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When asked to tell interviewers something not on my resume what shall I say?

I want to tell interviewers I have a black belt in karate as when I tell my friends/people I meet that, they are so surprised lmao
will saying that help my interview i.e. make me stand out in a good way

Reply 1

Guru Jason

I wouldn't bing it up unless they talk about hobbies or interest but don't make stuff up like you can play the piano or something cos one day they may make you play that piano.

Reply 2

Surnia

You can, but don't just make it about the achievement; give it a spin on showing dedication and perseverance.

Reply 3

Admit-One

Universities Forum Helper

I would use it as an example if it was relevant to a particular question, (e.g.dealing with setbacks, achieving a long term goal etc).

Depending on the size of the employer, the people interviewing may not even have read your CV, (often screened and scored by HR), so I doubt it will surprise them.

Reply 4

mnot

Universities Forum Helper

Often interviewers will ask about your personal interests, alternatively you can use it as a secondary example when your demonstrating a desirable characteristic.

Every interview is different you just have to judge if it is an appropriate point depending on the question or interview structure.

This gave me a memory of one time I was once asked in an interview if I was “a winner”, I initially used academic & professional examples before mentioning i had won medals at University sports national championship level, the interviewer then made clear he didn’t think it was that big an accomplishment & chuckled at it. Although ive had other interviewers read it on my cv ask in detail about my experience & it helped build rapport and form a connection. My point here is you’ll just have to be a bit instinctual and sometimes it goes well & other times it doesn’t go well... (and a lot will depend on the temperament & attitude of the interviewer).