Should You Put Hobbies On A Resume

What Your Hobbies Say About You

Playing football, solving puzzles, and fixing computers are not generic terms without any meaning, rather they carry a deeper message.

Heres what the prospective employers will be subconsciously asking themselves when reading through the candidates CVs:

What does I play football on a regular basis, I enjoy solving puzzles or I like fixing computers tell me about this candidate?

Many people do not realise that the hobbies and interests they include in their CVs can reveal a lot of information about them and their personalities.

Below is a list of some hobbies and interests and what they tell employers about the candidate:

List Interests At The Bottom Of Your 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.

Why You Should List Your Interests And Hobbies On Your Resume

You Could be MemorableIf you have hobbies that stand out, such as sky jumping your resume could become memorable to the hiring manager. And while rare, sometimes the applicant shares a hobby with the hiring manager that can also help make the resume stand out.

Personalizes Your ResumeWhen a hiring manager sees hundreds of resumes every day, you need something to make yours stand out, and one way of doing that is to add a little personality to your resume by including your hobbies on your resume.

Can Boost Your SkillsYour hobbies arent always fun and entertaining things.Sometimes they offer skills that can really look good on your resume. For example, lets say you are applying at a music store and your hobby is playing piano. That could be seen as a skill. It can also benefit those new to the workforce who dont have a great deal of job experience, but who have developed skills through their hobbies.

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How Your Interests Can Save Your Resume

Consider the following scenario:

The HR manager has discarded all but 2 resumes. Theyre near identical, except for one thing – one of the resumes has a detailed interests section.

Now, when the hiring manager is faced with selecting from 2 equally qualified candidates, the deciding factor tends to come down to them being a right fit culture-wise.

If one of them volunteers at the local soup kitchen, while the other resume appears to be devoid of personality, the one with the list of hobbies and interests is most likely always going to come out on top.

If done right, your hobbies could be the icing on the cake for the rest of your resume.

The section likely wont make or break your resume, but it can make a difference during the interview.

You might be qualified, but are you the right fit personality-wise?

If done right, your interest section could improve your job attractiveness as a potential candidate to the HR manager. They might remember the person who does archery in their free time, compared to the other lifeless resumes, and even bring it up during the interview.

If that happens – thats your time to shine and dazzle them with your unique hobby and intriguing personality.

Ready to start listing your hobbies and interests on your resume?

Heres what you need to know:

When To Include Hobbies And Interests On A Resume

At one time, the general consensus was that including hobbies and interests on a resume was unimportant. However, today many companies are looking for employees who can fit in with the company culture, and having a good idea of hobbies and interests is one way to do this. If you are going to include hobbies and interests on your resume, you want to make sure they make you a more attractive job candidate.

Consider our previous example of baseball. If you are applying for a job with the local baseball team, you obviously want to list this as a personal interest. However, that is not the only time you should consider listing the sport as a hobby and interest in your resume.

If you are applying for a job that has a collaborative work environment, pointing out that you have played on a baseball team for years demonstrates that you have experience with teamwork, know the game and could be seen as an asset by hiring managers.

Other times you should consider listing hobbies and interests on your resume include:

• When the job posting aligns with your hobbies and interests
• When you have limited education or work experience
• When the employer is looking for unique candidates
• When the employer asks for a list of hobbies and interests

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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.

Hobbies And Personal Interests On The Resume

Should you include them or not?

Whether or not to write a hobbies section on your resume is an ongoing debate for many career advisors. Here youll find the pros and cons of a resume personal interest section.

When we first learn how to write a resume, were often taught to include some of our hobbies or personal interests but later in life, we find that it seems less professional and are convinced to avoid them at all costs.

So, which is it?

Do we include hobbies on the resume or not?

And if so, which are the best personal interests to put on a resume?

Read on for a guide with expert advice on how to write a personal interests section for your resume and what not to include as well as ideal hobby examples for all types of jobseekers to use to make an effective resume which will stand out from other candidates.

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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

Resume Examples Of Hobbies

Hobbies are activities you engage in for leisure. Playing sports, birdwatching, baking pies, and painting are all great examples of resume hobbies. Start thinking about your own hobbies and create a comprehensive list.

From that list, you can select the most relevant 3-5 hobbies for your resume. Remember that there should be some correlation between the hobbies you list and the job youre applying for.

For example, say youre applying for a job on a graphic design team. And the job description stresses how important it is to be collaborative and work well with colleagues. You could include team sports as one of your hobbies to show that youre very comfortable working with others towards a common goal.

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What Do Employers Look For

When deciding what to include as your hobbies, it is imperative to understand what your employers are looking for.

According to an article published by Forbes, the Job Outlook 2012 report, National Association of Colleges and Employers , cited the following as the most important skills employers look out for every time they receive a resume from a prospective employee.

Ability to be a Team Player

Potential employers want an assurance that you can work with other employees, share, and listen to their ideas, especially when handling group projects.

Being a team player also means that you should be willing to put the companys and other peoples interests ahead of your own without expecting favors in return.

Ability to Communicate Both Inside and Outside the Organization

Employers want an effective communicator that can deliver concrete messages clearly, and also motivate and convince colleagues, juniors, and seniors in the workplace.

Excellent communication skills are also vital when talking to clients, and convincing them to approach the company for business.

Eventually, problems arise, and your reaction to each challenge could save or ruin the company.

Effective and efficient solutions are necessary during a crisis to prevent and also mitigate damage.

Making right decisions in the absence of supervision exhibits leadership skills and is a door to promotions and rewards.

Ability to Obtain Information and Process It

Ability to Plan Well

Ability to Actively Hone Your Skills

Dont Present Your Dreams As The Truth

A resume is not a place where you can replace the truth with your imagination. You shouldnt lie or state unreal hobbies. HRs can ask some questions related to your hobbies during the interviews and they can detect that you lie. This will automatically leave you without an opportunity to get that job.

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To Show Your Fit With The Company Culture

Adding hobbies to your resume to show that your personality fits with the company culture can help improve your chances of being noticed and remembered by the hiring manager. If you have researched the organization and found that they focus on specific values within their team, adding corresponding hobbies can show your ability to fit in with your potential colleagues. For example, if you know that a company fosters a culture of adventure, highlighting your backpacking trips into the mountains on weekends can set you apart from the competition

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Should You Put Hobbies And Interests On A Resume

In interviews, the hiring manager asks themself: would I ever want to be stuck sitting on a flight next to this candidate?

This is called the airline test.

You havent gotten that far in the employment process yet, but an interests and hobbies resume section starts building the picture for them.

A two-year study of hiring managers on cultural matching had some surprising findings:

Employers sought candidates who were not only competent but also culturally similar to themselves in terms of leisure pursuits, experiences, and self-presentation styles. Concerns about shared culture were highly salient to employers and often outweighed concerns about absolute productivity.

So, adding a hobbies and interests section might be just the ticket.

Youve got to carefully choose which to include.

There are a lot of resume golden rules out there, but theres one that trumps them all

Everything on your resume should increase your value as a candidate.

Which ones add value for me?

This is where a targeted resume is crucial.

You wouldnt list irrelevant skills for a job . So, dont put irrelevant hobbies, interests, or passions on your resume either.

Read the job ad to determine whats relevant.

Expert Hint: Although hobbies and interests are two different things, dont make a separate part of a resume for each. Save the space for more important info, e.g. your skills or achievements on a resume.

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Why Include Hobbies On My Resume

Hobbies impart some sort of skill, whether itâs implicit or actively learned. They can show a company what you have to offer. Your goal is to list your hobbies in a way that conveys these skills.

In other words, think of your âhobbiesâ section like a more interesting âskillsâ section on your resume.

For example, if you enjoy an endurance sport like running, it shows that you have diligence, determination, and patience — all skills that cannot be taught through any job or educational opportunity. Skills like these are called âsoft skillsâ because they are implicit in your personality.

Soft skills convey your communication and relational abilities. Some soft skills include:

• Teamwork

• Network Security such as encryption algorithms or authentication systems

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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So Should I Include Them

Essentially, theres no right or wrong answer for this one.

Some recruiters love the extra detail, whilst others prefer to keep it strictly professional. Their inclusion is never likely to grate on the reader too much, but should always be as relevant as possible. Especially if youre low on space. However, if your hobbies and interests are used to supplement your income, they could be a great way to demonstrate skills that may not be covered in your work experience section.

If youre still having difficulty making your decision, use our quick checklist below:

• Those applying for roles which are directly related to their hobbies

• Those who want to cut down their CV
• Those who dont know what to say
• Those who have no real hobbies

How Many Hobbies Or Interests Should I List

Keep this section small and towards the very end of your resume. You can put in two to five of the ones you feel are most relevant. Avoid too many words or overcrowding this section. This should be just a small piece that helps the overall message youâre conveying to the employer: that youâre a good fit for the role and the company.

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Good Hobbies And Interests For A Resume

The best hobbies and interests for a resume have some form of relevance to the job you are interested in and show the hiring manager you are a good fit for the job. Examples of good hobbies and interests for a resume include:

Although you might have a variety of interests you can include on your resume, you should consider only including those that are relevant to the job. Try to limit your selection to a maximum of four or five hobbies and interests.

Read more: Listing Hobbies and Interests on Your Resume

Hobbies In Resumes: How To List Hobbies And Interest On A Resume

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Theres a great deal of debate over whether hobbies and interests should be listed on a resume.The answer is an emphatic yes. However, there is a but, so read on to learn how and when to include hobbies and interests on a resume.

Let Your Personality ShineWhen you include your hobbies on your resume, they provide an opportunity for your personality to shine through, and in many positions, this can be a powerful tool.While an accounting position may not need to know about your personality, but a sales position at a sports store might like to see that your hobbies include skiing and skateboarding.

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Do They Always Need To Be Relevant

OK, so not everyones a fan of Morris Dancing. But surely its better to include something to help sell yourself than leave more blank space, right? Wrong.

Unfortunately, not everyones a fan of traditional English folk dancing. And unless youve applied for a job where these skills will be particularly useful, theyll probably not help you get the job.

Wherever possible, your hobbies and interests should reinforce your application and the idea that youll be the right fit for the role even if its just through transferable skills.