Resumes: When Hobbies Count

Hobbies on resumes? You have got to be kidding! I thought that went out in the ’70’s.

They did, when people put their hobbies like this:

Hobbies: Reading, Writing, Bicycling.

Who cares? No one, and that’s why they went out. But here’s a way to make them “in” again. If you list hobbies, make sure they are relevant to your targeted career (your audience) or differentiate you in the right way or are truly a part of your personal brand.

For example, I worked with an IT consultant who wanted to relocate. He was a young person with three years’ experience in IT. In his previous life though, and while working his way through college, our IT consultant had a side job - as a rock climbing instructor. How cool! Here’s a person who takes risks, who is athletic, and has a life outside a dimly lit screen. We added this job to his resume. Result? He sent out two resumes and got two offers. He called me while on the road - in his new company-paid car - and said, “Wendy, all they talked about was my rock climbing! Can you believe it?”

Here’s another. I worked with a nurse (RN) who had experience and wanted out of staff nursing. She wanted to transition into pharmaceutical sales, but she technically had no sales experience. In addition to her many transferable skills (like terminology, physician connections, etc.), we added her “hobby.” She was a marathon runner. And she had placed in the top three for a variety of marathons more than once. She also competed worldwide - and had run a marathon in Prague. Again, GUTS. This hobby demonstrated that she was very competitive, had drive, endurance, and played to win. Good traits in sales.

And my own experience (albeit a while back), I was a newspaper reporter. I covered the HOG (Harley Owner’s Group) rally in Milwaukee. Yep, dressed like a biker and interviewed Harley owners from around the globe. Awesome! My story got nominated for a national award. I put this on my resume when job hunting. Got called by a recruiting firm. They had heard about me before, and now it was time to interview. Guess what? The guy interviewing me owned the Harley parked outside. We talked about the article and Harleys for about an hour. I then met the operations manager and the president and got the offer. Here I had my portfolio with my performance evals and records, and they wanted to talk about Harleys. Later, I asked about that. They said, “Wendy, we already knew all about you. We know that when so-and-so took over the old office, people were still asking about you for two years. We knew about the performance records. That’s why we kept calling. But, we needed to see if you’d be a fit for our team. Well, after you talked with so-and-so about Harleys, we knew you would fit right in.” Old “so and so” was my boss for a while. When he left, I got to be boss - for that department. 

These stories are not just about hobbies, but rather a culture fit within the organization. In the employment biz,  we call it “right fit.” Think about this, the average person spends 2080 to 2600 hours per year at work! Wouldn't it  be nice to enjoy being there?

Challenge: What are your hobbies? Are they relevant to your career goal? Would they be a differentiator for you? Do  they demonstrate your brand? Your attributes that are hot selling points for the role? If so, take a risk. Add it to your resume.

Posted by Wendy Terwelp

Comments

[Sabrina]

Excellent post! We have seen many searches hinge on "special knowledge". Don't count out outside experience - especially if it is about something you are passionate about in a job search or long term career management!

[Wendy Terwelp]

Thank you for the kind words Sabrina! :)

[Dale Kurow]

Great advice! It goes back to needing to make a "personal" connection with the hiring manager. You never know what that person does in life outside of work. Everyone loves to talk about a beloved "hobby." Thanks again!

[Bob McIntosh]

Wendy,

Thanks for the entry. We talk about the "Hobbies/Interests" section in our Resume Writing workshop and stress that they must be pertinent to the job search. Many of our jobseekers are still hesitant to include this section. It's not for everyone. You reinforced our message with some great examples. Would you mind if I passed it out in our workshops...crediting you, of course?

Bob

[Wendy Terwelp]

Bob,

Thanks so much for the kind words.

So you want to reprint an article of mine? Be my guest! Just be sure to include the following information:

1. My byline:

By Wendy Terwelp, Networking Coach

2. The copyright notice:

Resumes: When Hobbies Count © 2008 Wendy Terwelp. All rights reserved.

3. My "About the author" box:

About the author
Wendy Terwelp, President of Opportunity Knocks™, is a successful author, speaker, and coach who has helped thousands of job seekers land gigs they love while getting paid what they’re worth. Wendy has been quoted in The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, Fast Company, The Business Journal, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Careerbuilder.com, Monster.com, as well as several radio shows. Want to be a rock star at work? Wendy's web site is a great resource with free articles and valuable tools to help you land your next big gig fast. Visit her web site at www.knocks.com or call 262.241.4655.

3. My "Author's note" box:

Author's note: You're welcome to use this article as content for your own ezine or web site! Just make sure that the article remains complete and unaltered (including the "About the author" info and copyright line at the end), and that you send a copy of your reprint to wendyterwelp@knocks.com. You may also use my photo (found on my about us page at www.knocks.com/aboutus.html) with the article.

[Louise Fletcher]

Great examples of times when hobbies can be useful to include. My only caveat is that I recommend staying away from politics or religion (unless you're targeting positions in either of those fields).

[Wendy Terwelp]

Good point Louise!

Especially in today's climate. :) Although, I have worked with campaign managers - and well, politics must be stated!

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So to take this one step further, as a matter of career counseling, would you recommend to a university student that they seek a summer job as a rock climbing instructor, or a whitewater rafting instructor, or a spelunking tour guide?

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Only if that's who they truly are.

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