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General Climbing Discussion

Author

Resume' + Climbing

Olbert

8-Mar-2009
1:16:01 PM

I am gonna put climbing into my resume as for the past four years its pretty much been a major part of my life. Im sure there are many skills/benifits that I can bullshit about...but I just cant think of any. Any help or suggestions? Has anyone else bullshitted about climbing in their resume?

yankinoz

8-Mar-2009
2:13:50 PM

it's on mine in the other interests section but just says rock climbing. It turned into a nice icebreaker in my last interview.

It's easy to steer the conversation into things like: strategic risk taking, calm under pressure, fast thinking, problem solving and other bs er, i mean, stuff like that.


Sabu

8-Mar-2009
2:33:32 PM

Also good for your potential employer too see a passionate side of you and also that
you have a variety of interests in your life. Can't hurt to have it in there at all.


anthonyk

8-Mar-2009
3:36:48 PM

On 8/03/2009 Sabu wrote:
>Also good for your potential employer too see a passionate side of you
>and also that you have a variety of interests in your life. Can't hurt to
>have it in there at all.

definitely. just the other day i was having a chat with a friend who is on the hiring side and he said one of his priorities when hiring people is seeing they have passions about things, it doesn't really matter what it is. if someone gets really involved with things in their life they're more likely to get into the work they have to do and take pride in what they're doing.


pmonks

8-Mar-2009
4:48:39 PM

On 8/03/2009 yankinoz wrote:
>It's easy to steer the conversation into things like: strategic risk taking,
> calm under pressure, fast thinking, problem solving and other bs er, i
>mean, stuff like that.

I found that interviews seemed to go downhill when the conversation turned to "strategies for skiving off during the week to go bouldering" and "best sickie symptoms to give on a Monday morning after an epic Sunday in the mountains".

yankinoz

8-Mar-2009
5:12:13 PM

like i said, fast thinking... problem solving... :-)


D.Lodge

8-Mar-2009
5:21:14 PM

For my job it seemed to help heaps (I Manage a climbing gym lol) but it do like to see an interest in climbing and yeah i does show that you have a good head on your shoulders, can think quickly and are not afraid to throw yourself into things sometimes.


wallwombat

8-Mar-2009
6:34:36 PM

Personally, I see no more value in putting climbing down as an interest on your resume as, say, putting ballroom dancing or snorkeling.

When I still played cricket, I received more favourable comments at interviews regarding that than I have about climbing which I also list as an interest. Generally, a non-climbing employer will presume you are a tights-wearing gym bunny anyway.

I think the important thing is to list some interests, whatever they may be, just to prove you have a life and , as others have said, are passionate about some things.


Eduardo Slabofvic

8-Mar-2009
8:35:53 PM

If your potential employer is an ex-climber then it's a bad thing, as they know that you'll nick off as soon
as you've got enough for that next trip.

Dave C

8-Mar-2009
10:47:04 PM

On 8/03/2009 Eduardo Slabofvic wrote:
>If your potential employer is an ex-climber then it's a bad thing, as they know that you'll nick off as soon as you've got enough for that next trip.

Not at our age they won't!

TonyB

9-Mar-2009
8:54:55 AM

Balance it out with some more "corporate" sporting activities like golf ... can't think of anything more boring but your boss probably likes it.

Ronny

9-Mar-2009
7:04:42 PM

On my CV that got me this job I stated that climbing:

"requires determination, an ability to work towards goals, mutual trust, the ability to operate effectively in stressful conditions and the ability to focus on tasks and see them through to completion."

Feel free to adopt/plagarise if that's useful.

In the interview for my current job they said "Why do you want to move to Sydney?" and I said "Because the climbing's closer than it is in Adelaide ... which means if I have to work on the weekends I can still go for one day." They didn't seem to mind my willingness to work on weekends.

James


wallwombat

9-Mar-2009
7:27:08 PM

On 9/03/2009 TonyB wrote:
>Balance it out with some more "corporate" sporting activities like golf
>... can't think of anything more boring but your boss probably likes it.

My boss likes drinking beer and watching rugby league, so I'm sweet!


Zebedee

9-Mar-2009
11:14:28 PM

On 8/03/2009 Sabu wrote:
> Can't hurt to have it in
>there at all.
Sure can hurt to wack in crap. I see job applications, all I want is apt quals then I interview. The rest wastes my time. Those who don't have the quals in the bin, those that have the quals then pad out nutters to a man, in the bin. Don't waste my time with your felching and fly fishing.


Sabu

9-Mar-2009
11:16:41 PM

On 9/03/2009 Zebedee wrote:
>On 8/03/2009 Sabu wrote:
>> Can't hurt to have it in
>>there at all.
>Sure can hurt to wack in crap. I see job applications, all I want is apt
>quals then I interview. The rest wastes my time. Those who don't have the
>quals in the bin, those that have the quals then pad out nutters to a man,
>in the bin. Don't waste my time with your felching and fly fishing.

Haha i never said you had to READ it!

climbingjac

10-Mar-2009
1:25:10 AM

The personal interests section is relevant - it tells an employer how you might fit into the team with the other people already in place. It's valid. (In the UK it is one of the first sections read, I have found!) Let's say you are applying for a role that requires a lot of interaction with people, and yet your personal interests section pretty much says you actively avoid people when you have a choice, and just read or something all by your lonesome in your spare time, you might not be a good fit for the role.

I have climbing on my cv. It got me straight to interview and straight into the seat on one occasion - a team member with a lot of say in the matter was a climber and was keen to swap beta :-) I have found it comes up in interviews all the time ever since. It's a good icebreaker.


wallwombat

10-Mar-2009
7:24:54 AM

On 9/03/2009 Zebedee wrote:

>Sure can hurt to wack in crap. I see job applications, all I want is apt
>quals then I interview. The rest wastes my time. Those who don't have the
>quals in the bin, those that have the quals then pad out nutters to a man,
>in the bin. Don't waste my time with your felching and fly fishing.

Glad your not my bloody boss.


bluey

10-Mar-2009
8:20:57 AM

I read a column on careers recently that said you shouldn't put any interests on your CV on the basis that for every employer that likes your particular interests there is another that hates all climbers, for example. So you should just leave off interests all together and let your skills and experience do the CV talking.

I'm a bit each way - I like sharing my interests on my CV so have left them there.


JimboV10

10-Mar-2009
9:57:07 AM

My boss knows I'm a climber and pulled "As a rockclimber, I would have thought you would have had a lot of attention to detail" (he was criticising me at the time)

I retorted with 'Well sometimes I fall off. But I will always get back on and keep trying"

Still got the job ;)

hero

10-Mar-2009
11:55:33 AM

I always throw half the apps in the bin because I don't like to employ unlucky people.

There are 38 messages in this topic.