do you REALLY need to put hobbies and interests on a CV?

flowerybeanbag · 09/10/2007 10:25

No.

Don't do it, looks like you are filling space. Fine when you are just out of university and basically you are filling space.

Good way to look at it is there should be nothing on a cv that you don't think will help you get the job.

SO as long as you have plenty of relevant work experience, qualifications or whatever, putting 'going to the cinema, walking the dog' etc isn't going to help.

That's my opinion anyway, I don't give any weight to it and just ignore it if people have put anything.

WideWebWitch · 09/10/2007 10:25

I don't, no-one cares

Original poster

nailpolish · 09/10/2007 10:28

oh good
im glad others agree, thanks

OP posts:

SharpMolarBear · 09/10/2007 10:30

no, I would find it very odd, unless hobbies are relevant to the post, or person is a school leaver

hanaflower · 09/10/2007 10:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

lilospel · 09/10/2007 10:37

I'd say it depends on the hobbies and on the job. If you have interesting hobbies which demonstrate some additional skills/experience then yes. I'd include hobbies anyway, as they might just make you sound more interesting a person than the those who leaves it blank, which looks like they do nothing but work. Just another opinion....

lilospel · 09/10/2007 10:37

x post with hanaflower!

BlueChampagne · 09/10/2007 10:40

I'd say yes, if you've got something interesting to say, eg if you do a sport to a certain level or play in a certain team. Or qualify it, eg saying briefly what sort of books you like and why. It gives the selectors the feeling of a more rounded person who has thought about what to write. Reading, socialising etc on their own aren't worth mentioning. Good selectors and interviewers are usually looking for a person to fit into an office dynamic, not a robot.

GooseyLoosey · 09/10/2007 10:40

Agree with hanaflower - include if they will make you stand out in some way but if they are run of the mill, would not bother too much.

Also depends a little on the job you are going for. If its one that requires lots of technical expertise, then not really relevant. If its one that requires more soft skills, then hobbies (depending on what they are) may be relevant.

LadyMuck · 09/10/2007 10:41

Would also agree with hanaflower - if you do actually have some hobbies and interests then do put it. If they are MN, reading books, eating chocolate and drinking wine then I wouldn't. It is OK to leave the space blank, but employers will assume you do nothing!

SharpMolarBear · 09/10/2007 10:44

I personally would find it quite childish, but I work in IT so I suppose it's less relevant as GooseyLoosey said.
LadyMuck - have you seen my CV? You seem to know all my hobbies

kerala · 09/10/2007 10:46

Not unless you very junior/straight out of college and need to fill space.

Actually have a funny story on this. My nutty ex flatmate and I did our cvs together as we were friends (we were straight out of university). Then she moved out of the flat and later applied for a job at my firm. My boss showed me her cv as she didnt know we knew each other. She had pinched all my interests and put them as her own. I guess her real interests of conducting affairs with with other womens husbands wouldnt have endeared her to a future employee.

flowerybeanbag · 09/10/2007 11:02

Interesting to see different points of view -NP it seems some do find it useful so you could consider putting them on.

I think it might be useful for me to expand on my reasons for disregarding that kind of thing.

BlueChampagne is right, a good selector is looking for a person's ability to fit into the office dynamic, or add to it.

However I would be concerned if I thought a manager I was working with was deciding on 'ability to fit in' without meeting someone, and basing that decision on exciting hobbies. Climbing mountains does not indicate personality.

A couple of scenarios to think about;

Scenario A - two candidates both have right qualifications, skills, experience for job, both climb mountains in spare time, one puts it in, one decides it's not relevant to the job and doesn't put it, preferring to keep cv to 2 sides of relevant stuff. Second candidate' personality traits would actually add more to the team, but they don't get a chance to show that because they didn't get an interview.

Scenario B - two candidates both have right skills etc, one puts climb mountains, one puts reading/cinema. First candidate is selected for interview. Turns out that second candidate who didn't get an interview is disabled....

See what I mean?! Just something to think about...

flowerybeanbag · 09/10/2007 11:04

Or scenario C, candidate doesn't put hobbies, and it turns out that she is a single mother with 4 children, has no time for hobbies.... Male candidate without children and plenty of time for mountain climbing gets interview....

Kathyis6incheshigh · 09/10/2007 11:06

If you'd put hobbies on your cv my old Head of Department would have been very sniffy - 'what, she has time for hobbies? Why isn't she working 25 hours a day?'

Original poster

nailpolish · 09/10/2007 11:08

i cant decide
it always seems so fake

dont laugh, but i would put
swimming - i swim every day
school council - i fundraise for the school. this takes up a hell of a lot of time!

other stuff like cooking, baking, cinema - yeah ok i do them a lot but doesnt everyone?

i am leaning towards not bothering putting anything

i have qualifications and a truckload of experience so thats what matters really

OP posts:

lilospel · 09/10/2007 11:19

Nailpolish: I think your numerous hobbies make you sound like a much more interesting person than if you didn't put them. Swimming every day shows discipline. Fundraising for school shows a sense of responsibility, organisational skills, probably negotiation and teamwork. Other stuff shows you have an interesting life outside of work and therefore probably a great person to work with. And you can demonstrate that all your hobbies haven't ever interfered with your work - so excellent time management skills too. IMHO!

Original poster

nailpolish · 09/10/2007 11:25

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lilospel · 09/10/2007 11:31

Can you say what it is you are applying to do? Then perhaps there are people on here who recruit for similar, who could advise? So many different opinions on here!

Original poster

nailpolish · 09/10/2007 11:33

its a staff nurse position

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flowerybeanbag · 09/10/2007 11:42

Lecture over!

[pleading face emoticon]

lilospel · 09/10/2007 11:42

No experience in that field, so will let others advise.

Still think your hobbies are relevant. Nursing is a difficult profession, so keeping yourself fit, by swimming every day, is important. Knowing how to relax, by cooking, baking and going to the cinema, is also important. Your school council work is also relevant because of skills you have both applied and acquired through that. If you have room to expand on some of these points, you can make them more relevant than just listing hobbies.

BUT hopefully someone with NHS recruiting experience will be able to advise better.

lilospel · 09/10/2007 11:46

Hear what you're saying Flowery, and I probably was over simplistic in what I wrote. That's what comes of flitting between MNet and housework on your day off! Just don't see how hobbies are totally irrelevant. But will back off and leave it to the experts.

flowerybeanbag · 09/10/2007 11:51

lilospel yours is as useful an opinion as anyone's MN is about experiences as well as expert knowledge.

Np is deciding whether to put hobbies on or not, I am suggesting that when recruiting they should be disregarded, but there are lots of managers who are influenced by them, or might be, as your comments and others have illustrated. That's just as useful for np to know in making her decision as my opinion. The idea is to get her an interview so if it may help her, so be it!

Just didn't want you to think I was saying your opinion was not valid

Original poster

nailpolish · 09/10/2007 12:02

ive decided not to put anything

if I was an employer, it would be something i would ask a prospective employee at interview (about their hobbies)

but not before

iyswim

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