[austechwriter] Re: Resumes - should interests be included
- From: Michael Edward Granat <megranat@xxxxxxxx>
- To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 02 Jul 2003 10:55:45 +1000
It is surprisingly important to include them, Melanie.
Many people are looking for a good fit for their team, someone with common
interests.
It never fails to amaze me how often my interests in old British cars,
motorsport (CAMS licence & such), BMW motorcycles and even TV comedy
writing (for Live & Sweaty and for Backberner amongst others) have come up
as positive talking points, raised by the interviewer.
People often want to interview tangible people, with common hobbies or
fascinating interests that sit outside the square.
Often just sending a big list of candidate achievements can serve more to
intimidate than to encourage a potential employer.
I keep my resume (no accented e characters here because the freelists
server cannot cope with them and inserts =85 and the like) brief because,
by its very nature, a resume is supposed to be a brief summary, more like
an extended personal profile. My CV, on the other hand, which is (as a CV
is supposed to be) a comprehensive worklife history document, is available
only by request. So I don't swamp those who don't need or want to know
with everything unless they want to proceed to the next step. So you need
two separate documents. A resume for most uses and a CV (for your own
reference if for nothing else).
BTW, many bosses (although not the better ones who see the value of having
great people) can feel intimidated by interviewing potentials who are more
senior and knowledgeable in certain areas than themselves, so too much info
in the initial stage can cut you out of contention. Plus, when the poor
buggers have to read 85 resumes in a morning, it all can get too much and a
long winded letter or resume can simply end up in the WPB out of reviewer
exhaustion.
So once you get an interview, keep it real. Don't push too hard and
remember that an interview is a two way process. Make it easier for the
interviewer by researching their business before you arrive (company Web
sites are so handy) and by having interesting questions to ask them.
All the best,
Michael Granat
Write Ideas
At 08:33 2/7/2003 +1000, you wrote:
>Morning all,
>
>My company sent the employees it retrenched on a three day job seeking
>course.
>
>The consultant running the course gave us a template with a layout and
>headings of things that were expected to be included in a resume.
>
>One of the headings was 'Interests'. I stopped putting this heading in my
>resume a few years ago. I've never felt any potential employer was
>interested.
>
>What do other people think?
>
>Cheers,
>
>Melanie
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