Deciding what to include in your resume is a very nerve-racking task. No matter what else you may hear, that unfortunate truth of the matter is that one wrong sentence can cost you the job you are applying for. With that in mind, one of the touchiest places on your resume is the “Other Interests” section. This is where you would put the sports you play, hobbies, etc. In her article below, Carla Vaughan argues that this section should pretty much be removed from your resume for the above reason. I disagree, and my comments immediately follow this article under the My Comments section right before the Author Resource Box.

Here is the article:

Listing Other Interests on a Resume: Yes or No?
By Carla Vaughan

Recently, I had a question sent to me about including “other interests” on a resume. Should that section of the resume be included or excluded? The information was as follows:

Other Interests: Family, coaching youth sports, golf, fishing and hiking.

This is what I suggested he do:

The “Other Interests” portion of a resume is not necessary. In fact, it is the only aspect of your resume that I think someone might find something to nit-pick about. Why? Some people might worry that since you listed “Family” that you might be more focused on your family than your job. I admire that and I agree that you have your priorities straight if that’s the case, however, some employers expect you to put the job first. You can put your family first without having to “warn” the employer that you are doing so. If a need arises that you have to make a choice between your family and your job, then you should get to make that choice, but don’t let the prospective employer make it for you before you ever get a chance to interview for the job.

Does that make sense?

The other items don’t need to be there either simply because they are possible reasons to exclude you more than they are possible reasons to include you. How can that be? What if the person screening your resume tried to play youth sports and failed miserably - or their father wasn’t around for them? What if the resume screener went on a fishing trip once and fell out of the boat into deep water and it scared him/her so bad that fishing is now considered a hated hobby?

Don’t give the prospective employer any reason to eliminate you. These things DO happen. It’s crazy, but it’s true.

So, now you know the answers, too. Don’t give the employer a reason to exclude you. If you have this section on your resume, consider removing it. There is no sense in getting yourself taken out of contention for a job simply because someone else has a bias.

My Comments

While I do agree that you have to be very careful when putting together your “Other Interests” section on your resume, I don’t agree that you should leave it out. Why? Because it is a perfect place to show qualities that may not come across in your job experience. For example, if you want to show that you can be a leader, but you haven’t had any actual job experience in it, you can use this section to showcase your leadership abilities. President, Vice President, Chair, etc of a social group (Fraternity, Sorority, anything really)? Put it here.

Remember: Discretion is the key word here, just don’t go overboard. If you put down that you were the captain of a soccer team, and your potential employer had some dramatic soccer experience, there’s not much you can do. If you don’t get hired because of that, you probably don’t want to work there anyway.

Author Resource Box

Carla Vaughan, Owner/Webmaster Professional-Resume-Example.com

Carla is the proud owner of Professional-Resume-Example.com, a web site devoted to assisting candidates in the job-search process. She holds a B.S. in Business from Southern Illinois University and has authored several books.

For more information about what to avoid when writing resumes, click here: Resume Do’s and Don’ts

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carla_Vaughan