Personal Interests CV Tips

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Tips And Advice

CV Personal Interests & Why You Should Always Add Them

I occasionally get asked if it’s a good idea to list one’s personal interests, such as playing golf, at the bottom of a CV.  My answer is always ‘yes’.  Not only does it give voyeuristic people like me something more interesting to read at the bottom of a CV, other than the no doubt highly original and unique personal statement at the top (which recruiters skip over as a matter of habit by the way), it also gives an interviewer something to chat about outside of work or education – something to make you a person, not just a bullet point list of jobs and experiences.

However, there’s another reason it might be a good idea...

How your personal interests could get you the job

Last week I began searching for a particularly interesting job as Head of eCommerce for a rather fantastic golf brand.  “They don’t need to play Golf”, our client said, “but it will definitely help”.   We can see why, if golf is a hobby or a passion, then it’s quite frankly a dream job for them, but it’s given us a challenge – we know lots of people who can nail a Head of eCommerce role, but how do we focus in on the golfers?  It’s not something that we cover as a matter of course when we first meet a candidate.

So, here’s the rub – if you like the idea of combining your personal hobby or passion with your career but haven’t got the word on your CV, the recruiter might not tell you about the job.  So, whether it’s paragliding, marvel comics or computer games, find a way of getting that key word on your CV, you never know, it might open a door for you.

Oh, and if you are interested in the golf job (or, know someone who might be), here’s the link. 

Someone somewhere is going to get it, why not you?