Hello,
the recruiting office of my university told me that I should not add "boxing" (combat sports) as a hobby under my Interests in my CV for my MBB (internship) application, as it could imply that i engage in activity which highly risky to sustain injuries and then be unable to work, also someone who may have a high temper. I thought it would interpret determination, a fighting spirit, mental strength and work endurance.
What would you say I should do?
Thank you in advance.
Oh, wow.
I'm rather surprised by the advice you received.
No, it's totally fine to share whatever you are interested in. The only thing I'd refrain from mentioning is anything that is more contentious - e.g., strong religious affiliations. But aside from this, it's totally fine that you do competitive sports, even if they are combat related.
It's great though that you are putting so much focus on making sure you have a strong application. Sharing with you another guide you might want to read to know what else to optimise for:
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Best,
Cristian
If it is something you are genuinely passionate about you should definitely put it in. Nobody will read that much into the sport (unless you write something weird) and it is likely to lead to interesting conversations during the interview especially if your interviewer has similar interests or is curious about it!
Best,
Udayan
Hi there,
Q: Can I add "boxing" (combat sports) as a hobby under my Interests? The recruiting office told me it could imply that I engage in activity which highly risky to sustain injuries, also that I am someone who may have a high temper.
I personally don’t see anything wrong with it. If you add it as an interest, they won't know whether you are still actively practicing, so I don’t see the risk that they might think you could get injured. I also don’t see a direct correlation with a high temper.
Best,
Francesco
Hi there,
The advice you received is absurd. Boxing (or any other martial arts) is a great example of outside interests, and you should absolutely put it!
People doing martial arts demonstrate, among their athletic skills, the ability to actually control their temper. That's the only way they can punch a guy in the face and give the same guy a hug when the fight is over.
That level of control is amazing and demonstrates exactly the opposite of what the recruiting team says regarding your temper.
Best of luck for the process!
Moritz
Hi there,
Definitely overthinking this :)
You can absolutely put boxing and/or other combat sports under interests. I personally think it shows grit, fortitude, and hardwork.
Hi,
it is fine to put in. Imagine you had a black belt in karate. That’s quite an accomplishment and not that easy to achieve. Would you leave it out because it might be perceived as “too combative”?
In any case, if you do boxing and you enjoy the sport, then put it as your hobby. It might make for some interesting conversation topic or it will just be ignored.
All the best
Hello,
The “Interests” section is really not a big deal - it's just there to show recruiters that you have a life and interests outside of professional achievements. No one is going to read into it in too much detail. So feel free to put boxing in, or not. As long as you have a couple of interesting activities there, it doesn't really matter too much what they are exactly.
Hi,
I personally think your recruiting office is reading too much / overthinking this.
Put what you are genuinely interested in / passionate about.
In reality - this is the least important part of your CV, the important points which is what the reviewers are judging your CV on should have been demonstrated in the core sections (Education, Work, Leadership etc).
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