As a director of two veterinary clinics I am also the main person in charge of interviewing job applicants. One of the standard questions I ask during job interviews is: 'What other hobbies beside those related to animals and pets do you have?' This question is of paramount importance.
A good answer will demonstrate to me the applicant's ability in lateral thinking, how balanced his or her life is, and I find that often a person with broad interests tends to be more intelligent, sociable and a better communicator. I cringe at answers I often get, like 'I don't have any', 'I like shopping and karaoke', 'I watch movies'.
I like movies, too, but in an interview I would elaborate on the types of movies I enjoy and why.
I sometimes think about what a model answer for such a question is, or what I would say in a situation such as this, and I find myself dumbfounded and lost for words, not because I don't have any interests and I don't know what to say, but because I wouldn't even know where to start. I am not going to list my interests, as there aren't enough words in this column for that, but I am going to provide a possible answer that is acceptable.
One of the hobbies among my many interests is photography. It has been more than 10 years since I got my first single-lens reflex camera. Since then photography has grown from a hobby to a part-time profession. Having had schooling in oil painting at a younger age, I was proficient with the theory of art. However, I found I didn't have the patience to excel in oil painting. But the skills I learned have helped me as a photographer.
My photographic experience started with capturing my life as it happened, shots of the places I had been and the people I had met. Through this photographic record of time, and through study, I have become proficient with the technical aspects of photography.
A couple of years ago, the hobby took a turn towards the serious and I started to apply what I had learned of fine art to my photographs, such as lighting, contrast, subject and composition. I further refined my technical skills, such as through the use of studio equipment and computer photo-processing.