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How To Write Hobbies On Resume

How To Put Interests On Your Cv

How to Write a Hobbies Section for Your Resume in 2022 [Resume Examples Included]

Interests & hobbies are always at the end of your CV, as including them is not a must, but theyre nice-to-have elements. They are not as important as your work experience, your hard skills or language skills, but for the reasons mentioned above, you should still give a dedicated space for them.

Depending on your CV structure, leave a column or an additional row for Interests, Hobbies or Interests & Hobbies.

As opposed to what many say, theres not really a concrete number of interests. A good rule of thumb is to include 3-5 hobbies, but if you have more or less concrete interests that are true for you, dont be afraid to adjust this number.

Should I Add Hobbies And Interests To My Cv

Yes, adding personal hobbies to your CV can strengthen your job application and increase the chances of securing a job interview. This is because recruiters invest in people they hire and work with human beings, not robots. Recruiters actively look for every clue in the candidates CVs to find out about their interests, skills and competencies.

The benefits of including your personal interests on your CV:

  • It will give the recruiter a fuller and more complete picture of you
  • Extracurricular interests tell the employer that you are an all-rounded person who, besides just working, also enjoys having a good time
  • They form a great basis for discussion at the interview stage
  • Sporting activities indicate that you are fit, healthy and outgoing
  • Involvement in the community suggests good interpersonal skills

A. Candidates who should write their interests on your CVs

  • School leavers
  • Candidates with little or no work experience
  • Candidates who have blank space in their CVs

Remember that your CV is your personal marketing tool, and you should make the most out of using the totality of your CV, including the interests section, to sell yourself to the prospective employer.

B. Candidates who shouldnt write their interests on your CVs

  • Senior professionals including managers and executives
  • Candidates with a lot of work experience
  • Candidates whose CVs are overflowing to more than 2 A4 pages

What Is The Resume Hobbies Section

The hobbies section is an important but optional part of your resume where you can mention your interests and hobbies.

Many people leave it out it because they think it ultimately wont make any difference. But whether youre a student, a fresh graduate or a seasoned professional, it can be useful both for you and your future employer. If you do it right.

It usually sits at the bottom of your resume and includes 5 interest or hobbies, either described in few sentences or simply portrayed as an icon.

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When The Employer Seeks Unique Individuals To Their Team

Some companies highly value personalities that can enrich the work environment. Thus they will prefer someone who is not only professionally qualified but also who gets the company’s morals.

Here are some other reasons why you should list down hobbies and interests on a CV:

Having a hobbies and interests section on your CV will allow you to show recruiters that you are, after all, just a human being with different passions, likes, and dislikes. On your CV, activities, and interests can also reflect qualities that the company finds valuable, and it will help you to stand out from other candidates.

Moreover, the area of interest in your CV can amplify your work experience and/or educational background. It can also be another means for you to demonstrate the characteristics and skills that the employer requires.

And lastly, another benefit of having your hobbies and interests listed on your CV is it will make it easier for the hiring manager to approach you since your field of interest has complied with the company’s culture.

Hobbies And Interests To Avoid

How to Include Hobbies on Your Resume in 2020 (With Examples)

Hopefully it goes without saying, but some hobbies and interests should be excluded from your resume. You don’t want include anything that may bias an employer against you or form a negative association. Consider, for example, the following:

  • Exotic pets
  • Illicit activities like drugs or streaking
  • Matters that show a political preference
  • Violent video games
  • Playing poker or other forms of gambling
  • Partying.

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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:

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:

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Do Hobbies And Interests Have A Place On Your Resume

Whether you have limited work experience or are an industry vet looking to breath more life into a dull resume, adding your hobbies and interests to your resume may be the perfect way to woo recruiters. These elements can give employers a complete picture of you beyond the skills youll bring to the role. Plus, showing a potential employer that you are a well-rounded person can get your resume noticed.

But whats the difference between a hobby and an interest? In short: Interests are passive, whereas hobbies are the active pursuit of interests. Collecting stamps, writing poetry, building model airplanes, and knitting are all hobbies reading about these subjects would make them interests. Both interests and hobbies can be directly associated with your profession or might be completely unrelated to your work.

Interests are occasional pursuits or pastimes. For example, someone with an interest in financial investing might read a lot about the stock market, whereas someone who lists investing as a hobby likely spends hours each week studying financial reports and trading stocks. Make sense?

Another protip: Only include safe-for-work pastimes. If any of your pursuits could be considered at all offensive, dont include them in your resume. In general, avoid mentioning hobbies or interests with a political or religious bent, as well as anything that might make you look frivolous. Shopping and binge-watching Netflix, for example, wont earn you any points.

Should You Include Interests On Your Resume

Resume Hobbies – Best Hobbies in Resume (in 2020)

There are several instances in which you should consider including your hobbies and interests on your professional resume. Before doing so, its important to consider what this information will convey to potential employers and if that aligns with what the job posting asks for. Interests and hobbies you include provide hiring managers with an understanding of who you are as a person and how you spend your time outside of work. Your interests and hobbies also show employers any extra skills you possess and subjects you want to learn more about.

Here are a few times when you should consider including interests and hobbies on your professional resume:

  • You dont have many skills that are relevant to the job youre applying for.
  • You have little or no work experience.
  • You have little educational experience.
  • The company specifically asks for applicants to include their interests and hobbies.
  • The company actively looks for applicants with unique character traits and personalities.
  • The job listing includes duties that relate to your interests and hobbies.

You should consider whether to include hobbies or interests on your resume for each job you apply for based on the companys specific requests and work culture.

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When Should You Include Your Hobbies On Your Resume

Before you decide to include your hobbies on your resume, consider the goal you want to accomplish. This ensures that your hobbies section adds value to your application. You can also research the company you applied to, so you know what they value outside your professional and academic experience.

You can add your hobbies to your resume in these cases:

  • When you have little work experience or educational qualifications

  • When the job description values personality and uniqueness and among candidates

  • When the employer requests your hobbies and interest as a requirement for the job

  • When you have minimal skills relevant to the job for which you apply

  • The job description aligns with your hobbies

Related:

Create An Interests Section On Your Resume

The best place to list interests on your resume is in a dedicated section title Interests & Hobbies. This way, theyre easy to separate from the work experience on your resume.

List each interest or hobby in a bulleted list, similar to how youd format your resumes skills section. Heres an example of what that looks like:

If you lack work experience, consider making your resume interests section more detailed. For instance, you can include a brief one-line description for each interest that explains what you do or how its relevant to the role. If possible, quantify each point by adding a number, percentage, or time.

These short descriptions are a great way to make up for a lack of professional experience because they showcase some of your achievements even though they were outside an office setting.

Heres an example of a detailed resume interests section:

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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.

How To Present The Resume Hobbies And Personal Interests On The Resume Section

Cv Template Hobbies

Good hobbies and interests for a resume would be the ones that add value, both in terms of quality and quantity.

Frame the points on your resume with correct grammar. The quality is of paramount importance.

Quantify it accordingly and express all the statistics clearly. Your medals, certificates, and titles instantly give you an edge over others who write a hobby just for the sake of having an exciting resume.

For ex:

  • Stating your interests on resume about collecting coins would be too vague for the employer. Instead, express how many different coins across what all eras or countries do you have.

  • Personal interests on resume about writing poetry could be too naïve for a company that is into finance and marketing. *Provide a link to your blog with particular likes and shares to level up their interest. *

  • Quick tip: You could use some power verbs to make your cool hobbies and personal interests on resume stand out. Have a look at them at this link .

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    What Kind Of Interests To Put On A Resume

    There are different kinds of interests and hobbies that you can consider adding to your resume. Each personal interest you have in your resume should bring out a skill that will be useful at the new job.

    Lets look at them.

    Enrichment hobbies

    • Volunteering at a local animal shelter or fundraising events
    • Playing board games
    • Creating YouTube videos

    What Are Interests On A Cv

    Interests are all about exploration and learning about new things. They are less tangible, and more umbrella terms like history, music culture, healthy lifestyle, nature, etc.

    If you mention interests that you truly associate yourself with, you can spark a very informal conversation with the interviewer. Simply being passionate about something is a very important factor for the startup world, and the interviewer can see that if you like the projects you work on, youll get passionate about them too.

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    Different Companies Need Different Hobbies For Resume

    The classification presented in the sections above will help you pick hobbies and personal interests on resume. But sometimes, a company’s setting and work environment will matter the most.

    Example: A company with a sports team that excels in tennis is likely to recruit you if you play tennis. This is because it will help the company maintain its image in the social and industrial setting.

    However, it is improbable that these personal interests on resume will be given preference over required technical skills.

    List Interests At The Bottom Of Your Resume

    How to write hobbies section in Resume?

    You should always place your interests section at the bottom of your resume or off to the side, depending on your resume layout.

    While listing interests on your resume can make you look more appealing as a candidate, its ultimately the least important information to include. Listing such information at the bottom of the page helps you avoid distracting employers from the more essential information on your resume, like your work experience and skills.

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    Why Should You Include Hobbies & Interests In Your Resume

    Employers spend approximately 3 minutes and 14 seconds looking at your resume, with 1 out of every 5 recruiters making up their mind about you in 60 seconds.

    Your resume should, therefore, give the employer a concrete description of who you are and express your capabilities in under 3 ½ minutes.

    A two year longitudinal study of 120 hiring managers conducted by North Western Universitys Kellogg School of Management Studies, showed that approximately 51.2% of employers selected suitable candidates based on their hobbies and interests.

    An article by The Guardian could not describe it better that personal interests and hobbies are used to demonstrate how fit you are for the advertised position.

    For these and many other reasons well see below, it is essential to carefully analyze the hobbies you need to include in your resume.

    Of course this depends on the job opportunity you are applying for.

    Each hobby you add is a window into your character, and you should be sure that it directs light towards desired attributes.

    In this article well discuss how you how you can craft your resume to stand out among hundreds, probably thousands of resumes sent for each job vacancy.

    How To List Interests And Hobbies On Your Resume

    When youre mentioning your personal interests and hobbies in your resume, the first rule is to keep things concise. The hiring manager whos reviewing your resume does not need a comprehensive explanation of how you originally took up a hobby or how your skills have progressed over time.

    Its sufficient to mention the skill or hobby and then follow it up with a brief sentence that summarizes your experience and skill level .

    Heres a step-by-step guide to including interests and hobbies on your resume:

  • Research the company. Before you can know what hobbies will be valuable to the hiring manager or recruiter, you have to know what the organization values. Check out the companys About Uspage, their LinkedIn profile, and any other public communications the company puts out.

    When you understand the culture youd be stepping into, its easier to come up with hobbies and interests that reflect a great cultural fit.

  • Understand the role. Next, turn to the job description. Pay special attention to the soft skills and personality traits that are listed as essential or preferred within the job requirements section. Then, think of how your hobbies relate to those desired qualities.

  • Title a separate section, at the end of your resume. Call this section Hobbies and Interests and place it as the last section of your resume. It is the least important information, and its placement should reflect that. Typically this will come after either your education or skills section.

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