Interests and hobbies section of CV. Advice?

axisus

Having had involvement in both interviews and also weeding 100 CVs down to about 6, I always find that sort of section interesting, particularly if there is different stuff to what everyone else puts down. It won't get you the job but if you get down to the final two with equal qualifications & experience and only one makes the cut, it can have a bearing.

It's all about character. I don't like it when people try to extrapolate some job related skill to everything they do in their spare time though.

Sporky

menamestom said:

I prefer 2 consise pages with no shitty meaningless word salads.

Mine's only one. I cull it pretty brutally. Admittedly I've been in employment for 18 years now and in the same industry, more or less. I figured I didn't want to risk them not reading the second page...

hywelg

Dont underestimate the validity of your musical knowledge. Any proper recruitment professional will know that understanding music requires a certain level of maths and logic. Properly presented it will add to your value to an employer. Include the organisational aspect of running a band for rehearsals gigs promotion etc and it can present you as an organised cooperative individual capable of working collaboratively with others.





Or just a poser desperate for attention!

Phil_aka_Pip

hywelg said:

Dont underestimate the validity of your musical knowledge. Any proper recruitment professional will know that understanding music requires a certain level of maths and logic. Properly presented it will add to your value to an employer. Include the organisational aspect of running a band for rehearsals gigs promotion etc and it can present you as an organised cooperative individual capable of working collaboratively with others.





Or just a poser desperate for attention!

I agree with your logic, but finding a "proper recruitment professional" who thinks that way is IMO very, very, unlikely

WezV

I can't say about an appropriate CV for going into the forces, but I certainly know what they look like on the other side.

I interviewed loads of ex forces people last year, and they all had a very specific format to the CV.

I always start an interview by asking the person to talk me through their CV so I understand how they ended up in front of me.It helps cut through the bullshit that gets written on any CV

I got a bit tired of the "greatest achievement" section they all seemed to include.   Great to hear from the guys with real stories, like the one who had been capturing pirates. Not so fun having to listen to the multiple people whose greatest achievement was their team coming first in a training exercise.  If you don't had a great achievement you probably shouldn't include a "greatest achievement" section.

Phil_aka_Pip

WezV said:

I interviewed loads of ex forces people last year, and they all had a very specific format to the CV.

I guess the advice they are given all comes from the same source.

I've had people tell me to do my cv "this way" and then someone else says "no, do it that way". So long as the relevant information is readily accessible I don't think the format matters too much.

WezV

Oh yeah, they get quite a lot of support to return to normal life.

I have had to adjust mine a few times. When I was teaching it was one page max. I was quite uncomfortable moving to a multipage CV. Although my dads was 20 pages in the mid 90's, and he had only had 2 jobs at that point

Phil_aka_Pip

@WezV I too have adjusted mine. It had grown to 3 pages, because I thought the things I learned in jobs long ago were still relevant, but someone on this forum (can't remember who) persuaded me to cut it down. It is now slightly less than 2 pages. On reflection I think that's an improvement. IMO 20 pages is way too much unless it's the large print version. You only need to put down the things that interviewers will be attracted to and want to discuss with you, you don't need all the details.

stickyfiddle

If your CV is more than 2 pages you need to write an executive summary, which should be no more than 2 pages. *That* is the thing you should submit to get a job...

Snap

my only advice on a CV is don't bullshit. Be prepared to talk about anything you put on it in detail. Countless tales about people putting supposed interests on there to then find themselves quizzed on the interest in depth.

I got my first proper job largely on a rambling discussion I had with the interviewer about Eric Clapton. At the time, 1991, he asked me one thing I'd love to do: I said get on stage and outplay Clapton. I was young. THen we had a long discussion about guitars.

We didn't do Slash vs Hammett though.

monquixote

octatonic said:

I wouldn't bother mentioning it- employers don't give a shit about your hobbies.

That's not true at all.

I've got a job and offered a job based on hobbies.

UnclePsychosis

stickyfiddle;950646" said:

If your CV is more than 2 pages you need to write an executive summary, which should be no more than 2 pages. *That* is the thing you should submit to get a job...

Mine is two pages, plus a list of publications. The publications sometimes get omitted depending on the job. I also have a hobbies/other section at the bottom of the second page. I must be doing something right because since I adopted this format I've applied for 7 jobs and had interviews for 6 of them...

rsvmark

Hertz32 said:

Having just applied as an Officer in the RAF myself and recieved an invitation to a P2 presentation next friday I'm not entirely sure why you are filling out a CV at all given that it isnt required!

Check out the RAF recruitment website and go to the application zone. You fill out a large online form which details all this stuff anyway once you register your interest in applying.

PM me and I'll help as best I can given that I'm about 2 steps ahead of you and only 9 months younger than you, we're in practically the same boat!

Same boat? You'll be wanting the Royal Navy then

scrumhalf

As someone who's done his fair share of recruiting and interviewing over the years in small companies, if you have two candidates of equal experience and (where relevant) qualifications, you'd go for the person who fits in best with the existing workforce. Interests are one way of doing this.

iseverynamegone

List your hobbies, beyond experience and qualifications for the job (which lots of CVs will show) hobbies/interests give you a chance to have a conversation with the interviewer which isn't as dry as the job stuff.

If I'm faced with too many qualified CVs I always bin the dull ones and interview the ones who list "listening to a farewell to kings" and stuff like that in the hobbies section.

Deadman

As Hertz has already said, the RAF won't require a CV from you. When the time is appropriate (ie. when you visit the CIO) that's the time to mention your team leading skills/experience and pop it on the application form. If you want some more advice from serving members (I left 5 years ago), post a question on e-goat. Good luck (and to you @Hertz32), a lot of people are banging out at the moment. The pay review has created some...er...upset. (I'm sure your Dad is keeping you well informed though Hertz )

richardhomer

I'm being 2nd interviewed on Friday and have been asked to prepared two 15 minute presentations - one is how I would approach the first 90 days in the job - the other is on a topic of my choosing....

That is a 'very' wide brief. My assumption is that they want to evaluate whether you can make an unfamiliar subject come alive.

I think the story of how I became a rock star is likely to be the topic....

Nitefly

I just checked with Our Maud, who used to do a lot of hiring and firing of call centre staff.  

She says she largely ignored Hobbies and Interests, and was more interested in the covering letter than the CV itself.  

She binned any with spelling mistakes.

richardhomer

Nitefly;950932" said:

She binned any with spelling mistakes.

Quiet write two

EricTheWeary

Nitefly said:

I just checked with Our Maud, who used to do a lot of hiring and firing of call centre staff.  

She says she largely ignored Hobbies and Interests, and was more interested in the covering letter than the CV itself.  

She binned any with spelling mistakes.

When I worked for GKN the boss used to bin any applications that spelled his name wrong ( which I can't remember but it was quite long).