Got a hobby? What you do off the clock can help build your career

In a recent Zoom interview, some pixels caught my eye from behind my would-be boss’ left shoulder: a Grateful Dead framed print. Rather than compliment his ficus plant, I said “Nice poster” and a good one-third of the job interview was devoted to taping culture, the Grateful Dead’s jam band progeny and why Saratoga Performing Arts Center is the best venue in America.

I got the job, likely because the exec saw that I, too, know the singular rush of standing amid a sea of 40,000 strangers (the lives we lived!), taking in the silence followed by explosive applause when the stage lights dim and your favorite group takes the stage. This is not to say, of course, that you should feign an obsession with dueling guitar outros or “Europe ’72.” However, it’s a fact that well-rounded people make the best employees. Hiring managers see it. Your boss sees it. Your co-workers see it.