CV Interests

Tuesday, January 27th, 2009 - CV Interests, CV Writing, How to Write a CV, tutorial

CV Interests

One of the most often asked questions when writing a CV/resume is on the CV Interests section. Quite often people are unsure as to:

• Should they include a CV Interests section?
• If yes, what should they add?
• And if they should write one, how to write it?

The bottom line is that an interests section is optional. Most bland internet CV Templates include an interests section because they can be quite useful to school leavers and early careers, and templates have to be applicable  to many different readers and job seekers.

However, the employers focus will always be on the core skills in the CV. If an employer has already been unimpressed by the time they get to the Hobbies and Interests section, the information that you include at the end of your CV will not persuade them to change their mind about offering you an interview. But this doesn’t mean the information included here is not important. A few brief words could catch the employer’s eye and persuade them to take a second look through your skills and experience.

The purpose of a CV Interests section is to give employers a broader view of you. No need to list down everything that you have done since school – maximum of three is the clear rule. BUT People employ People and they really want to confirm that you do have a life outside work and are socially connected to the human race.

Your interests should if included say positive things about you. They can provide further evidence of soft skills, such as teamwork – eg if you belong to a sports team. They can also add to hard skills - the fact you are not yet a manger in work, but manage a community group would be an additional relevant hard skill.

Employers will look for a balance of interests. Try to include both quieter/individual pursuits and active/group activities. However, do think about how your interests might be perceived by other people. Train-spotting, for instance, does not have a positive image in the public consciousness – being an active member of a railway preservation group would be seen as positive. Likewise, a list of solitary activities will not make you look like a good team player. Specific areas to avoid include:

• Expense beyond your means (eg: coin collecting, European travel, buying antiques)
• Really unusual (eg: collecting Elvis paraphernalia, attending Star Trek conventions)
• Anything sexual!

You should also avoid political overtones (eg: active member of UKIP, or volunteering for an individual seeking public office), unless you are seeking a career in politics. Also, keep the danger element under control – the accident rate for parachuting is one broken leg in five jumps, which most HR professionals who have input to employee liability insurance cover would know.

Having decided to insert a CV Interests section, now make the most of them by engaging the reader and avoiding bland, general statements. As a recruiter, I read too many “Reading, watching television and going out with my friends” statements: everyone does that, surprise! It is hence doesn’t make you stand out, and worse of all uses up space and probably detracts from your application.

So if you do choose to include an interests section, make it work for you to stand out from the crowd, and be specific. Eg:

• Avoid “I enjoy watching films”
• Use “I enjoy attending film festivals, such as the Commonwealth Film Festival in Manchester.”

You should not be modest when it comes to any awards you have gained through your hobbies and interests. Outstanding excellence in any field will show commitment and talent – national or international awards should always be considered to be pulled up into your Personal Statement or Cover Letter. If you have won prizes for writing short stories or have won local sporting titles makes sure to mention them. But always make sure the achievements are recent: unless it is an Olympic medal, if you won a swimming title 20 years ago but haven’t swum competitively since, then it may seem as though you haven’t achieved anything worth mentioning since then.

The advantage of having a CV Interests section comes when you get to the interview stage. Well written, interesting hobbies are good ice breakers at the beginning of an interview. Hobbies such as scuba diving, skiing, dancing and horse riding may not seem unusual to the candidate that actually practices them, but they will be a good talking point. Golf may not seem an usual hobby but most big companies do usually have some form of sports team, and it is a good way of showing that a candidate is a team player – however, if all you have done is a day on a golf range, don’t include it to impress! Lie’s in an interest section can be checked like any claimed skill or qualification, and always come back to haunt you.

Hobbies and interests can be an important part of the CV, although not as important to most employers as your actual hard/soft job skills. Employers see numerous CVs for one job and anything that stands out and catches their attention means that the job candidate may have an advantage over the other potential candidates.

Frequently Asked Questions:

• I really don’t have any hobbies other than watching television at night. Should I just make something up? Hobbies and interests are not required on a CV/resume. Always remain truthful, and don’t add things just to fill up space
• Knitting is my only hobby. Will that make me seem old? Unless the hobby or interest adds to your skills or enhances your candidacy, it should not be included on your CV/resume. However, if you have won national level awards or written a book on your hobby, this would indicates to an HR professional that you posses skills capable of running a business

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7 Responses to “CV Interests”

1. Recommended Links « CV Interests Says:
   February 12th, 2009 at 10:35 pm

   [...] CV Interests [...]

2. ANDRES Says:
   April 29th, 2009 at 6:26 pm

   I have collected coins ever since I was a child. I couldn’t ask for a more worthwhile hobby.

3. Shani Says:
   July 29th, 2009 at 6:52 am

   I really don’t have much interests, but i just like listening to music, team works and hanging out with friends. Will it be OK for a management trainee CV?

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   In reply: Do you have an interest or activity where you manage something, such as a music club? Or do you organise a get together with your friends on a regular basis, and does the organisation rotate around the group or do certain people always lead? What the employer will be looking for is evidence of management capability. No evidence doesn’t exclude you, it either translates into the need for more training or – in this market – being placed lower in the list and hence probably not getting the position

4. adam Says:
   August 21st, 2009 at 12:52 am

   I need to know what to include for a teaching application form. I have taught for many years and now, and I have the usual interests such as eating out in different eateries around the UK Oh, plus playing with the little ones!
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   The key issue in adding any interest to a CV or job application is relevancy: is the interest relevant to the job application being made? As a teacher, having shown the basics (functional fit) through experience and being vetted via a Criminal Records Check, what interests would add to your base skills? For instance, you mention going out to eat: does that (in part) involve a choice of going to local community based restaurants, or further a field? Is your local community choice based on getting to know the community better where you work, or nationally based on extending your knowledge of different communities and cultures so that you can bring that back into the classroom? Schools are community based organisations, so how how can you show social community engagement via your interests, and hence show better social fit for that type of school?

5. Alva Says:
   September 13th, 2009 at 9:16 pm

   I have been thinking about this for a while, and this gives me the answer I was looking for. Thank you much – Alva

6. Deana Says:
   September 18th, 2009 at 10:36 am

   Awesome post! I know I will be back soon – Deana

7. Jackson Says:
   September 19th, 2009 at 3:40 am

   Great advice, you are a very smart person! Thank You, Jackson