Are You Neophyte Resume Or Do You Know What’s Important?
Hobbies are one of the most frequently used words in American English. According to Merriam Webster, the dictionary that includes all the English language’s modern nouns and pronouns, hobby includes doing or practicing any activity we usually do, but not confined exclusively to such. But, unlike many English verbs, “hobby” does not indicate an action; it simply describes a condition. A hobby can be compared to an ideal, or to some imaginary structure that we construct in our minds.
To illustrate the point of view, let us consider two typical hobbies: horseback riding and weightlifting. Clearly, both are vigorous activities, but the first is certainly more “active” than the second. Horseback riding, for example, requires physical strength and a certain amount of grace. It also requires training: learning how to ride a horse well enough that, on reaching a certain age, the rider can ride without falling. A weightlifter, on the other hand, does not require physical strength: he/she lifts weights just by putting his/her body in certain positions.
Clearly, both hobbies and interests on your resume include a certain degree of work involved. So, the first step in putting together your job history is to determine which activities (or, if multiple activities) you excel at. One alternative is to choose activities that are easy to list on a resume. However, keep in mind that the chronological listing of these activities may tend to make you seem a bit flippant or too careless. Therefore, try to strike a balance between easy to list hobbies and interests on your resume and a clean chronological appearance.
Another technique is to list only your hobbies and interests on your resume – the remaining details will come up later. For example, if you’re applying for a position as an office manager, listing your favourite hobby(s) along with your job history wouldn’t be a good idea. Even if you’re not applying for a management position, listing your favourite hobbies or other interests could get you into trouble if you ever do start a job in that line of work. So, listing all your interests and hobbies on your resume is best left to the job-seeking part of the process – when you’re actually looking for a new job! When you have chosen the right job, then you can put your hobby details in there.
Don’t forget that, even if you choose a career that doesn’t require a great deal of hobby and/or recreational time on a daily basis, the professional experience you have will still have an effect on your chances of getting that job. Many professionals tend to group their interests together, or choose to label some interests as “professional”. So, when writing your resume, it’s important not to conflate your hobby and/or recreational experience with professional experience. Just be sure that you’re listing all the relevant professional experiences on your resume, however.
If you’re trying to write a resume for a job that doesn’t require a lot of socialization or involvement in hobbies, you’ll likely find that you need to take some time to research the job you’re applying for. If you don’t already list your hobbies on your resume, be sure to include them. Even if you think you know what the job requires, researching the job could help you to better understand whether or not hobbies or interests are relevant to the job, and may even mean that you know how to include those interests in your resume!
