Thread: Job application: Do you have a hobby?

Originally Posted by sidneykidney

This is an A4 blank page the same size as the professional statement. It needs to be filled. I suspect they are after the kind of stuff you'd put on a personnel webpage. It says information 'you'd be willing to share with other staff, users and carers.' Its a job as counsellor.

Meh. Whatever.

Volunteer work you did.

Or maybe you can mention 'collecting old style shaving gear'. You can talk a lot about soaps and brushes, and if asked you can mention that you own a couple of straights (you collect shaving stuff) and that you have used them a couple of times.
That way it doesn't seem like you are obsessed with knives and sharp objects.

Yeah, writing good applications are a true skill, so if you can make it stand out you have a much better chance at getting a job. This is easy here in Finland since most jobs doesn't have a standard form for you to fill out, so they just ask you to send in a CV and a free-form application. A little word wizardry, and you've almost certainly nailed the job. I usually have a "other" field in my CV where I add experiences, interests, hobbies and awards that are relevant to the job at hand. Most employers use information like that to both disqualify applicants and weed out suitable people from the mass of applications. So outsmarting them and only adding information that will benefit you is then the key. Luckily, with that plus making a really smart word document (I usually make them a little bit prettier than what the employer bother with when they do similar stuff in word since I work in a IT-field) that you then mail to the employer usually lands you the spot.

Originally Posted by Bruno

I only made a resume once (for my current job)

*through gritted teeth* I'm very pleased for you. (Seriously I am, but i've been unemployed for 6 months now. Its tough hearing things like that. I've been in 12 jobs in the last decade for various reasons.

Originally Posted by Stuggi

A little word wizardry, and you've almost certainly nailed the job.

*snaps pencil*

Originally Posted by Bruno

Volunteer work you did.

Thats already on the application form in a seperate section. The form is 10 pages long.

And I have to do two by Friday! Gah!

I wouldn't write it on an application, but if it comes up in an interview, I might say something about collecting antique shaving paraphernalia.

Jordan

Originally Posted by sidneykidney

*through gritted teeth* I'm very pleased for you. (Seriously I am, but i've been unemployed for 6 months now. Its tough hearing things like that. I've been in 12 jobs in the last decade for various reasons.

Sorry. I didn't intend to aggravate you. I mentioned it only to show my relative inexperience in resume writing.

Originally Posted by sidneykidney

Thats already on the application form in a seperate section. The form is 10 pages long.

And I have to do two by Friday! Gah!

I am starting to see the problem here. Most resumes and applications are usually just 2 pages, so it is easy enough to condense your information so that only the good stuff is left.
10 pages...

How about any books you read related to your field of expertise. It's always good to show that you keep up to date with new stuff in your field. It makes you look as someone who really likes doing what he does, instead of doing the time necessary for your pay.

Are there perhaps documentaries, tv programs or radio shows you follow that could be explained as on-topic for your new job?

I wouldn't answer it at all. Keep your work and private lives separate, and you'll be a lot happier.

I wouldn't post it as a hobby, It's a personal lifestyle that does not need to be shared up front Although if you are into restoration of any type. That could be considered a hobby that shows that you are able to complete projects and know how to follow through on commitments. Even if it is just cleaning razors up that you get off ebay you could consider that basic restoratons.

Why not use the ebay terminology and say you collect "barberiana"?

Originally Posted by Chimensch

Isn't that what the exploitation of the working classes is all about?

What if you're middle class?

Sandy, that form is so typical of public sector recruitment in the UK! My wife's GP practice recruits with similar length forms, and a friend recently applied for a job with the police who wanted a 20 page form completed. To me it would feel like a no-win situation -- the more you fill it with peripheral information about yourself, the more at risk you'll be of offering up info that doesn't 'fit' with their recruitment policy. On the other hand, if you're deliberately meagre with it, then you might be seen as having something to hide.

I reckon you should fill it with non-provocative and wholesome stuff. Stuff that won't come back to haunt you, i.e. avoid fibbing or outright lies. Music, literature, hiking (in Scotland there's got to be GREAT hiking!), amateur dramatics, film going, sports, you name it. Add in a little detail, a little history, and you have loads of entry points for interesting discussions during an interview.

In my experience, the resumes I've come across which list hobbies at the end have been useful only when I'm looking for an ice breaker in an interview or if I'm faced with someone who finds it hard to open up. I.e. it's a means to an end, but I've never used it for deciding on shortlists or the successful candidate.

Good luck, mate!

I think a job application is the best way to find out a bit about your potential employer. Why would you want to work for some group of judgemental sticks in the mud?Embellish that hobbiies section with references to things some may find a bit off the beaten path like underwater basket weaving, ice painting or crypto-taxidermy: Fantasy Work-Gaffs