Job Interview - "What are your hobbies?"

[Winterthorn]

Is it a rude question? Then lie. (To protect your dignity).

I really question the professionality of a business inquiring about a candidate's hobbies. Unless there is a direct connection between one's interests and the job requirements, it's none of the employer's d*** business.

[rant]

Ideally, and it's often legally enforced, one's age, gender, religion, sexuality, private life, martial status, and even one's recreational interests should not have ANY bearing on the position you are applying for. I would question the ethics and/or character of any interviewer who pressed these questions.

Sometimes, challenging the rude questions blocks one's advancement. That jerk who asked them does not necessarily represent the best of what the employer-to-be has to offer you. Even the best companies have dolts in HR. Thus, if it doesn't bare on your ability to do the job, the diplomatic way to bypass the occasional half-wit HR "gatekeeper" and advance to a better interview is to simply lie. Lying by omission is called deceit--but it's still lying. There are times you have to lie to protect your privacy and your rights. Is a sad fact that there is always that small minority of cretins out there who will force your hand.

It's your judgement call, the unpleasant situation is yours to manipulate too!...

Sorry for the Machiavellian post, but life sometimes throws complex situations at us that will really challenge our simple assumptions. If telling the truth, exposes you to riducule and costs you a golden opportunity--you may be kicking yourself quite severely afterwards. Don't let idiots with power use the truth against you. Don't give them "the time of day". Ever.

[/rant]

Fortunately, I don't think this happens too often. I never list anything about my hobbies and interests on my resumé. Besides, a resumé of 2 pages (maximum length these days) has limited space--better for one to cite the virtues of one's skills and accomplishments pertaining to the job being applying to!

-W.

PS: Did I just rant? Yep... Oooops.

 

[Buttercup]

Interesting question. I'm going to address it from the other side of the coin. When I interview someone, I ask this, along with several other questions that don't have a single correct answer. The fact is, I don't care what their hobbies are, as long as they have some. It's all the same to me if they play sports, crochet, watch NASCAR or play the oboe. Well-rounded people make better employees.

It's like that old question "What is your greatest weakness?" Employers ask that all the time. They want to see how you behave when put on the spot. They really don't care if you can't pass up a jelly doughnut or if you scream at your husband for leaving the toilet seat up. In fact, giving a literally true answer in this case probably isn't a good idea. Instead tell them "Sometimes my standards are too high," or "Sometimes I like to indulge myself a bit too much." Neither is a lie, but they don't suffer from being too much information.

Now, for the record. The last time I had a job interview, I wasn't asked this question. And I wasn't a gamer back then (It was 1996.) Were it to come up now, I'm not sure what I would say. I also play computer games, and that's widely known. So if I said that I was a gamer, most people I know would assume I was talking about that.

 

[ced1106]

What they said: "What are your hobbies?'

What they meant: "Does this candidate do anything outside of work that shows he has the skills for this job? And will my boss kick my *ss for hiring him?"

Forget roleplaying. Or sports. Your main priority is to tell him of what you do outside during your "free time" that shows you have the skill set for the job. If it's a computer job, tell them about your web page. If it's a personnel job, tell them about your volunteer work with adults. If it's a finance job, tell them about your stock portfolio. That sort of thing. Use the rest of the opportunity to tell them you're a normal person who gets outdoors or something.

As much as I like hearing about how our hobbies enhance the interview, Steve's situation happens often enough.

And don't list hobbies on your resume unless they enhance your skill set! ("Volunteer coordinator of local improvisation social club.")


Cedric.
aka. Washu! ^O^

 

[Winterthorn]

Buttercup:

They want to see how you behave when put on the spot.

Oh dear. That really pushed a button on me. You should see the flush of anger in my face... I consider the act of putting another human being on the spot like that an act of hostility. How indecent. An excellent example of rudeness. I should simply walk out of the interview if that stunt were pulled on me--but I'm more inclined to try and return the favour in spades... What an awful situation. I cannot award any respect towards someone who does that to me.

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.

Okay. I'll try to calm down now...

Sorry.

-W.

PS: I can handle good natured teasing. It's funny that I can DM--DMing puts one on the spot a lot too... Go figure... *shrug*

 

[derverdammte]

Just to add a bit:

Asking about hobbies might partially be a way for the interviewer to figure out how well you'd fit in with the rest of the group you'll be working with. Fitting in is often just as important as having the necessary skills, or even slightly more important. People who can't get along, or who clearly don't like each other, don't do as good a job. All talk of "professionalism" aside, that's just a fact.

One way of spinning roleplaying to your advantage might be to play up the "think quickly on your feet," "critical thinking," "creative problem solving," etc. components of the game, because a corporate type is more likely to associate it with a team-building exercise or something similar.

Also, there's nothing wrong with putting someone under pressure in an interview. They'll be under pressure sometimes on the job (more or less depending on the type of work), and it may be important or even essential to see how well the interviewee deals with it. That's part of the purpose of the curveball questions, too. They want to see how well you can dissemble, how quickly you can react, and whether you can stay upbeat and keep your interview face on the whole time.

And I have to add...I'm very glad I've never been interviewed by John Cleese. A ringadingadingadingding!

 

[Nish]

Playing RPGs is proudly on my resume. And I'm pretty sure I mentioned it in all of my interviews for my current job.

The fact that I was applying at a video game development studio probably affected that, though.

 

[Chun-tzu]

Talking about Dungeons and Dragons on a formal job interview is potentially a bad idea. It's generally a bad idea to talk about anything that you hve to _explain_. Because you may not get the chance to explain it properly, or you may not explain it well, or it may eat up too much of the interview time for one of the relatively less important interview questions.

Sure, you should be honest and straight forward in interviews. But you also need to have boundaries. If the interviewer notices that you're married, for example, and comments on it, you don't start opening up and revealing personal information about your spouse or marital problems or your sex life. An interview is, among other things, a more-or-less casual conversation with someone you don't know (yet), and that's an important determinant of your responses.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

Tee hee... It's a major part of my resume. I quote:

Lifelong Game Enthusiast

Nearly thirty years jam packed with great "geek stuff" including almost every popular strategy and role-playing game ever published-- and quite a few of the unpopular ones. I served as one of XXXXX’s "Barometers of Cool" with regards to toys, games, comics, movies, and pop culture trends. This lifelong experience and enthusiasm for gaming was responsible for my appointment as XXXX's representative to the company-wide Game Play Task Force.

I recall back in college I got a job as a Resident Advisor (basically a mentor, hall monitor, etc. in the dorms). I kept my gaming a big secret from my boss at the time until several weeks later we had a staff meeting in his residence.

He had miniatures-- tons of em-- on his bookshelves.

Ten years later... still friends... I DM him every week.

I've had such a happy gamer life.


Wulf

 

[Winterthorn]

Also, there's nothing wrong with putting someone under pressure in an interview. They'll be under pressure sometimes on the job (more or less depending on the type of work), and it may be important or even essential to see how well the interviewee deals with it. That's part of the purpose of the curveball questions, too. They want to see how well you can dissemble, how quickly you can react, and whether you can stay upbeat and keep your interview face on the whole time.

I'd concede the need predicated upon context. There are positions that require quick thinking. Police, emergency medics, salesmen, comics, doctors, etc. I was once asked by the Canadian Forces in a recruiting interview what I'd do if I caught subordinates smoking pot. (This question was asked of me in the early 80's). Yes, I was put on the spot. But the context of the question was reasonable as it involved military discipline. (I don't remember my answer--dang it. But I did pass to the next level of interviews!)

So I will qualify, now that I'm tad more calm, that being put on the spot/under pressure in an interview must have relevency to the position--the question(s) must make sense. Otherwise the interviewee is going to feel goaded and/or insulted. Those "WTF" challenges prove nothing but the interviewer's contempt for the interviewee. Business negotiations are still endeavors performed by human beings on both sides--presumably, although sometimes it might not seem that way--and mutual respect in the process is in order. Asking about my hobbies is prying. Asking about how I'd handle an irate customer is infinitely more useful for both myself and the prospective employer.

I have 2 more points: I am troubled by the terms "upbeat" and "team player". And I really question the validity--usefulness--of inquiries to see if someone fits in...

Firstly, feigning happiness on the job, is always going to be perceived by everyone as insincere. You can tell when someone is putting up a front. It's just as obnoxious as someone giving you attitude, and equally a turn-off IMO. When was the last time you thought that the cheerful "face" serving you actually had a brain behind the Polly Anna smile? Throw in that wretchedly over-used "teamplayer" crap--which it is, I've been there and seen it--and you'll have me screaming for the hills. Teamplayer means either shut up and do as your told--or kiss butt and maybe you can keep your job. (Let's not mince words here.) I specifically avoid jobs ads with "upbeat" and "teamplayer" and similar corporatisms. Experience has taught me what they really mean!

I guess I could never work for Disney. LOL

Secondly, fitting in with the "culture" is just totally bogus IMO. Fitting in with the position makes sense. It's best if you like your work and you do it well. Most of us will get along with each other on the job anyways if we remember to respect each other, mind manners, etc. The job is not the place to make friends, it is the place to work and hopefully develop a good reputation for good work. Friendships on the job are a quirk, not a garantee, nor a right, and often cause moral problems. Often the culture being fostered is of itself dubious--I witnessed this firsthand too. I worked in an environment where the employer saught to have a very "jock, macho, fun, relaxed, go-go-go, feel". Whatever. Talk about conflicted. It also had no bearing what so ever on how well we could deliver product to our customers--in fact it undermined my confidence in my employer when customers had issues regarding our service policies. I couldn't trust the employer's system when I really needed it to do my job. Lovely. I want to fit the job--not the office politics--because I want to work.

There I go again... How long winded of me

I think I'm so sensitive about all this because I am currently looking for work and my tolerance for BS has been virtually wiped out. Life is too short to put up with other people's stupidities...

"Smile everyone."-Mr. Roark(?) of Fantasy Island

On a lighter note, I like the inventiveness of some people, like Wulf up there, incorporating the hobby interest into their transferable skills! That's a great way to spin the whole thing to your advantage given the context of the job you're looking for.

-W.

 

[tleilaxu]

I usually just rely on my high Charisma and Bluff skill for interviews. But anyway, it isn't any of their business what you -really- like to do. Just tell them what they want to hear

Candidate One: Hobbies? Well, I am an avid indoor hordiculturist and role-playing gamer with an interest in medieval france and The Yuan Dynasty. In my spare time I am writing a program in an obscure computer language to translate Cherokee into Swahili.

Candidate Two: Hobbies? Well, I enjoy reading and computers. I play sports occasionally but since college I've been getting more lazy. Besides that I enjoy socializing and movies.

Who will get hired? Unless you are applying to a strange place then Candidate 2 will get the job 9 times out of 10