Hobbies and interests Should I include them in my CV

Hobbies and interests Should I include them in my CV by Michael Cheary ‘I’m very sorry, I’m not sure I have any hobbies…’Whilst to some it may seem simple to list your education or work history, trying to put your pastimes down on paper can be far more of a challenge.If you’re not sure whether your hobbies and interests are worth including, here are a few things to remember:What are hobbies?Hobbies are activities or pastimes that are carried out regularly in your spare time usually for fun, but could also be a great way to supplement your income simultaneously.Common hobbies and interests could include anything from sports, music, and dance, to art, blogging, or reading.Why include hobbies and interests? To put it simply, hiring managers are nosy.While your CV tells the story of your qualifications and your career, the hobbies and interest section reveals a little more of your personality.Benefits of including hobbies on your CV include:Demonstrating your relevant skills for the roleHelps your CV stand out from the crowdMakes your CV more individualAllows you to show voluntary and community-focused projectsGives you something to talk about during your interviewSkills based CV templateFive CV skills employers look for in every jobseeker  Do recruiters read them?Here’s the problem with hobbies: they’re subjective.Some recruiters are absolute advocates, believing them to be an integral part of well-rounded application. Conversely, some may only consider them important if it’s a close decision, or if company fit/culture becomes a factor.As a general rule, most recruiters will only be interested in your hobbies if they’re relevant to the role and, crucially â€" if you’ve ticked all the other boxes.What recruiters really want in your CVWhere should I include them?It can be great to show what you do outside of a working environment, but you should never place precedence on your hobbies.If you do include them, always make sure they come at the end of your application.Use them to seal the de al, rather than as your key selling point.Free CV templateHow to write a CVDo they always need to be relevant?OK, so not everyone’s a fan of Morris Dancing. But surely it’s better to include something to help sell yourself than leave more blank space, right? Wrong.Unfortunately, not everyone’s a fan of traditional English folk dancing. And unless you’ve applied for a job where these skills will be particularly useful, they’ll probably not help you get the job.Wherever possible, your hobbies and interests should reinforce your application and the idea that you’ll be the right fit for the role â€" even if it’s just through transferable skills.  Is your CV sabotaging your career?Hobbies and interests CV examplesSome examples of relevant hobbies include:Coding or programming (for technology jobs)Fashion and beauty blogging (for Journalists and Copywriters)Sports and conditioning training (for Personal Trainer  and jobs in sport)President of a society or club (for managemen t positions)Strategic games/puzzles (such as chess) (for Project Managers and Developers)Mentoring, coaching, and tutoring (for Teachers and jobs in retail)Model making and DIY (for jobs in construction  and engineering)Cooking/baking/flambéing (for jobs in the catering industry/those who want to become professional flambé-ers )What’s more, your hobbies don’t even necessarily need to be related to your role directly. There are many transferable skills which may come across in your hobbies and be applicable to you application.Examples include acting or drama skills for jobs in the sales industry, coaching a local football team and demonstrating your motivational skills, and even being a metal detectorist for those looking for break into archaeology.Five of the best hobbies to include in your CVSix extracurricular activities to add to your CVHow to start a blog    What if I don’t have any hobbies? If you can’t think of any particular passions or interests you pursue, don’t be tempted to just stick to clichés.Socialising with friends, eating out and going to the cinema may be accurate, but are all unlikely to add value to your application. And it’s far better to lose the section completely than to offer up a token gesture.If you really want something to set yourself apart, you could also take up volunteering. Not only is it a great hobby to have, it can also help get your foot in the door in your chosen industry.How to find volunteer work  Benefits of volunteeringHow should I write them?If you do decide to include some hobbies, style can be just as importance as substance.Bullet points are fine, but should not be used as a way to list all of your activities individually with zero context. The most effective CVs have their hobbies backing up everything the recruiter has read so far.For example, a ‘weekly five-a-side game with friends’ becomes a lot more attractive when written as ‘successfully organised a range of regional five-a-side football tournaments, including managing all bookings, venues and participants and helping coach my own team’.Hobbies and interests CV exampleAvid blogger and social media user, and an owner of my own blog. Not only do I use it to write and edit articles about all topics related to sports (specifically football), I also use it as a platform to sell advertising space on a CPC basis. Whilst studying, I also successfully organised a range of regional five-a-side football tournaments, including managing all bookings, venues and participants and helping coach my own team, and contributed to the sports section in the student newspaper and social sites.View all CV templates  So, should I include them? Essentially, there’s no right or wrong answer for this one.Some recruiters love the extra detail, whilst others prefer to keep it strictly professional. Their inclusion is never likely to grate on the reader too much, but should always be as relevant as possible. Especially if you’re low on spa ce. However, if your hobbies and interests are used to supplement your income, they could be a great way to demonstrate skills that may not be covered in your work experience section.If you’re still having difficulty making your decision, use our quick checklist below:Who should include them: School leaversGraduatesThose lacking experienceThose applying for roles which are directly related to their hobbiesWho should delete them:Those who want to cut down their CVThose who don’t know what to sayThose who have no real hobbiesFinal thoughtsFinally, always resist the temptation to embellish. If you choose a particularly quirky pastime in an effort to impress, chances are it could come up during your interview.A missing section is always easier to deal with than an awkward silence…Free CV review  Need more CV advice?It takes an employer just seven seconds to save or reject a job applicant’s CV. This means creating a succinct CV is absolutely vital if you want to land that all-imp ortant interview. To find out how to make your CV stand out from the crowd, buy James Reed’s new book: The 7 Second CV: How to Land the Interview.Ready to write your CV? Try using our free CV template, or view all available jobs now.Find a job What Where Search JobsSign up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Advice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you agree to the CVs

What Role Does Personalization Play in Employee Wellness

What Role Does Personalization Play in Employee Wellness If everyones needs were the same then the world would be a very boring place. In fact, its very rare that any two people like exactly the same things all the time. The same can apply to employee wellness programs. While most companies will agreeing that implementing some sort of physical and mental wellbeing schemes to benefit their employee, chances are that they wont be suitable for every single individual. So how do you personalize your corporate wellness program so that it benefits everyone including the company? Here,  our 10 corporate wellness experts tell us why personalization is important when it comes to an employees wellbeing. Sammy Courtright Personalization is absolutely essential for a successful employee wellness program. Changing your behavior (and ultimately your health) means that you have to enjoy what you’re doingand stick to it. At Fitspot, we send out a survey to clients’ employees before we start designing their wellness program. The survey gauges participants’ interest in a variety of wellness activities and services, such as fitness classes, workshops, mindfulness activities, massages, and more. For example, maybe your employees prefer high-intensity, like bootcamps or circuit training, or low-intensity workouts, such as yoga or Pilates. (Hint: we’ve found a mix of both works best!) The survey will also determine which day and time works best to host services and activities. This level of personalization helps ensure engagement, happiness, and the results you want you want from a wellness program. Sammy Courtright, founder and CEO of Fitspot Wellness. Joe Gaunt Employees want personalised experiences in their corporate wellness programs. Wellness isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” solution. Wellness initiatives that are important to one employee might not be as important to another. Every employee’s journey to a healthier lifestyle is unique and should be treated as such. To create a more personalised experience for employees, employers need to use digital platforms to host their wellness programmes.  Using technology platforms will help employers determine specific wellness goals and activities for each employee based on their current health status, interests and preferences. The technology can also be used to help connect employees with similar health and wellness goals as well as support and reward individual progress. Employers can expect to see higher participation rates with a more personalised approach to employee wellness. Joe Gaunt, CEO of Hero Wellbeing. Lucy Tallick Personalisation is paramount to every employee wellness programme and essential with the view that each of our employees are different. We are all human and will have different wellbeing views and needs of what wellbeing means to us individually, the list is literally endless. This makes it very difficult when putting your strategy together. But the most important goal to keep in mind is that it must involve employee choice create a strategy that allows your employees to choose what is right for them at the right time. Keep your options broad and varied and easily accessible to all employees. Lucy Tallick,   Head of Wellbeing at Reward Gateway. Liz Walker There’s no one-size-fits-all to employee wellness programmes, so your strategies should reflect the specific needs of your staff.    If you’re unsure where or how to start personalizing your wellness strategy, talk to your employees. Find out what’s on their minds and what keeps them up at night. For deeper insight, dig into your EAP data to find out what’s bothering your staff or what kind of practical support they need.  You mind find the majority of callers need help with mental unwellness, so customizing your strategy to ensure you’re boosting awareness, resources and support can render stronger results than an off-the-shelf solution. Liz Walker, HR Director, Unum UK. Alaana Linney No two employees are the same and neither are their health needs. A tailored approach is key to supporting a healthy workforce. Nuffield Health and Vitality Health have developed Healthy Workplace, a rewards-based platform with an easy to use app for the entire workforce. Through gamification, rewards and personalised messaging, employees have the ability to understand their own unique health needs and gain the motivation for sustained behaviour change. Employers are also empowered with the knowledge they need to shape their intervention programmes for maximum benefit. Alaana Linney, Director of Business Development at Nuffield Health. Shaun Bradley personalization is important as people have different levels of comfort when talking about wellness. Some people are comfortable to share their issue in person, others may be more willing to talk over the phone or via online chat or post to a forum. It might also depend on the issue or its seriousness. In terms of proactive wellness, personalization is also important. People want to follow their own path to wellness, great nutrition maybe important to some whilst mindfulness being key for others. Taking a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach will not cover all the bases. Thankfully, the range of wellness opportunities is on the rise and technology to deliver it is evolving allowing us to personalize services in a better way. Shaun Bradley, Director of People at  Perkbox. Jill King When it comes to improving overall wellbeing, employees’ goals are unique. The ideal scenario is thoroughly understanding employees, discovering their goals, and ultimately design an experience to support those goals. The program/platform should be tailored to change what they want to change, which often drives change across other areas, too. Delivering a personalized experience means meeting employees where they are on their wellbeing journey, by integrating and analysing employee data from multiple sources, including eligibility files, health assessments, biometrics, interests, platform usage, and more â€" all while maintaining the highest data privacy, security and compliance standards. Jill King,  Director of International Markets at VirginPulse. Sam Fromson Every person’s wellbeing needs are different, so the more companies personalise things to meet their people’s individual needs the more likely they are to positively change behaviours.   But companies have to start somewhere, which is why a holistic approach to mental and physical wellbeing its often a good place to start. Initial engagement is key and that’s’ all about making the program easily accessible, regular and engaging communication and c-suite buy-in.   If your people see both the Board and their peers buying into the program, they’re more likely to engage too.   Once an individual is engaged, personalization is also a lot easier and more effective. Sam Fromson, Co-founder of Yulife. Ruth Tongue Research shows that in any area of health behaviour, making it truly relevant is essential for lasting change. As every business and its values are unique, it makes sense that their approach to wellbeing must be. For example, a company which prides itself on being dynamic, innovative and flexible must mirror this in its wellbeing offerings. As individuals now expect personalization  in every area of their lives, theres no reason why they wouldnt expect their nutrition coaching, their resilience training or their mindfulness session to be. Ruth Tongue, Co-founder of Elevate. Nick Patel Each employee is unique so a one-size-fits-one approach will never be perfect for everyone.   Through personalization, both employees and employers benefit.   Employees receive relevant and timely guidance and programs to improve their health that has been uniquely catered to them.   This results in better outcomes for those individuals participating in the program and makes it more compelling for individuals not participating to engage.   Employers benefit from higher engagement and healthier, more productive employees.   With leading technology, employers no longer need to worry about the administrative burdens of trying to personalize program. Nick Patel, CEO of Wellable.

5 Tips For Success At a New Job

5 Tips For Success At a New Job Starting a new job is a tough thing for any woman as the fear of the unknown seems to trump the excitement for the new opportunity. Not letting this fear cripple you and leave you  less confident is imperative as first impressions at a new job can be difficult to shed. Take the time to set yourself up for success by making the right decisions during your infancy at a company. The following are 5 tips for success at a new job. Get In As Early As Possible Those who have a gym at their office should take advantage and get to the office as early as possible. Getting your workout done for the day before most people wake up has been shown to boost productivity during the first few hour work. The other advantage as you leave the gym with your snapback on is that you will work uninterrupted during the first portion of your work day. For those offices with a flex schedule you will notice that a majority of the people would rather come in late and leave late as their alarms seem to be snoozed quite a lot. Ask Questions There are those people who think that they will impress the staff member training them if they do not have any questions. In fact a good question is better than no questions at all as it makes it seem like you are trying to make the information they have given you applicable. Write down questions that you have daily and send them to the person who is training you. Other questions you have you can have answered by doing your own research outside of work. One mistake many people make is not being aware of the way the industry they are working in is moving. This can help you figure out which skills will be valued most in the next couple of years. Go To Happy Hour and Lunch Going to happy hours and lunches you are invited to during the first few months you are new at work is important. This can help you build a social circle and even be seen as a great fit for the company. Refusing to do these things while not inherently wrong can impact what people think about you and that you might not enjoy working with the others on the staff. At the same time during these happy hours make sure to moderate your drinking as the girl who gets too drunk at happy hour isn’t the reputation that you are going to want long term. Don’t Get Involved With Negative Conversations There   are going to be people at the new office that will try to recruit you to their group. Some of these groups are just social while others are formed because of the negative things they believe about the company. You do not need to be hearing about how awful a place is when you first start working there. You have the right to be able to make this judgment for yourself. Being associated with these groups can be dangerous for your employment as well. The groups talking negative about a company usually aren’t the people who are in line for a promotion but rather are the employees on the chopping block. Do not be taken down simply because you picked the wrong group to associate with during your first few weeks. Remember That You Belong There One mistake many people make with their confidence is feeling that they aren’t qualified to work at their new company.   This could be from a promotion they received by moving to the company or simply because they worked in a similar but different industry previously. Be confident that you are supposed to be in the office and you have just as much of a right to work there as anyone else. If you are considered intelligent with a good work ethic you should be fine. The ugly truth is that many people you work with are going to be lazy and in some cases they simply will not be intelligent. As you can see there are plenty of things to think about when setting yourself up for success in a new job. Be proactive about making a great impression and that impression can help you down the line when it comes promotion time. Image credits: Main.  Cameras.

5 Jobs to Ignite Your Independence

5 Jobs to Ignite Your Independence Are you stuck in a job you hate? It wouldn’t be a surprise, since market research by Gallup has revealed that 85% of people hate their job. Maybe its time to declare your independence! But even if you don’t hate your job, you may feel trapped where you are, and long for some more freedom in your work. Well, we’re here to help you out â€" we’ve put together a list of jobs which will give you buckets of independence and send you on your way to not only developing your career, but developing yourself too. Photographer If you have an artistic eye, photography is a great way to gain some well-deserved independence. There are two ways you can opt for photography â€" working for a company or magazine (like National Geographic), or selling your works at markets, in a gallery or even over the internet. You can either choose to specialise in a particular type of photography (portrait, landscape, wildlife, abstract, etc.) or do a mix of everything. Not only do you have freedom over the kind of work you do, but the amount you charge per photo if working independently, as well as your hours and even where you work â€" the beauty of photography is that it allows you to visit plenty of different places and explore the world, rather than be stuck in an office all day. Accountant Accountancy is one of those areas that many people rarely seem to consider, but it has the potential to give you a lot of freedom in the work you do. Starting your own freelance accountancy business is the perfect way to get back some independence; you choose your hours, clients and rates. It does take quite a bit of training to get you there, of course, but somewhere like the Open University will offer courses that you can fit into your life, and before too long you’ll be on your way to widening your independence â€" and your salary. If you’re a logical person, enjoy working with data and a variety of different people and clients, it’s certainly worth looking into. Taxi Driver Becoming a taxi driver is a great way to gain some independence in your work. Our suggestion is starting out working for a firm to gain some experience, before starting out on your own and even potentially hiring some drivers to work for you. Even working in a firm, your work is autonomous and you really only report to yourself, as usually in taxi companies drivers are trusted to work on their own as long as they keep a log. Starting out by yourself is even better as you get a choice over the hours you work, the type of service you offer, the vehicles you use, your spending and rates. Just remember, if you are setting up a taxi business, there will be a few things you need besides a car â€" for example, you need to apply for a licence to be able to work as a taxi driver, and you need taxi insurance. We recommend Quotezone for this â€" it will help you search for the best taxi insurance for you from the top UK providers. Writer As a writer, you have the potential to go almost anywhere you want. Whatever your forte, whether that’s story-writing, journalism, or if you have knowledge in a particular subject, there are plenty of options. The most obvious is, of course, becoming an author â€" this takes time to earn a bit of money from, but there is a lot of freedom in the hours you work and what you actually write, whether that’s fiction or non-fiction, or even a guide. Other options you can take as a writer are starting up your own website or blog, or opting to become a journalist, either for a local paper (and eventually a national paper) or writing articles for an online news website. Working alone, choosing your topic area and choosing the hours you work are all you need to improve your independence. Graphic Designer If you are a creative person, graphic design is definitely something to consider. Graphic designers create everything from logos to posters to any kind of design imaginable, giving you a ton of flexibility. Working as a freelance graphic designer means you can offer yourself to clients, as well as taking on only the clients you want to work for, meaning you can also decide how much work you do. It also gives you the opportunity to use your imagination in your work and come up with different innovative ideas which have the potential to be used anywhere, mostly in advertising â€" meaning your work could appear anywhere, from the internet to billboards to even TV. Hopefully these five jobs have given you a little bit of inspiration into broadening your horizons and giving you a little more satisfaction in your work. Good luck!

Analyze These Benefits Before Accepting a Job Offer CareerMetis.com

Analyze These Benefits Before Accepting a Job Offer â€" CareerMetis.com Photo Credit â€" Pexels.comWhen you are looking for a job, it can sometimes be difficult to look at an offer objectively, especially if you have the pressure of bills to pay. This lack of objectivity often leads us to consider only the salary offer and not the overall benefits package.Once you get started with a company and get those bills paid, you might realize how important some of these other benefits are to you. Unfortunately, it can be hard to negotiate for some benefits after the fact.Before you even start looking, decide what benefits are important to you and then look for companies that have them. Some benefits you can negotiate for after a job offer is made, but there might be some the company cannot or will not offer. Knowing what is important to you before the process will make the final decision of applying or accepting an offer easy.evalTo help you get started thinking about what benefits are important to you, consider these five common ones:1. Flextime/Remote WorkevalO nce a rarity, this benefit is becoming more common but is not a given. Some positions are just not suited When you have to plan for your own retirement, starting early allows things like compound interest to do the heavy lifting. While you are responsible for your own retirement account, you should look for a company that will help you with either stock options, matching contributions to a 401One of the fun things about a new job is the possibility of new technology. One the other hand, there is the possibility of having to work with old, outdated equipment or software. If your position is one that is reliant upon technology, make sure you get a guarantee before taking the job that you will have the correct tools.Another consideration is the smartphone. If you are expected to be out of the office on a regular basis, but staying in touch or making regular calls to clients, negotiate for either a company phone or an allowance towards your personal phone. If you have to work on the roa d regularly, you might also ask for a mobile hotspot for your phone, making working on the road easier.eval5) Professional DevelopmentIt is important to stay current with the developments and changes in your industry. The best way to do this is through membership in professional organizations and attending seminars or yearly conferences. Many employers will have a policy in place for professional development stipends.Before saying yes to the job, make sure that you and your position are eligible for this stipend. If there is nothing in place, negotiate now to get it included in your benefits package. Every field will be a little different, so research what is the average stipends for your field.This is not a comprehensive list. Benefits will vary among positions and industries. Use this as a starting point to discover what is important to you and move forward.Benefits should either help you live a better life or help you excel at your job. Knowing what is available upfront is better than learning after you have already started the job that they will never let you flex, or pay for professional development.

Three Trends Job Seekers Should Observe

Three Trends Job Seekers Should Observe It is Labor Day!   At its very roots, [Labor Day] constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.   Thats what the Department of Labor and other sources say. Yes, weve made incredible contributions.   Weve worked hard.   Weve paid our dues.   So, is this how we are rewarded? In honor of Labor Day, I wanted to share some points I think are definitive of todays hard workers.   We are on the cusp of a new way at looking how we work. Seven Careers in a Lifetime? Think Twice, Researchers Say This comes from the Wall Street Journal and was written by Carl Bialik.   Why is this important?   Because, it points out how difficult this number is to prove.   What is a career?   Perhaps this is even more difficult to define today when new jobs in new industries are being invented.   The main point is that there is great uncertainty and great instability today.   No one is really sure whats going to happen next. Small Businesses Struggle to Find Skilled Workers Dr. Ira S. Wolfe interviewed three small business owners to better understand this conundrum.   He concludes his article by saying: The frequency of these stories about employers reporting a lack of qualified workers despite high unemployment is increasing, making the situation much more the norm than an anomaly. The result is a growing sense of frustration among small employers about how out of work employees with less than optimum skills and a positive service attitude expect a level of compensation that feeds a lifestyle to which they’ve grown accustomed. Retire at 65 and go back and do something you really love Daniel Pink points out in his book Drive that retirement happens at a point in American workers lives when they are ready to re-evaluate the next 20+ years.   He writes: Every thirteen minutes another hundred people members of the wealthiest and best-educated generation the world has ever known begin reckoning with their mortality and asking deep questions about meaning, significance, and what they truly want.   What does all this mean?   Never before have we been living in such a time.   There are no historic similarities.   We are embarking on new territories and shifts. To me this means that we need to manage our careers.   We need to pursue what we enjoy doing and we need to work harder than ever before.

Resume Writing Service in Illinois

Resume Writing Service in IllinoisYou might think that hiring a resume writing service in Illinois would be too expensive for your business or company. Well, you will be surprised at how far you can go with such a service, if you are willing to invest some money and time into it.There are certain things that you will need to know when looking into hiring a resume writing service in Illinois. You need to consider the quality of the writers and services that you plan on using. Some of the features that you should look for include:- Quality writers. Although writers are cheaper, they do not always necessarily come out on top. Make sure that you choose the best writers that you can afford to use. Make sure that they have solid writing skills and follow their clients' specific requirements and needs.- Fee structure. You also need to consider whether or not they charge by the hour, by the project, or by the word. You should go with the one that is most convenient for you.- Testimonials. Ma ke sure that they have at least two testimonials from their previous clients. This will help you determine which ones are true and which ones are not.- Experience. Always go with experience. The more experience they have, the better. This will give you a better chance of getting a quality product.- Excellent customer service. You should always have access to someone who is available to answer your questions. The best way to find out if they have what it takes to handle your needs is to talk to them.Using a resume writing service in Illinois will not cost you anything but will increase your business and profitability. The writing itself will create a powerful first impression for you. A resume writing service in Illinois will make sure that you make the most of this opportunity.