Demystifying What Hobbies and Interests to Put on a Resume

Most of us—we’re not just workaholics. And we’re certainly not robots. We have emotional attachments, pastimes that enrich us, and many diversions that fulfill us. And while these pursuits may seem to be part of lives that are separate from our careers, they still make up an integral chunk of our individual identities. In other words, they humanize us—which is why you shouldn’t completely detach them from your work life. And figuring out what hobbies and interests to put on a resume can help you in your job search too.

The Pulitzer-Prize-winning author Phyllis McGinley playfully said: “A hobby a day keeps the doldrums away.” Yup—that’s for sure. But those hobbies can equally lead to fruitful connections and relationships with others. And that includes recruiters and hiring managers.

Keep in mind that you can also discuss some of your interests in your job application cover letters, in terms of how they relate to the specific position listing. But this article will focus on what hobbies and interests to put on your resume—while explaining why and how you should do so.

So, Why Should You Put Hobbies and Interests on Your Resume?

Well, first consider this: What makes you you? How do you feel whole? What are you passionate about? What makes you a well-rounded person? For instance, you may have precision-based skills that drive you to successfully analyze markets, but they also allow to you create perfectly risen soufflés. Or, on the flipside, you may be really—read, overly—rigorous at work, but you love blowing off that steam with weekend sessions on the beach, surfing bombs with no fear. All-around, these details showcase a holistic version of yourself, which is compelling to employers.

When you’re thinking about putting particular interests on a resume, imagine how your interviewers will perceive you besides through your core competencies, experience, and work accomplishments. If feasible, do some research on the company and the people interviewing you. The best possible scenario is that you have hobbies in common, and that can definitely lead to a callback—as long as you perform well enough on the other questions. Regardless, a sense of friendship can already be pre-established, and that’ll give you an advantage over other candidates.

Of course, there’s always the chance you get asked: “What are your hobbies and interests?” In this case, you can point to your resume interests section and then elaborate as you see fit. Scrutinize your interviewers’ reactions, as you don’t want to bore them, but do go deeper on a hobby and provide some fun anecdotes if they seem curious. Any such dialogue will help veer away from boilerplate or automated responses that can plague job interviews anyway.

What Are Good Interests to Put on a Resume? What About Good Hobbies?

Thing is, “good” isn’t the right word here. What interests to put on a resume shouldn’t be thought of as good or bad. Rather, appraise them for the kind of value they may add to your application or for how they contribute to the greater definition of yourself—and of your personality.

Additionally, evaluate whether to include an interest or hobby on your resume based on these criteria:

• Do they help get attention from recruiters—either in their originality, difficulty, creativity, or relatedness?
• Do they extend a sense of transferable skills? For instance, playing a game once a week in a group sport with the same team tells employers that you’re likely a team player.
• Are you lacking experience or education? Certain hobbies and interests could make up for that—or at least show employers that you’re inclined and willing to learn about a relevant subject.
• Do they reveal traits or qualities that may signal to hiring managers that you belong within their company’s culture?

Then, take some time to research every company you apply to. You can then decide what activities and interests you’d like to highlight or omit.

Need examples of interests and hobbies to put on a resume? Try these on for size:

• creative activities (e.g., watercolor-painting, calligraphy, or making music)
• volunteering (e.g., helping at a local animal-rescue shelter)
• traveling and learning new languages
• writing and blogging
• reading, researching, and interactive media (e.g., video games)
• sports, fitness, exercising, yoga, hiking, camping, and outdoor recreation
• cooking, baking, gardening, and discovering new cuisines
• handiwork (e.g., fixing up old cars, refurbishing classic motorcycles, or woodworking)

How Do You Put Hobbies on a Resume?

Both your hobbies and interests should be encapsulated in their own section at the end of your resume. Depending on your overall design, you can actually showcase them in a sidebar next to your work experience, but creating a dedicated section as the final item to read through allows you to leave an enduring impact. Who knows—maybe that hiring manager was impressed by some of your work achievements, but then was taken aback by your appreciation of the ancient sport of mallakhamb. That could just be the clincher, as they practice it too.

And there’s no need to overdo it, so you can keep the resume interests section short—just about four-to-six bullet points will do. Still, try injecting your voice and enthusiasm in those few lines. First, read the job ad carefully and garner insight on what hobbies and interests to spotlight based on that description. Make sure to go over the employer’s website as well. Maybe check out their social media accounts for good measure. And then, we recommend that you rope everything into one section called “Hobbies & Interests.” Here’s an example:

HOBBIES & INTERESTS

• Reading: Avid reader with a ravenous appetite for material of all sorts—from literary novels and creative non-fiction to longform magazine features, comic books, and sci-fi and fantasy volumes.
• Sporting: Soccer aficionado—mainly playing pick-up games, mainly to stay in shape. Fan of the Premier League and Belgium’s National Team.
• Volunteering: Sustainability advocate—currently helping a nonprofit with training people on how to observe and document waterway pollution.
• Hiking: Seeker of long, winding (and challenging) trails. Recently did the Mount Ida Trail in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park. Tongass National Forest in Alaska is next.
• Cooking: Amateur chef, time permitting. Love learning about new cultures and facing new challenges in the kitchen. Have a winning veggie-and-herb frittata. Will exchange recipes.

What Hobbies and Interests Should You Leave off Your Resume?

Use common sense when figuring out which interests and hobbies to leave off your resume. When you’re sharing a hobby or interest sincerely, it’s a way of helping employers understand who you really are. But, then again, you don’t want those to misalign somehow with the company’s corporate culture or the organization’s mission statement. This is why it’s essential that you review what kind of team you may be joining, and then make a judgment on what hobbies and interests to put on a resume.

One hard-and-fast rule to keep in mind? Do not list any interests or hobbies that are dangerous, harmful, or illegal; and avoid ones that are political, religious, or sexual.

Get Faster Job Ad Responses With an Engaging Resume Interests Section

Give it a go. Use these guidelines to narrow down the hobbies and interests to put on a resume that you’ll be sending out with your job applications. And remember to tailor them to each posting or company you apply to. Once you’re ready, upload your resume to Monster’s database for free, and we’ll jet it over to top recruiters in your industry while sending you customized alerts about openings in your area too