I work for a boy band fan site

by Alison Green on July 26, 2012

A reader writes:

I have a question regarding job or volunteer experience that could be considered sort of embarrassing. I recently took over as a site administrator (or as the site wants to call me “webmistress” but that seems awkward and dominatrix-y to me) of a fan site for a well-known 90s boy band. It was never something I planned to do, but sort of fell into my lap as the original site creator was “retiring” and wanted someone who knew the back end of the website to take over. I was hesitant to take on another volunteer project, but in the end decided to step in when I realized that it could only help build my skills as a social media marketer and content creator.

My question is whether or not it’s appropriate to put this kind of experience on my resume. Obviously, I’m not embarrassed to like the group — how could I be if I curate news about them every day — but it’s not something that has ever come up in a professional setting before, and I don’t know how potential employers might respond. On the one hand, I feel like I’m already working against the “entitled young person” label, and drawing attention to the fact that I have a slight obsession with a boy band from the 90s might reinforce the “young and inexperienced” stereotype. On the other, I’m adding quantifiable achievements to my resume if I can announce that I’ve increased unique page views by 15% in a 2-month period or I’ve successfully run an internet event celebrating an anniversary for the group that resulted in a 50% increase in video views, 12% increase in Facebook followers and 300% increase in interaction. What are your thoughts?

Put it on there.

First, as you point out, it gives you quantifiable achievements, and that’s great. Achievements are achievements, and no amount of soulful crooning or heavily choreographed dance moves can take away from that.

Second, it’s going to jump out to lots of people simply because of its novelty value and they’re going to ask you about it. As long as you have a sense of humor about it, this will be a good thing.

Third, please immediately tell us who it is.

You can read an update to this post here.

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{ 164 comments }

{ 164 comments… read them below }

  1. Anonymous*

    I starting to get the idea of a session of Employees Anonymous: “Hi, I’m Janet, and I work for the company which released PeopleSoft.”

    3. Alisha*

      PeopleSoft built talent sourcing and hiring, supply chain management, and CRM software (among other things) mainly for large businesses and was acquired by Oracle somewhere in the middle of last decade (I want to say ’05? But maybe it was earlier or later…). It was a monstrosity. The interface was confusing, it was slow, it was a PITA to set up, and everyone I know who used it hated it. I was forced to use it in 2007 for something or another that I don’t remember – I think I was signing up for a certification program – and it was so impossible, it made me want to bang my fists on the desk.

      (I also LOLed because my first SaaS UI design project made PeopleSoft look amazing by comparison, so I’m going to that EA meeting with Anonymous, with a bag over my head!)

      1. Anonymous*

        As of 2010 at least, it was still slow to the point of being painful (I had an absolute beast of a workstation, and the PeopleSoft UI could not keep up).

      2. Heather*

        My university just switched over to PeopleSoft a year ago. Nothing but complaints so far…

      4. Karyn*

        The fact that you used 98 Degrees is what kills me. It could only be better if it were LFO.

              2. Carly W*

                I’m more than slightly embarrassed that I pulled one of their raps out of my back pocket the other day…2+2, it doesn’t equal us. You took my car, now I gotta take the bus. I thought I had a girl that I could trust. I guess I never knew my calculus.

                *shame*

            2. Mary Sue*

              Ok, I’m going to listen to the 2ge+her CD now. They were the only boy band I ever liked.

              (And re: the OP, if you can get an increase in page views for a web site about a 90s boy band, especially if they’re not touring now, is pretty darn impressive for a content manager. :D )

        3. Laura L*

          YES.

          I won a point for my trivia team last month for knowing what LFO stands for. I was very excited about it.

  3. Anonymous*

    I have some accomplishments connected with my interest in music, and specifically my interest in a particular band. I worried a little bit at first about listing it, but pretty much everyone who knows me knows I like that band and I like going to concerts. So if an employer is going to consider it a negative, it’s probably not a good fit for me anyway. And since I started listing it, I’ve had some really great conversations with other people who like the band! :)

  4. Alisha*

    Assuming the OP is a woman (but maybe not?), I can relate to how it feels funny to make your fan-dom (and maybe even a slight crush) part of your career. One of my clients I did some freelance for was a creative group that did the merch et. al. for some big names in music, including my favorite 90s band (not Nirvana, but the same scene).

    I was in 8th grade when Nevermind broke, and in senior HS when the Seattle/Lollapalooza/Alternative Nation circuit truly “blew up,” so not only did I love the music because it was loud, raw, and angsty – but I also had mega-crushes on the cute men and women in the bands. In fact, I saw the band in question once as a teenager, and drooled at the guitarist like a little girl in puppy love.

    So when I worked with this client, I felt super-embarrassed to even talk to him because I felt I was dorky and passe (and “old”) and my embarrassing crush would be revealed. But it was cool – my client kinda burst my bubble by telling me the s*x-on-legs guitarist was a [d-word], and after the first meeting, it really was just about the project…well, and meeting its insanely tight deadlines!

    (p.s. Speaking of awkward…Alison, if you don’t prefer appearance-related compliments, I apologize in advance, and won’t do it again, but I noticed your new avatar and it’s super-cute!)

    1. Ask a Manager* Post author

      Thank you :)

      I’ve never had a serious musician or actor crush, but I once avoided going to a work-related event because author Tom Robbins was going to be there, and I was afraid I would stalk him and say embarrassing things. Also, he has written frequently about his love of redheads, and I feared that would embolden me.

        1. Andie*

          Totally thought Tony Robbins until I read the second post. Isn’t it funny when your eyes read what you want it to.
          My first thought was hmmm wonder if she walk over hot coals for him…….

        2. Liz*

          OMG – He hangs out at a bar in my city! It looks like a place out of one of his novels – with books in uneven shelves along every wall, and this tiny stage built partly from an old pingpong table.

          If you ever want another chance to stalk him I know where you can go!

      2. Kelly O*

        Look, I have such a geeky crush on Alton Brown, I refuse to go to grocery stores that I’ve seen on episodes of Good Eats when visiting family and friends in Atlanta for fear of what might happen if I ever actually meet him.

        1. Emily*

          Did you see that Alton is Mental Floss’s new food columnist. Be still my geeky heart! <3

          1. Kelly O*

            Yup. And it sort of makes me want to just hit “send it forever” on my subscription.

          2. Jamie*

            I was going to miss my Alton fix since Next Food Network Star ended last week – thank you for the redirect, Emily!

            1. Emily, admin extraordinaire*

              He also tweets. Using Post-it Notes, usually. It’s fantastically awesome.

              1. Bri Wilmot*

                He’s one of my clients. I had no idea who he was so I was glad my obsessed coworker pciked up the phone the one time he called.

        2. Laura*

          Just to stoke the fire – he is a totally nice man in real life. When I was a baby job seeker, right out of grad school, I boldly emailed his production company (unsolicited) explaining my interest in becoming a food researcher. He actually arranged for me to come to a shoot of Good Eats, watch the filming, eat lunch onset with him and then interview with him and his producer. I didn’t get the job, but it was incredibly kind of him to take the time to hear what I had to offer and to give me some insight into how that kind of job would work.

    2. Alisha*

      Aw, your story made me smile…I know that feeling. This may well be the thread of the summer (and yes, the picture totally makes it – I’ve been trying to figure out who it is, too!).

      On a related note, Tony Robbins is something else, isn’t he?

        1. Jamie*

          I’m dying…back in my old recapping “career” but I recapped Newlyweds for a popular online ezine back in the day. I got more hatemail for that show than any other I had ever covered – hundreds of letters about how mean I was.

          Their fans were rabid!

            1. Jamie*

              Last I checked a couple of months ago. They are on my resume, too. I’m such a dork and my resume such a mess I can’t imagine how I ever got a job.

            1. Jamie*

              It’s been ages – but I started out with season 1 of the Surreal Life (Corey Feldman and Vince Neil on the same show? I was born to recap that). Also Big Brother, Beauty and the Geek, Meet the Parents, Married by America, Till Death do us Part – Carmen & Dave (apparently if I recap your show you end up divorced), America’s Most Talented Kid (have a letter from the head of Programming protesting my recaps for that one – I’m kind of proud of that)…those were the ones I remember.

                1. Jamie*

                  Unfortunately, no. I love TWOP also – I’ve been a regular there since it was Mighty Big TV (yes, I am old).

                  That’s actually one of my unfulfilled ambitions, to recap for them. I never even applied …it’s weird…rejection for writing snarky nonsense is scarier to me than rejection for actual IT jobs which is how I make my living.

                  More personal, somehow.

                2. Jen M.*

                  (Can’t reply directly to Jamie, so I’m doing it here.)

                  As a creative person myself, I totally get that about rejection in different contexts!

        2. Anoni*

          In my former career as an actress, I did voice-over work. My first job was doing the voice-over for a 98degrees national tv spot, announcing the release of their second album. It was on heavy rotation on MTV and my friends had a ball making fun of me for it:)

          1. Anoni*

            Nonetheless, I agree wholeheartedly, whatever the band, experience is experience and it sounds like a great opportunity for you to get noticed and expand the breadth of your accomplishments on your resume.

  6. Bob G*

    I think you have to put it on your resume…it will make you stand out from the run of the mill resume. It may even make some one that is on the fence about interviewing you add you to the list.

    As AAM said you need to have a sense of humor about it so you don’t come off as obsessive or a stalker. If anything I think it will be a great icebreaker and give you an opportunity to show some personality while still showing the important business traits, like those you cited in your letter.

  7. Kelly O*

    OP if it makes you feel any better, I feel like I have to hide my love for Avatar: The Last Airbender and Legend of Korra, because people seem to not understand how completely awesome it is, and I think my husband is even a little concerned. Well that and Game of Thrones. I have gotten sucked down that rabbit hole and I’m not sure if I ever want to come back. Diverse interests….

    For whatever its worth, I think running the back end site thing is neat. My husband is involved in a couple of online forums for people who put computers in their cars (not the computers that are already there, but like, actual PCs you can use to store tons of music or GPS, or back seat entertainment things for kids/passengers) as well as some auto racing related geeky forums. I don’t necessarily “get” the stuff they talk about when they meet up, but it’s cool for him to be part of bringing all these people together. Seems like that’s great experience for anyone.

    1. Rachel*

      Kelly,

      I am unhealthy levels of obsessed with both of those shows. As in, have every episode of A:TLA memorized and could probably recite them in order perfectly.

      I’m not kidding.

      I think we need to be friends. :)

    2. sparky629*

      While I’m not obsessed with Avatar, I do truly love the show.

      To be fair, I started watching it because my son was obsessed with watching it and then my husband started watching it with him…and next the whole family was sucked into the rabbit hole.

      Seriously, my whole family ended up watching it every week. And for the season finale, we had to move family dinner to the living room because seriously no one wanted to miss it.

      It was a really really well written show for a cartoon and I don’t even really like cartoons or watch TV that much but Avatar was just on a different level than other shows.

      So I third the awesomeness of Avatar. :-)

      Game of Thrones seems awesome as well but I just haven’t had the time to sit down and watch it all so I can catch up to the current season.

    3. Sean*

      Love both, so never feel ashamed of the love. Even as adults, it is still a FANTASTIC show, and if I recall I didn’t even start watching myself until I was 18 I believe so yeah I was late in starting but still fell in love with the show wholeheartedly.

  8. Laurie B.*

    I agree with AAM put it on there! I talked about my work as a Harry Potter Forum Administrator in the interview for my latest position and my interviewers loved it! If you’re worried they might not take the subject matter seriously just call it a Fan based community.

    1. Ask a Manager* Post author

      There’s something very appealing about people who are passionate about something, and who are driven to do work on the side to support that passion. It also says “I have a work ethic and don’t just sit on my couch even when that’s an option.”

      1. Kimberlee*

        I totally agree. It makes it clear that the experience is something the applicant WANTED to do, as opposed to all the other jobs (or internships) that tend to look like you just did them for the money or resume fodder :)

    2. J*

      I totally put my Harry Potter forum administrator position on my college applications and even wrote a short (1 paragraph) essay about it for one question!

        1. Anonymous*

          I adore Harry Potter. In fact, it’s what got me into my current career pursuit. Upset that I never got my owl for Hogwarts, I ended up getting with a bunch of other people online and created one of the largest and longest running Harry Potter RPG on the Internet almost 12 years ago (and I’m 25). It definitely boosts my resume (as I typically apply for the front-end web development jobs [HTML, Javascript, CSS, PHP/MySQL are pluses] ) because it shows quantifiable achievements, the biggest one being SEO. Go ahead, Google “harry potter rpg.” That first site listed with 200+ members online at all times – that was my baby.

          Other things I’ve done – dabbled into eCommerce, created a custom content management system, user experience design, sessions, cookies, security, etc… all evident from that. I’ve worked on other sites too, different fandoms and niches, but experience is experience.

          I say go for it!

          1. Alisha*

            Dude(ette) that’s seriously boss. (The one with hex in the URL name, right?) You and I work in the same general area (UI/UX, esp. if you do mobile) and I’d totally hire you! I love the look and feel of the site and the color scheme/typography are absolutely perfect for the target audience. I don’t know much about Harry Potter plot-lines, I confess, but this looks so fun!

            It’s also good to see all the support for people who work on their passions on the side. Mine are probably a bit odd taken together – public health, mobile gamification, HCI, and mentoring younger designers/techies – but they make good resume filler when unemployed. I’ve been writing articles online and for publications (paid), doing resumes and websites (paid for established people, not for younger folks), and coaching n00bs to my field (always free).

            In hindsight, the moment I knew I had to leave was when, in two interviews in a row, cranky 50-somethings treated me like a jerk for having passions. One asked if my online enrollment in a top-ranked West Coast college was “one of those correspondence courses, like adult typing classes or whatever” and the other questioned my mental health for stating I enjoyed mentoring Millennials right out of school and felt inspired by their enthusiasm and energy. I was hurt at the time, but since we’re blowing this joint, I will just quote another 90s icon, Stephanie Tanner: “How rude!” I refuse to be deterred by people who are burnt out and sneer at those of us who still keep the fires of passion burning!

          3. AMG*

            Can I just say, since we are putting it all out there today, that Neville Longbottom has grown up *very* nicely. I love Harry Potter movies.

            1. JohnQPublic*

              Ha! There’s a demotivational pic that shows Neville, Harry, Ron, and Draco, and says “That awkward moment… When Neville becomes the hottest”

              And it’s true. I’m a straight male, and I can say that of the four, he’s the one I’d want to look like. Almost Ryan Gosling.

    3. Emily, admin extraordinaire*

      I used my planning of a Harry Potter fan get-together (a mini-con, really, because the PoA movie came out on my birthday) as evidence that I could plan large-scale projects for an interview. Almost got the job, but not quite. I also use my stint as a co-coordinator of an online HP literary magazine and my fanfic beta reading to showcase my editing skills. :)

      1. Sandrine*

        Harry Potter *_* …

        I’m so into it that when I saw the castle at Universal Studios I almost broke my boyfriend’s hand out of excitement.

        Thankfully I didn’t, but I was like a child on shrooms… and I was 27 then :P .

        1. Emily, admin extraordinaire*

          I was 23 when I read my first Harry Potter book. My best HP friend is in her 50s, my youngest was 13 when I met her. Harry Potter love knows no bounds. :)

        2. Heather*

          My husband said the most fun part of the Wizarding World for him was watching me run around like a little kid.

          I am not ashamed. ;)

    4. Adam V*

      I was very active in one Harry Potter fan fiction site, and it led to a group of us splitting off and creating our own site. Ours folded after a couple of years when everyone got too busy with work, but as the sole developer in the group, it helped me learn PHP as I coded in a couple of improvements to the site. (It also taught me the importance of backups when a couple of mistakes wreaked havoc on the site!)

    5. Anonymous*

      We once hired a person to do basic html on the strength of her kid’s girl scout website. All experience counts. And real web developers never read content. :)

      1. Alisha*

        Except when they are the developer and the writer. (Then, they’re also tearing their hair out, but that’s a story for another day…)

        Dang, can’t stay away from this thread. Addictive!

  9. Adrilicious*

    Please let it be *NSYNC. You can always tell employers “It’s Gonna be Me.” If they don’t love you, tell them “Bye, Bye, Bye.” No matter what don’t let it get to the point where you feel like it’s “Tearin up my Heart.”

    Oh 90s pop. Thanks for this post. It should for sure be in the best of section!

    4. Heather*

      And then when you get your first check you’ll be happy because you “Just Got Paid”!

  10. Jamie*

    Put it on your resume, and not just saying that because it’s how I got started.

    Less than ten years ago the only thing I had on my resume was the website I built and ran (with a partner) for a certain guitarist. Unofficial site but sanctioned and contacts with his PR rep got me another gig doing online marketing for another guitarist from a famous band. Both gigs paid me only in CDs and PR materials, but tons of experience.

    It’s totally an icebreaker, too…because it cuts through my suburban image with some rock cred. :)

    That is still on my resume, actually, sentimental value for me and talking points for the interviewer.

    An emphatic vote to leave it on!

    1. Anonymous*

      That sounds like something out of one of those 50’s films warning parents of the dangers of rock-n-roll:
      You may think nothing of it when your daughter becomes a groupie. It may even seem cute. But be warned: from there, she may be tempted to start running her own fan website. She’ll then be on the brink of a terrible downward spiral to system administration… a strange netherworld, where blinking green lights from managed switches dimly illuminate blades, and the only relief from the relentless howl of the HVAC comes from the tormented screams of dying RAIDs.

        1. Anon*

          The Downward Spiral – now that reminds me of my own celebrity crush since 8th grade. *sigh

      2. Jamie*

        This is printing now, and will be pinned in a place of honor next to my systems admin credo and my IIAC certificate in my office.

        This was one of the coolest things I have ever read.

  11. Anon2*

    I think this is one of the best ways to differentiate your resume. It’s absolutely related to your skillset, but still unique enough that it should catch the eye of many hiring managers. :)

  12. AnotherAlison*

    As long as we’re crushing, I will say Tom Morello & Anthony Kiedis were more my thing back in the 90s. It does not get any hotter than the Under the Bridge video. . .back in what, 1992? As for boy bands, my sister had this stupid N’Sync poster with curly haired Justin Timberlake that I hated so much. Ahh, but now, I am definitely a big JT fan. Bring sexy back!

    (The only caveat I’d throw into this whole pro-include-on-resume discussion would be if it were music that was possibly offensive – to some that would be Marilyn Manson, to others maybe a Christian band. Some people get really weird about that. I don’t think too many people are actually offended by boy bands. I say that, but then I really think I’d have to reject you if you ran a Bieber fan site. )

      1. Kelly O*

        Y’all just keep clear of Dave Grohl. He is mine. I claimed him about 1991 and have not let go. My husband is well aware if Dave Grohl ever expressed undying love for me, I would have to go.

        2. K*

          I hate to burst the bubble, but he seems pretty committed to that wife of his. I was sitting behind flashers at his latest concert and he pointed it out with a very “meh” reaction. Better be prepared to wow him with those brains. Uphill battle.

    1. Melissa*

      I used to have a *major* crush on their bassist John Taylor. I had pictures of him and the band all over my room when I was a teenager. I still think he’s cute. :)

      1. Kerry*

        Roger was mine too. In 8th grade, I got in trouble for writing “I [heart] Roger Taylor” on every single page of every single textbook that Lemon Grove Junior High had issued to me.

        (Sadly, that district is broke and is probably still using those same textbooks from 1985. Some poor child is probably googling “Roger Taylor” to find out who the hell this dude is and why somebody loved him THAT much.)

    3. Rio*

      I was an extra in the video shot for the ‘As the Lights Go Down’ at Oakland Coliseum back in the day! I still love them!

  14. MOB*

    I work for an international dating site, or, in street talk, a mail order bride site (though no one is even remotely for sale). Try explaining that one!

    1. Noah*

      I may have you beat.

      In college I worked for a gay porn website. My official title was travel coordinator, but I really did a ton of various small admin tasks. It was a really fun job, very laid back atmosphere.

      When I was interviewing for my current job I was asked “what were your tasks at ABC Media (not the real name)”. I told them I coordinated travel arrangements for model’s and various admin tasks. They then asked “what kind of models”. I replied “male models”. So the interviewer asked, “like fitness models?” I replied, “kind of.” He kept pushing until I blurted out “gay porn models” and turned bright red. Of course I did get the job, and everyone in the office knows I worked for a gay porn website.

  15. ChristineH*

    LOL I love this place!!!

    It sounds like you have some quantifiable skills to back up this experience, so I would definitely include it on your resume. If you’re really embarrassed about naming the band on your resume, is there a parent company you could list as an employer? You could then just say that you are a site administrator for a well-known 90s boy band and describe your achievements.

    FTR: I’m of the New Kids On The Block generation, but never truly got into the whole boy-band thing (my crushes were mostly of long-haired musicians…hello Bon Jovi!)

      1. ChristineH*

        Being from New Jersey made my crushing that much intense :) I had a coworker about 10 years ago who knew his family (I don’t recall who exactly). JBJ has a figure in the wax museum in NYC, and I have a picture of me touching his….ahem….backside.

  16. Emily*

    Really hope the boy band is Hanson, but then I’m not sure why you’d specify 90’s…they’re still going strong!

    Also AAM, I love Tom Robbins too & can understand the stalker tendencies.

    2. K*

      Hanson have gotten so much better in their old age. I remember them as little teenagers. They were on Conan this year and turn out some damn catchy hipster pop now.

      1. Laura L*

        Thanks for the update. I’m def gonna check out their new stuff. Although, nothing will ever compare to Mmmbop. I still know half the lyrics to that song!

  19. Vicki*

    Any time you can say “it helps build my skills as a social media marketer and content creator”, the job belongs on your resume.

  20. Heather*

    I remember meeting 98 degrees! 12 years old they showed up outside a screening of a Backstreet Boys press conference in New York. Jeff signed their poster for me and then I won 12th row center seats to the Backstreet Boys concert. That was, at that time, the best moment of my life haha ahh memories.

  21. david*

    I was glad to read the answer that it is ok to put that on your resume.

    Running my own business successfully for 3 years is something I’m not sure a prospective employer would want to see or not?

    1. Jamie*

      Absolutely. The only place I’ve seen running your own business be a concern is if applying for non-managerial jobs. The mindset is that if you’re used to calling the shots it can be tough to take a different role. If this is the case, just address it in the cover letter.

      Running your own business successfully is no mean feat and says a lot about what you can do.

    2. Jen*

      The company I work for will not hire anyone who has any other business on the side. Forbidden in the contract and everything. I’m in Europe though, so I don’t know if this could apply to the US too.

  22. Anonymous*

    My advice would be the same. Put it on there.

    I’ve helped run forums for a couple UK fansites, and find that it helps when I put that on some applications. Sadly both sites have been taken offline, but it’s definitely something you can put on a resume!

    Also, no one should be afraid to hide their fandom. Maybe scale it back a tad, but don’t be afraid to have something at your job that shows your fandom. I have a few toys from the stuff I like at my desk, but it’s not gaudy.

  23. Anonymous*

    This makes me feel even older – but crushing on a nineties boy band would not make you young and entitled. It would make you older and entitled! ;-P

    BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAA

    1. Jamie*

      What does it say if your resume contains the names Ace Frehley and CC DeVille?

      I am 100 years old and you kids had better get off my lawn!

  24. Anonymous*

    So who is all going over to YouTube to listen to all of your favorite boy band songs from the 90s?!

    1. Heather*

      Somebody in my lab was listening to a Backstreet Boys Pandora station the other day. I found myself singing loudly to “I want you back” while setting up experiments. And yes, I had to find it on Youtube later. This seems like the week of boy bands for me!

      1. Nichole*

        I teased my 45 year old, very masculine male coworker when I saw his BSB Pandora station…then demanded that we listen to it. Love love Pandora.

  25. Anonymous*

    I’m glad lots of people are in favor of adding side jobs/hobbies like this to resumes! I was actually wondering if I should out my YouTube channel on mine. I make beauty videos and wondered if that would make employers not take me seriously (aside from companies actually in that field). It shows skills such as social media and marketing (promoted brand/products). It has a substantial viewer base so I’m considering putting it on there. The only thing I wondered about is the name since its not very “professional”.

    1. Natalie*

      Could you list it without the name? Someone might ask in an interview, but by then you’ve passed that initial screening so I don’t think it would be such a big deal.

  26. Sophie*

    OP, I larp. As in, live action role play. As in, dress up as an elf and go pretend I’m living in a medieval fantasy world with a bunch of other supernerds whilst smashing each other with foam weapons. If I can talk about this at my workplace and not feel ashamed, then I think it’s perfectly acceptable for you to highlight a music website as one of your accomplishments.

    Of course, I don’t bring this up during interviews…”As you can see from my resume, I have extensive costuming experience as well as resource management. And by resource I mean treasure.”

    1. Jamie*

      I would have to hire you based on your last paragraph even if you had zero required skills. Skills can be taught but a co-worker with a smart and quirky sense of humor must be born.

      This thread is really fun – it’s like a little piece of the veil has been lifted, exposing an entirely different side of professionals that populate the comment section.

      Underneath the focus on important workplace issues and invaluable career advice lurks a bunch of people who really know how to geek it up in our spare time – I love that and no longer feel quite so alone. :)

      I have this weird urge to buy all of you guys a beer…as inappropriate as that is at 8:40 on a workday morning.

      1. Sophie*

        Thanks. :) I would gladly accept that early morning beer. Whenever I work from home it’s hard not to pull one out of the fridge while I’m on the clock…I always drink beer on the couch! Why not at 10am with a midmorning snack?

      2. ChristineH*

        Cool – then y’all won’t mind knowing that I’m a major American Idol geek!

      3. Jen M.*

        At home, we are currently watching FIVE “Star Trek” series.

        Thank you. Thank you very much!

    2. Kelly O*

      I now feel safe admitting until fairly recently I was completely absorbed in Lord of the Rings Online and only stopped when I had my daughter and could no longer spend a few hours every night slaying Nazgul with my husband and his geeky friends.

      I was a level 60 Hobbit minstrel. For whatever that’s worth in society.

        1. Sophie*

          Exactly what I needed…something else to help me procrastinate. :) As a tabletop gamer and avid LOTR fan, this is gold. Thanks!

      2. Sophie*

        I’m currently obsessed with Star Wars: The Old Republic, so I totally understand. A hobbit minstrel sounds awesome. :)

      3. Jen*

        I’ve been playing WoW for a couple of years and I’m not afraid to admit it! My friend made me a custom wallpaper of my night elf druid and I’m using that at work. I didn’t mention it in the interview, though…

    3. Ivy*

      “My skills include suppressing the masses, creating the most technologically advanced cities, and conquering the regions of Rome Total War in record time.” I can’t wait for the day that this fits perfectly into my resume and gets me my dream job as empress ;P

        1. Anonymous*

          Your ambitions are too low – I have sent armies across the world, dispatching massed phalanxes with nuclear weapons, losing the odd battleship to battle with chariots, prior to colonising Alpha Centauri. That has to qualify me for something.

          1. anonymous*

            I think I need to up my own Civilization skills before I could put it on my resume. Showing the leadership qualities of Dan Quayle is not something I’m comfortable listing on my accomplishments.

    4. Joe*

      I served as the guild leader of an Everquest guild for many years, and I have that on my resume. I think the experience there was actually pretty valuable: I was in charge of scheduling work for an 80-100 person team (the whole guild), adjusting our plans based on absences (scheduling raids depending on who could be there), leading projects to completion (raid leading), delegating work to team leads (healing assignments, tanking, etc.), resolving interpersonal conflicts, handling difficult employees (disciplining guild members who broke the rules), etc. And it’s a good talking point.

  27. OP*

    Thanks for answering my question! I don’t know what it is about being a former teeny bopper but it seems almost shameful these days among people the same age as me so I wasn’t sure whether it’d be appropriate professionally. I’m so glad it is as I have problems providing quantifiable stats for the job I actually get paid for!

    I’ve had a blast reading the comments as you guys tried to guess who the boy band is. I’ve been watching for a couple hours just enjoying reading about people’s love of Hanson, LFO and 98 degrees. It’s actually *NSYNC (and yes, as a person running a fan site I DO have to use the asterisk). BSB and 98 Degrees may be reuniting while my boys do their own thing, but they are incredibly busy and we like to keep he fans abreast of their current projects while giving reminiscing with photos/articles/videos. The fandom is still super active and dedicated. We just celebrated “Celebrity” day – aka the anniversary of their last album’s release – and the response was enormous. That’s said we’re a totally unsanctioned site that is run by fans with no official input from the group or their management, so I couldn’t put a parent company on my resume, but it’s one of the largest out there – Google Still NSYNC and check us out if you want to join our fun.

    I actually just “came out of the closet” so to speak at my current job because Lance Bass actually shared one of the videos we created and then retweeted us. It was pretty epic, I couldn’t suppress my excitement.

    I’ve loved learning so much more about all the normal commenters! Thanks!

    1. M*

      I love NSYNC! Lance Bass was my favorite, he was on Keeping up with the Kardashians last week and it totally made my day. I actually told my husband that I would pay up to $1000 to see them in concert again (he of course thought I was crazy).

    2. moe*

      “Tearin’ Up Our Hearts Since You Said Bye Bye Bye” – ha!

      Very nice site–you should absolutely put this on your resume.

    3. Sean*

      I did a lip sync of It’s Gonna Be Me back in Grade 7, was completely alone, but I memorized the dance steps and walked away with third prize which for a solo Grade Sevener is pretty damn good. To be honest, even though I loved BSB and was okay with 98 (no offense to them, just didn’t love them as much as BSB or NSYNC), NSYNC was my favourite boy band. I still wish I could’ve gone to their concert BUT at least I got to be at two BSB concerts with the last one being front row centre! :P

  28. Jamie*

    “I’ve loved learning so much more about all the normal commenters! Thanks!”

    After reading this thread, I’m not sure Alison has any ‘normal’ commenters ;)

  29. Editor*

    All the musical stuff sounds great. It makes the quilt pattern I had published and the song I wrote for junior choir sound pretty mundane. But then, my groupiness involved going to poetry readings, which is not nearly as mainstream.

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