Hobbies in your CV or Resume.

Most CVs will have a section in which candidates can state their hobbies and interests away from the workplace. Opinions between employment recruiters are divided as to whether this section is relevant in actually landing a job. But there are a few hobbies and interests that demand attention on a CV and will be picked up on by a potential employer.

Not everyone has hobbies and interests. A great number of people come home from work and have children to look after, and the nearest thing to an interest is the latest drama in their favourite soap. But most job seekers won’t put down “watching television” in the hobbies and interests section. It won’t impress an employer and will show a certain lack of imagination on the part of the candidate. Don’t be modest when it comes to any awards you have gained through your hobbies and interests. Outstanding excellence in any field will show commitment and talent.

Relevant hobbies and interests are activities that may be relevant to the employment you are seeking. Your hobbies and interests will be a reflection of your personality and will show to employers what actually motivates you. Hobbies that involve teams will reflect that you work well with people and may fit in easily into the workplace. If a candidate were seeking a job position that entailed overseeing staff then hobbies such as the captain of a local football team may be relevant in proving leadership qualities. If a candidate undertakes voluntary work at Citizens Advice offices or national associations such as the Samaritans then it could mean good people skills. Look at the job requirements and the type of candidates the employer is looking for and then see if your hobbies and interests actually reflect these traits.

Most employers will have looked over a CV before interviewing a candidate. Employers usually like a diversity of employees and will be looking at someone who can bring something different into the workplace. If your hobby makes an interesting talking point at the interview then the employer may see you as an interesting person all round.

So if you are interested in becoming a customs and border officer, you should fill correct your hobbies and interests section in your CV. Due to the high trust involves in the position of customs and border officer employers look for applicants who can display a high degree of honesty and trust. One way that you can show employer that you are trustworthy and ethical is to show them the other employers have trusted you.

Customs and border’s officers must deal with visitors from different cultures and backgrounds. The border agencies look for applicants who are not only comfortable handling diverse population but also are effective in dealing with people from various backgrounds. To show that you can deal with different types of people and that’s you can interact effectively with diverse populations, you can, for example, include the different countries, or places that you have travelled to. If you can speak any languages other than English make sure that you include this on your resume, even if you’re not completely fluent in that language. Include on your resume that you are knowledgeable in French or Spanish, perhaps you can read it but not speak it. Don’t go over the top when describing your hobbies. A few white lies are fine but there is no point saying you have golfing skills when you have never seen a golf course. Remember the ethics, honesty and integrity requirements for this position.

And now look at your CV and view it as an employer would. Does it stand out from the crowd? Do your hobbies and interests demand attention from an employer? Hobbies and interests are an important part of the CV; this is the section that can be used as a talking point away from your work skills and the employer will be able to judge your personality and how you relate to other people.

Exercise 7.Match each definition with the correct word. Translate the words into Russian and learn them by heart.

Exercise 8. Choose the right answer.

1. What are the hobbies that demand attention on a CV?

a) usual hobbies; b) irrelevant hobbies;

c) relevant hobbies; d) unusual hobbies.

2. What hobby will job seekers NOT put down in the hobbies and interests section?

a) watching TV; b) travelling; c) reading; d) golf.

3. What will your hobbies and interests reflect?

a) ego; b) personality; c) nature; d) identity.

4. What type of hobbies will reflect that you work well with people?

a) that involve games; b) that involve collecting;

c) that involve outside interests; d) that involve teams.

5. What qualities of applicants in the position of customs and border officer are employers looking for?

a) lie; b) leadership skills; c) honesty and trust;d) trust.

6. How can you show that you can interact with diverse populations?

a) point out different books you’ve read;

b) point out different countries you’ve travelled to;

c) point out previous workplaces;

d) point out different sports.

7. What do you NOT have to write in your CV?

a) lie; b) previous workplace; c) talent; d) skills.

8. What section do most CVs have?

a) list of hobbies section; b) leisure time activities section;

c) favourite soap-opera section; d) hobbies and interests section.

9. What language is necessary for customs and board officers?

a) any language; b) French; c) German;d) English.

10. What could voluntary work of a candidate mean?

a) good cooking skills; b) good sport skills;

c) good people skills; d) nothing.

Exercise 9.Fill in the table. Add two more categories for comparison.

Exercise 10. Fill in the gaps using the words given below, and translate the sentences into Russian.

1. Known to have been played as far back as prehistoric times, … are generally distinct from work. 2. Constraints on success include the variability of ingredients, ambient conditions, tools and the skill of the individual … . 3. This hobby can be broadly divided into three specific disciplines, freshwater, brackish, and marine … . 4. An outdoor sport is also frequently used as an extremely effective medium in education and … . 5. Depending on the persons’ desired level of adrenaline, … can be considered a type of hobby. 6. … is movement of people between relatively distant geographical locations for any purpose and any duration. 7. The … can make it easy for the recruiter to understand you, your values and what motivates you. 8. It is already natural for an … to ask what your favorite past time is. 9. It is important to site activities or hobbies that have related … to your applied job. 10. It is advisable to choose the right … you will include in your list. 11. Whilst some hobbies strike many people as trivial or boring, … have found something compelling and entertaining about them. 12. Since … depends on the interests of the individual collector, it may deal with almost any subject.

Exercise 11.Replace the underlined words with the synonym.

1. There are a few hobbies and interests that demand attention on a CV and will be picked up on by a potential employer.

a) ask; b) request; c) require; d) want.

2. Most job seekers won’t put down “watching television” in the hobbies and interests section.

a) candidates; b) employers; c) amateurs; d) people.

3. Don’t be modest when it comes to any awards you have gained through your hobbies and interests.

a) mean; b) proud; c) great; d) shy.

4. Hobbies are practiced for interest and enjoyment, rather than financial reward.

a) use; b) luxury;c) pleasure; d) abomination.

5. An important determinant of what is considered a hobby, is probably how easy it is to make a living at the activity.

a) is reasoned; b) is deemed; c) is estimated; d) is ignored.

6. The hobby of collecting consists of acquiring specific items based on a particular interest of the collector.

a) gathering; b) levying; c) raising; d) earning.

7. Games generally involve mental and/or physical stimulation.

a) interest; b) exclude; c) mix up; d) include.

8. Many games help develop practical skills.

a) incompetence; b) ability; c) power; d) art.

9. One of the great benefits of reading as a hobby is that it can be taken up and put down whenever a free moment presents itself.

a) harms; b) positives; c) advantages; d) damages.

10. Make sure that you’ve mentioned in your resume former job responsibilities where you had to handle cash, had to handle sensitive information.

a) noticed; b) introduced; c) glanced; d) touched.

Exercise 12.Match the verbs on the left with the nouns on the right. Make up sentences with the phrases you have got.

Exercise 13.Choose the most suitable word in each sentence.

1. Your CV will probably be read by people who will have no other insight into your personality/figure, skills or potential than what is laid out before them. 2. The interests section can make it easy for the candidate/recruiter to understand you, your values and what motivates you. 3. It is already natural for an employer to ask what your favorite present/past time is. 4. What hobbies for some people are professions/work for others. 5. Some collections/sets are capable of being completed, at least to the extent of owning one sample of each possible item in the collection. 6. Known to have been played as far back as prehistoric times, plays/games are generally distinct from work, which is usually carried out for remuneration. 7. Imaginative/Creative hobbies result in an end product of sorts. 8. Travel/Walking may be local, regional, national (domestic) or international. 9. A person who travels is called a tourist/traveller in the United Kingdom. 10. Whatever you do, do not list a hobby/activities just to get you a job.

Date: 2016-01-14; view: 1362