Topic: foosball + resumé = good? or bad?

[bmtran]

So I was going over my resumé making some changes to it and I remember one of my teachers telling me that it'd be a good idea to put hobbies and interests on your resumé. His example was sailing or basketball. For me, I think one of my biggest hobbies is foosball.

My question is: Is putting foosball on my resumé a good idea or a bad idea?

Any managers out there willing to chime in on whether hiring someone that plays foosball is a good thing or a bad thing?

[bbtuna]

first off I think the notion of a "hobbies" area is a little old fashioned

it isn't nearly as important as the content, accuracy, and overall presentation of the resume

here is the thing about hobbies...what do they make you look like to the majority of people?  if you said your hobby was Sailing, almost everyone would be impressed, if you said your hobby was collecting Porn videos I think you are going to look bad to the majority of people

you don't want to lie because you may find yourself in an interview with someone who is a hobbyist of the same thing you list like Sailing and if they started talking about it you would look pretty silly if you couldn't converse

so, if you are going to list hobbies, you want hobbies that create a positive image to the vast majority of people…think about your list, what is it telling someone about you…if you are going to use this (and I don’t recommend it) list out all your hobbies and try and step back and think about what it is saying to a potential employer

while foosball may not create a bad image it won't provide a super positive one either...you may get lucky and find a foos enthusiast but foosers are a very small % of the population

most people who have played aren’t serious players and their memories would go back to bars and frat houses mostly which may be a good image but I wouldn’t chance it, it isn’t worth the risk

[foozkillah]

In the tech-centered world of Austin, TX and the new tech Triangle in NC, I believe foosball is actually an advantage to put on your rez.

All the right-minded upNcomers as well as more-established appreciate the game, some even in their boardrooms, not just in the rec room.

[Rob Scanlon]

I've had foosball on my resume for years but never under a hobby category.

i like to keep it under an organizations category so even if they don't care much for the game there still seeing your a team player and an active member of an organization, something that translates well to a work environment.

i would say in at least 80% of interviews something positive has come from it.

one example

i have listed tournament director and when asked about it  i sold myself as a respected leader of my local foosball community and my ability to resolve personal conflicts.
2 more things that translate well to any work force.

I'm sure you can find things in your foosball life that can translate to attributes employers are looking for.

[jonzini]

I put foosball on the Hobbies section of my resume when I applied for my current job.  The guy interviewing me, my current boss, told me I misspelled "Football".  I went home after and took it off the resume.


John

[foozkillah]

I put foosball on the Hobbies section of my resume when I applied for my current job.  The guy interviewing me, my current boss, told me I misspelled "Football".  I went home after and took it off the resume.John

Your interviewer was exactly correct.. You spell it "t-a-b-l-e s-o-c-c-e-r".  Not to be asinine, but foosball or fooseball or foozeball are bastardized slang derivatives of the word German word "fussball" as in tisch fussball.  I wouldn't put "hoops" or "ping-pong" or any other nicknames for basketball or table tennis in my resume.  They immediately bring up the wrong connotations, I believe.

Seriously, it's your future job, perhaps career, perhaps the rest of your life... Instead of putting down, "Hazing the pledges with Everclear and aquarium fish sushi," take a little time and put down, "Fraternal Organization Orientation."  Wait till after you get the job, then sneak in the Everclear to the office party!  You'll see what 200 proof can do to normal upstanding citizens!

[thebodygroove]

Foozkillah is perfectly in the know....

[Fastert]

I put foosball on the Hobbies section of my resume when I applied for my current job.  The guy interviewing me, my current boss, told me I misspelled "Football".  I went home after and took it off the resume.John

Your interviewer was exactly correct.. You spell it "t-a-b-l-e s-o-c-c-e-r".  Not to be asinine, but foosball or fooseball or foozeball are bastardized slang derivatives of the word German word "fussball" as in tisch fussball.  I wouldn't put "hoops" or "ping-pong" or any other nicknames for basketball or table tennis in my resume.  They immediately bring up the wrong connotations, I believe.

Seriously, it's your future job, perhaps career, perhaps the rest of your life... Instead of putting down, "Hazing the pledges with Everclear and aquarium fish sushi," take a little time and put down, "Fraternal Organization Orientation."  Wait till after you get the job, then sneak in the Everclear to the office party!  You'll see what 200 proof can do to normal upstanding citizens!

I thought that Foosball was from an old table manufacturer 'Foos'.

I wouldn't put it in an resume, because when I say here that I play table-soccer  , then they look up like I'm sort of a freak, because it's not a common thing to do as a hobby apparently. You see them thinking: 'Get a real hobby....'  ....*sight*....They just don't know...

[bmtran]

I'm still kind of on the fence about it. I know Austin does have a lot of tech companies that have foosball as a really big thing and some that don't. One of my friends told me about a job she had where they would have weekly tournaments for work and how it was basically a must-have for working there.

but i'm still unsure. I think i might put table soccer as a hobby, but I can always tailor the resume to the job anyway.

[Sniffler]

I say when in doubt - leave it off. I mean what good can really come of it? You can recruit co-workers after you have the job.
It might put the thought in the potential employers head that you hang out in bars. Which of course you do, but you don't want them to know that.

[Sniffler]

here's how the interview questioning will go -

boss - I see you put foosball down as one of your hobbies-  Where do you play that?

you - oh every wednesday and friday we play at the local whole in the wall bar until 2am.

boss-  hhmmmm pass 

[Rob Scanlon]

this is from my current resume

Organizations   2002 – Present                 United States Table Soccer Federation. (www.USTSF.org)

•   Appointed State Director for New Hampshire in 2008.
•   Appointed Co-Regional Director for New England in 2008


some questions I've had regarding foosball.

Q:What exactly is the USTSF and what roll does your position play within the organization.
A: (copied from ustsf.org)

1.  To act as the representative agency for the United States in relation to the ITSF, coordinating all affiliated table soccer associations in meeting the ITSF’s requirements for Olympic Sport recognition/status, 

2.  To establish and or coordinate qualification status of players to represent the United States in international competition,

3.  To extensively promote the sport of table soccer to players and the public alike, from youth to adult, and from grass-roots all the way up to international competition levels,

4.  To ensure fair and equitable representation of U.S. players and play standards in relation to international competition, rules, disciplinary action, rankings and more, and

5. To ethically help grow the sport of table soccer independently of manufacturers and without regard to race, religion or nationality. 

my position is to act as liaison between the players in my region and the organization, i hope to be joining one of the many comities in the near future so i might have the opportunity to shape the future of our sport.

I'll post some more questions I've been asked later, i got to be somewhere

just wanted to say I've never been asked anything i wasn't able to turn into something positive.
my advice  leave hobbies out and present foosball differntly  if at all.         

[bmtran]

actually I mainly play at my local HKN chapter... it could probably actually lead into a discussion of HKN (which, for those who don't know is the Electrical Engineering honor society).

well I guess I'll just leave it off the resumé and I can tell them about it in an interview if the interviewer seems like he or she would find it positive.

[bbtuna]

bmtran,

you are young, it probably doesn't mean the same thing considering your age...I don't think you should include it but I don't think it is an absolute right or wrong type a deal

make sure you are comfortable with whatever you put and that it fits you...

good luck