How your hobbies and personal interests can help you during a Hollywood job interview

Although employers often have to be very strategic about sticking to professional qualifications when asking questions in a job interview, they also want to hire someone they'll enjoy spending 40+ hours a week with. Adding personal interests to your resume can help spark conversations that will foster a personal connection and allow you to showcase your personality during an interview. But in Hollywood, there's even more to the story. Here, your interests and hobbies can actually count as part of your professional qualifications!

In entertainment, a lot of your success will come from the people you meet and the life experiences you’ve had -- these will often form the basis for the creative storytelling that you’ve decided to dedicate your career to. In fact, interviewers will sometimes call attention to this -- they want to know what you read, how you spend your time, and what unique perspectives you can bring to the table. So whether or not you list them on your resume, if you can find a way to bring up hobbies or topics you’re passionate about during your interview, you just might be able to edge out the less well-rounded candidates.

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--Angela Silak & Cindy Kaplan