Little did you know how important that “hobbies and interests” section at the bottom of your resume may be.
In her post today, Forbes’ Megan Casserly sums up new data about what personality traits employers hire for most: professionalism, high energy, confidence, self-monitoring, and intellectual curiosity. Of these five, confidence is key.
Per the Forbes post: “A manager can read you the moment you walk in the door,” she says; from the clothes you wear to the way you stand to the grip of your first hand-shake, presenting yourself as a confident, energetic professional is about as basic as career advice gets. But don’t be off-put by this commonplace advice. Harris, who specialized in high-level executive placement says even the most seasoned of CEOs can get tripped up by the basics. Universum clients agree: confidence ranks highest on the list of skills companies think employees are missing most. “We remind every candidate of the most granular advice,” she says. The most successful applicant is the one who walks into every interview with her hand outstretched for a handshake, has done her homework on the interviewer and company and is dressed to fit effortlessly into the culture of the workplace.
When it comes to intellectual curiosity, seems like that last little tidbit on your resume, “hobbies and interests,” can communicate a lot more than you might first assume, including problem-solving capabilities.
You can read more details about the other three popular traits on Casserly’s post here. I’m off to edit the “connoisseur of chips and salsa” line at the end of my resume.
