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Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Your 'interests' are boring.

There is no absolute authority when it comes to resumé writing. Especially, when it comes to the controversial 'Interests' section of the resumé. I used to think the 'Interests' section was unnecessary filler ("fluff"), as do many professional resumé writers. Then, I spoke with a job hunter who had been offered an interview when the hiring manager read the 'Interests' section of his resumé, and said, "I see you're a big Steven King fan. So am I!" Evidently, this section of your resumé could be the best rapport-building tool available! Which leads me to my main point: If you're going to include an 'Interests' section in your resumé, be specific and authentic, so that the person reading it can relate to you at a deeper lever, if they share a similar interest.

For example, instead of writing...

"Travel, reading, and spending time with my family."

try...

"Backpacking in mountainous regions of South America and documenting rare wildlife on my travel blog."

"Reading Robert Ludlum novels in my hammock and choreographing complex fight scenes in my head."

"Making s'mores with my two sons and watching them get chocolate all over their face."

Statements, such as the aforementioned, are authentic and can create a heightened bond with the reader of your resumé, which could be exactly what you need to get in the door for an interview.

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