Resume

[JRutledge]

If I am filing taxes on my income and filing other paperwork that says I am an official, there is no way in "heck" I am putting it in a hobby line (that no one cares about anyway). I am usually turning down positions and my officiating is front and center on my resume'. Then again most of the jobs I have had or get are in sales or management and they want to know that you can deal with conflict, deal with people, run a business or department and can think on your feet. And I have not been unemployed at any one time before I left college because of officiating.

Peace

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

... no way in "heck" I am putting it in a hobby line

Avocation ???

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Avocation ???

Nope.

Peace

[jpgc99]

Not sure why you are so adamant about it not going in a hobby line. The amount of money I make officiating vs my career absolutely classifies officiating as a hobby, for me.

I'm in a business leadership role in a corporate office. There is no benefit to including my officiating as part of my "work experience" because it is irrelevant. Managing situations on a basketball floor is vastly different than building corporate teams and making business decisions.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by jpgc99

Not sure why you are so adamant about it not going in a hobby line. The amount of money I make officiating vs my career absolutely classifies officiating as a hobby, for me.

I'm in a business leadership role in a corporate office. There is no benefit to including my officiating as part of my "work experience" because it is irrelevant. Managing situations on a basketball floor is vastly different than building corporate teams and making business decisions.

I would not say I am adamant, but I am in business as well and I want to know the people I might hire are doing something that has a skill that I can use to my advantage. I know that many of us my be older and it might have been a long time for use to work at a fast food joint or some kind of restaurant or service job that paid us at best minimum wage. If we would have only had job experience at that time of our life, why would you not include on your resume' something that most people cannot do and would not admittedly have the balls to do in the first place? Maybe if you are not an accomplished official I could see not even including it. But if I was an NCAA official or someone that has worked high level varsity ball, why would I not include it?

I guess it depends on what kind of job you want too. Since I have made more money at officiating than I did any other "extra" job I think it should be included and often was the bridge between one job to another.

And what I have noticed in the past year as I went on to get a professional license in a field, the officiating is what the interviewer wanted to talk about and talk about mostly even with similar background in another field. I have actually turned down more jobs than being rejected and I attribute that to my background in officiating. After all what is an interview? It is selling yourself.

I guess I would rather talk to someone that had an unusual and interesting position over someone that was a delivery boy for Domino's Pizza.

Peace

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

... why would you not include on your resume' something that most people cannot do and would not admittedly have the balls to do in the first place ... the officiating is what the interviewer wanted to talk about and talk about mostly even with similar background in another field.

High School Basketball Official is listed under Employment on my resume. When I interviewed for my present position, as an Environmental Chemical Analyst, the president of the company spent more time discussing my role as a basketball official than discussing my background as a science educator. He was a former high school basketball player, and a big time collegiate basketball fan. I got the job.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by jpgc99

Not sure why you are so adamant about it not going in a hobby line. .

I think Jeff's point is that if it is a "Hobby" to the IRS, then you pay taxes on the income, but can't deduct the expenses.

I am not sure that where it's listed on your resume has any effect on how the IRS will treat it.

To the OP -- I think it depends on your age / experience and the type of position for which you are applying.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Avocation ???

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Nope.

Avocation: Noun:
1. a subordinate occupation pursued in addition to one's vocation especially for enjoyment
2. something a person does in addition to a principal occupation, especially for pleasure;
3. an activity that you pursue when you're not at work

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Avocation: Noun:
1. a subordinate occupation pursued in addition to one's vocation especially for enjoyment
2. something a person does in addition to a principal occupation, especially for pleasure;
3. an activity that you pursue when you're not at work

I know what the word means. I have never heard anyone suggest you only put your primary jobs on a resume'. You put all your jobs. Some people have multiple jobs at one time. That is not an unusual situation for many people in this country.

Peace

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I know what the word means. I have never heard anyone suggest you only put your primary jobs on a resume'. You put all your jobs. Some people have multiple jobs at one time. That is not an unusual situation for many people in this country.

Peace

That is not what resume experts recommend. A potential employer is going to stop reading and move to the next resume if you include a lot of stuff unrelated to the specific job being filled. I'm not saying you shouldn't include the officiating info, but it may or may not be something that will help you get the job. If not, it should probably be left out so unless your job history is pretty weak or don't really have anything else to put on it.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

That is not what resume experts recommend. A potential employer is going to stop reading and move to the next resume if you include a lot of stuff unrelated to the specific job being filled. I'm not saying you shouldn't include the officiating info, but it may or may not be something that will help you get the job. If not, it should probably be left out so unless your job history is pretty weak or don't really have anything else to put on it.

For the vast majority of people, officiating is not what pays the mortgage. I know it doesn't pay mine.

There is a risk here -- people who put officiating stuff on a resume run the risk of having someone read it who thinks "he's going to want to leave work early" or "he won't be available to be 'on call' in the evenings" or "he won't want to travel for the job and miss games." Or they could be amongst those idiots who think all referees are turds.

In my limited experience, I've had to answer more questions like this than have fascinating discussions on the positive aspects of my officiating. The last time I interviewed for a job (and this was 11 years ago), I talked openly about my officiating. They offered me a job, but told me that they had a strict policy about working a second job and that officiating was in a gray area that many in the company would not appreciate. I had another job at the time, didn't like the vibes of this, and stayed where I am -- and have been there now for another 12 years.

I hire people. If I was your manager or interviewer, it would be a big plus for me. I know what many officials bring to the table. Many don't. Choose carefully.

(My LinkedIn page includes officiating, BTW. People will look there even if I don't have it on my resume.)

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

That is not what resume experts recommend. A potential employer is going to stop reading and move to the next resume if you include a lot of stuff unrelated to the specific job being filled. I'm not saying you shouldn't include the officiating info, but it may or may not be something that will help you get the job. If not, it should probably be left out so unless your job history is pretty weak or don't really have anything else to put on it.

The skill we do as officials and preach are things most jobs would want. Unless you work in a hole and never deal with anyone, you are doing something as an official that can and will help you in any position. We talk about professionalism, conflict management or resolution, schedule setting, working with other people, being on time, being in leadership positions and in my case working with the larger state association extensively, I want anyone I might work with to know that.

And when our economy crashed in this country and we had people being laid off left and right, it was officiating that helped people bridge the gap. I would rather have something there that said I was working and making money than maybe 2 years without a job might be a good idea to mention I was not unemployed so to speak. Just like you working as an official can undermine your employment checks if you are taking income of some kind if you do not report the income. Then I am not going to tell the people that are potentially hiring me and I have not been sitting on my behind? To each his own I guess.

Peace