4. Interests

It is not absolutely necessary to include a section on your personal interests, but it does present a more human side to this functional document. Including interests on a CV is more useful to people new to the job market, such as recent graduates, who have limited work experience. They can use it to show that they are active, involved, dedicated, team players or work well on their own, depending on the image they are trying to portray.

Bullet-point these if you can:

• Staff-student Liaison officer
• Secretary of the real-ale society
• Captain of rugby team
• Chapel choir soprano
• Keen chess player
• Scuba diving, Golfing, Walking, Reading, French food, In-Line Skating

These can be of interest to a prospective employer and you may find common ground here with the interviewer - just steer clear of anything that is perhaps dangerous or may be badly perceived; saying you're an avid train spotter may not reflect well on your people skills!