People put the strangest things under that CV heading on the assumption that it makes them seem like rounded individuals. Or because they believe it is expected to be there.

Keep that bit simple and short. Too many outside interests make it look like you spend your entire life playing football and hurling, visiting the cinema and theatre and reading Tolstoy, working out, gardening, fire-eating, amateur dramatics, feeding the homeless and on and on.

Some are just bizarre things you shouldn’t put there – Socialising, for example, is neither a hobby nor an interest. It’s drinking dressed up as a pastime.

And if you do put stuff there try to think about how it feeds into the skillset for the job you are after. For example if you are going for a position as a PR Account Executive, a genuine interest in current affairs is a must.

Finally, have worked out the answers to the blindingly obvious questions that will stem from your interests– what was the best book you’ve read (American Psycho is rarely a good answer even if it is a modern classic), and know that Bat O’Keefe is the Minister for Education and Science.

Eoghan McDermott is Director of Careers, The Communication Clinic . www.communicationsclinic.ie