By SYCORAX  TIYESA NDHLOVU –

CONSIDERING how most people perceive hobbies, and how some people choose and use their hobbies, one wonders whether hobbies are important in one’s career choice and career development process or not.
For one to know whether a hobby is important in career choice and development process or not, one can be reminded of the main parts of a curriculum vitae (CV).
Among other things, a good CV comprises personal details, academic achievements, work experience, hobbies and referees.
If hobbies have no strong bearing on one’s career choice and career development process, why did someone who designed the main parts of a CV include hobbies?
Little do most people; especially at young ages realise the importance of hobbies in career choice and career development processes. As a result, rarely do most people have hobbies to talk about. If you and I were asked now to say: ‘What is your hobby? And why do you have such a hobby?’
You know very well that you and I can start scratching our hornless heads while looking at the blue or dark cloudy sky to try and get some answers to such seemingly basic questions.
Some people might have hobbies which are not directly related to their career. Consequently, one can say that some people choose careers which are contrary to their hobbies.
To prove the important of hobbies in one’s career choice and development process, one should remember factors to consider in choosing one’s career.
Among many other factors, what one likes doing most or has passion for; which can be or is what one is good at influences one’s career choice. At school, the subjects one is good at; and therefore what one enjoys doing most influences one’s career choice.
But it is what one is good at or likes doing most that is one’s hobby.
It is the same reasoning that those who designed the main parts of a CV considered that one’s career choice and good performances is highly influenced by what one likes doing most; and therefore what one is good at.
So, one can see how poor relationship between one’s hobby or hobbies and one’s career can expose one of not knowing what one is doing in one’s career development processes.
Hobbies and career choice support each other.
Although this sound logical, simple and straight forward, consider at what age and how we choose hobbies (if ever one has any); and how we choose career; especially where high unemployment levels exist.
Whatever the case, never choose a career that is contrary to your hobby.
In case you are have hobby that seems to contradict your career, it means you are in a wrong career. And with high unemployment levels, being in a wrong career is common these days.
But one can quickly and strategically change one’s career to suit one’s hobbies where possible.
Therefore, make sure that your career is in line with your hobby.
When one’s career suits one’s hobby, one enjoys doing his or her work. When a hobby relates to one’s career, when working, one feels like doing his or her own hobby. Work becomes enjoyable when one’s career is in line with one hobby. Rarely can someone have poor work culture when one’s career is highly related to one’s hobby.
For instance, think of someone who likes reading the Bible; and he or she is also a preacher. One will enjoy preaching because it will be like one is just reciting and interpreting what one reads in the Bible.
Similarly, cogitate someone who likes calculations; and he or she is a Mathematics teacher or is an accountant. It becomes working made easy.
It is against this background that a CV include hobbies. Therefore, if what one writes as a hobby or hobbies in a CV is repugnant to one’s career or position one is applying for, then objectively, you are not the right candidate to fill that vacant position.
This is because for one to be effective and efficient in a certain position, such a person should have a combination of many relevant attributes for that position. And hobbies are among such relevant attributes for a suitable candidate for a vacant position.
This further reveals that not having a hobby is the same as not having a career. And delays in identifying and choosing a hobby is a delay in choosing a right career. Therefore, not having specific hobby (ies) or delay in choosing a hobby negatively affects one career choice and career development process.
Now this might sound water under a bridge for some people depending on one’s age and level of experience in a specific career.
But these articles under Let’s Talk Careers’ column are not only meant for you and me; but they are also meant for our young brothers, sisters, cousins and most importantly for our sons and daughters.
As a good parent, share with your children about the importance of hobbies in one’s career choice and career development processes.
Identify a child’s interests, talents, knowledge and skills which culminate into a hobby or hobbies early. Guide and support each child to develop his or her interests which in most cases turn into hobbies that can propel him or her into a good career in future.
Such an approach to child guidance reveals that it is not helpful to force a child to do things that are totally against his or her natural interests and or passion.
Don’t force children to go into a career which is against their hobbies. If a child likes doing certain things, encourage that child to make efforts to do well at school while supporting the same child in developing a career in what he or she likes doing most.
For example, Catherine Phiri started boxing hobby at an early age. She can be encouraged to develop her boxing hobby while being encouraged to go further in her formal education so that she can take boxing as her career .
Imagine how children like playing soccer, singing and dancing these days. Will all such children become soccer players, musicians and or dancing queens?
What is critical is how one’s hobby relates to one’s career. For children and youths, ensure that your hobbies support your future career.
Therefore, choose and develop hobbies in what we like doing and have passion for. Ensure that you choose a career that is in line with your hobbies as the latter support the former at all times in our lives. Or do you know of someone who is or has been successful in his or her career without a hobby?
*The author is a trainer and career coach.
Contact: Cell: 0976/0977 450151
E-mail: sycoraxtndhlovu@yahoo.co.uk