View Poll Results: When asked in a job application form if you have hobbies/interests, do you....

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  • Not mention your razor collection/hobby at all (I wanna get the job before I tell them that)

    28 60.87%
  • Maybe mention it in passing on the app form if asked about my hobbies, hoping its not brought up.

    5 10.87%
  • Leave it out from the app form but tell them at interview (knowing you dont have any other hobbies)

    5 10.87%
  • Big up the RAD everywhere! Let them take you as you are!

    8 17.39%
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  1. #31
    Neat Freak Stuggi's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Quick Orange View Post
    No one said you had to be straight forward. You know what I said when they asked me about it? Carpentry (scales) and metalwork (honing, grinding). My interviewer asked me what I did with it specifically, and I just said ornamental heirloom knives, besides other carpentry and metalwork. It's not a lie, but you can get away with heirloom knives far easier than straight razors.

    I know a guy that got a great job because he listed mountain biking on his application under hobbies. It turned out the head honcho that read the applications also did mountain biking. Bada bing!
    You see to be familiar with the concept of spin. ^^

  2. #32
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    You have to ask the question, why have they asked for the information from you?

    I suspect they want to know that you are normal, well balanced and lead a full and enriched life.

    So maybe you have a hobby, like reading, like walking and travel when your budget allows. Chasing women, going to the movies, eating out with friends, cooking, babysitting, painting, woodworking, house renovation, renovating old cars, gardening, golf, football, going to the pub, internet browsing even watching television.

    I agree that talking about razors to most people is as bad as train spotting. It's normal to shave but not to talk about it. So I wouldn't mention it either in the application, the interview or even at work. People will thing you are strange. Now if someone asks you, a gentle passing reference is OK. But don't go on about it.
    When was the last time you had a chat about cutting your nails either in the pub or at work?

    Good luck with your quest.

  3. #33
    Mint loving graphical comedian sidneykidney's Avatar
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    For an update guys, I finished the application and handed it to a friend to look over.

    Her one piece of advice:

    "Take out that you frequent internet forums. It makes you look weird."

    Thats most of my hobbies gone then. Perhaps I should start applying for internet forum admin jobs?

    Look out Dave

  4. #34
    Senior Member blabbermouth jnich67's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sidneykidney View Post
    For an update guys, I finished the application and handed it to a friend to look over.

    Her one piece of advice:

    "Take out that you frequent internet forums. It makes you look weird."

    Thats most of my hobbies gone then. Perhaps I should start applying for internet forum admin jobs?

    Look out Dave

    Good advice. You also don't want them thinking you'll be doing that at work.

    Jordan

  5. #35
    Dapper Dandy Quick Orange's Avatar
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    Go with carpentry and metalwork. So few people these days can do it that it looks pretty good.

  6. #36
    The Razor Whisperer Philadelph's Avatar
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    I am a firm believer in come as you are. If they ask that on an application, they want to know because they DON'T want boring employees. If you state your hobby in a way that isn't scary (mentioning restoring, shaving, antiques, etc.) then it cannot be bad for you. It will show your passion for something and more often than not, when people know that about me they get fascinated. I wouldn't leave it off the application completely but it's not me who is applying for the job.

    On a related note– I was once interviewing at a temp. agency. Very formal thing. While I was getting interviewed I stopped the lady and asked her in a non-degrading way if she actually enjoyed her job. She was kind of taken aback but I went on to explain how a lot in that industry seemed so phony. She started laughing about it and talking honestly with me. Turns out it was pretty much the most interesting interview she'd ever given. After that she started calling me on a daily basis and I became her best/favorite temp ever. So take that however you'd like lol.

  7. #37
    I'm your huckleberry stdreb27's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Stuggi View Post
    Yeah, there are normal hobbies and there are weird hobbies. Straights are a weird one. Computers or playing electric guitar are more "normal" ^^ Or charted accountancy for that matter... ^^
    I dunno, have you seen musicians and computer nerds? There is nothing normal about them.

    Quote Originally Posted by sidneykidney View Post
    Her one piece of advice:

    "Take out that you frequent internet forums. It makes you look weird."
    I mentioned using Internet forums in my interview for the current job, but said I use them as a problem solving tool. I got the job, because I used that as a reason I was resourceful and thought outside the box when confronting problems I did not know the knowledge to solve. You'd be surprised what kind of useful batch files people write.

    Quote Originally Posted by Philadelph View Post
    (mentioning restoring, shaving, antiques, etc.) then it cannot be bad for you.

    On a related note– I was once interviewing at a temp. agency. Very formal thing. While I was getting interviewed I stopped the lady and asked her in a non-degrading way if she actually enjoyed her job. She was kind of taken aback but I went on to explain how a lot in that industry seemed so phony. She started laughing about it and talking honestly with me. Turns out it was pretty much the most interesting interview she'd ever given. After that she started calling me on a daily basis and I became her best/favorite temp ever. So take that however you'd like lol.
    I was going to suggest that, especially if you restore blades and stuff.
    I do work in a good ol boy industry (oil production) so when I put fishing, golf, and watching sports. Half the battle is done, I would only imagine saying I shave with a straight razor and restore them (I don't but I will) it would just make it all the better.

  8. #38
    Absinthe Minded Shavelle's Avatar
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    just make up a cool sounding hobby... like you walk the elderly on the weekend...

  9. #39
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    I'd be careful about mentioning any hobbies that could be construed as "different" or "controversial." While it was not a hobby, I do personally know of one instance where a person was not considered for a position because he had listed previous work experience in a slaughterhouse.

  10. #40
    Mint loving graphical comedian sidneykidney's Avatar
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    Why is previous WORK experience in a slaughterhouse a bad thing? It sounds voluntary. Surely any voluntary work looks good on a CV? Did the employer think 'oh no! a mad axe wielding butcher has come to get this job so he can go postal on us!'

    No.

    What was the job you/your friend/ the person was applying for anyway?

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