RE: Hobbies on a résumé (WAS: RE: New TECHWR-L Poll Question)

["Susan W. Gallagher" <SGallagher -at- akonix -dot- com>]

Okay. I've been a hiring manager more often than not over the
past 10 years or so. Here's my take.

I remember the early 90s when listing hobbies on a resume
was a standard thing to do. More resumes did list them than
didn't. I used the hobby section to guess at how the applicant
would fit in with the rest of the team. Was I right? Maybe.
Maybe not. But I was definitely being human.

* Do I want to mix the improv commedienne and the jazz radio
  DJ. Yes, that sounds good. Call him in for an interview.

* Do I want to mix the secular humanist and the born-again
  Christian? Nope. Next resume, please. (The secular humanist
  was already on staff. The born-again Christian offered the
  info in the hobbies [other activities] section.)

These days, very few resumes come through with a "hobbies" 
section. I don't really miss the information and I feel that
more applicants get a fair chance at an interview. Now they
can hang themselves in person!  ;-)

I still see an occasional resume with a "hobbies" section --
or one that lists age, marital status, height & weight... and
I think "this person is out of touch". Just the fact that the
information is present leads me through an evaluation process,
before and in addition to the additional info that I can also
evaluate.

I personally do not list hobbies on my resume. I do list STC
membership and confess that I am "a frequent presenter at
conferences". There have been times -- late April to early May 
comes to mind (the annual STC conference is in May) -- that 
this has worked against me. ("sorry, we need someone to start now")

A very good friend and former boss -- a VP of Engineering type --
says "never tell 'em anything until they give you the job". I'd
include hobbies in that warning.

MTC, YMMV, HTH
-Sue Gallagher
sgallagher -at- akonix -dot- com



> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tracy Boyington [mailto:tracy_boyington -at- okcareertech -dot- org]
> 
> You know, a lot of people are saying "having hobbies tells 
> employers you are a good employee," but I'd like to hear what 
> more employers think, rather than what we *think* they think. 

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