"Personal interests" on resumes?

[Anonymous]

I've recently seen several listings of "foodie". I'd pass on those, but as a runner myself I've enjoyed interviewing other marathon runners. It shows goal setting and commitment.

[Anonymous]

I have some limited hiring experience, both as a hiring supervisor and as a technical consultant (the person who asks about a candidates technical skills).

My suggestion is that personal interests are only worthwhile is they are noteworthy, e.g. the type of thing that someone might use as an icebreaker or that might encourage discussion either before the interview starts (often happens when you are interviewing a group of several people and one or more are running late or when someone has to leave to take a call, etc) or as the interview is winding down. Also, you should never list more than two key interests, it's an ice-breaker or an effort to get to know you if the interview went well.

Mundane things such as reading, movies, running/jogging, gardening, playing an instrument are not noteworthy. However, if you are an avid competitive triathlete or you play an instrument in a band, those are more noteworthy. In my case, I'm a theater performer and theater reviewer for equity theater in the DC area. My theater reviews can be found on-line, so it's something that will come up if they Google my name. Although it's not relevant to my day job, it's still something noteworthy that they are likely to find if they do a little basic research on me.