something like that on a resume and found it interesting. Have you guys encountered this? What do you think?

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Comments

networker050184

I don't think it is appropriate on a professional resume. Besides, what if the guy/gal reading it has a problem with what your other interests are? It could put them off even subconsciously for something that has zero to do with the job and how you will perform it.

lsud00d

Would take up too much valuable real estate on a resume

Master Of Puppets

That was my first concern as well. I wouldn't include something like that. I thought he may have been lucky to not have trouble with it because a scenario like that is certainly possible. However, he was convinced it's a good thing

networker050184

I see that you are not in the US so that may be the norm there. The only time I've seen stuff like interests, pictures, hobbies, etc. is on foreign resumes so might not be as big of a deal where you are.

Master Of Puppets

It's pretty uncommon here as well. It's one thing to get a question or two on interviews about side interests but that's a different story. This seems to be the case with people in other parts of Europe that I know too.

SteveLord

Isn't that part of the point of the interview? To find out the type of person someone is.

cyberguypr

Concur with the guys. Don't like it and would never do it. Screams amateur to me.

Iristheangel

I don't need to know if you enjoy football, bird watching, or stand-up comedy on your free time. I need to know if you can do the job in which I propose to hire you. It definitely scream amateur to me. I've seen it on resumes before for people who usually don't have experience and they're filling white space in their resume to give it a little more character. I tend to just ignore that part of the resume since it really doesn't benefit me or this position that I'm interviewing for

Master Of Puppets

So my "what the hell" reaction was justified after all

The guy was so confident I felt like I could be missing something.

GoodBishop

I do have a section in my resume called Professional Affiliations, in where I list not only the IT ones, like ISACA, but also non-IT ones, like USCF (for chess), AAII (for investing), and Boy Scouts.

That way I show a little bit more into my character, but still keep it short and concise. The chess association typically is used as a talking point during a interview, same with Boy Scouts... "Oh, you were a Eagle Scout? So was I." "So, you play chess?" "Yep, I'm a strong tournament player." That sort of stuff.

That being said, I would not have a section called outside interests in my resume. It's not effective.

FloOz

lsud00d wrote: »

Would take up too much valuable real estate on a resume

My thoughts exactly

MickQ

Unusual in a resume; not uncommon in a CV.
A resume is a history of work. A Curriculum Vitae is your work and a (brief) bit of your life.

CVs are longer than resumes and I prefer looking at them rather than resumes as they give me a better idea of what the person is like.

There are differences across cultures, e.g. having a photo of yourself in the CV is considered normal in parts of Europe. Here in Ireland it just gets us laughing as we don't do it.

networker050184

CVs aren't used on this side of the pond and I was under the impression it was just another name for resume. Either way, we don't have an equivalent that is used in the US.

NetworkVeteran

Master Of Puppets wrote: »

I had never seen something like that on a resume and found it interesting. Have you guys encountered this? What do you think?

Sure. I see it maybe 10%-20% of the time on fresh graduate resumes, occasionally on experienced ones, especially when the activity is very important to them. I give a slight edge to candidates who serve their community.

Besides, what if the guy/gal reading it has a problem with what your other interests are?

I'll go slightly against the grain on this one.

If you plan to introduce your interest to your workplace--say, you drive your motorcycle to work most days and plan to decorate your cube with models of them--I'd advocate noting you're an enthusiast on your resume. Better to find out ahead of time if your employer harbors any negative stereotypes against those who ride them.

Many people separate business and pleasure. Some people like to integrate them to a degree, based on the philosophy that they spend more time working than doing just about any other single activity.

SteveLord

I too thought it was just what the Europeans called a resume.

networker050184

So you'd suggest someone putting they like riding motorcycles on their resumes? That would be a red flag if I were reading that resume. Screams unprofessional IMO. If this person doesn't know how to write a professional resume how can I trust them to write professional documentation or even daily emails?

But I guess it all comes down to who is reading the resume. There is no industry standard so it's all opinions and everyone has their own as represented here.

phdillard

In college I took a class, business development or something like that, that basically taught job seeking skills and we were taught to put an "other interests" section at the end of our resume. Glad I've never had to use that if the consensus is that it is unprofessional.

MrAgent

One of my past positions I was a Sr systems engineer which meant I was in leadership. So I had to also act as a recruiter and call people as well as gather resumes and conduct technical interviews. I remember one candidate that had a personal section in which he stated he had several high level characters in world of warcraft.

NetworkVeteran

how can I trust them to write professional documentation or even daily emails?

If a 2-line personal section that mentions their love of motorcycles causes you to "red flag" them despite professional experience and references because you doubt they can "write.. even daily e-mails" it's served its purpose. To me, a resume is not merely a tool to attract potential employers that are a good fit, but also to repel ones that are a poor fit.

From a Forbes article on resumes--

Forbes wrote:

Connie Thanasoulis-Cerrachio, an expert at the career Web site Vault.com and former chief operating officer for Merrill Lynch Campus Recruiting.. recommends including a personal interest section at the bottom. Most hiring managers aren’t comfortable interviewing prospective job candidates, and they’re not good at it. Adding a section on your personal interests gives them a conversation starter.

“Most interviewers are just as uncomfortable as the job candidate, so they gravitate toward something they’re comfortable with, like personal interests,” Thanasoulis-Cerrachio says.

networker050184

I get where you are coming from, but my first impression is that this person doesn't know how to write a professional document. It seems like common sense to me that you don't put your personal interests on a professional resume (again only my personal opinion). Common sense is something that I definitely want in someone I'm going to work with.

apr911

Im a Private Pilot, Scuba diver, sky diver, licensed to drive a motorcycle, a car and a boat (in the state of NJ and other states that recognize NJ boater's license) amongst other things... None of these have any impact or relevance to my day-to-day job/work as a Network & Systems Engineer.

I dont generally list these things on my resume anymore but I used to include some of them and do often bring them up in my interviews. To me they're achievements and a view into my life and what things drive me. They also provide a talking point as either a shared interest or just something Im passionate/interested in.

Now I wouldnt list things like "Avid follower of the NFL <TEAM>" or the status/ranking of my WOW characters (if I played WOW, which I dont) but I dont see too much issue with a personal interests section, just as long as that section demonstrates something other than your ability to watch tv or play some game. The primary reason my resume doesnt have a "Personal Interest" section anymore is because it would push my resume to a 3rd page.

Not only would my resume be 3 pages (I adhere to a 2 page rule) now but the 3rd page would be mostly blank. Since I job hopped frequently as a function of working as a contractor, I have a lot of recent experience so I just cant justify dropping a valid job experience to make room for the Personal Interest section.

Eventually, as I job hop less, that experience will be less recent & less relevant and eventually dropped from my resume and perhaps Ill fill the blank with personal interests again.

P.S. I do still have my Eagle Scout listed under "certifications" but its even more of an achievement than my other interests.

Asif Dasl

I'm with MickQ on the whole Resume / CV difference. In Ireland if you say you play for the local county GAA football team (an amature sport), that would win you bonus points with the interviewer. They would probably be thinking - TICKETS!

And apr911 - if you put that first sentence down on your Resume/CV, I'd think you were interesting. Not that you couldn't write professional emails - I would think "This one is not dull and uninteresting and has a life or outlet outside of work". Good stuff.

But I would not put down "I support Baltimore Ravens and Manchester United", there is a fine line between that and saying something like "I play golf/tennis/squash/whatever in my spare time". If you put down "Reading" you might as well take it out because that's just dull - it has to be something cool.

I personally would never use it, but I have seen CVs with it on it and I wouldn't deduct points just because of it. That may be a cultural difference. But I don't hire people so take that FWIW.

Ivanjam

networker050184 wrote: »

CVs aren't used on this side of the pond and I was under the impression it was just another name for resume. Either way, we don't have an equivalent that is used in the US.

CV's are used in the US primarily in academic circles.

Master Of Puppets

I was curious as to what my boss would say about this so I asked him. In his opinion, things like that don't belong on a resume because that's not its point. Also, that he would consider it unprofessional. However, the CV is a different thing and it does have a place there. I guess it really does depend on the person.

Moon Child

I have been told to take interests off my resume as well. I think many people would probably be turned off if I listed on the resume my interests in all the magical groups I have belonged to, my interests in Aliester Crowley and thelema, my interests in Hinduism and Gnosticism, the history of Satanism and how Anton Lavey formed it out of Aliester Crowley's occult inspirations, my interests in Judaism and Jewish Mysticism, tarot cards, etc. Although I may come off strange enough that it may cause enough of a pause on a resume to at least get a 2nd glance.

NetworkVeteran

Moon Child wrote: »

the history of Satanism and how Anton Lavey

In your case, I would advise keeping at least some of these personal interests off the resume.