Are Hobbies Important On A Resume

When To Include Hobbies

Not all resumes should include hobbies, and it depends heavily on the company to which youâre and its culture. For example, if youâre applying to a firm on Wall Street, itâs best to skip the hobby section. But if youâre looking to work for a local mom-and-pop store or for a more artistic company, then jot down a few hobbies.

Letâs break it down a bit more below. â

How To Select The Right Hobbies And Interests For Your Resume

• Study and analyze the company and collect details regarding workplace culture. Refer to the job requirements to decide what functionality the organization would want the new worker to obtain. Then, go to the corporate website and review the worker’s information to know if they mention their hobbies. You may also verify this data on networking platforms.
• Customize your interests. If you discover that the job role calls for extrovert applicants who are team-oriented, modify your set of hobbies. For instance, rather than mentioning one of your hobbies as a coin collection, but is a single endeavor. Instead, state that you’re playing for a regional football team, which indicates all the attributes that the organization wants to see.
• List several hobbies and interests to prove that you can interact with various people and are versatile enough to deal with multiple circumstances.

Interests To Avoid On Your Resume

If youre on the fence about whether you should include a particular interest or hobby on your resume, its usually better to err on the side of caution.

The last thing you want to do is turn a yes into a no by including something taboo on your resume.

This means you should not include anything about your politics on your resume .

This is not to say you should avoid talking about your volunteer experience through your local church if thats a hobby of yours!

Just imagine youre meeting someone youd like to make a good impression with. If its a topic youd avoid in that conversation, then leave it off if you’d like to present a professional resume.

With that said, here is my experience including a hobby that, under different circumstances, would have been better left off my resume.

How a hobby helped me get my last job

Before I started BeamJobs with my brother and dove head-first into the world of resumes, I was a data analyst at a company called Chegg.

At that time in my life, one of my biggest hobbies was playing poker. Now, as a data nerd, I took a very data-driven approach to playing poker. I studied the game religiously to develop a deep understanding of winning strategies and probabilities.

Since I was applying for jobs as a data analyst, I thought that would be worth including as an interest on my resume. Now, I also understood poker would likely not be appropriate to include for all of my job applications.

It also highlights two important points:

Also Check: Ged On Resume Example

Examples Of Hobbies In Resume That Impress The Most

Lets check out some of the most commonly listed hobbies and how to frame them in a job-friendly way.

Volunteering / board membership. Specificity is key when listing the experience on your resume but volunteering in general can give you a leg up. A recent study found that 82% of hiring managers prefer applicants with volunteer experience. It speaks to your dedication toward a team, community and reaching long-term goals for the greater good.

Photographers use both the left and right sides of their brain, composing creatively balanced images while understanding the intricate workings of a camera. Include photography under hobbies only if its a personal passion. If photography and training is part of your work experience or the job requirements, then you should elaborate more on photography in the work experience section.

Team sports. Dedication to team sports shows strong communication skills, an ability to work well under pressure, teamwork ability, and a focus on work-life balance. Business Insider reported that members of team sports teams tend to thrive in corporate offices. If you are involved in several sports teams throughout the year, try to find a way to summarize the activity in a few words without oversharing.

Things To Consider When Adding Hobbies Or Interests To Resume

Determine what details you seek to connect with hiring managers when incorporating hobbies or interests into your resume. Hobbies that you provide managers an overview of how a candidate manages their time and what extra-skills they have.

Interests may suggest subjects that you want to investigate or to pursue that may render you a suitable candidate for the organization. There are many contexts in which hobbies and interests contribute some significance to your resume. For example, if you apply for a position where you have specific field-related knowledge and experience. You may integrate hobbies and interest on your resume in the following contexts

• Integrate interests when you have minimal work and academic background.
• Add hobbies if you do not have many skills relevant to the job position.
• The hiring manager acknowledges the individuality and character of the candidate.
• The company requires candidates for extra-hobbies or interests.
• When you write a segment on hobbies and interests, study the business where you intend to submit your resume. You can notice that the hiring manager supports workers’ activities and interests outside the job.

It is essential to be tactical and diligent when developing a segment on hobbies and interests. The hiring manager can interpret it in many ways, so add hobbies and interests that display required and popular skills and attributes. Here is a type of hobbies to add to your resume

• Traveling

• Game

Read Also: How Many References On Cv

Should You Include Hobbies And Interests On A Resume

Ask yourself these questions:

• Would someone looking at your resume be impressed by what your hobbies or personal interests are?

• Are they relevant in any way to the job posting youâre applying for?

• Are your hobbies or interests going to help you succeed if you land this position?

If the answer is no, then you are better leaving this section off.

Sorry to break it to you, but no recruiter is going to hire you over someone else because you like travel or fishing. This isnât a Facebook profile . Your resume is a document that tells employers and hiring managers why youâre a good match for the job.

Donât worry, later in this article weâll show you when itâs a good idea to list hobbies, interests, and activities on your resume.

But How Do I List Hobbies & Interests In The Resume

Do not simply state Archery or Quilling as your interest. You could, but they would not add any value or valor.

Therefore, you should always back your key phrases up with information around what you have achieved in that domain.

Hiration Pro-tip: Performance figures will always help. Instead of saying “Good in debates,â mention “Won the Inter-University Debate Championship encompassing 20+ colleges and 500+ participants.”

You May Like: Listing Ged On Resume

Hobbies To Avoid Listing In Your Resume

Hobbies that demonstrate your positive skills and traits like teamwork and dedication should always feature in your resume. Listing such hobbies in your resume may have a positive impact since they can make your resume stand out from other applicants’ resumes. Here are some of the hobbies you should avoid featuring in your resume:

• Hobbies that show little or no interpersonal interactivity

• Hobbies that the recruiter could consider dangerous

• Hobbies that show personal information that recruiters could consider highly personal, such as hobbies that reflect on your religious or political affiliations

Example Resume Interests To Consider

Interests are similar to hobbies but they dont have to be activities you do. Resume interests are more like things you would enjoy talking or reading about.

A few examples of interests to include on your resume are music, theater, art, or travel. You should be prepared to talk about any interest you list on your resume. You dont need to be an expert, but you should have a conversational understanding so that if it comes up during an interview you arent caught off guard.

Related Read: How to Write a Resume with No Work Experience

You May Like: Should I List Relevant Courses On Resume

What Hobbies And Interests Should I Include

Include the hobbies or interests that help show the employer or hiring manager why youâre a good fit for the job and have some level of professional relevance. For example, letâs say youâre a hiring manager looking to hire a web developer.

Which candidate comes off as a better pick for the position?

A) Hobbies & Interests â Fishing, Playing guitar and Travel

B) Activities & Interests â Blogging on web development, solving complex coding issues, and volunteer work to help develop and maintain a website for a non-profit group.

You can clearly see what that candidate B has the more relevant and effective hobbies and interests! When deciding on what hobbies and interests you could include on your resume, look at it from an employerâs perspective.

So, what are some good hobbies and interests to include on a resume?

Weâve put together a list of hobbies and interests to put on your resume.

What To Include Under Hobbies

It is important to be strategic and selective when including your hobbies on a resume or CV. Take this opportunity to share information about yourself that will indicate you have in-demand skills and qualities. The information provided on a resume or CV can be interpreted differently depending on perspective, so you should be specific in your explanations and purposeful when sharing how you choose to spend your spare time away from work.

Choose hobbies to put on your resume that you preform regularly and that may be either related to your job duties or show your personal strengths. By reviewing the job description, you will be able to decide which of your hobbies will be appropriate to include on your resume. If you take part in these hobbies, you may consider listing:

• Artistic activities such as painting or drawing

• Cooking and baking

• Societal issues

• Volunteerism

Read Also: How To Add Relevant Coursework On Resume

Ability To Rebrand Yourself

If you are looking to make a career change or you want hiring managers to see you in a different light, including hobbies can help. For example, if you received your degree in computer science but you are interested in transitioning to a marketing career, you can include skills related to photography, design, travel and community involvement to show you have the necessary creative skills.

List Of Hobbies And Interests For Resume

While hunting for a job, the first thing to do is to prepare a Resume. Are you wondering, what is a resume? Or more importantly, what does it contain? It can be defined as a formal document which contains academic and professional experiences of a candidate. It plays a crucial role while applying for jobs and internships. If you have a strong resume filled with minute details ranging from scholarships to hobbies and interests, then you are likely to be a centre of attraction during the hiring process. While education and work experience are the most highlighted sections of a resume, there is a dedicated segment for hobbies and interests as well. Here is a complete blog on hobbies and interests for resume stating their importance.

This Blog Includes:

You May Like: Samples Of Narrative Resume

How To List Hobbies & Interest On Your Resume

As mentioned above, your hobbies and interests belong at the end of your resume.

But how exactly do you list them? And more importantly, how do you know which interests are relevant to that one specific company?

For the actual section, you can go with Interests , or Personal activities.

Hobbies imply a personal interest and that there is no real relevance to the career position, which shouldnt be the case.

Now, what interests do you actually list in your resume?

To figure that out, start by researching the company. See if they have any specific work culture, work retreats, and what qualities would complement your job role.

You can then tailor your resume interest examples accordingly.

Start with the job ad. Most job offers already list some qualities and skills theyre looking for in candidates.

Now, think about how those soft skills might transfer to a specific hobby or interest.

For example, if theyre looking for someone with good verbal communication skills and someone quick on their feet – it might be a good idea to include a sport-related hobby that includes those specific qualities.

When mentioning hobbies or interests, you might also want to flesh them out a bit.

After all, some hobbies require a bit of explaining.

You can, in one sentence, explain why that hobby is relevant, or what it involved. For example Basketball – created a local team and played in creational league for 5 years.

Correct Example

Incorrect Example

Identify The Relevant Hobbies & Interests Aligned With The Job Vacancy

As usual, you need to do background job research. What does the company need and what would they want to see from applicants?

Check if theres a cultural environment that recruiters are aiming to build could you meet those expectations? Or do you have anything to your advantage that shows why youll fit in better than the other candidates?

One way I find this information is by researching the following:

• The website about page
• Reviews and opinions about the organization
• Social media accounts

Take note of any common traits, features, or characteristics that you see as desirable for employers. This will come to good use when youre deciding which hobbies and interests are best to use.

Recommended Reading: Resume Side Project Examples

List Of Hobbies And Interests For Your Resume

The goal of your resume is to stand out against other applicants when applying for a position. In addition to your professional and academic experience, listing hobbies and interests can also give the hiring manager a better idea of you, your work ethics and your professional characteristics. In this article, we include a list of hobbies and interests to include on your resume, as well as a few examples of how you can list them in a way that is relevant and useful.

Do Recruiters Read Them

Heres the problem with hobbies: theyre subjective.

Some recruiters are absolute advocates, believing them to be an integral part of well-rounded application. Conversely, some may only consider them important if its a close decision, or if company fit/culture becomes a factor.

As a general rule, most recruiters will only be interested in your hobbies if theyre relevant to the role and, crucially if youve ticked all the other boxes.

Also Check: How To Write Languages In Resume

What To Include In Hobbies For Resume

Hobbies can be like a wild card that can get you to the top of the pile of endless resumes but you should be careful how to present them as well. Be sure that you are:

• Specific and Direct: Just list down the main activity and do not beat around the bush. You should write one line about the hobby and not just a word which is the hobby itself.
• Honest: Do not try to fabricate or exaggerate a hobby just for the sake of a resume. They will sense out pretty easily that the mentioned activity is not your hobby if you lie.
• Relevant: You may have 10 hobbies in total but can identify that only 4 are relevant to the present profile. Do not write all 10 and stick to the relevant hobbies only.

Also Read: Personal Details In Resume: Dos And Donts

Hobbies And Interests For A Substitute Teacher Resume

Like we discussed, using visual representations is effective when it comes to your hobbies and interests section.

From this example, we can see that this candidate is an outgoing, extroverted person who enjoys tech and education. Rather than having a description of it, we can come to the same conclusion just by seeing the pie chart and passions listed. Its a great example that demonstrates the saying, less is more.

Don’t Miss: Is It Bad To Have A Two Page Resume

Mistakes To Avoid When Adding Hobbies And Interests To Your Resume

• Avoid hobbies or interests relating to your political or religious affiliations.
• Avoid exaggerating a hobby or interest you dont love and therefore cannot explain anything about it if asked at an interview.
• Keep away from adding generic hobbies and interests that the recruiter has seen in multiple resumes.
• Avoid adding a joke that may come off as insensitive or offend the recruiter.
• Avoid including risky hobbies that can cause harm to your colleagues, such as collecting guns.

How To List Your Interests On A Cv

Make sure you format your CV template with a solid structure and presentation. This entails placing more important sections, such as your work experience, at the top of your CV, and less important sections, such as your interests, at the bottom.

Title the section as you feel appropriate. For example: hobbies and interests, interests, personal interests.

Choose whether you would prefer to bullet point the list of hobbies or write a few phrases about your hobbies and interests in a short paragraph.

After writing the hobbiesand interests section of your CV, reread it and compare it with the job specification to see how compatible your personal profile is with the job role. If you feel that there is an irrelevant hobby or interest listed or that you have forgotten something which might interest recruiters or boost your employability, edit this section accordingly.

You May Like: How To Insert Line In Word For Resume

When Should You Include Your Hobbies And/or Interests On Your Resume

There are four main reasons why youd want to include your hobbies or interests on your resume. Whether youre still young and you have little experience, the employer demands it, youre applying for a job in a creative field, or you simply have white space on your resume that you want to fill.

Whichever the reason, its important to remember that when you start crafting your resume you want to have a goal in mind.

Are you trying to highlight your personality and cultural fit for the job vacancy? Are you trying to show you have further relevant and transferable skills for the field? Do you want to take advantage of this section to emphasize your unique qualities and stand out from the other applicants?

Whatever question most resonates with you, remember it. This helps you keep a clear focus so employers can vividly consume the bigger picture youre painting for them.

Additionally, lets go more in-depth on the three reasons why youd want to include your hobbies and interests on your resume.