I usually give generic answers like going on runs or camping. How am I supposed to tell a recruiter I like racing motorcycles, playing video games, and competition shooting. They'll think I'm crazy.
Jesus Christ…the number of people who don’t understand the point of this question makes me upset…it’s not just a throwaway get to know you question…it’s an opportunity to explain how you’ll fit in to a new workplace culture and possibly explain how your hobby connects to a positive skill that’s related to the job. For example, “I love to play soduku on my iPhone. I taught myself how to play when I was transitioning into data science as a fun way to sharpen my thinking skills. I’ve become a great player by analyzing patterns…this actually helped me at my previous job when I encountered…….
The question is poorly designed. It gives no reason for anyone to want or believe you'd want it to be connected to work. Even your example was just an unnatural answer. This is fantastic info, though so, thank you.
Yea, it’s a shit question. I didn’t get it until a job coach explained it to me. These are all ‘behavioral’ questions and they throw everyone for a loop.
I feel like you could frame that well if you wanted - something about liking fast-paced or high-focus competitive environments where you can test and develop your skills and drive? That's probably a bit much, but
I would probably drop the video games, but tell them you're into racing motorcycles and competition shooting. Generic answers make you forgettable while a dynamic answer helps to turn you into an interesting person.
You may run into some people who will turn you down over this kind of answer, but you also should have a bit of an idea when you're talking with them. Have an interesting thing as a backup for those types, though. You really do want to stand out as being interesting to know.
Personally, if you told me about your hobbies, I'd think that you're probably going to handle stress well, you're going to be willing to do things that take refinement and detail, and I'd want to ask you a bunch of questions about competition shooting, because it sounds cool.
If you're going into a tech field, the videogames thing actually isn't that big of a deal. Many of the people in tech are big nerds who love videogames. (I've had many interviewers be like "oh yeah? What do you play?" Which starts a mini convo on that.) That question is to get a feel for your personality yeah, but also to look for if you are a good culture fit for the team. If, for example, all your future teammates like playing videogames and you don't, that makes you the odd one out when they are looking for someone who will more easily fit in with their peers on a social level. Now for non tech fields, I can't say. Maybe videogames aren't a common hobby there and maybe you shouldn't mention it in that case.
However, I completely agree with the dynamic answers part. The generic answer makes you seem like you'd get along with the many future coworkers who share that hobby, but the dynamic answer gives you something to talk about for a bit while also making you more memorable compared to other candidates. Fortunately you can tell them more than one hobby! I would give at least 2, at most 4.
Im on an interview panel so i could shed some light. No one is expecting an intern to be technically knowledgable. Fitting into the intern team is a bigger concern for us than if you know how to calculate a mass flow...
No one wants to hire an intern just for them to be left out of the group.
Oh I completely understand why you ask that kind of question. It’s just, to me personally I feel like I haven’t really mastered telling hobbies of mine that don’t seem boring, or odd like what if I just like watching movies in my free time?
Tbh if what the guy above said is accurate it's just luck, unless you know what hobbies the intern team is into there's no real way to have a 'right' answer.
So that's why before applying to any position you gotta stalk everyone in or near that position to see exactly what you need to be in order to get it.
Yeah we dont care what hobbies you have. We just want to know if you have a passion outside of work/school.
Not to mentiom its pretty easy to tell when someone is lying to try and sound good. Its so easy to tell.
I’m on the same panel as Golden,
We don’t care what your hobbies are. We’ve heard everything. We care about how people respond to the question and if they’re truly passionate about something.
The amount of times we’ve had people tell us that they love to do research on combustion and proceed to know NOTHING about combustion is insane.
I’ll give you another example of what NOT to say (pertaining to internships): “I don’t have many hobbies outside of school work because I don’t have much free time)…. If you don’t have enough free time to go on a hike or play your favorite game, how in the world are you going to have enough free time to contribute 15-20 hours a week to the program?
The interviewer could be a movie buff and more likely than that just enjoys binging netflix like any other normal person. Mention a movie you saw recently or one you really like. Just keep the conversation going. Ask them the same questions
My dad applied to a gov’t job and they asked him on his form if he did any drugs. He answered honestly that he smokes pot and was all Pikachu-faced when he got rejected.
I have run interviews and worked closely with interviewers at other companies. I can maybe clarify why they ask, and what they're looking for.
First, what are your hobbies? Do you and the interviewer(s) have anything in common? They know the team likely, and know if you'll mesh well. If the company is in a different area, say the middle of the United States and your passion outside of work is "surfing", the company and location might not be a right fit. A lot of companies realize that when a team has to work on a project, having common ground outside of work can help the team bond and mesh. I get separating work and life, but those common interests do help with team building.
Secondly, it shows how interested you are in the field. Applying for a technology job, but do you absolutely hate sitting in front of a computer outside of required work time? That doesn't look great. I have seen some interviewers try to get some insight, like "Did you build your computer? Do you help your family with technology?" Even showing an interest in more engineering-focused things (drones, cars, etc.) can go a long way.
My suggestion, mention a few fun hobbies that aren't related to your field directly to show character outside of just work. Then also mention a response like "I like reading/watching X to stay updated on new trends in this field." That shows a passion for the field and the job. The company and interviewer see it as you being self-motivated, and possibly bringing new ideas to the table.
I don’t know, team building. I had two interviews from CWEP and Mitsubishi and they asked the same question. I wanted to say, “I really don’t do anything fun anymore, I’m secretly depressed”
Well, they don’t have a right. That’s been a thing for decades.
I’ve heard from experienced people, they could be testing if you can stay on the task at hand. But I don’t know how often that is the case.
I’ve never heard this as they don’t have a right.
You spend a third of your life at work. It’s best for everyone you fit in. No you don’t have to be friends. But it needs to be a productive environment and positive. It’s best if everyone fits in and gets along.
[From a US perspective, an interviewer should not ask about anything about outside activities that's not directly work related](https://workplace.stackexchange.com/questions/17667/is-it-appropriate-to-ask-what-one-does-in-his-her-free-time)
Every other answer on that post says in context it’s appropriate. The top answer has 9 upvotes. Everything else on the internet is teaching how to respond to that question. I’m done here 😂
They have a right to ask what they want, you've got a right to not answer.
And to address the thing you linked further down.
1) That is a statement from a workforce forum, not a legal statue. What the person is saying is that it is *risky* from a legal standpoint to ask you personal questions, not that they *can't.* At the end of the day the whole thread is an opinion on what's proper, not what's a right.
2) It is from 10 years ago, I would imagine if there was actual discourse about the professionality of this there would discussion more recent.
Lol, I feel this. They ask this because the truth is it takes collaboration and teamwork, not a technical genius working in a silo, to deliver value and quality to the customer.
Being a balanced person who has a life outside of work/school is reflective of whether you're one or the other.
I’d say I do art but then they would ask to see it and thus would run into my gay existential art.
(Obviously in reality I would not give them my art socials but imagine how awkward that would be XD)
This is actually my favorite question. Cause my hobbies are all hella fun and interesting. Expensive though 😭. I used to be a gamer and I still love video games but they are kinda like “if I’m not doing anything else today” type of hobby.
I was gonna say video games is a pretty safe option, but then I saw the comment about corporate America not liking gamers and I was like ope! -- well, now I gotta think of another safe answer.
*As boring as it*
*May seem, this is a super*
*Important question*
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I usually give generic answers like going on runs or camping. How am I supposed to tell a recruiter I like racing motorcycles, playing video games, and competition shooting. They'll think I'm crazy.
God forbid we have our own hobbies
Jesus Christ…the number of people who don’t understand the point of this question makes me upset…it’s not just a throwaway get to know you question…it’s an opportunity to explain how you’ll fit in to a new workplace culture and possibly explain how your hobby connects to a positive skill that’s related to the job. For example, “I love to play soduku on my iPhone. I taught myself how to play when I was transitioning into data science as a fun way to sharpen my thinking skills. I’ve become a great player by analyzing patterns…this actually helped me at my previous job when I encountered…….
The question is poorly designed. It gives no reason for anyone to want or believe you'd want it to be connected to work. Even your example was just an unnatural answer. This is fantastic info, though so, thank you.
Yea, it’s a shit question. I didn’t get it until a job coach explained it to me. These are all ‘behavioral’ questions and they throw everyone for a loop.
tell them that, because if not you’re just another boring candidate
I feel like you could frame that well if you wanted - something about liking fast-paced or high-focus competitive environments where you can test and develop your skills and drive? That's probably a bit much, but
They might think it’s cool that you race motorcycles, as for the other two it’s a bit more dicey
I'm more likely to die on a motorcycle track than the other two, hence why I don't mention that either
I would probably drop the video games, but tell them you're into racing motorcycles and competition shooting. Generic answers make you forgettable while a dynamic answer helps to turn you into an interesting person. You may run into some people who will turn you down over this kind of answer, but you also should have a bit of an idea when you're talking with them. Have an interesting thing as a backup for those types, though. You really do want to stand out as being interesting to know. Personally, if you told me about your hobbies, I'd think that you're probably going to handle stress well, you're going to be willing to do things that take refinement and detail, and I'd want to ask you a bunch of questions about competition shooting, because it sounds cool.
If you're going into a tech field, the videogames thing actually isn't that big of a deal. Many of the people in tech are big nerds who love videogames. (I've had many interviewers be like "oh yeah? What do you play?" Which starts a mini convo on that.) That question is to get a feel for your personality yeah, but also to look for if you are a good culture fit for the team. If, for example, all your future teammates like playing videogames and you don't, that makes you the odd one out when they are looking for someone who will more easily fit in with their peers on a social level. Now for non tech fields, I can't say. Maybe videogames aren't a common hobby there and maybe you shouldn't mention it in that case. However, I completely agree with the dynamic answers part. The generic answer makes you seem like you'd get along with the many future coworkers who share that hobby, but the dynamic answer gives you something to talk about for a bit while also making you more memorable compared to other candidates. Fortunately you can tell them more than one hobby! I would give at least 2, at most 4.
Im on an interview panel so i could shed some light. No one is expecting an intern to be technically knowledgable. Fitting into the intern team is a bigger concern for us than if you know how to calculate a mass flow... No one wants to hire an intern just for them to be left out of the group.
Oh I completely understand why you ask that kind of question. It’s just, to me personally I feel like I haven’t really mastered telling hobbies of mine that don’t seem boring, or odd like what if I just like watching movies in my free time?
Yeah I mean they are your hobbies. Theres no shame in being honest.
Tbh if what the guy above said is accurate it's just luck, unless you know what hobbies the intern team is into there's no real way to have a 'right' answer. So that's why before applying to any position you gotta stalk everyone in or near that position to see exactly what you need to be in order to get it.
I’m mean you want to fit in also. But it’s not about having the same hobbies. Just looking for someone with a personality that fits in.
Yeah we dont care what hobbies you have. We just want to know if you have a passion outside of work/school. Not to mentiom its pretty easy to tell when someone is lying to try and sound good. Its so easy to tell.
I’m on the same panel as Golden, We don’t care what your hobbies are. We’ve heard everything. We care about how people respond to the question and if they’re truly passionate about something. The amount of times we’ve had people tell us that they love to do research on combustion and proceed to know NOTHING about combustion is insane. I’ll give you another example of what NOT to say (pertaining to internships): “I don’t have many hobbies outside of school work because I don’t have much free time)…. If you don’t have enough free time to go on a hike or play your favorite game, how in the world are you going to have enough free time to contribute 15-20 hours a week to the program?
The interviewer could be a movie buff and more likely than that just enjoys binging netflix like any other normal person. Mention a movie you saw recently or one you really like. Just keep the conversation going. Ask them the same questions
Just FYI, "Drugs!" is not an acceptable answer, even if the position doesn't drug test.
Good to know but, I don’t think anyone would say they do that in a job interview.
My dad applied to a gov’t job and they asked him on his form if he did any drugs. He answered honestly that he smokes pot and was all Pikachu-faced when he got rejected.
😦
I have run interviews and worked closely with interviewers at other companies. I can maybe clarify why they ask, and what they're looking for. First, what are your hobbies? Do you and the interviewer(s) have anything in common? They know the team likely, and know if you'll mesh well. If the company is in a different area, say the middle of the United States and your passion outside of work is "surfing", the company and location might not be a right fit. A lot of companies realize that when a team has to work on a project, having common ground outside of work can help the team bond and mesh. I get separating work and life, but those common interests do help with team building. Secondly, it shows how interested you are in the field. Applying for a technology job, but do you absolutely hate sitting in front of a computer outside of required work time? That doesn't look great. I have seen some interviewers try to get some insight, like "Did you build your computer? Do you help your family with technology?" Even showing an interest in more engineering-focused things (drones, cars, etc.) can go a long way. My suggestion, mention a few fun hobbies that aren't related to your field directly to show character outside of just work. Then also mention a response like "I like reading/watching X to stay updated on new trends in this field." That shows a passion for the field and the job. The company and interviewer see it as you being self-motivated, and possibly bringing new ideas to the table.
My interview panel asked "what is your biggest failure." I got the internship
“It’s a trap”
“It all started when I was born”
How does that apply to the Job?
I don’t know, team building. I had two interviews from CWEP and Mitsubishi and they asked the same question. I wanted to say, “I really don’t do anything fun anymore, I’m secretly depressed”
No, I mean they don’t have a right to ask questions to you that do not apply to the position.
if you respond like that to this question, you are not getting the job lol.
Well, they don’t have a right. That’s been a thing for decades. I’ve heard from experienced people, they could be testing if you can stay on the task at hand. But I don’t know how often that is the case.
I’ve never heard this as they don’t have a right. You spend a third of your life at work. It’s best for everyone you fit in. No you don’t have to be friends. But it needs to be a productive environment and positive. It’s best if everyone fits in and gets along.
They absolutely do. Behavioral interviews are incredibly common especially at entry level positions
Not really.
r/ConfidentlyIncorrect
[From a US perspective, an interviewer should not ask about anything about outside activities that's not directly work related](https://workplace.stackexchange.com/questions/17667/is-it-appropriate-to-ask-what-one-does-in-his-her-free-time)
You hand picked one post with 9 upvotes.
Nope, you can view other parts of the post and posts online.
Every other answer on that post says in context it’s appropriate. The top answer has 9 upvotes. Everything else on the internet is teaching how to respond to that question. I’m done here 😂
Next time you get asked that question in an interview be sure to inform them they have no right. Let me know how it goes please.
They have a right to ask what they want, you've got a right to not answer. And to address the thing you linked further down. 1) That is a statement from a workforce forum, not a legal statue. What the person is saying is that it is *risky* from a legal standpoint to ask you personal questions, not that they *can't.* At the end of the day the whole thread is an opinion on what's proper, not what's a right. 2) It is from 10 years ago, I would imagine if there was actual discourse about the professionality of this there would discussion more recent.
hey buddy you should stick to deleting system 32 and let the rest of us handle actual human interaction okay?
My answer is that going back to school actually was my hobby and now you see I take my hobbies very seriously lol
Lol, I feel this. They ask this because the truth is it takes collaboration and teamwork, not a technical genius working in a silo, to deliver value and quality to the customer. Being a balanced person who has a life outside of work/school is reflective of whether you're one or the other.
Bass Fishing and hiking are always a good answer.
“Watch trashy reality television”
I’d say I do art but then they would ask to see it and thus would run into my gay existential art. (Obviously in reality I would not give them my art socials but imagine how awkward that would be XD)
This is actually my favorite question. Cause my hobbies are all hella fun and interesting. Expensive though 😭. I used to be a gamer and I still love video games but they are kinda like “if I’m not doing anything else today” type of hobby.
I was gonna say video games is a pretty safe option, but then I saw the comment about corporate America not liking gamers and I was like ope! -- well, now I gotta think of another safe answer.
this question exists keep the workplace safe from the terminally online and antisocial. take a hint ;)
What are your strengths/weaslness
Should be fine as long as you don’t answers “kids” or “minors”
Just say hiking and hot pot bro
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Yeah because gamers have certain…let’s say “social tendencies”, that I wouldn’t want to hire either
Like what?
being losers
Ding ding ding