When should students list their personal interests on their resumes?
If an interest can be a talking point in the interview, then it could be helpful. For instance, if an interviewer sees that a candidate is an avid skier, and that’s a shared interest, then that can be a wonderful way to enter an interview dialogue. But I once saw someone write that they were good at video games on their resume. Playing video games could be a common interest, but more often than not employers feel that information shows that you’ll be less focused on the job at hand. How can students have successful interviews? Students should draw upon experiences outside of the classroom, like internships, to answer questions. We emphasize the STAR approach, which is thinking about the Situations they experienced, Tasks they had in those situations, Actions they took, and the Results of those actions. These ideas help employers see how well candidates are able to solve problems. We also stress the importance of nonverbal communication, like dressing professionally, showing up on time,