Recruiter rejects job applicant after he lists 'olive oil' as one of his interests: 'That is not an interest. I cannot stop thinking about it. There will not be an interview.'

I would love to work with a guy who is interested in olive oil.

When you're applying for jobs, you have to do something to stand out. Recruiters are getting hundreds of applications per job posting that are functionally identical to your resume. Some job seekers try to stand out by using a funky resume template, but unless you work in a funky industry, most job-seeking experts would not recommend that. They're much more likely to suggest that you include your hobbies and interests on your resume, so you feel like more of a person than a name on a piece of paper. I'm obsessed with bringing up my adult dodgeball league in professional settings because it starts conversations and is much more active and unique than my other hobby, which is watching movies.

Some hobbies are not advisable to bring up when seeking employment. You might consider watching TV to be a perfectly acceptable hobby that you supremely enjoy, but because it doesn't involve actively "doing something," it might hurt you in the job-seeking process. Not to mention, it's not unique at all. What's so interesting about someone who likes to watch TV?

A recruiter recently went viral on X for rejecting an applicant because he listed “olive oil” as one of his interests.
via @90daysliquidity
Now here is where I have to disagree. Olive oil is absolutely an interest, and this guy is smart for including it on his resume. He is filtering out work cultures that don't have a sense of humor and don't have the curiosity to ask, "Why is olive oil one of your interests? Please tell me more."
via @HighyieldHarry
via @EffMktHype
If you hire a guy whose interest is "olive oil," there is a non-zero chance that come Christmastime, he will be gifting you an expensive bottle of olive oil that can't be purchased at a mediocre grocery store.
via @ShaleTier7
There is undoubtedly a difference between someone who cares about using good olive oil but wouldn't consider it an interest and someone who would list "olive oil" as an interest on their resume. The latter probably has some esoteric knowledge that even the most fervent foodies are not privy to. If you want to reject a job applicant based on the merits of their experience, that's fine by me. But rejecting a qualified candidate because you have no sense of humor or curiosity is weak sauce. Or rather, weak oil.
via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

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