Evan Carmichael Top Header about About About facebook Twitter YouTube Google+

Should I include Personal Interests and Hobbies in my Resume



Free PDF Download
When the Going Gets Tough .... - By Tom Hannemann

Name: Email:


Interests, hobbies and other extra curricular activities are generally not included because they are usually not valid or reliable indicators of your ability to do the job. Some people believe that if a person is involved in certain types of activities outside work it indicates something about their personality or their leadership skills or some other traits. Most Organisational Psychologists will say that this is nonsense (but will use psychobabble in saying so) and can encourage type-casting and lead to erroneous assumptions. There is absolutely no basis for making a valid connection between what a person can do on the job and what they do outside work.

In any event, you usually have no way of knowing whether the people reading your resume will view your interests and hobbies as positive or negative. We therefore don't want to give them the opportunity to form a negative view at this early stage of the process.

This does not apply to graduate positions, where employers often want to know a person's interests and hobbies because there is usually little work experience from which to draw conclusions.

Employers may assume that people who have been leaders at school or university are somehow equipped to handle leadership roles at work. This is not necessarily true because many people become leaders at school or university because they have a personality and style that makes them charismatic and attractive. Whether they are effective in the leadership role is an altogether different question.


Related Articles

  The Creative Resume
  So You Need Resume Help
  Personal Branding: It Doesn’t Have to be All Business
  Resumes That Work
  Should You Hire A Professional Resume Writer?
  Understanding Resume Styles
  Where To Send Your Brilliant Resume
  Resume and Career Services: How Not To Be Sloppy In Writing Your Resume
  Marketing Brand YOU
  The Only Steps You Need To Get Your Dream Job
  5 ways to pep your team’s work-life balance
  Successful Marketing Strategies for The Job Seekers
  Katie Yeakle Reveals What Never to Put in Your Resume
  Top Ten Tips For Resume Writing
  Ways To Build Personal Wealth
  What to Write On Your About Me Page!
  Sales Tip Whats The Best Day Of The Week
  Home-based Business Idea: Writing Resume
  You should include in your Health Information Technician Resume
  Career Tips to Revamp Your Resume and Kick Start Your New Career

Home > Human-Resources > Tom Hannemann > Should I include Personal Interests and Hobbies in my Resume >
Referred by: http://www.kyliehammond.com.au
Free PDF Download
When the Going Gets Tough .... - By Tom Hannemann

Name: Email:

About the Author: Tom Hannemann

RSS for Tom's articles - Visit Tom's website
Tom Hannemann is Principal of Advance Yourself Career Services - http://www.advance-yourself.com.au - a firm dedicated to helping executives, managers and professionals advance their career by developing their resumes, helping them respond to selection criteria and helping them prepare for interviews. He has been Seek's resident resume writing expert since October 2000 and is the preferred resume writing service of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Recruitment firms, executive coaches and migration consultants refer their clients to him to ensure that they obtain the competitive advantage they need to become contenders for the best career opportunities. With an MBA from the University of Melbourne and an undergraduate degree majoring in Psychology, 10 years experience as an HR practitioner and manager and a further 10 years as a management consultant specialising in HR management, recruitment, organisational change and leadership development, Tom has the credentials needed to ensure that your resume is sufficiently persuasive to convince recruiters and employers to include you amongst the chosen few from the multitude.
Click here to visit Tom's website.
Dashed Line

More from Tom Hannemann
Avoiding Horror Words and Phrases in your Resume
Should I include Personal Information in my Resume
Should I include Personal Interests and Hobbies in my Resume
Why an Outstanding Resume is Not Enough to Get an Interview Reason 4
Why External Diagonal Career Moves are Rare

Related Forum Posts

Securing Financing Securing Financing
Re: Defamation of Your Business: What To Do? Re: Defamation of Your Business: What To Do?
Help needed for business plan. Help needed for business plan.
Re: Twitter vs Facebook Re: Twitter vs Facebook
Re: Best Internet Marketing Strategies Re: Best Internet Marketing Strategies

Share this article. Fund someone's dream.

Share this post and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.
Share for a Cause
Featured Video


Expert author video by:
Stan Popovich, Fear Management



Worksheets
By: Evan Carmichael

Do you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur?

8 Powerful Steps to Finding Your Passion

Does your pitch suck?

Create a plan of attach to launch your new business.

8-Cover

Like this page? PLEASE +1 it! Evan Signature
Bottom Footer



Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!
Name:
Email:
Popular Articles

10 Rules For Great Taglines

Keep the Business Mind Busy

Hope: Don't Leave Home Without It

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.