RootsChat.Com
General => The Common Room => The Lighter Side => Topic started by: Mart 'n' Al on Thursday 02 February 17 16:19 GMT (UK)
-
It's too late for me, but I have been wondering about the pros and cons of mentioning family research on a CV.
Positive things: Diligent, detailed, persistent, logical, affable, structured.
Negative things: No time for the day job, obsessive, easily distracted, smells of musty papers, likes old churchyards.
Does anyone have any views, comments or experiences? Would you recruit one?
Martin
-
If it's your hobby and you are encouraged to list hobbies then do so.
Would trainspotters or stamp collectors think twice?
-
It depends on the job.
Research skills, familiarity with IT, organisational skills can be a plus. Perfect for office admin, not so relevant for a mechanic, salesman or scientist!
Philip
-
Martin,
Your post did bring a smile to my face.
But, in all seriousness and leaving aside that lingering smell of musty papers, if the skills you have acquired through genealogy are relevant for the job, then shout about them.
Many university graduates seeking employment are really only marketing the discipline they have acquired in doing a 3 or 4 year degree, rather than the specifics of what they have learnt in that period.
Justin
-
I once received a c.v. that went on for half an A4 page about the applicant's "animal companions", ( in no way relevant to the job) and was very scant indeed about enthusiasm for the post, or relevant qualifications. Beware of what you put on c.v.!
Saying something like "A high level of I.T. expertise, and considereable experience in archive research developed partly whilst researching a family history project...." may be a better idea?
-
I agree, it could well be worth mentioning on a CV as long as you stick to the disciplines and skills you have developed through genealogy and don't go into detail about your family tree!
-
not so relevant for a mechanic, salesman or scientist!
IMO not true - I was a laboratory scientist and many attributes of a conscientious family history researcher are extremely relevant :) for instance attention to detail, double or triple checking every fact, always including a reference...if I had been interviewing an applicant I would have been impressed to see this as a hobby.
Josey
-
not so relevant for a mechanic, salesman or scientist!
IMO not true - I was a laboratory scientist and many attributes of a conscientious family history researcher are extremely relevant :) for instance attention to detail, double or triple checking every fact, always including a reference...if I had been interviewing an applicant I would have been impressed to see this as a hobby.
Josey
Fair point - I apologise. Science is such a broad field
-
Agreed, speaking as a field scientist [as opposed to laboratory]. If you mention any hobbies, though, it will give them a chance to exercise their prejudices, whatever they are. Genealogy? Trivial old lady stuff. Church choir? God bothering stuff. Shell collecting? That's even sillier than stamps or bird watching. It might be better to mention hobbies conversationally in the interview if an appropriate opportunity arises.
-
not so relevant for a mechanic, salesman or scientist!
IMO not true - I was a laboratory scientist and many attributes of a conscientious family history researcher are extremely relevant :) for instance attention to detail, double or triple checking every fact, always including a reference...if I had been interviewing an applicant I would have been impressed to see this as a hobby.
Josey
I agree. I managed to make contact with a distant cousin because he used part of his/our family history for a lecture (although at that time I was simply wondering whether our ancestor Henry was the brother of his ancestor Patrick). He's well published in his field (pharmacology). For research of any sort you need an enquiring mind (in other words, nosiness) and to consider all possibilities no matter how outlandish. And best of all, he has the discipline to write it all up and has privately published books on the family.
-
But what would you do if the interviewer had a fairly unusual surname that just happens to be one of the main lines in your tree...could you stop yourself from asking if he/she was related to the Sussex/Kent xxx? ;D
I agree, it could well be worth mentioning on a CV as long as you stick to the disciplines and skills you have developed through genealogy and don't go into detail about your family tree!
-
It's too late for me, but I have been wondering about the pros and cons of mentioning family research on a CV.
Positive things: Diligent, detailed, persistent, logical, affable, structured.
Negative things: No time for the day job, obsessive, easily distracted, smells of musty papers, likes old churchyards.
Does anyone have any views, comments or experiences? Would you recruit one?
Martin
My training taught me that a CV should be pertinent to the job one is applying for. So, in some cases the mention of family research would be appropriate.
Employers will not bother to take a second look at a CV that is obviously duplicated many times whatever the Job.
-
not so relevant for a mechanic, salesman or scientist!
IMO not true - I was a laboratory scientist and many attributes of a conscientious family history researcher are extremely relevant :) for instance attention to detail, double or triple checking every fact, always including a reference...if I had been interviewing an applicant I would have been impressed to see this as a hobby.
Josey
I agree. I managed to make contact with a distant cousin because he used part of his/our family history for a lecture (although at that time I was simply wondering whether our ancestor Henry was the brother of his ancestor Patrick). He's well published in his field (pharmacology). For research of any sort you need an enquiring mind (in other words, nosiness) and to consider all possibilities no matter how outlandish. And best of all, he has the discipline to write it all up and has privately published books on the family.
Oh wonder if I know him. My cousin and I both started in pharmacology although I have moved away from it to an extent.
I have only mentioned it once when I was straight up asked about my hobbies. Ended up having to defend myself when the follow up question was "so you're a weird loner?" You have to be very aware of potential prejudices with anything on a CV no matter how misguided they may be.
-
I don't think I would include it in a CV...I would make reference to it if I was asked about my hobbies....but....it might be useful if you were hoping to become an investigative journalist or a detective ;D
Carol
-
.
I have only mentioned it once when I was straight up asked about my hobbies. Ended up having to defend myself when the follow up question was "so you're a weird loner?" You have to be very aware of potential prejudices with anything on a CV no matter how misguided they may be.
.
Sometimes though an interviewer will ask that sort of question to see how you cope under pressure with having to defend your actions or beliefs.
Betty, yes I might be tempted to ask, but not during the actual interview, and then only if I was only being interviewed by just that one person.
-
Some interesting views. I'm 59 so it is no longer relevant to me, but I thought it was an interesting idea. I liked Betty's quandary.
Martin
-
Depending on the job I think it could be a bonus.
In my last job I was always on the lookout for people who (to quote the job spec') could 'identify important facts and information from large pools of data' and were 'able to draw conclusions and make decisions using incomplete or conflicting data'. Sound familiar? ;D
-
;D ;D ;D
-
Depending on the job I think it could be a bonus.
In my last job I was always on the lookout for people who (to quote the job spec') could 'identify important facts and information from large pools of data' and were 'able to draw conclusions and make decisions using incomplete or conflicting data'. Sound familiar? ;D
It's ringing bells with me ;D ;D ;D
Carol
-
But what would you do if the interviewer had a fairly unusual surname that just happens to be one of the main lines in your tree...could you stop yourself from asking if he/she was related to the Sussex/Kent xxx? ;D
The reverse happened in my case. I was interviewing people and one applicant had an uncommon surname which also appears in my dad's side of the family. I enquired if she knew where her name came from. She didn't, but it emerged she was 'sort of' interested in her FH. While she didn't get the job, I kept her contact details (with her permission) and a few years later we were able to connect the dots and find out a bit more of our respective families :) :) :)
Dawn M
-
Plenty of good views & advice so far.
If an application form has asked me to list my hobbies/interests, I always put Genealogy/Family Tree (Researching Family History).
I think this shows patience, an inquisitive mind but also the 'History' shows it's more in depth & requires investigation/cross referencing etc.
I have been asked a couple of times at interviews about my hobby which fascinated the interviewers.
It's actually surprising to some how interesting it is when you explain it's not just about gathering names & dates but their lives, occupations, how & where they lived etc.
I have been asked how I find my information which probably shows I am not only computer literate but able to use my initiative to find info.
I have always been brief in my replies but making sure I mentioned words which were/would have been relevant (in some way) to the job applied for, showing I could 'apply' myself (no pun intended) as it also shows enthusiasm & interest which I think any employer would be glad to hear?
Annie
-
I'd just suggest that you also include something that shows that you can interact with real people. You don't want to give the impression that you work with computers all day, go home and sit at the computer all night, however true.
-
I'd just suggest that you also include something that shows that you can interact with real people. You don't want to give the impression that you work with computers all day, go home and sit at the computer all night, however true.
There interview where they suggested I was a weird loner I said I'd made a large number of friends via my hobby and we collaborated to help each other with our research.
-
It's also...A lesson in geography, sociology, statistics, politics, latin, world wars and religion ;D
Carol
-
I's also...A lesson in geography, sociology, statistics, politics, latin, world wars and religion ;D
Carol
When can you start? You've got the job :D
-
I's also...A lesson in geography, sociology, statistics, politics, latin, world wars and religion ;D
Carol
When interviewed, for a university place once, I came up with roughly this and the interviewer was quite impressed and I was offered a place.
I also mentioned history; quite a big one there! ;D I have learned in far more depth about different periods of time during my genealogy work!
-
Why not also mention that you are also a member of a forum, which works often as a team. Solving queries as part of that team. So you are not some sad loner after all.
-
I's also...A lesson in geography, sociology, statistics, politics, latin, world wars and religion ;D
Carol
When can you start? You've got the job :D
A bit past my sell by date for paid employment but thanks ;D ;D ;D
Carol
-
Interviewer: Tell me what did you like best in your old job?
Candidate: Well sometimes people had birthdays and there were cream cakes.
;D ;D ;D
-
It's also a lesson in ...
As family researcher, you might be a scientist, - see:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auxiliary_sciences_of_history (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auxiliary_sciences_of_history)
as family researcher, you might be a fishermen in a big pool of data,
there is a lot of rubbish in some nets - and in a lot of trees.
Regards
Rudolf
-
Yes, we can all see the advantages, but to get back to the original point, a c.v. should be relevant to the post applied for, and what the interviewer might see as irrelevant stuff if possible is better not stressed.
A simple sentence as I stated earlier, or something like " I have been able to develop my research and I.T. skills in many ways, partly through study of family history.." is honestly as much as most interviewers will want to see on such a document. If at interview invited to expand on this, fine. If not, don't.
-
I agree TY - when we were short listing candidates we compared their CVs against the job description. Those who ended up on the short list were usually those who stuck to the point and didn't look as if they were trying to fill up space.
-
I just dipped back in to see if there were any comments. Amazing. Thank you all. It is so true, I have learned so much in the last 15 months about so many weird subjects that I would never have considered.
Martin
-
I was very curious to read this thread, as I'm currently a University Student so still have CV's to write in the future. I do not know anyone around my age who researches ancestry, I often get the impression that people around my age aren't interested in ancestry, which seems a shame to me - the things I have been able to tell my parents and grandparents, who aren't as comfortable with computers as myself, about their ancestry never fails to make me smile - it's truly a rewarding hobby; and on many occasions, sitting with my grandmother telling her about the people she never got to meet, has been an amazing experience - we have laughed and cried together, and I am so glad that I took it up at this age.
I hope that I will be able to mention my ancestry researching on my CV's, as it has certainly helped develop many skills for me - all the skills that you all have mentioned, plus it has helped my communication skills, as contacting a variety of people on a regular basis around the world is a common theme for me now. I certainly don't think it's a bad thing to research ancestry, I just hope that other people won't have negative presumptions about it.
-
No, but I certainly wouldn't labour it directly in your c.v.
You will be better advised to stress some of the related skills, then possibly bring it up at interview, and possibly expand on it if the interviewer(s) reaction suggests that you do. Interested myself, the jobs I'd interview people for would rarely suggest that such an interest, directly, would enhance their application. Many interviewers would glaze over more or less politely, unless they were a kindred spirit, I'm afraid.
Your interest is commendable, but remember: in the eyes of most people, it IS a hobby. Substitute "Train spotting" in your c.v., and you may see what Joe Average interviewer would react.
-
I agree TY, good advice there. I had to read many CVs when shortlisting candidates for teaching jobs and we had strict guide lines what to look out for. There was a section that asked for hobbies and I would expect something like genealogy to be mentioned there. Perhaps it could be put in such a way that mentioned that you felt it had helped you to gain certain skills which you would be delighted to expand on in an interview. Then, if asked, stick to emphasising the skills you think would help in the job you are applying for, no one but you and your immediate family ( or a fellow genealogist) will be interested in how you tracked your great great grandfather down.
in the eyes of most people, it IS a hobby. Substitute "Train spotting" in your c.v., and you may see what Joe Average interviewer would react.
That's a good way to look at it TY, we do tend to forget that it is a hobby, most of us consider it a way of life.
-
point out that while it is a hobby, it has helped you hone in on a subject by way of researching a subject. such as if it is a science you would be interested in finding more than one mention of the research ensuring that you find more than one aspect of that subject by more than one scientist and the difference found between their results and how that helps the student view things from different angles./ or aspects.
-
I have always included a section at the end of my c.v. headed "hobbies and interests", but it is exceedingly terse. It is there to show that I am a well-rounded individual with a variety of interests outside the workplace. I do not include it in the expectation that they will help me directly to obtain any particular job; but they do give the interviewer something they can ask me about if there is something there that catches their eye, and I can then elaborate on it with answers designed to show how it promotes the very qualities that they should be looking for.
The exact format of the entry has varied over time, but currently it says:
Mountain walking and wilderness expeditions (professionally qualified Mountain Leader); keeping and riding horses; legal history (life member of the Selden Society); railway history and modelling (convenor of the N Gauge Society's Era 1 & 2 Group); chess; family history research.
There will, of course, be individuals who hold prejudices about most if not all of those activities. So be it. If they raise them with me at interview then I am more than able to defend my corner. And if they decide against me on the basis of their prejudices without having raised them at interview, then they're not the sort of person I would wish to be working for in any event, and I reckon I've had a lucky escape!
-
If you were applying for a job as an heir hunter or in the field of probate and estates it would be worth it.
-
... perhaps there are not enough of those around to be worthwhile?
-
I have mentioned it on a CV.
-
... go on: did you get the job?
-
... go on: did you get the job?
Unfortunately no. It was a job as a part time archivist at a office in London. I cannot remember exactly but I think it was preserving the history of a certain London building.
-
Well ... it could have been relevant there.
Early on in this topic, many were suggesting family research went on a cv for almost any job.
That was where I had my reservations, when it could not have been relevant, and I still prefer to see relevant information on a cv, and not have to plough through pages about someone's love of dog walking, flower arranging or cake baking if it's not relevant to the job being sought.
-
Agree, Yorky. Though sometimes a person's hobbies / interests can give you an insight into their personality which may not otherwise be evident in the interview, but could have bearing on the job, or how they will interact with other staff, etc.
I found a person who said they had no hobbies also had little imagination, and often very inflexible in their attitude to life, work, etc..
Dawn M
-
Some prefer to say they have "interests" now, rather than "hobbies", I've noticed, too. I suppose it sounds more posh?
Agreed, the ones who say they live for their work, and seem to have nothing beyond it, are usually really boring and unimaginative - and often know all the "rules", and none of the sense!
-
I’ve been reading this thread with interest.
I’m keen on mentioning my research in my supporting evidence when applying for a data entry/purchase ledger role.
The role requires attention to detail, receipting and accurate input, organisational skills, reconciliation skills, IT skills, and highlighting discrepancies etc..
I won’t go too OTT though, just a couple of sentences.