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How to spice up the ‘Interests’ section in your CV

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How to spice up the ‘Interests’ section in your CV

Of all the CV sections in a CV, the ‘interests’ section is the one that allows you to really let your hair down – giving the reader a glimpse into the real personality behind the CV. Why then does this section usually contain more clichés and less insight than any other? Given this is usually the last section in a CV, surely it would be better to stamp a positive final impression?

Many ‘interests’ sections are simply boring

The average interests section in a CV will read something like this: ‘Enjoys socialising, reading and walking’ or maybe ‘Watching football, spending time with family and cooking’.  Well, really, isn’t that remarkable? Nope. This is precisely the problem.  These are everyday things that most people do, so why waste precious space in a CV with this banality?

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Related Read : 10 things not to say in a job interview

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You don’t need to be an Olympian for your interests to stand out

Not everyone wins a gold medal at the Olympics (although the occasional British Airways jet appears to be full of them). Not everyone plays for a professional football team or even kotoko side at Ghana Premiere League. But this misses the point. You can bring to light to even the most mundane tasks by thinking more deeply and providing more insight and expression into these activities.

 

Get creative with words…

Let’s look at a couple of examples.  Many people enjoy ‘cooking’. However, this could easily be made more personal and memorable by focusing on something more specific. ‘Cooks a mean, hot authentic Goan Pork Vindaloo’ creates a much more visual experience for the reader. ‘Enjoys sport’ could be ‘Coaches an under-7s football side and working towards Hearts of Oak Coaching Level 2’.

Read Also : Make your CV a memorable One(1)

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The trick is to scratch beneath the surface and be descriptive. Paint a picture for the reader to visualise. It will make what you say instantly more memorable. Even the most everyday pastimes can be made to sound much more exciting with a little thought and creative expression.

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It’s your last chance to make a positive impression

Employers are looking for the right cultural fit – to recruit people who share organisational values. So there can be a lot of subliminal processing going on that you can shape to your advantage in a thought-provoking ‘interests’ section. So, if you do include an interests section remember: make your interests interesting.

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Guided by Samuel Kwame Boadu (Instagram Page Below)

 

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