Can anyone think of an interesting & believable personal Interest for CV

Glacier

Hi, I need help writing my CV. I know they don't advise including Leaving Cert results but I droped out of UCD Arts 2 years ago so I think I should. Apart from obvious things like Golf Club membership, football etc., can anyone think of any personal interest or experience I could include that might not be true but sound believable?
Most people lie on their CV & I'm looking for something that would distinguish mine from other people's. I have known people just being asked about something interesting they may have done, more than the job.
I don't have that much experience other than a couple of summers in a clerical job, this might also be a problem. At the moment I'm just looking for some sort of Office/Admin. job. Any suggestions appreciated,
Thank You

Blowfish

So you are asking how to lie on your CV better than other people?

Right.

Good luck with that.

aidan_walsh

Extreme fly-fishing.

the_syco

HAHAHAHAHA... Say swimming. I have "qualified lifeguard" on my CV. So far, I've had two interviewers who were also lifeguards. And thus asked me lots of questions about it. And I had all the answers, and more.

My point: unless you know alot about the topic, don't lie about it. Those who lie in their CV usually know enough about the lie to get them by, but if you lie about one thing, and are found that you're lying, the rest of your CV turns to bullsh|t, and they will have doubts about your real grades, etc.

Glacier

Can anyone think of Anything?

hunnymonster

Glacier wrote:

......
Most people lie on their CV ....

Do they? I don't believe that. Anyway, instead of messing around on the internet why don't you actually get out and develop a "believable personal interest". You might learn other skills that can be applied to jobs.

AARRRGH

Instead on lying on your CV, this is how you can make yourself stand out from the crowd -

Create a grammar and spelling mistake free CV
Format your CV correctly
Write a nice introductory cover letter
Follow up your job application with a pleasant telephone call two or three days later

mickoneill30

hunnymonster wrote:

Do they? I don't believe that.

A lot of people do lie. And it takes about 5 mins in the interview for the interviewer to figure it out.

In any interview I've ever done I haven't been at all interested in the persons interests. And in interviews I've been in I can't remember anybody asking me my interests, it's not even on my CV anymore.

caviaronaplate

Community work, voluntary work, education, teaching, reading, sports, traveling, photography, bla bla bla

I dont think they expect a whole lot just a few words

Newaglish

I found out since I got my job that the person interviewing me though I was lying about my work experience.

I wasn't! Still don't know why she gave me the job if she though I was a liar.

To the OP: Say poker or reading or cinema or something. You can work "Keeping fit" into it as well though it doesn't work if you look like a fatty. You're going to look a bit silly if they ask you anything about a fake hobby though.

Nody

Newaglish wrote:

I found out since I got my job that the person interviewing me though I was lying about my work experience.

I wasn't! Still don't know why she gave me the job if she though I was a liar.

'cause the other guy lied more but got caught .

To the OP if you need something interesting on your CV to get the job you're not going to get it even with it. You will never go through to interview on something like that if your CV can't carry you OR you meet the person who's living for the interest who'll call you out as a fake when they start to discuss it with you.

Also keep in mind most thing are a double edged sword if you still put it up, mountain climbing - Risky might die/independant, poker player - Gambler who might steal money to pay/cool and analyzing etc.

fret_wimp

mine was unicycling. as i own a unicycle and can do it, its not lying either!

rediguana

The Animal Kingdom. You'll need to swot up on (eg) foxes or kestrels the day before the interview, but it will be time well spent, in case they ask you something about it.

I was going to start a thread asking if employers actually check out CV facts, but I may as well ask here. I showed a high-flying (E50K) friend my CV and she was amazed that there were no lies on it, like there always are on hers.

Am I being a sucker by telling the truth? Most times I apply for a good job, I'm swiftly punished with a PFO (or no response at all).

My CV is relatively humdrum for the calibre of job I'd like. Wouldn't judicious embellishment of it simply be showing initiative and the "can do" attitude that employers seem to cream themselves so much over?

mickoneill30

I used to work in one job with a chap with the gift of the gab. He asked me what systems we used in IT and while I was listing them off he was typing them in. I asked him what he was typing them into. He said his CV. He was just filling it with buzzwords.

I ran into him a few months later and told me he'd been to piles of interviews but never got any jobs. Wonder why.

I'm the other way around. Shag all interviews but when I do get called I generally get the job. The interviewers are willing to hire you (and maybe 5 others) based on your CV. They call you in for an interview to see what you're like and to see if you were bull****ting. If you put something on your CV that you can't back up it's not hard for a decent interviewer to catch you out. There are plenty of idiot interviewers around but I wouldn't bank on them if you really want the job. They can be just as easily bamboozled by the next con artist they interview.

Sonnenblumen

Glacier wrote:

Hi, I need help writing my CV. I know they don't advise including Leaving Cert results but I droped out of UCD Arts 2 years ago so I think I should. Apart from obvious things like Golf Club membership, football etc., can anyone think of any personal interest or experience I could include that might not be true but sound believable?
Most people lie on their CV & I'm looking for something that would distinguish mine from other people's. I have known people just being asked about something interesting they may have done, more than the job.
I don't have that much experience other than a couple of summers in a clerical job, this might also be a problem. At the moment I'm just looking for some sort of Office/Admin. job. Any suggestions appreciated,
Thank You

Jaysus unreal.

Glacier

What's Unreal?

Spud83

Your employers dont care how interesting your personal hobbies are, they reason this is put on cvs, or asked about in interviews is to try get an understanding of your personality. Do you like be around a load of people in some sort of team game, do you have hobbies that are less social interactive etc

Glacier

But you do need something to make your CV stand out from a crowd. I can always prepare my story before Interview. Just need it to get noticed.

rediguana

OP, I understand where you are coming from, but the time you're spending agonising over your non-hobby would be more profitably spent on the other parts of your CV. Don't you have any interest or pastime that you actually DO partake in? Even if it's not something that you love more than life itself, best to stick with that, but exaggerate it.

Best of luck.

alan4cult

Collecting Paint?

run_Forrest_run

The interviewer more than likely has their mind made up even before they reach the Personal Interest section! Do not lie on your CV unless you take the interviewer for idiots (sometimes they are though ). I do remember once though I was asked if I ever do reading on work related stuff (programming) and I said I was browsing a book on Java design patterns..now I was telling the truth but I did not tell him that I didn't really understand the feckin book! But anyway the guy nearly sprayed his shorts...he was well impressed..I think that got me the job in fairness...funny really.

I have never lied on my CV and glad of it because I have been grilled on some areas of my CV. Basically if you lie and you don't provide enough information a good interviewer will want to probe deeper and will soon see you for the fake that you are and will get annoyed for wasting his/her time.

Sonnenblumen

Glacier wrote:

What's Unreal?

I would have thought it was obvious, but maybe I'm overestimating.