Why We Recommend Adding Interests and Hobbies To Your CV

June 13, 2024

An effective CV is your first opportunity to leave a lasting impression on your employer. However, since the average hiring manager only looks at a CV for 6 to 7 seconds, it’s important to keep this document concise. That’s why many candidates often omit sections referencing their hobbies and interests.

It’s easy to assume your passions are irrelevant to your employer’s hiring decisions. But, when they’re implemented correctly, they can offer useful insights into your personality, skills, and potential cultural fit. A well-crafted hobbies and interests section could differentiate you from the competition in a complex job market.

We recommend including hobbies and interests in your CV and our top tips for ensuring they make the right impact.

The Benefits of Including Hobbies and Interests

In the seconds it takes for an employer to scan your CV, you need to grab their attention and encourage them to spend more time getting to know you.

The right collection of hobbies and interests can highlight your skills, pave the foundations of an emotional connection, and give you an edge over other candidates. When they’re carefully infused into your CV and relevant to the role you’re applying here is how and why hobbies and interests can help:

Forge an Emotional Connection

Hobbies and interests humanise candidates, providing a deeper insight into who they are as a person. They can help employers visualise what you’ll be like to work with. For instance, if you’re applying for a position as a team manager, sharing that you enjoy coaching your son’s football team shows you’re passionate about helping others succeed.

Highlighting specific hobbies can even establish common ground with hiring managers. After reading a company’s “about page”, if you notice a CEO spends her free time taking cooking classes discussing your love of baking, it shows you have common interests.

Hobbies and interests also show commitment and passion, two things most hiring managers are looking for in any candidate. Employers love candidates with drive and enthusiasm.

In many cases, hobbies and interests can also help to break the ice during interviews. When hiring managers have more information about you, it feels less like they’re speaking to a stranger. They can ask you questions about your hobbies and start forming bonds with you as a person.

Reinforce Relevant Skills

Used correctly, hobbies and interests in a CV are an excellent way to draw attention to relevant, transferrable skills. Many hobbies offer an insight into your skills that may not be evident based on your qualifications and previous work experiences.

For instance:

Playing team sports

Team sports like football show you’re comfortable working well in a team. If you lead the team, you can demonstrate leadership skills, such as solving problems, managing conflict, and motivating others.

 

 

 

Volunteering

An interest in helping shows you care about others and are committed to giving back something to the people around you. It demonstrates that you’re not driven solely by monetary rewards and have a strong sense of purpose.

Coding or tech hobbies

Coding and technology-based hobbies demonstrate a passion for learning and discovery. They can highlight critical thinking, problem-solving, and numerical analysis skills. They also show you are adaptable, as you can follow a fast-paced industry.

Demonstrate Cultural Fit

Hiring for cultural fit can help employees reduce onboarding costs and improve their chances of retaining talent. Employers are increasingly searching for candidates who can add value to their culture, help them achieve their diversity, equity, and inclusion goals, and contribute to excellent team dynamics.

Your interests and hobbies can provide insight into whether you’ll fit well with the company culture. They demonstrate a commitment to work-life balance, indicating that you’re invested in your wellbeing and are less likely to suffer from burnout.

They can also demonstrate that you share the same work ethics as your colleagues. For instance, sharing a passion for travelling in your CV can show you have strong cultural awareness and sensitivity. It also demonstrates excellent organisational and time management skills and an ability to adapt rapidly to changing circumstances.

How to Choose Which Interests to Include

While including hobbies and interests in your CV can be valuable, preserving the right balance is important. Your passions shouldn’t overwhelm your experience and credentials but augment the information you provide.

When choosing which interests to include, focus on:

Relevance to the Job Role

Every skill or interest you mention should be relevant to the role you’re applying for. If you’re applying for a managerial position, it makes sense to draw attention to hobbies that have improved your leadership skills. You might mention that you’re the captain of a sports team or responsible for event planning as part of a charitable initiative.

Honesty and Authenticity

While it might be tempting to try and tailor your hobbies to what you think your hiring managers are interested in, it’s important to be honest. Don’t tell employers you love fishing because you’ve heard the CEO goes fishing. There’s a good chance you’ll be asked questions about your hobbies that reveal you haven’t been truthful.

Preserving Balance

Even if your hobbies are a big part of your life and potentially relevant to the role, don’t focus on them too heavily. Use your hobbies as supportive evidence of your skills and competencies, but focus primarily on your professional skills and experiences. Remember, a CV should only be one or two pages long.

How to Incorporate Interests on Your Resume

Each CV you send to a company should be tailored to that organisation, and the role you’re applying for. When incorporating your interests and hobbies into your CV, think carefully about:

Placement and Formatting

How you position your hobbies and interests in your CV, will depend on the value they’ll add. The most important information about you should be placed at the top of the first page. If you feel a specific hobby demonstrates how effective you’ll be in a role, you may mention it at the top of the page in your personal summary.

If your hobbies and interests are less important, you might position them further down the page, underneath your skills and qualifications. Alternatively, you may look for ways to include them in other sections, such as an “accomplishments” section.

Relate Each Hobby to a Skill

Ensure each of the hobbies and interests you outline relates to a specific, relevant skill that will be valuable to your hiring manager or employer. Concisely draw attention to how your interest improves your employee value.

Here are some examples:

  • Tech enthusiast: I enjoy exploring the latest technological advancements, staying up-to-date with new trends and developments, and networking with other technology fans.
  • Volunteering: I believe in giving back to the community, using my skills to benefit others, and expanding my industry knowledge.
  • Fitness: To maintain a healthy work-life balance, I engage regularly in physical activities that help improve my endurance.

Adding Hobbies and Interests to C.V.s

It’s easy to assume that hobbies and interests should be omitted from C.V.s in favour of more traditional professional insights. However, including the right information about your passions can help you to boost your chances of getting the ideal role.

Drawing attention to relevant interests and hobbies can help forge a personal connection with hiring managers, demonstrate crucial skills, and differentiate you from the competition.

Use your hobbies and interests to augment your CV and ensure you stand out in the competitive job market.

Staying Motivated in Your Current Office and Commercial Role: 6 Strategies That Work

March 21, 2024

Motivation is essential to career success. The more motivated you feel in your Office and Commercial role, the more likely you are to unlock superior levels of productivity and efficiency. Plus, highly motivated employees are generally more satisfied and fulfilled by their roles.

However, motivation can be difficult to maintain as Office and Commercial roles grow more challenging and complex. While the Gallup State Of The Global Workforce Reports 2023 revealed that employee engagement is rising, many employees are still “quiet quitting” due to lacking motivation.

Discovering how to re-ignite and retain high motivation levels could give you a crucial edge in your career, pave the way for progression, and boost your professional brand. Here are some top strategies you can use to find your drive.

Strategy 1: Setting Personal and Professional Goals

Setting clear, achievable goals impacts your motivation and productivity levels as a Office and Commercial employee. Several studies show that by setting goals and giving ourselves specific targets to work towards, we boost our chances of achieving what we want.

Goals can even help deter procrastination and enhance your confidence at work. In your career, it’s essential to have short-term and long-term goals that align with your personal and professional aspirations and the broader objectives of the organization you work with.

Set aside time to complete a self-assessment to define what matters most to you in your career and personal life. In the short term, you might want to focus on becoming more efficient at work to complete crucial tasks faster, or you might like to master your influencing and persuasion skills.

In the long term, your goals might be to earn a promotion in your current Office and Commercial business or take on specific new responsibilities.

Remember, long-term and short-term; your goals should be “SMART”: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound.

For instance, a long-term goal might be:

“Within the next five years, I want to apply for an executive position as [job title]. To do this, I’ll work on developing [specific skills] to show my value to my employer based on the organizations long-term goals of [target].”

Strategy 2: Seeking Feedback and Growth Opportunities

Feedback is a powerful resource for any Office and Commercial employee. Negative feedback, as it is often referred to can be hard to hear. It’s more helpful to consider it as “developmental feedback” as it gives you a clear insight into the specific skills or behaviour to improve, which will contribute to you achieving your desired goals.

Several scientific studies show that regular feedback can keep us motivated by showing us our work, efforts, and progress are being recognized. With that in mind, seek feedback from your peers or colleagues in the workplace, your managers, and mentors.

Based on the feedback you get, look for ways to develop yourself consistently and proactively. Formal training, workshops, cross-departmental projects, and more can all give you excellent opportunities to improve your skills and Office and Commercial knowledge.

Not only will committing to professional development help you progress towards your goals, but it can also reinvigorate your passion for your role, helping you discover new and exciting parts of your job. Plus, self-development will boost your intrinsic motivation levels by paving the way for career advancement.

Strategy 3: Cultivating a Positive Work Environment

Your work environment can affect your work motivation in various ways. A poor working environment, a competitive or unsupported culture, or a limited focus on employee wellbeing can harm mental and physical health, increase stress levels, and lead to disengagement.

In some cases, a sub-par work environment in the Office and Commercial industry can result in burnout, causing you to disconnect from your role and feel less passionate about your career. Alternatively, a good working environment and positive company culture drive motivation.

A Harvard Business Review study found an excellent company culture and working environment minimises emotional pressure and inertia while improving “total motivation”.

While your employer is partly responsible for creating a positive work environment for team members, you can help shape the landscape, too. Consider how changes to your workplace or office, your schedule, and your day-to-day use of systems and processes might improve your experience at work.

Present these suggestions to your employer and explain how they might impact motivation for you and your team members. Highlight the value of a diverse, inclusive, and equitable culture to business leaders to drive them towards positive changes. For instance, several McKinsey studies show diverse workforces perform better financially.

Strategy 4: Maintaining Work-Life Balance

When striving towards ambitious goals in your Office and Commercial role, it’s easy to lose track of work-life balance. One study found around 40% of employees neglect crucial aspects of their lives when focusing on work. However, while feeling “committed” to your role is pivotal, looking after your mental and physical health is also vital.

Think about how you can optimise how you balance professional responsibilities with your personal life. Can you set boundaries with your employer and colleagues, such as establishing when you won’t be willing to work overtime or respond to messages outside of office hours?

How can you improve your work-life balance by finding ways to manage your time more effectively so you’re less likely to feel you need to work through lunch breaks or commit to overtime to adhere to employer expectations?

If you feel overly stressed at work or believe your work-life balance is faltering, speak to your Office and Commercial manager about your options. Ask whether they can help with more flexible scheduling options or offer access to wellbeing initiatives.

Strategy 5: Leveraging Mentorship and Networking

Building relationships with peers in the Office and Commercial industry is another excellent way to increase motivation. Creating strong connections with your colleagues can help to give you a sense of accountability, reminding you that your performance impacts others.

Your peers can also provide support and guidance when your motivation dips, offering positive feedback or words of encouragement. Networking with professionals in the Office and Commercial industry also gives you a great way to cultivate your passion for your sector.

You’ll be able to learn about trends and changes in the landscape from other like-minded people and could even attend exciting events and training seminars that nurture your interests.

Working with a mentor is an excellent option to support your continuing development. A mentor can offer advice, make introductions that expand your network and open doors to new opportunities. They will also be an invaluable sounding board when you are experiencing frustration, demotivation, or disengagement.

Strategy 6: Embracing Challenges and Innovation

Finally, one of the best ways to improve your chances of staying motivated in your current Office and Commercial role is to continue to develop your mindset. Adopting a “growth mindset“, as pioneered by Carol Dweck, means changing how you think about yourself, your skills, and your failures.

People with a growth mindset are more likely to feel motivated because they see everything as an opportunity to learn, develop, and improve. If you’re constantly looking for ways to enhance your role, you’re more likely to feel passionate and engaged by what you do.

Additionally, a growth mindset means you’re less likely to let failures or mistakes diminish your confidence or motivation. Look for opportunities to nurture your growth mindset by seeking new responsibilities or projects in your Office and Commercial role to push you out of your comfort zone.

Take advantage of opportunities to explore innovative new solutions and technology in your sector, experiment with creative problem-solving strategies, and see every challenge as exciting. Embracing this mindset will re-ignite your enthusiasm for your role and could help you achieve a wider range of goals.

Stay Motivated in your Current Office and Commercial Role

Maintaining motivation is crucial to staying productive in your Office and Commercial role, achieving your professional goals, and unlocking new opportunities. However, motivation can be difficult to preserve, particularly in a challenging working environment.

Regularly reflect on your motivation levels at work, and use the strategies above to re-ignite your drive when it starts to diminish.

Alternatively, if you feel that no matter what you do, you can’t rediscover the motivation you need in your current role, work with a Office and Commercial recruitment agency to find a new position that aligns with your priorities and strengths.

At Everpool Recruitment, we have been helping Office and Commercial job seekers find their ideal roles for numerous years. If you want us to help you find your ideal role, call us at 0151 556 2090 or email us here info@everpoolrecruitment.com

The (Easy) Way To Plan Your Office and Commercial Career Move

March 7, 2024

Career moves are more common than you might think. A quick search on Google shows that the average employee changes roles every 2-3 years.

Sometimes, you’ll make a career move to take advantage of better opportunities or a more progressive company culture. Other times, your career moves will be strategic and move you toward your long-term professional goals.

Proper planning is the key to success when making career moves.

While planning for a career move might sound daunting, there are ways to make the process easier.

Here’s a step-by-step guide you can use.

Step 1: Self-Assessment and Goal Setting

The first step in planning a career move is knowing yourself, your priorities, and what you want to achieve in your Office and Commercial career. Before you make any decisions, take the time to conduct a thorough self-assessment, looking at your:

  • Strengths: The skills, knowledge, professional qualifications, and abilities contributing to your career success.
  • Development Areas: You may need to overcome knowledge gaps and issues to thrive in a new role or become more effective in your current position.
  • Values: What do you prioritise as a Office and Commercial employee, such as flexibility or a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace?
  • Interests: What do you enjoy about your current role, and what particular interests do you want to pursue in your career?

Having completed your self-assessment, you can begin to set SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals) for your career. Think about what you need to accomplish in the short term, such as acquiring new skills, and what you want to aim for in the long term, such as moving into an executive-level position.

Step 2: Industry Trends and Future Outlook

With your goals in mind, you can begin exploring opportunities in the Office and Commercial landscape. Paying attention to the trends in your market makes sense for a few reasons.

First, it allows you to explore potential roles and opportunities you might not know about or have previously considered. Technological advancements and evolving market demands in many industries create new and exciting positions that may align with your skills.

Secondly, evaluating the market can give you an insight into what potential employers are looking for in your sector. For instance, in various industries, there’s an increasing demand for professionals with technical skills to address the growing “digital skills gap“.

You can stay up-to-date with current trends by reading industry journals and joining forums or professional associations.

Step 3: Skill Development and Continuous Learning

For many Office and Commercial professionals, a career move won’t just be an opportunity to move into a new business or earn a higher wage. It’s also about the possibility of taking on new responsibilities and positions that push you towards your long-term career goals.

To boost your chances of successfully applying for a new role and attracting the attention of employers, you may need to consider building your skillset and looking for new ways to demonstrate your value with courses and certifications. Critically, on-the-job opportunities to demonstrate and apply the enhanced skills that can give you a competitive edge.

Identify your current skill gaps, look at the “development areas” you noticed during your self-assessment, and then look for ways to improve.

Remember, once you’ve bridged your skill gaps, it’s worth investing in continuous education and improvement. Constant learning will pave the way for new opportunities and ensure you remain competitive in your Office and Commercial field.

Step 4: Networking and Professional Relationships

Networking is one of the most important things all Office and Commercial professionals should be investing in throughout their careers. Networking can be extremely valuable for career planning, helping you discover new industry trends and learn from innovative peers.

The right networking strategy will also help you build a broad support circle of mentors, industry contacts, and peers who can give you an edge when applying for new positions. In today’s world, there are countless ways to explore networking, from participating in professional organisation events to joining groups on LinkedIn.

Focus on building connections with people in your industry who can help you understand your industry and make progress towards your goals. Mentors can assist you in finding and applying for roles you might not be able to discover on your own.

Step 5: Gaining Experience and Building a Portfolio

Often, before you can take the next crucial step towards your career goals, you’ll need to gain experience. Many employers today, value a candidate’s experience as much or more than their educational accomplishments.

In some cases, you may be able to gain more experience in your existing Office and Commercial role. You could take on additional projects and responsibilities or shadow other team members. Alternatively, you may look for external ways to build experience, from participating in internships to volunteer work.

Strategically select opportunities that align with your career goals, help you fill your experience gaps, and develop a portfolio outlining your experiences.

Your portfolio can help showcase your achievements to potential employers alongside your CV or social media profiles.

Step 6: Personal Branding and Online Presence

Finally, a strong personal brand is essential whether you’re planning on moving to a new company or hoping for a promotion from your current Office and Commercial employer. Your brand is a culmination of all the various assets and resources you use to showcase your value to potential employers and clients.

This includes your portfolio (mentioned above), your CV, the cover letters you use in job applications, and even your social media presence.

Assess your online presence if you haven’t worked on your brand before. Ask yourself what employers will see when they search for you on LinkedIn or type your name into Google.

Think about how you can enhance your LinkedIn profile with evidence of your experience, or consider building a website to showcase your skills. It’s also worth updating your CV with the help of a professional recruitment team in the Office and Commercial space.

A recruitment team can give you insights into what employers are looking for and how you can enhance and improve your personal brand.

Plan Your Next Career Move the Right Way

While career moves are common in any industry, it’s easy to make the wrong decisions for your professional life without the right approach to planning. Taking a proactive approach and developing a strategy for success with the above steps is crucial.

Every time you choose to take another step in your career, use this guide as a reference to ensure you’re setting the right goals and taking valuable steps towards unlocking new opportunities in the Office and Commercial industry. Remember, a dedicated recruitment agency can also provide additional help and guidance specific to your career needs.

Ready to take the next step in your Office and Commercial career? Contact us for tailored guidance and support. Our dedicated team is here to help you navigate the intricate steps of career planning, ensuring your next move is a strategic leap towards success. Call us at 0151 556 2090 or email us here info@everpoolrecruitment.com.

6 Ways to Spot the Right Legal Recruiter for Your Career

February 16, 2024

6 Ways to Spot the Right Legal Recruiter for Your Career

Whether you’re re-entering the workforce after a short break or ready to take the next step in your career path with an exciting new role, a Legal recruiter can be a valuable resource.

In today’s skills-short landscape, studies show it can take six months to find a new job.

The more competitive your industry, the longer the search for the right role can take. Working with a dedicated Legal recruiter doesn’t just improve your chances of finding a great position fast. It also gives you the guidance, expertise, and direction to achieve your career goals.

Recruiters can help you refine your personal brand, ensure you stand out to the right employers, and offer access to opportunities you can’t find yourself. The challenge is in finding the right recruiter to work with. Today, we’re covering the top ways you can ensure you choose the best recruitment partner for your career goals.

1. Alignment with Your Priorities

When an employer starts working with a Legal recruitment partner, the first thing they do is define the talent they need, their available job openings, and their requirements. Similarly, when looking for a recruiter to assist in your job search, you need a clear understanding of your priorities and specific needs. Think about:

  • The type of role you want: Are you searching for a temporary or permanent position? Do you want a remote role, hybrid flexibility, or a position where you work in-house at a specific location? Are you going to work part-time or full-time?
  • Your ideal company culture: What sort of culture do you want to be a part of? Do you want to prioritise diversity, equity, and inclusion? Do you need an empathetic and flexible workplace that adapts to your needs?
  • Values and requirements: What will most influence your decision of where to work? For instance, 88% of job seekers say a healthy culture is vital to success. Some people focus more on benefits and salary, while others look for growth and development opportunities.

Clearly identifying your priorities will ensure you can find a recruiter who adheres to your specific needs and expectations and shares your values.

2. Specialist Industry Knowledge

While any recruiter might be able to enhance and simplify your job search, you’ll always get better results from a recruiter who understands your industry, field, or sector. Specialist recruiters with a deep knowledge of the Legal landscape can give you an edge over the competition.

They know what hiring managers are specifically looking for in a candidate, from the required soft and hard skills to the credentials that will make you stand out. They know which challenges you’ll face in your job search, how to overcome them, and which channels they can use to find job opportunities for people with your skills.

Industry-specialized recruiters are better equipped to match you with the right opportunities. They can help you with everything from optimising your CV and cover letter to boosting your impact during interviews.

3. A Proven Track Record

The best Legal recruiter should be able to demonstrate evidence of their success in placing candidates like you in the right role. When you are looking for a good track record, don’t just pay attention to how many candidates your recruiter placed. Find proof that your recruiter can match the right candidate to the correct role.

Up to 30% of new hires leave a position within 90 days simply because the culture, benefits, or workplace doesn’t match their needs. A great recruiter should help you to find a Legal job you can thrive in for as long as you choose.

While you can usually read client and candidate reviews on a recruitment website, it’s worth diving a little deeper. Consider asking for case studies and success stories from previous clients. Ask questions about how your recruiter defines a “successful” placement.

4. Clear Communication

An excellent Legal recruiter should always be able to offer an exceptional candidate experience. That starts with a commitment to clear, consistent, and transparent communication. Your ideal recruiter should be able to answer any questions you have about how they select roles to suit your needs and how they measure and report on their results.

They should be clear about their pricing structure, the terms and conditions of their contracts, and the level of support they provide. For instance, does your recruiter direct you to Legal role opportunities, or do they also function as a guide and a coach?

Find out whether they can help you prepare for interviews, optimise your CV, and enhance your professional brand. Find out how easy it will be to get responses to any questions you might have through your preferred contact method. Prioritise recruitment agencies that keep you informed and supported every step of the way.

5. Broad Networks and Relationship-Building Skills

The best recruiters don’t just save you time searching through job boards for the right Legal roles. They specialise in giving you access to opportunities you can’t find yourself. Studies show that only around 33% of job openings are filled through posts on job boards.

Many of the best opportunities will never be listed publicly, and the right recruiter can help you access these opportunities. They’ll have pre-existing relationships with industry-leading brands, forums, and groups that give you access to new opportunities.

Recruiters can use their network and their relationships in your industry to point you towards difficult-to-find openings. They can even help to place you in a company’s talent pipeline, so you’re the first to know when a competitive job opportunity emerges in a specific business.

6. A Personalised Approach

Though many Legal recruiters will use similar methodologies and proven strategies to help place candidates in the right roles, their approach should be customised to your needs. The best recruiters understand every person in the Legal industry has aspirations, skills, and challenges to overcome.

They’ll take the time to discover what matters most for you when searching for a role, and they’ll adapt their services accordingly.

Some can even offer specialist support for those who need help with specific things, like optimising their professional brand or preparing for interviews.

Find out, in advance, how your recruiter can tailor their services to your requirements to ensure you always get the best results. It may even be worth asking whether they can work with you long-term to help you pursue promotions and growth opportunities in your space.

Choosing the Right Legal Recruiter

A specialist Legal recruiter is one of the most valuable resources you have in today’s competitive job market. More than just a solution to help streamline your job search, the right partner will act as a coach, guide, and constant source of support as you work towards your career goals.

Choosing a team or individual with a proven track record, shared values, industry specialization, networking skills, clear communication, and a personalised approach will boost your chances of success. With the steps above, you should be able to identify the best recruiter to help you secure the role you’ve always wanted in the Legal landscape.

 

At Everpool Recruitment, we have been helping firms acquire talent, and Legal job seekers find their ideal roles for numerous years. We have placed four thousand candidates; if you want to find out how we can help, call us at 0151 556 2090 or email us here info@everpoolrecruitment.com