Filling in 'interests/hobbies' in CV

[HangTime]

My recommendation would be (if you have room), to include interests if they exhibit some kind of desirable quality in yourself. e.g:

-Captain of university football team = leadership, comfortable in a team
-Martial arts instructor running own club for adults and children = drive, enthusiasm, comfortable presenting etc
-(Almost) anything unusual done to a high competitive standard = drive

Obviously it's not as clear-cut as that, many qualities will become more apparent from the interview etc. But the general idea is that you shouldn't just list your interests, you should list interests that say something beneficial about you as an individual.

Personally I don't have such a section on my CV as I don't have room and I've traditionally been concerned about the stigma attached to some of my interests (e.g. travelling to Sweden to play in a gaming tournament). Maybe I might consider it for a particular type of job.

 

[kwerk]

I don't think anyone looking at it really cares to be honest. I know I don't.

I don't put anything.

 

[craptakular]

I removed that section from my CV. Who cares anyway?

 

[Westyfield2]

Anything measurable (awards), or teamwork or commitment tbh.

Not surfing OcUK

One thing that really annoyed me though was at school when we were given a bunch of sample personal statements for Uni: Everyone was captain of the rugby team, captain of the hockey team, captain of the football team..... no-one was a member of a team, everyone was captain.

 

[Raumarik]

"classic Mini restoration" is pure win for me, will always give anyone with that a second chance!

 

[Gackt]

I got rid of that on my CV. It used to be in my personal statement - which I then changed to a brief rundown of my work/volunteer experience and what I've gained from it.

It worked.

 

[Chong Warrior]

If it can add something positive to your CV then put it in, if it doesn't then leave it out. Same goes for any part of your CV.

 

[House]

Hobbies and Intrests section is abit of a minefeild.

One of the guys you interviewed me once said he avoided people who were too sporty cause they a) get hurt more and b) are less flexible about working hours.

Its mainly there to show you have intrests outside work and are a balanced person.

 

[panthro]

No joke - saw a CV once where someone put "Love making" under their hobbies and interests.

 

[trentlad]

If it's not going to give you more chance of getting the job then don't put it in. Try and think of something you like to do that would increase your chances of getting a job.

 

[Deadbeat]

Lie outrageously. Works for me.

 

[BigglesPiP]

You're tailoring the CV to the company you are applying to, so pick an assortment of your interests that you think are relevant if you have a lot. Keep it between about 50 to 100 words in total.

Use other sections such as "key skills" to sneak some more in perhaps:
"My ability to work in a team has been honed by activities such as competitive sailing and my experience as an NCO in the air-cadets." (don't forget to "prove" you can work independently too if you use that example).

You can maybe put a passing reference to other things in the covering letter (AVOID DETAIL HERE). Don't worry about not detailing these things in places, it provides excellent subject material for your interviewer to ask you about. Remember, the only purpose of the CV is to score an interview, it should be short and to the point, each section like an abstract.