List of Hobbies and Interests to Put on Your Resume

Whether or not you should put your hobbies on a resume is widely debated. Some people believe that a resume is solely to hunt jobs while hobbies are there to unwind. Therefore, it makes no sense to put the two together. They are wrong. What you do or say is a reflection of your personality. The hobbies you have, and the hobbies you state in your resume speaks a lot about you to your future employer.

Some hiring managers believe that if you are bored, you are boring and have not put in the effort to find something more productive to do in your life. The hobbies and interests section in your resume will show that you are a person who likes stimulation and is willing to explore new things. It also shows that you don’t have a constant need for binge-watching shows.

Have you heard of the airline test? It’s what a hiring manager asks themselves right before they interview you. They want to know if they would ever prefer to sit by you on a long flight. What does this tell you? Research shows that hiring managers prefer to recruit people who have the same leisure pursuits as themselves. In fact, cultural concerns showed more weight than absolute productivity when making the final decision.

Therefore, it’s best to include the hobbies and interests section in your resume and seal the deal. However, before you list down random things, it’s crucial to know what you should include and what you shouldn’t.

In this article, we will outline hobbies and interests that are attractive to employers. So let’s begin.

Sports

You can include two types of sports in your resume—team-oriented and individual. This, of course, depends on the type of sports you have listed, but in most cases, it will show your employer that you are a team player and can work well with others or that you have the skills and perseverance to get by on your own. Both qualities are sought-after by employers.

Team sports such as basketball and football indicate that you work well with others, and endurance sports such as jogging show that you have the drive to achieve big things. Other examples of sports include volleyball, tennis, skiing, cycling, football, baseball, mountain climbing, and swimming, to name a few.

Blogging

Blogging is a passion or interest that would boost your resume. By writing, you can express yourself well. Moreover, it's also an excellent way to get into journalism, copywriting, and content writing. If you blog about relevant topics, you will have the edge over other candidates as an insider expert. It will also show your employers that you are up to date with current affairs.

Blogging can also include vlogging. If you have a YouTube channel, be sure to list it down as it shows your organization, technical and creative skills. However, only mention these if you apply for a media-related job because such skills would sound more appropriate there.

Art

If you are interested in art, be sure to list it down on your resume. It will show your hiring manager that you are creative and meticulous.

Artistic skills boost your resume, especially if you are applying in a creative field such as cinematography, UX/UI, and art curation. You can also put down the painting, woodworking, drawing, water coloring, dancing, and sculpting as part of your interest.

Gaming

Gaming is not just a waste of time it was once believed to be. Now, they have their merits, and listing them on your resume is sure to give you an edge. That’s because employers today believe strong gaming skills are indicative of remote collaboration and strong problem-solving skills.

However, you should be sure of the job you are applying for before listing down gaming. It's a good boost to your resume only if you apply in the tech industry or the likes. In this case, it might even be relevant to the position you are applying for. But if you are applying for an HR position, it might not be the best course of action as it will show unprofessional.

Volunteer Work

Whether you are a fresh graduate or a seasoned professional, you should put volunteer work on your resume.

It shows that you have excellent time-management skills and a desire to give back to the community. It also shows that you value social responsibility. This skill is especially valuable if you are applying to an NGO or NPO.

Music

First thing's first, don't write interested in music. That’s like saying you like food—everyone does. If you are interested, you can list a particular skill or instrument. Music skills are attractive to the hiring manager because they require innovation, dedication, and discipline. Moreover, if you are a band member, it can give even more points to your profile because it shows you have people skills and are willing to collaborate with people.

Some musical instruments you might consider include piano, trumpet, music composition, beatboxing, songwriting, and singing.

Foreign Languages

Including foreign languages on your resume can also be a plus point. That’s because learning a foreign language shows strong communication skills, perseverance, and initiative.

Such skills come very handy if you are looking for a job in multinational sales and other jobs that require tourism and international travel.

Unique Hobbies

Do you have a unique hobby? Do you know the one in which most people aren’t usually into? If yes, be sure to put it down as it can help you stay ahead of the competition. Remember, the HR managers get a lot of resumes and won't go through them in detail unless something stands out. So if you have such a hobby, list it and talk about it. Such hobbies include:

• Gardening
• Stand-up comedy
• Archery
• Journaling
• Baking
• Languages
• Theater
• Yoga
• Calligraphy
• Fencing

These hobbies can help you out a lot. For starters, if you are skilled at archery, it indicates that you are a meticulous person who is goal-oriented. Yoga shows that you are a calm person and don’t react to the situation around you. This comes in handy when you are in a middle of a stressful situation, as often happens at work. Your employer will know you won’t have a meltdown.

However, how impactful these hobbies are could depend largely on the type of job you are applying for.

How to List Hobbies and Interests on Your Resume

You can list your areas of interest and hobbies in a dedicated resume section. In this way, it becomes easier to separate it from your work experience. Once you have made the section, you can list your hobbies and interests in bullet point format.

If you don’t have work experience, be sure to list down the hobbies and interests section on your resume in detail. For instance, you can add some description—preferably of one line—for your hobbies. You can also explain how it would be relevant to the role you are pursuing.

By adding in a bit of detail, you can still have an edge over the more experienced professionals. That’s because the descriptions show that you have some achievements even though they weren’t in an office setting. As a result, your hiring manager will still consider them.

When you are creating a section for your interests and hobbies, be sure to list it down at the bottom of the page. It is crucial to remember that while having relevant hobbies and interest is useful, it’s still not relevant to the position. If you put this section at the start of the resume, it will distract your employers and might even force them to discard your resume.

It is also crucial to list hobbies that you know will be appreciated by the hiring manager. If you want to find out what such hobbies are, you can do a bit of research on the company and the job opening you are applying for. From their website, you can get an idea about their work retreats, office culture, team building, and whatever else they have done in the past. You can also get an idea about the values of the company and figure out what they are looking for in a candidate.

Now that you know what they want be sure to tailor your resume and list the hobbies and interests accordingly. This should give you a fair chance in the recruitment process.

Hobbies and Interests to Not Include in Your Resume

While interests and hobbies show positive skills and traits such as teamwork and dedication, the impact doesn't need to always be positive, especially if you list wrong hobbies or interests. And what are wrong interests and hobbies? Here are some of them:

• Those that offer no interactivity
• Those that are considered dangerous and violent
• Those that can be misinterpreted
• Those that reveal your personal inflation or religious affiliations
• Those that reflect an anti-social behavior

End your resume with the hobbies and interests section and add a cover letter before sending in your CV as that would increase your chances of passing through the initial stages. Then, wait for the interview call, and you’re halfway there!