What kind of job? If it is a professional one, I would probably advise against it.

yes, professional. it would be tucked inside the sleeve of a shirt, probably only visible for a few seconds. seems crazy, but some people i talked with thought it was a good idea.

If it ain't you, it's a bad move. Before you know it you'll be heading up some multiple thousand dollar fundraising campaign for live strong in your off hours to impress your boss.

long ago I had an interview on Monday in some new city. I went there over the weekend to get drunk with friends. Got hammered, fell down walking home from the pizza cart late one of those nights. Didn't even bother to stop my fall with my hands since i was holding the pizza in one hand and the paper plate in the other. Woke up with blood all over the hotel room and on towels. I wondered which one of my friends got beat up. Then looked in the mirror and had a vague recollection of the spill on the sidewalk. Ended up with couple real good scrapes on my face. Go to interview Monday. At end of interview, I said something like "I am impressed none of you asked anything about the blatant oozing wounds on my face." They replied, that yeah, they were wondering about it but didn't think it was appropriate or professional or whatever to ask. So I tell them I got knocked off my bike in a race the day before. Then we were able to chat a little bit about that lie. That started the conversation and made me "more interesting". Got the job.

Moral - go get bombed all weekend before your big interview.

Good move if the job is at Livestrong, Honey Stinger (or Tri Sports ;-)

Otherwise, it probably doesn't matter. I personally would never wear one of those while wearing a suit, just seems off to me.

What if the interviewer HATES cyclists. That's a sever strike against you. The odds it would help you I think are much lower than the odds it could hurt you.

Bad idea if I'm the interviewer.

Are going to spray tan, cock your hat a bit to the side and pop your collars?

---

Civilize the mind, but make savage the body.

- Chinese proverb

That's all you need to know.

hmmm, good idea on the spray tan... ;)

kidding.

good advice here. thanks for the responses.

I would NOT wear it if you don't wear it already. Why risk being caught in a lie? What if you are thinking that the interviewer is thinking cycling when actually he/she is thinking cancer survival. No, don't wear it.

But yes, I would wear one because I wear one all the time.

When I interviewed for my current job I had a livestrong band, and it came up during the interview. I was wearing it because of a friend who had cancer asked me to. If you don't support that organization why would you wear the band, find another way that represents you that makes you stand out from the crowd. Also is the fact that you're a cyclist relevant to the role and will it help you land the position?

Just had one of my more brilliant thoughts. Why don't you get an Ironman tatoo on your forehead. I'm sure they would ask you about it; providing you with the opportunity to tell them how you use discipline and motivation to accomplish difficult tasks. :)

On a tangent to "forehead". My son is high-functioning autistic who sometimes struggles with using words properly. One day he was talking about something on someone's forehead, but he kept using the word "foreskin". It took me a minute to make sense of what he was saying.

Just got back from an interview. Didn't wear my fancy watch, forgot to put on my wedding ring, and didn't wear a piece of yellow rubber around my wrist. We still had plenty to talk about (including running since one of the interviewers had just gotten done taking a shower after his run - I asked if it was at work - which lead to a discussion about wellness and workplace policies - which lead to a discussion of me too being a runner....) No need to accessorize.


EDIT: Good luck!

---

__________________________________________________________________
Eat right. Get lots of sleep. Drink plenty of fluids. Go like Hell.

Do a little internet-stalking first.
If you know the name of the person(s) that are interviewing you, throw it in Google. Check LinkedIn (if there is a profile picture you can probably tell if the person is into fitness or prefers to eat cheetos on the couch). Check Athlinks. Facebook profile.
You should have plenty to talk about without having to wear a plastic bracelet.

I always wear two.
A Livestrong band (yellow) and a Hope band (purple). I have a few people ask me about them, in which I told them my mother passed of cancer.
It is a part of who I am.
I wear a suit everyday, hasn't hurt my career in one bit.

I'm curious why you do not support livestrong nor do you think what they do is that great? Are you against fundraising for disease research in general or specific to Livestrong?

I think the whole colored bracelet fundraising thing jumped the shark about 10 years ago. I would not wear one whether it was for livestrong, AIDS awareness, or Lefthanders for Jesus since they are all just noise to me now. The novelty wore off long ago. Same with flag pins or red, yellow, or pink ribbon pins. I just donate money directly to those causes I want to support

Just get an M-dot tattoo on your forehead. That should make you more interesting. :-)


EDIT: Oops. Rick beat me to it. :-(

---

---

"100% of the people who confuse correlation and causation end up dying."

Ah, quite the contrary.

I am very FOR fundraising for research. It is my understanding that this is not the objective of Livestrong. Rather, from what I have read in articles recently, Livestrong exists to raise awareness about Cancer. I don't have anything against that at all, but I don't think it is "that great" of an objective. RE: I don't see this as foolish, silly or worthless, I simply describe it as not "that great"; I would prefer to allocate my charity funds elsewhere, and thus I do.



To the other posters, it hadn't even crossed my mind that wearing the band would be in a sense "lying" about who I was. I know countless individuals that wear them who only do because they like LA or whatever. Because it could be construed to be a misrepresentation of who I am, I will not wear it. I had been thinking about the idea as a matter of connecting to other endurance athletes, not linking myself to an organization, or terrible disease.

If you wanted to do this, you could wear a black, slim Road ID. I probably wouldn't, but it might be a better option.

I agree it's a good idea to differentiate, in fact I think it's key. Maybe since you're not a fan of Livestrong, you could go this route:

Add a line at the bottom of your resume. Mine says something about being an avid distance runner, triathlete, scuba diver, skier and I play the violin.

In the last 3 or so interviews I've had, that little line has come up in conversation. (I've gotten every job I've ever interviewed for, luckily.)

In my first job in NYC, the guy interviewing me (later my boss) saw the bit about running. Turns out he had a running streak of some 38 years straight! Our conversation, which had so far been about 10 minutes long and about research, immediately went into running and stayed there. I walked out 2 hours later knowing I got the job. One day, after I had been there a few months, he told me I was in (for the interview) because I had a good resume, but that the interview was to see if he wanted to actually be around me every day. He said he was sold when he noticed the running.


On a related note, he later used to make fun of my "slow times" compared to "what guys ran back in his day" hahahaha. His running streak did eventually end (that was after I had left) but I didn't have the heart to ask why.

---

~~~~~~~~~
Empire Tri Coach
Team Gatorade Endurance
USATF Coach | NYRR Distance Pacer
Dad of twins

People still wear those Livestrong bracelets? is that because you donated a $1?

+1

I say don't wear it. Unless you have a very good story attached to it, it looks fakey fakey to me. Those bracelets jumped the shark, as was previously mentioned, so you better have a good reason to wear it other than you like to ride your bicycle.


Good luck and let us know how it goes.

---

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Jen

"In order to keep a true perspective on one's importance, everyone should have a dog that worships him and a cat that will ignore him." - Dereke Bruce

Yes, we still wear them in support of friends who are fighting for their lives.

YaHey, you have a link in your posts to donate to millionaire Barack Obama. Is that to show your support of someone also fighting for their life?

Oh, and if you do like to ride your bike, maybe instead ask if there are safe bike racks or a place inside to park your bike if commuting is at all an option for you. I raised that issue today, albeit in a different context because I was interviewing for a benefits manager position and the head of HR seems to be on a huge wellness campaign. Doing that would also let you talk to the environmentally conscious types too.

---

__________________________________________________________________
Eat right. Get lots of sleep. Drink plenty of fluids. Go like Hell.

This 100%! Those wristbands are too brilliant to match any professional attire. You want to look attractive and well put together for your interview, not like a part-time clown who forgot to take off his face make up for his office job. Good luck!

---

_____________________________________
DISH is how we do it.

I am a cyclist, and that will potentially give me an opportunity to talk about that and make me "more interesting" than other candidates.


If wearing a yellow band and talking about cycling makes you more interesting that other candidates, I'd hate to meet them...

How did it go?

---

__________________________________________________________________
Eat right. Get lots of sleep. Drink plenty of fluids. Go like Hell.

Finished a few hours ago.

Went well. Didn't wear the band, but instead tried to use my personality to connect (I'm a fairly outgoing person). Worked out great I think. I'll find out next week if I got it.

Thanks for all the advise anonymous internet st'ers.

Funny. I walked in for an interview and the interviewer had a screensaver of his bike. I asked if that was his bike and if he rode. 20 minutes later, he says- well you want the job, right?

You revive a post from 2012 just to tell us that???

---

I miss YaHey

How the hell did I do that? I only browse the first page.

My bad man..... didn’t even notice the date! I thought I was just making convo with a recent thread.

sometimes these old posts just pop up on the front page. still trying to figure out the reason...

Dan has some code written that randomly puts a thread with Lance or Livestrong in the title on the front page each month to act as clickbait.

Hahahaha. I think what happens is a spammer posts something to a thread promoting a product that may be related to the subject of the thread. A moderator catches it and removes the post, but the thread still stays at the top. But I like your explanation better

It’s AI.

Learning about each of us and controlling our every wants, needs and desires.

And then randomly dumping posts from 4 yrs ago on the front page to attract lurkers.

 but some people i talked with thought it was a good idea.


Probably not.

The general rule with Job Interviews to be dressed as best as you can be, and in a neutral fashion.

Finding shared ground to talk about, is a good strategy and is a positive strategy for a Job Interview, but you should take your clues for this from the surroundings, research you've done on the company, and who is interviewing you ahead of time, and then what is said and talked about in the flow of the interview itself!

As to the specifics of this - the wearing of the Livestrong bracelet, while it may seem rather innocuous and benign, it could go either way - be something positive and something that your interviewer (s) sees as a positive, or it could go completely the other way. Lance Armstrong, while now distanced and completely disassociated from Livestrong, is unfortunately forever associated with the charity. Armstrong himself, tends to be a very polarizing figure - half hate him and the other half thinks he walks on water. What if one of your interviewers is the former?? Is that something you want to leave up to a 50/50 role of the dice in job interview? I know I would not.

---

---

Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

---

"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

Usually, it is a spam-bot that finds the thread and posts to it. Dan or another admin deletes the spam-bot post, but the thread stays on the first page.

---

If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. - Will Rogers

Emery's Third Coast Triathlon | Tri Wisconsin Triathlon Team | Push Endurance | GLWR

Just wanted to jump back into this 5.5 year old thread to confirm:

I did get the job.

It was great.

And if I HAD worn that stupid little band, I probably would have stuck around longer, loved it more and been happier and STILL racing triathlons (instead of silly mountain bikes).



Now I'm stuck as a mtb racing, non-leg shaving, entrepreneur.

You ruined me ST. If only I had worn it. I blame you all.



Carry on.

See you in 6 more years for an update.

What is that even supposed to mean? So you got the job, and it was great, but then you left again? And if you had worn that stupid little band, you would not have left? (But if that's what you're trying to say, how would that have depended on how the job interview went?)
And why am I even interested in that whole saga? ;-)

Total sarcasm, jokes, etc.


I did get the job, and it was really great for my career.



The band would not have mattered to my boss, now that I know her well.

You should try slapping her butt. I've heard that is great for career changes.

I am a cyclist, and that will potentially give me an opportunity to talk about that and make me "more interesting" than other candidates.

I'm still trying to figure out how being a cyclist would make you more interesting than other candidates. I can see a musician, artist, small business owner, traveller, adventure sportsman or any number of activities would make you more interesting but a cyclist?

Would it change your mind if it was a vegan cyclist?

I know this is an old thread, but I may be looking for a job in the near future, been at my current job for 23 years, sr executive level position, I am in my mid 50s. Have not really needed to look for a job in the last 15 years, in conversations with a couple friends recently they suggested I put something in my resume about completing a few Ironman races and Spartan beasts, not sure if this a good suggestion or not?

I have never really been in a position to interview and hire people, so take this for what little it is worth. Putting those things in your resume could help you if the person is a triathlete. They could also hurt you if the person has a negative opinion of IM triathletes. Unless you know which camp they fall in, I would avoid it.

Surely with your work history you could use those extra lines to promote some other business accomplishment that would help you.

Good luck. It can be scary being our age and looking for work.

I'm not a big fan of it. Has zero do do with your ability to do the job. Some could argue that the mental attributes required for endurance sports carry over to the workplace, but I would prefer to see those attributes woven into actual work experience and results on your resume.

I'm not a big fan of it. Has zero do do with your ability to do the job. Some could argue that the mental attributes required for endurance sports carry over to the workplace, but I would prefer to see those attributes woven into actual work experience and results on your resume.


I agree with both of the previous posters on this. It's a 50/50 advantage at best! And 50/50 things in Job Interviews need to be put aside!

Yes being a triathlete, I believe brings many positive qualities to a persons work - focus, consistency, long-term goal setting, dedication etc . . all those great top level qualities and behaviors. BUT, as the other poster said, unless the person who hires you is also a triathlete, or at least has respect for and understands endurance sports athletes, it can fall completely flat, or even be looked upon as a negative! A senior HR person I know told be flat-out she would never hire an "Ironman triathlete" after a few negative experiences she had with them. They would always complain of being tired at work. They would skip out early or come in late, because of "training". They would rarely commit to company extra-curricular work and out of work hours commitments, because of, "training". They were always negotiating for extra time off work for training/racing! You can see where I'm going with all this!

---

---

Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

At your age, not a chance you put that on your resume. Your resume should be your work experience.

---

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

Way down on the bottom under hobbies and other interests you put running.

I'm agree with everything people have said already, but would add that it can vary depending on the type of industry you're looking to work in. For example, I work at Nike and people tend to put some extracurricular sport activities on their resumes. It can makes sense.

While it's more likely someone at a sports company may be fond of it, it could still have a negative impact. All that to say, I'd error on the side of caution and not include it as everyone else has said.

Some could argue that the mental attributes required for endurance sports carry over to the workplace, but I would prefer to see those attributes woven into actual work experience and results on your resume.

One of my employers in Bermuda said he wouldn't hire anyone who promoted themselves as a "triathlete" , particularly an "Ironman" or an obsessed runner, on a resume. He said you only have so much energy in a day and the ones he knew spent most of theirs training, recovering from training, racing or thinking about their next race. He had an employee who did Ironman and said he was just too wrapped up in his sport that he had no time or energy for work.

I think it's best to focus on what you can provide an employer that will help his business. He probably couldn't care less what you do outside of work.

I think it depends on what line of work you're in.

Do you serve on any boards or put on any local events (tri club, YMCA, etc)? I served on the board of my local Y and so it fit on my resume. I could talk to sport stuff, which is always fun. I could also speak to leadership and board development, budgeting, organizational design, project management, people leadership...and a bunch of other corporate buzz phrases.

I put my Bike MS and Back on My Feet activity under "Fundraiser" on my LinkedIn profile in the "Volunteer Experience" field

YMMV

---

"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin