It is believed that it is not necessary to indicate a hobby on your resume. They say that these one or two lines in the resume only steal the HR manager’s precious attention, and they have zero benefit. But there is another opinion. Hobbies are different, and jobs are also different.
Here are examples of situations in which mentioning a hobby can work to your advantage:
a) you can set yourself apart from your competitors with a useful and unusual hobby. For example, you are interested in astronomy, you even have a telescope with which you observe the stars. In companies like Google, such “eccentricities” are very much appreciated. Firstly, such a hobby reveals an analytical mindset (if you doubt it, try mastering astronomy); secondly, hobby illustrates interest in modern technologies;
b) if a hobby is indirectly related to work, you can use it to highlight your main advantages (knowledge, skills, experience). For example, if you are applying for the role of a manager, and you have experience in organizing tourist trips, this is a big plus, since a hobby indicates that you have leadership qualities, organizational skills and a sense of responsibility for all team members.
What hobbies should be mentioned in your resume to show yourself in the most favorable light?
We have compiled a list of hobbies and compared them with professions for which mentioning relevant hobbies may be useful.
Is your profession on the list, and is your hobby also yours? Then make changes to your resume without delay, because any detail can decide the outcome of your job search, and hobbies are important.
1) Yoga
The list is far from complete: it can include all professions that involve stressful situations. What does yoga have to do with it? This is a type of activity that helps to maintain emotional balance and gently control what is happening around you through conscious perception of your own states. Therefore, people who are friends with yoga are less conflicted and more emotionally stable.
In addition, yoga involves healthy image life, absence of bad habits, which certainly appeals to employers.
2) Extreme sports
The list can be expanded with professions in which such qualities as passion and the ability to assess risks are important. After all, excitement without the ability to assess the situation and retreat at the right moment brings more harm than success.
3) Video creation
A copywriter is not required to be able to edit video clips, but if he knows how to do this ( we're talking about O basic level), this is a plus. Let's say a company wants to assign a copywriter to write a blog. Skills in working with video will allow a copywriter not only to write articles, but also sometimes to add a short video to the blog, assembled from available materials. The same goes for the content manager. A PR director or event manager who has an idea of how a video is made will be able to more accurately evaluate the material created for the company and give recommendations for its improvement.
4) Sports requiring endurance (marathon running, triathlon, cycling)
Sports that require endurance are important for people who work with tasks that extend over time, while for success it is important that the specialist is in good shape all the time and knows how to dose his efforts so as not just to rush forward in one section, but to be the first to reach the finish line .
5) Team sports (football, basketball, volleyball and many others)
It makes no sense to list professions here: passion for team sports is a plus for everyone who works in a team, forgive the tautology. It’s great if you have experience as a team captain: be sure to reflect this on your resume; this is a testament to your outstanding leadership and organizational skills.
6) Blogging
Passion for maintaining your own blog is important not only for professions such as copywriter or journalist.
The author of this article once thoroughly read the foreman’s blog: the expert shared with property owners a variety of (and extremely useful) tips on the topics of repairs, home improvement, hiring a team of construction workers, etc.
Theoretically, a worker, a mechanic, or an auto mechanic can maintain a blog: can you imagine what a convenient opportunity an employer gets to assess the competence of an applicant who has a blog on a professional topic?
7) Gambling (for example, poker)
Yes, this kind of hobby can also be an advantage - for example, for financiers, bank employees, brokers.
Gambling is often surrounded with a negative aura, but let’s not forget that poker is the ability to count, analyze, and assess risks. The psychological factor also plays a role: experienced players say that the ability to “read” an opponent (recognize his emotions, intentions) is no less important than what is called “poker mathematics”. Perhaps you should be careful when mentioning this hobby. Put it on your resume if you can prove your qualifications by winning poker tournaments - since this is more of a sport than a leisure activity.
8) Photography
A marketer is unlikely to photograph objects himself for advertising campaign(for this there is professional photographers), but if he has experience working with photography, he will be able to competently select photographs for certain purposes and evaluate the competence of contract photographers.
Overall, photography as a hobby will be a plus for everyone creative professions– where artistic taste is important in work.
9) Playing musical instruments (harmonica does not count:)
A universal hobby that testifies to the presence of taste (in this case, musical taste), the ability to discipline oneself and achieve one’s goals (who doubts the last statement, can try to learn to play the violin).
10) Any unusual hobby
In fact, it doesn't matter what you're into - basket weaving or martial arts - what matters is that you can achieve success in activities that interest you.
So if you decide to mention a hobby, also mention your achievements in that field. For example, you won a competition/competition, your work was mentioned in the media, your blog has high traffic, etc.
What NOT to mention as a hobby
Do not include reading books in this column.
Firstly, the tendency to broaden one’s horizons is not an achievement, but required quality, so there's nothing much to brag about here.
Secondly, this hobby is very often listed on a resume, so if you do the same, you will look like the majority, which is not the best option when looking for a job.
A correctly and competently written resume is half the success when you intend to get the desired prestigious job. Its meaning is that the employer is interested in your candidacy and wants to know as much as possible about you. Of course, first of all, the person reading your resume is interested in your professional qualities and achievements, but your hobbies and interests play an important role.
In fact, it is your interests, hobbies, and hobbies that can sometimes play a decisive role in your resume, and they will place less emphasis on your education than on your personality. That is why the preparation of the document must be taken with complete seriousness and responsibility, without missing out on such an important section as your interests and hobbies.
Why do employers need your hobbies?
Your potential manager is interested in your hobbies, hobbies on your resume, not only because he is a curious person, but also for the reason that they can say something about you interesting information which will help him evaluate you.
Real experienced bosses and managers strive to get to know their subordinates better so that they know what cooperation with this person will lead to. But not all of your hobbies should be included in your resume, and you need to select them responsibly so as not to build a false image in the eyes of your potential boss.
What to talk about in your resume?
What hobbies, hobbies, and interests should be included in your resume? First of all, everything that you indicate in the document must correspond to the maximum with the position that you have chosen. An example of your hobbies, a hobby on your resume, if you are trying to get, for example, a position as a physical education teacher, could be like this: I run professionally, I’m preparing for the marathon in Berlin. the main objective What you should be aiming for when creating a document is to outshine your competitors and snatch the desired position from their hands.
Mistakes among hobbies
When creating your resume, be completely honest, because your potential manager may be interested in the same things you listed in the “hobbies” column and will want to ask a few questions. To avoid getting into trouble, do not write something that actually does not exist, select your interests and hobbies carefully so as not to cause negativity in the person interviewing you.
Do not list standard hobbies that most often do not correspond to the chosen position. A negative example of your hobbies in your resume when, for example, applying for a position as a radio or TV presenter, could be the following: I am interested in boxing. The recruiter will most likely react negatively, because bruises are not compatible with the role of a public person. This is why you should not indicate too extreme hobbies when writing your resume.
Try not to touch on topics of religion and politics, they can become a serious obstacle when trying to get the desired position. Also, try not to add more than three of your interests and passions to the “hobbies and interests” column, because the recruiter may think that you will devote the time to them that you will have to devote to work.
What do recruiters do with information about your hobbies?
Each manager before joining leadership position underwent psychological training, which taught him to thoroughly understand people, anticipate their actions and evaluate strengths every potential subordinate. The recruiter, having analyzed the hobbies and hobbies of the person applying for the position, will be able to build an approximate image and determine the highlights of his character.
Your hobbies and interests outside of work on your resume can say more about you than you think! For example, if a woman indicated on her resume that she likes to embroider, this signals her ability to focus, be diligent and patient. These qualities are great for working in an office with documents. In the future, thanks to such a hobby, a woman will be able to climb the career ladder.
What to indicate if there is no hobby?
A good example of your hobbies, a hobby on your resume, could be your passion for any sport, which will tell the recruiter that you know how to relieve stress and cheer up if you are tired.
If your desired position requires communication with people and communication skills, indicate that you are interested in psychology. But be prepared to be asked a few questions about this topic! Never leave the “hobbies and interests” field empty, even if, at first glance, you don’t have them at all. Indicate that you enjoy spending time with family or gardening. This will at least show you on a positive side, but will not leave the recruiter completely unimpressed.
The best hobbies for a resume
An example in your resume of your hobbies, hobbies that will help increase your chances of getting desired position, could be yoga, moderate extreme sports, participation in team sports, blogging, playing a musical instrument, a passion for photography, or some unusual hobby.
A passion for yoga will help you understand that you know how to calm down in stressful situations; moderate extreme yoga will show that you can pull yourself together in a dangerous or out-of-control situation. Blogging can be useful not only for you: if you know how to shoot and edit videos well, you can help with the creation of a corporate video, which will earn you a special status in the company. In addition, the skills of maintaining your own written blog when applying for a creative position will help you clearly demonstrate your skills.
Team sports will show the recruiter your ability to fit in and work as part of a team, while playing a musical instrument will show that you are highly focused and highly disciplined. Taking up photography, like blogging, can help you get special place in a company: you may be entrusted with running a website or appointed to the position of creative director.
It is important to not only indicate your passion, but also to be able to showcase your work. An unusual hobby, in turn, may simply interest a recruiter who will want to learn as much as possible about it (and at the same time about you!).
A resume gives the employer a clear picture of a potential employee. Nice resume allows you to make a favorable impression at an interview. After reading the “Hobbies” section, your interlocutor will better understand your preferences and correlate them with the requirements of the vacancy for which you are applying. Some people have two or more hobbies, but to achieve best results You shouldn’t include every single thing on your resume. In other words, you will have to choose a few main points and focus on them. Here are a few options that are worth mentioning on your resume, will help you impress employers, and increase your chances of getting hired.
Best hobbies for a resume
1. Reading
Reading is one of the best hobbies, which can be included in your resume. A well-read person always commands the respect of others. By listing reading as a hobby, you emphasize that you have a rich imagination, show interest in the world around you and in acquiring new knowledge. People who read a lot are usually good communicators. This is another reason to list reading as a hobby.
Let's talk about the main thing straight away. Indicating hobbies, hobbies and your personal interests in your resume - this is a minor thing. It doesn’t matter whether it’s written on your resume or not.
I don't know where this attitude came from. Most likely, this is part of the Russian tradition - to evaluate a person by his deeds and not to get into his soul. For comparison, many American companies pay a lot of attention to the personal achievements of candidates - victories in basketball, completed marathons, participation in the publication of university wall newspapers, embroidery, and so on. Of course, in America they can also turn a blind eye to your hobbies, but less often than in Russia.
At the same time, it is worth remembering that if you don’t have to write a word about your hobby in your resume, then at the interview you will definitely be appreciated as a person. It is likely that you may be asked what you do in free time what are your hobbies, how do you spend your holidays, etc.
It’s better to mention a hobby
What hobbies are best to include on a resume?
The ideal case is when your personal interests and hobbies on your resume match your profession. For example, if a web designer takes photographs, makes art furniture, paints with watercolors or something similar, that’s great.
However, ideal cases do not always exist, and the designer in question may well be a weightlifter, a keen chess player, or a fishing enthusiast. This is also normal. This looks adequate and you can write about it.
Examples of hobbies on a resume
This would look good on a resume:
- Any non-extreme sport - swimming, running, skating, dancing, football, arm wrestling, sambo, etc.
- Music (whether you compose, play or just go to concerts).
- Fishing, hunting, forest.
- Handicrafts (sewing, knitting, making leather goods, soft toys, beads, jewelry and other things). Of course, these are feminine things and they will look adequate on a resume.
- Reading, literature, history.
- Gardening, growing flowers and plants.
- Creativity (drawing, photography, beadwork, making birdhouses and much more).
- Animals (cats, dogs, horses, fish, etc.).
- Cooking.
All these examples look adequate. You can write about any such hobbies and interests in your resume quite calmly. This will show the good side of you.
If you have a strange hobby, choose your expressions
There are interests that need to be mentioned carefully or remain silent about them altogether. These hobbies include:
- Own business. A very ambiguous thing and there are people who will consider you too smart.
- Trading on the stock market.
- Poker or other gambling games. Gambling people are poorly managed, and this is a huge disadvantage for the applicant.
- Religious interests, magic and fortune telling in any form.
- Particularly extreme sport. It will look good on the resume of a security specialist, bodyguard, etc. If you are applying for other positions and are interested in something extreme, be restrained in your expressions. You can write “motorcycles” instead of “motorcycle racing”, write “martial arts” instead of “mix fight”, etc.
I want to repeat it again. If a hobby matches your profession, write it. If you want to become a journalist for a sports magazine and write a column about wrestling, write about all the martial arts you practice. This will work to your advantage.
When filling out a resume, many candidates wonder whether they should write something about their hobbies. Recruiters claim that information about a job candidate’s interests allows them to build a psychological portrait. You can focus on ready-made example hobbies in your resume if you are not sure what exactly should be written in this section.
Choosing the right hobbies
Of course, the applicant is primarily assessed based on his experience and acquired skills. But personal hobbies help you understand how well you fit into the open position and the company culture.
The following options will be win-win for all positions:
- swimming, exercises gym, fitness, running, football, volleyball, tennis, cycling;
- playing musical instruments, passion for classical music;
- gardening;
- care for pets (cats, fish, hamsters, dogs);
- dancing;
- fishing;
- automobile improvement;
- handicrafts: embroidery, origami, knitting things and toys, patchwork;
- modeling clothes, creating designer dolls;
- creating metal or wooden models of ships, cars, airplanes and other equipment;
- working with wood, designing toys, furniture, household items;
- game of chess;
- reading historical novels, philosophical books, classical literature, including modern literature;
- studying professional literature (do not forget to indicate any authors);
- interest in computer, software and technical innovations.
Try to be moderate in listing your interests so that their volume does not take over the key focus when reading your resume.
When choosing examples of interests and hobbies for your resume, keep in mind that a passion for sports allows you to show that you know how to work in a team. But hobbies that require concentration indicate the ability to analyze.
Prohibited options
Not in all cases a hobby helps with finding a job. For example, you may be rejected if you indicate that you:
- like to engage in wrestling, martial arts, boxing, and participate in racing;
- are fond of computer games;
- play cards for money;
- travel around the world;
- prefer extreme sports;
- are a representative of subcultures (goth, punk, rocker, fan of metal music);
- you make tattoos, decorate your body with metal;
- are interested in non-traditional religions, wear appropriate clothes and love to propagandize.
The above interests often influence appearance the applicant and his behavior. Fans of extreme sports risk losing their jobs due to the fact that their hobby is associated with injuries. Employers are afraid of travelers because they spend more time on their trips rather than on their duties.
The connection between hobbies and specialties
When applying for the position of a person who must spend most of his time sitting at a computer or working with papers, you can pay attention to the following example of a hobby for girls, indicating composure and perseverance:
- cross stitch, ribbon, satin stitch;
- patchwork;
- modeling and sewing of clothes;
- knitting toys;
- origami, decoupage;
- design of frames for photographs, notepads, folders.
Regardless of gender, the presence of a creative streak will be indicated by interests:
- passion for photography;
- creation of decorative jewelry;
- restoration of old things;
- playing musical instruments;
- writing poems and stories;
- interest in painting, drawing pictures;
- leather embossing.
Such hobbies will be appreciated in positions that require flights of fancy. They are suitable for applicants for the position of journalist, photographer, graphic designer.
The ability to work in a team, be a leader, and work with people is evidenced by preferences:
- interest in game types sports: football, basketball, handball, hockey;
- passion for psychology, including reading specialized literature (including any books);
- participation in charitable or public organizations.
As a rule, these people find a common language easier than others, both with colleagues and clients.
When thinking about which hobbies to indicate, you need to understand that your passions can confirm your determination:
- dance classes, fitness, swimming;
- active recreation, passion for traveling (you can separately point out that this is not done at the expense of work).
Even if you are a versatile, enthusiastic person, draw the employer's attention to no more than 2 types of hobbies. Otherwise, he will think that because of them you will not be able to devote enough time to work.
Non-standard options
Not everyone knows, but your interests and hobbies on your resume can attract attention. For example, you can do this by specifying that you:
- study oriental culture and languages;
- Are you into origami?
- do literary translation of books;
- restore ancient churches and buildings;
- spend your weekends excavating historical settlements;
- devote time to collecting garbage on beaches, forests, and forest plantations;
- improve your city;
- draw cartoons;
- create educational books for children.
The main thing to keep in mind is that your interests should not conflict with your work.
