Of all the information on your resume, a list of personal hobbies is definitely not the most important thing to a potential employer. But if you manage to get the honor of meeting them in a personal interview, HR teams will become real judges of your character and may or may not hire you based on your life activities.
What hobbies and interests should I include?
We all have a passion for something. Some of us enjoy reading books on a lake bench and others enjoy the company of animals. Some like to become amateur chefs or comedians, whatever.
The thing is, we all take pride in our hobbies until we hear “Tell us about your hobby.” Those dreaded words rob us of the gift of speech or make us say something inappropriate that we’ll regret later. So, lest you become the Titanic that crashed on the iceberg called “nosy HR,” what do you write in the hobby section? Welcome to the ship, Rose! Read on to find out!
First, let’s highlight a few categories of hobbies:
- Sports and tourism: strength training, racing, gymnastics, acrobatics, stretching, moving games, winter sports, dancing, cycling, extreme sports, active sports (skating, walking), hiking, hunting, fishing, paintball, sailing, etc.
- Crafts: weaving, origami, floral design, sewing, sculpting, decoupage, scrapbooking, etc.
- creativity: drawing, reading, writing, blogging, makeup, fashion, acting, events, cooking, singing, karaoke, board games, collecting, etc.
- technical hobbies: computers, cars, electronics, engineering, etc.
This list shows you just some of the many hobbies, but keep in mind that the point of having hobbies on your resume is NOT to list everything you like to do.
At the same time, over-generalizing your interests can make your resume unclear. For balance, you should list one or two hobbies that you think are most important to you. Try to point out interesting, unique, or impressive hobbies. This will help reinforce a positive impression of yourself.
How do you choose hobbies or interests that are relevant?
The hobbies you list on your resume speak eloquently about your personal qualities that will show up on the job. Regular workouts at the gym characterize him as a disciplined and highly motivated person. Table tennis shows that you have a quick reaction time and the ability to make decisions. And chess emphasizes your strategic thinking.
These hobbies can give you a positive boost before your first day at work. If your career potential means that you will work hard in a team, you’d better not talk about your athletic accomplishments and how you are made fun of by your opponent’s tears.
Think well about how you describe your best qualities through your hobby. Look at how to connect the hobby to your future position. At the very least, you can help your employer with a co-working arrangement where co-workers are introduced to your favorite hobby.
Examples of hobbies and interests you shouldn’t list on your resume
Sometimes some hobbies on a resume are better left out. Extreme sports are often dangerous, so if you’re going to spend a lot of time treating your injuries, HR won’t want the hassle of managing all your sick leave.
If you’re a passionate traveler who dreams of taking a round-the-world trip anytime soon, your employer probably won’t look at you with admiration and envy. No one wants to waste their time doing office tasks after returning from another month-long trip.
Some companies reject candidates whose life principles don’t fit company policy. So if you like to wear fur in fashion, read your hobby description twice on your resume before sending it to an animal rights organization.
We don’t recommend lying about your hobbies or describing activities in which you are not very knowledgeable. Imagine you wrote that you like to cook. What if the human resources representative, like a true foodie, asks what the difference between foie gras and parfait de foie gras is? What an awkward encounter that would be.
Write a brief account of your activities. Don’t make it the center of your resume. The main idea of the “Hobbies” column on your resume is to add an extra impression of you as a future employee. If you share common interests with the employer, this will be your great asset. If you know in advance who you will be interviewing, find out about that person before the meeting and the “Genius of the Year” award is sure to go to you.
Top 5 tips to consider when listing interests and hobbies on your resume
Before we go any further, let’s briefly summarize the main ideas outlined in this article:
- Think carefully and in advance about the information you are going to put in the “Hobbies” column.
- Аvoid generalizations. Be specific!
- Link your hobbies to character traits that will be useful for the position you are applying for. Try to find common employer interests and company principles so that you can endear yourself to the employer.
- Brevity is the soul of wit. If you want to draw more attention to your hobby, save that information for a cover letter or even a meeting with a human resources representative.
- Write the truth about your hobby. Don’t overdo it.
Sometimes a hobby is a lifeboat on your way to work. You may lack practical experience in your chosen field, but if your hobby develops the qualities your company needs, it may help you land a job among other candidates.
We sincerely hope you find a job that becomes your lifelong hobby.