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It’s very common for IT recruiters to hear that the candidates they work with get a little thrown off by questions in interviews. Sometimes even if you’ve prepared with your technical recruiters and on your own, you get asked a question you weren’t expecting.  Here’s one question (and the answer) that IT staffing companies find often trips IT professionals up: Is there anything I should know that’s not on your resume?

It’s easy to see why this trips candidates up: you spend a lot of time polishing your resume with your technical recruiters and IT recruiting agencies—shouldn’t it encompass everything interviewers need to know?  Sure, your IT staffing firms definitely will help you send out your best version of your resume.  However, this question is meant to give you a chance to talk about things that are relevant to the job, but wouldn’t make the cut for your resume because they might be harder to quantify or are more related to your personal life.

What are some good ways to answer this question? One strategy that IT recruiting companies often recommend is that you take this opportunity to talk about hobbies that might be very relevant to the role or just your work style.  Perhaps you run marathons, build intricate models, or are a Boy Scout leader.  These probably don’t apply directly to IT jobs you’re interviewing for, but they probably help you hone soft skills that are necessary for the job.  Does your running teach you endurance in difficult circumstances?  Does building models help you practice patient tenacity in problem-solving?  Does working with Boy Scouts give you great communication and leadership skills?  Tell the interviewer about it now and strengthen your candidacy just a little more before you finish that interview!