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dontlikemustard

do you tell your potential employers you skydive?

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It's not worth bringing up in an interview, most hiring managers will consider you high risk and want nothing to do with you. My current boss found out about around 6 months after i was hired. He told me flat out he never would have hired if he had known about that before.

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Other thing is if you're a boring individual and don't stand out much, your name might not come up at the end of the day. Being tagged as "The guy who skydives" isn't necessarily bad if it has them talking about you. You're already standing out from the crowd at that point. Just make sure it isn't all you talk about, or you'll slip back into the "mediocre" category pretty quickly.



Yea - I'm a very quiet, softly-spoken and "boring" kind of person with a bunch of odd, solitary old-man hobbies that people generally find a bit strange.

I would mention "skydiving" as something that will make me seem slightly more human - still hard for them to relate to but they might think I'm outgoing, energetic and confident, etc. All untrue, of course.

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In reality, not many people care about your hobbies, so if it affects the interview one way or the other, I'd wonder if that's someone I'd like to work for.

That said - The payoff depends on the interviewer and how you use it. But don't just put it on the resume. In fact, delete the 'personal interests' section completely - it's used to screen out, not screen in.

But I don't volunteer personal stuff like that unless asked, but then always be honest and present it in terms that relate to the interview. So, if they ask what your hobbies our outside interests are - pick a true one that will help the interview - if you think it's skydiving, great. if you think skydiving will hurt the interview talk about something else (Golf, skiing, tennis, charity work, family).

it's really situational - suck it up and learn to establish a rapport - interviews are great, you get to talk about a subject you SHOULD be very familiar with - yourself



That's 'Nuts on' regarding the process IMHO, and I too have sat on both sides of the table.

If Skydiving personality traits are athletic, outgoing, analytical attention to detail etc. ~ show THAT in the interview with your communication & presentation skills regarding what 'interests' the interviewer...but ya don't have to 'feature' the sport as part of 'who you are'.

It's something you do, as a prospective employer I was always more interested in your education & field experience. Your maturity, values, commitment to career etc.

Can you think & answer on the fly, do you have good eye contact, are you prepared, dressed well and well spoken.

If I'm interviewing you for yard work I want to see worn work boots & calloused hands...if it's for a professional position I'm looking at a lotta different things.

First impression means a lot...how you handle yourself in what's obviously a stressful situation speaks volumes. It tells the prospective employer 'who' you are and that you will probably 'fit in'.

A positive work/education history tells them 'what' you are, what you can do for them.

HOW you use what ya got away from work is really of little real interest or concern to most employers...if there's even a slightest hint our sport could be perceived as a negative aspect, it's only smart not to throw it in the mix.

After college and moving to the west-coast I aced my 1st interview for the weirdest reasons...I became good friends with the interviewer who hired me.

Interesting perspective ~ strong handshake, lots of eye contact, well spoken, and that fact I was from Illinois where people have a strong work ethic and don't know how to surf...meaning I would be there everyday!

One point I've never forgotten was the explanation of why they took a photo following the 1st interview, if you're wearing the same suit, shirt & tie for the 2nd interview...you're bush league and the offer made reflects it. ;)










~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

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I did. I don't think it hurt me. They are looking for class A personalities for the job. I am on a Helitack crew. I fly around in a UH-1H Huey helicopter and fight forest fires. The only thing I hear is "Don't Jump!"


I may be getting old but I got to see all the cool bands.

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Yes. Note you’re a skydiver and also any other major interests hobbies. When I interview people, I want to get a better idea of what they are like both via their CV beforehand and during the interview process.

However there are variances depending on:

- whether you’re 25 and just starting your career or you’re 45 and have a track record of success/experience behind you

- you’re speaking with an American, European or Asian interviewer (there are a myriad of differences)

- whether the role you’re seeking is client-facing or not (if you are to be in a role representing the firm, then yes they definitely want to have a better idea of “what makes you tick”)

This mantra of “I’m good at my job and that’s the only thing that matters” is rubbish. Think about it; look around your own company – there are always people that are promoted above their actual skill level or competence and also very talented/high quality people that never seem to get the recognition they deserve.
"Pain is the best instructor, but no one wants to attend his classes"

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In fact, delete the 'personal interests' section completely - it's used to screen out, not screen in.



This.

Post upthread about instructional ratings, team coaching etc is different - those are potentially relevant, (weirdly, especially in more gung-ho corporate settings). But having a Personal Interests section is a mistake, as is mentioning casual skydiving IMO.
--
"I'll tell you how all skydivers are judged, . They are judged by the laws of physics." - kkeenan

"You jump out, pull the string and either live or die. What's there to be good at?

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it's used to screen out, not screen in.

??

I disagree; it’s used to screen for both yes & no, but more so for the yes pile. If you note you’re into bird watching on your CV – it doesn’t get you into my yes pile, but I’m not going to drop your CV in the bin just because it doesn’t intrigue me.

I suggest briefly listing at least two or three hobbies/interests –not just one “this is my passion & life” example. This yields a greater chance of “connecting” with the interviewer and allows for any single one to be augmented by the others.

When you’re sending a CV or in an interview, every other CV/applicant will have the requisite background/education. How does yours stand out? If they narrow down to five people who all eminently qualified, then it comes down to qualitative measures. Why not give them information.

But keep it short. Note the activity/interest; if asked about it give a short reply but not a “fanciful” description of how your hobby directly relates to the role in question. (i.e. don’t give them a long-winded story of how your kayaking skills directly relate to the job – it comes across as trying too hard).

Over the past two decades, I’ve assessed CVs and hired people for roles in Europe, US and Asia in a very competitive and high-paying sector. This is feedback from how I’ve gone about the review process and the methods of colleagues involved in the same process. Yes, it does come down to being more of an art than science, but at least attempt to gear the game in your favour.
"Pain is the best instructor, but no one wants to attend his classes"

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Your a bit biased in this subject though. YOU may put people into the yes pile for putting something like skydiving onto a resume but that's because you skydive. Your typical hiring manager may not look at it the same way as you. Lots of people look at this sport as being stupid, irresponsible and high risk.

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Yes, I'm bias in that I seek interesting people. I've dropped more than one CV in the rubbish bin for the entry "hobbies/interests: walking & reading". Honestly that's like listing you like to breath air.

Know and match your audience. It's so easy to get background info on a companies mgmt. This is useful both pre hire and for day-to-day practice.
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"Pain is the best instructor, but no one wants to attend his classes"

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I am pretty sure I had skydiving on my resume when I was a brand new A licensed jumper. I was proud of my accomplishment but it was clear that prospective employers, while intrigued as to "why someone would jump out of an airplane", didn't see the value in it.

It wasn't until I had a medal at a National level that it made it's way back onto my resume. I figured it showed dedication to a goal, teamwork, etc. I found that this impressed my future employers and was brought up in several interviews. In each case I that it was discussed, I received a job offer.

On a side note, I also found out early that being a homebrewer translated to "drunk" until I used it to get a job at a Brewpub. I guess it all depends on what you are applying for.
Blue Skies, Soft Docks and Happy Landings!
CWR #23
(It's called CRW, add an e if you like, but I ain't calling it CFS. FU FAI!)

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