Why ‘Hobbies and Interests’ Are The Most Important Part of Your Resume (Study)
Don’t neglect your hobbies and interests section of your resume as it could determine whether or not you get the job.
When preparing resumes, most of you probably treat the hobbies and interests section as a mere afterthought. You probably don’t pay it much attention and simply write a list of clichéd activities, or you don’t bother including one at all.
But, research from North western’s University’s Kellog School of Management confirms what many of you may have suspected which is that hiring managers tend to pick people they: like, want to spend time with and who they could be friends with — and this tends to supersede qualifications and experience.
This has serious implications for job application and job search strategy because what the study also found was that one of the chief ways that hiring managers were assessing cultural fit was to review your hobbies and interests. If your hobbies and interests portrayed you as someone who would fit neatly into their culture, then you would have an increased chance of being short-listed for interview and subsequently chosen for the job.
We should bear in mind that this study was focused on investment banks, law firms and management consulting firms, but it was an extensive 2 year longitudinal study of 120 managers and so I think it can be applied more broadly.
So, how should job seekers react to this?
Job seekers should more closely research employers and only apply to those where there is a good cultural fit in terms of interest, hobbies etc… Then job seekers should make sure to beef up their interest and hobbies section of their resume to ensure relevant hobbies are listed and detailed. Adopting this approach should therefore make you more employable.
If you cannot for whatever reason limit your job search to companies where you have great cultural fit, then, if you want to increase your chances of being employed in these firms, you may need to reduce the emphasis on your hobbies and interests in your CV and during any subsequent interview as it could work against you. Silence is Golden.
Some may question the wisdom of joining a company where you don’t fit the culture. The question is, “will you be happy?”. Of course, you may not have a choice, but on the up side you may find that following exposure to this new culture, you broaden your horizons and actually enjoy it and grow as a person. Alternately, you may find various sub cultures within the organization which resonate more with you and which you can align yourself with.
So, the message here is that hobbies and interests do matter and they say a lot to an employer about whether you will fit into their culture – and ultimately be someone they want to employ – so manage your hobbies and interests section carefully.
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