CV friendly term for 'petrol-head'...
Discussion
CommanderJameson said:
And pray that the recipient doesn't regard motorsport as being the organised rape of Gaia.
Indeed... however petroheadism (or motorsport enthusiasm as we are rebranding it) is generally quite popular amongst the profession I'm aiming to join... If I do get any pro-Gaiaists at interview I have a fairly nifty argument about how having children is more detrimental than driving cars... Might just end up antagonising them tho...
CommanderJameson said:
I wouldn't put any of my external interests on a CV, tbh.
For the job I'm after is actually very important that people know that I've got outside interests and should theoretically be less likely to crack up under pressure... Some good ideas coming out of this tread tho... thanks all
Msspikeyhead said:
CommanderJameson said:
And pray that the recipient doesn't regard motorsport as being the organised rape of Gaia.
Indeed... however petroheadism (or motorsport enthusiasm as we are rebranding it) is generally quite popular amongst the profession I'm aiming to join... If I do get any pro-Gaiaists at interview I have a fairly nifty argument about how having children is more detrimental than driving cars... Might just end up antagonising them tho...
As noted, I don't put personal interests/hobbies/etc on my CV. If you wanted to bring such to the attention of the hiring manager, you could always put any racing/marshalling/etc qualifications in the "other training" bit.
I once wrote (when I had space for interests), and because my job is in engineering, and I wanted them to see my practical side.
I have an unhealthy interest in motor vehicle maintenance, and have rebuilt 3 motorcycle engines, replaced 2 car engines, resprayed cars and motorcycles, have some very basic welding skills, and have carried out nemerous repairs to brakes, transmissions, and electrics. I am in a single make car owners club, and have recently had a car on a club stand show at a national show.
I went along to an interview at Garrett, for a job as a manufacturing engineer, and one of the managers asked me about it. I indicated to the ground in dirt under my fingernails, and explained that I'd just spent the weekend replacing the engine in my wife's polo, and had come to the interview in it to prove that it was now repaired. He told me later that he thought I was bit academic, until then, and that was what swung it in my favour.
In fact about 6 months later he came round my house and diagnosed the poor running as the condenser.
I have an unhealthy interest in motor vehicle maintenance, and have rebuilt 3 motorcycle engines, replaced 2 car engines, resprayed cars and motorcycles, have some very basic welding skills, and have carried out nemerous repairs to brakes, transmissions, and electrics. I am in a single make car owners club, and have recently had a car on a club stand show at a national show.
I went along to an interview at Garrett, for a job as a manufacturing engineer, and one of the managers asked me about it. I indicated to the ground in dirt under my fingernails, and explained that I'd just spent the weekend replacing the engine in my wife's polo, and had come to the interview in it to prove that it was now repaired. He told me later that he thought I was bit academic, until then, and that was what swung it in my favour.
In fact about 6 months later he came round my house and diagnosed the poor running as the condenser.
bmw535i said:
schmalex said:
BrabusMog said:
Car enthusiast?
rapist. To the OP, instead of coining it in one phrase, why can't you give a brief explanation as to your interest/involvment with motoring and your level of enthusiasm in it?
To me, the term "car enthusiast" serves up connotations of a rather creepy loner, wearing branded motorsports jackets, talking in an enthusiastically adenoidal voice about car stuff that no-one really cares about or wants to listen to. But, that's just me..
As to the OP, I would leave personal stuff of the CV (I certainly never put it on mine), as it gives you a chance to go slightly off piste at interview and show you're passionate about your hobbies.
CommanderJameson said:
Engineering job or no, you should wash your hands properly before attending interview. Going "look at me, I can't operate a tub of Swarfega" is unlikely to endear you to most interviewers.
That stuff does stink to high heaven, though... Maybe the interviewer would have thought the candidate had splashed on some Brut 
schmalex said:
bmw535i said:
schmalex said:
BrabusMog said:
Car enthusiast?
rapist. To the OP, instead of coining it in one phrase, why can't you give a brief explanation as to your interest/involvment with motoring and your level of enthusiasm in it?
To me, the term "car enthusiast" serves up connotations of a rather creepy loner, wearing branded motorsports jackets, talking in an enthusiastically adenoidal voice about car stuff that no-one really cares about or wants to listen to. But, that's just me..
As to the OP, I would leave personal stuff of the CV (I certainly never put it on mine), as it gives you a chance to go slightly off piste at interview and show you're passionate about your hobbies.
BrabusMog said:
schmalex said:
bmw535i said:
schmalex said:
BrabusMog said:
Car enthusiast?
rapist. To the OP, instead of coining it in one phrase, why can't you give a brief explanation as to your interest/involvment with motoring and your level of enthusiasm in it?
To me, the term "car enthusiast" serves up connotations of a rather creepy loner, wearing branded motorsports jackets, talking in an enthusiastically adenoidal voice about car stuff that no-one really cares about or wants to listen to. But, that's just me..
As to the OP, I would leave personal stuff of the CV (I certainly never put it on mine), as it gives you a chance to go slightly off piste at interview and show you're passionate about your hobbies.
Quite often in interviews where there's also an HR person there, the HR person will get the ball rolling to put you at ease / end the interview on a lighter note with a question relating to your interests / sports hobbies etc. You'd be surprised how often personal stuff crops up, and is a good way of the interviewers working out whether you simply eat sleep & breathe the stuff you have applied for but won't actually get on with anybody as you're a hermit with zero personal skills & dirty fingernails
Mine is a one liner something like "In my spare time I like to walk on the beaches with my kids, go mountain biking and get oily mending my beach buggy". Doesn't have to be an essay.. just enough to show you're a human. Getting on with people is important...
CommanderJameson said:
Engineering job or no, you should wash your hands properly before attending interview. Going "look at me, I can't operate a tub of Swarfega" is unlikely to endear you to most interviewers.
To be perfectly honest, I'd only just finished fixing it by lunch time on the Monday, having had to realign the gear linkage after I realised it only had 2 forward gears, and the interview was mid afternoon, and I just didn't think about it. My god, I only just remembered to shave, and shower. CommanderJameson said:
And pray that the recipient doesn't regard motorsport as being the organised rape of Gaia.
To be fair, if motoring is to be listed as an interest, then it's pretty high priority in the OPer's life and if a potential employer is offended by the notion that the OPer does a lot of car-related activities, then they're probably not going to be fun working for. So definitely put motorsport enthusiast!zac510 said:
If the job is in no way related to automotive matters then do not mention it.
Similar thoughts - but not exactly.If you're applying for a role which involves coordinating people/events/things or leading people then you might, for example, include the fact that you are/were a captain of a sports team or leader in a club of some kind. Thereby showing that you extend your skills outside of the work environment and can bring those experiences back into the workplace (IMO anyone leading teams like this shows several useful characteristics).
If you're applying for a role which relates to mechanics (engineering) then alluding to out of work mechanics or a continued interest in it is worth a mention.
BUT, basically saying something along the lines of "I'm really interested in cars" isn't going to pique anyone's interest or add any value - in fact potentially the reverse (i.e. hooligan) - unless the role specifically requires "having an interest in cars".
Aside: Many years ago I was recruiting for an IT head. I got loads of CVs ranging from dross (dunno why you bothered) to supremely technically qualified (but didn't exhibit that "je ne sais quois"). In the midst of this lot was a chap with a modicum of experience (a bit less than I was really looking for) but who had taken a year out to go off and de-fod for Thrust 2. He described how he funded himself and why he wanted to do it. On the basis of that he won an interview. It was a close run thing. He didn't get the job in the end, but if the chap I offered the job to had turned us down, then he was my 2nd choice - even though it would probably had meant a hit on training - the guy's determination to do what he did and actually do it was commendable. At the end of the process I made sure that I gave good positive feedback to the agency, which hopefully reached him as well.
Its an important thing to have on a CV in my opinion! just as hobbies/interests no matter what the job.
Looking though recent CV's for a position i'm looking to fill i was disappointed to only find 1 CV that said the guy was interested in motorsport.
I work in IT but everyone in IT seems to share a common interest in motorsport of some kind so its good to look for like minded petrolheads
Looking though recent CV's for a position i'm looking to fill i was disappointed to only find 1 CV that said the guy was interested in motorsport.
I work in IT but everyone in IT seems to share a common interest in motorsport of some kind so its good to look for like minded petrolheads
I have a brief mention of this on my CV, but primarily because as an almost graduate the employers do tend to take a bit of a look at your other interests. however, the big thing i am always explaining to people who come to me for cv help is that you should only list a substantial interest that you can a) discuss in some depth at an interview, and b) substantiate with some genuine activities. DONT say "i like reading books, watching movies, and listening to music". likewise dont say 'i enjoy cars'.
As an example, what i have is one sentence explaining my involvement with a motorsport club (on the committee) and another on the work I have been doing with the director of one of the countries newest and most premier race circuits as a sort of informal consultant on branding/future direction.
if you are quite involved with a club, or have a serious project or the like then give it a mention. space on cvs is precious so dont fill it with things not relevant to the job.
As an example, what i have is one sentence explaining my involvement with a motorsport club (on the committee) and another on the work I have been doing with the director of one of the countries newest and most premier race circuits as a sort of informal consultant on branding/future direction.
if you are quite involved with a club, or have a serious project or the like then give it a mention. space on cvs is precious so dont fill it with things not relevant to the job.
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