Thread: Job application: Do you have a hobby?

I'm filling out a job application at the moment. Now I know what i'm going to put, but i'm just interested to find out what you guys would write.

The assumption here is that the job you are applying for is not something where your RAD might be an advantage eg. working in a knife factory

I would be hesitant to let anyone but close friends know that I have an interest in straight razors, guns, or women. I'm sure many employers have plenty of reasons to not consider you, adding a few more makes no sense to me at all.

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... ^^

Poll now posted. You guys are too quick for me.

My personal opinion is that listing hobbies can only hurt you. Employers want people who have no personal life and will dedicate every waking hour to working for them. Isn't that what the exploitation of the working classes is all about?

I can see why you write that Chimensch, but I am inclined to disagree. From my experience employers find hobbies a good way to get an impression of what the individual is like on a personal level.

Besides, the job i'm applying for (and others in the same sector I have applied for in the past) specifically asks for a personal statement (as well as a seperate professional statement), the former looking for 'an informal statement about your hobbies, interests and reasons why you are interested in working in this field...'. The career lends itself to this information.

Mind you, I still wont mention straight razor shaving.

Listing hobbies on application forms is a very grey area. I always question the motives of the HR people when they put a hobby section on an application form. Do they want to know because they want to see if you have other interests besides chartered accountancy (sry Stuggi, couldn't resist putting this in) or do they want to see if you are a crackpot who likes to collect microwaved ants?

I am a manager for a manufacturing plant - the only time I pay attention to hobbies (if a person decides to list them on their resume .... I had my HR dept take the section off of the standard application form) is if their hobby has some relevance to their position. For example, if the person tells me that their hobby is restoring old motorcycles I would consider that an asset if hiring for a machine operator (mechanically inclined, good with hands, etc).

Originally Posted by sidneykidney

I can see why you write that Chimensch, but I am inclined to disagree. From my experience employers find hobbies a good way to get an impression of what the individual is like on a personal level.

Besides, the job i'm applying for (and others in the same sector I have applied for in the past) specifically asks for a personal statement (as well as a seperate professional statement), the former looking for 'an informal statement about your hobbies, interests and reasons why you are interested in working in this field...'. The career lends itself to this information.

Mind you, I still wont mention straight razor shaving.

I personally would only put the minimum required information on an application. Anything else is only ammunition that can be used to disqualify you. The only exception would be what rsrick said, if it relates to the work.

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.

I only made a resume once (for my current job) and I didn't include hobbies.
I have 2 major hobbies: this one, and low level computer programming.

So while I didn't mention any hobby explicitly, I made a short section to list the certifications I hold, published articles that I've written, and my MVP award.
I turned that hobby into an asset, and it paid off. By making my resume stand out, my boss invited me to interview for a position that didn't exist yet.

Most of my close colleagues and my boss know I am into straights. But is is not something I'd ever mention before people got to know me first.