Isn’t it inappropriate to list my hobbies and interests on my résumé?
Well, sometimes. But not always.
In fact, including your pastimes when writing your résumé can help you show employers that you’re a great cultural fit and present yourself as a more well-rounded candidate.
Okay, sold. But what exactly should I list?
Well, that’s what this article is for. Here you’ll learn when to include hobbies and interests in your résumé and how to choose suitable activities — plus 200 suggestions to consider adding that will help you stand out from the crowd.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Should you include hobbies and interests in your résumé?
For the most part, no. You shouldn’t include hobbies and interests in your résumé.
Although they give employers a better idea of your personality and what additional skills you may have, they generally provide little value to your overall application. Employers are far more interested in your qualifications and accomplishments than in how you spend your free time outside work.
That said, there are a select few situations where mentioning your hobbies and interests on your résumé is perfectly acceptable — and even encouraged — such as:
- You’re just starting out in your career and you have limited work and educational experience.
- Your hobbies directly align with the duties listed in the job posting.
- The employer specifically asks about your hobbies in the job posting.
- You have limited skills that directly relate to the job you’re applying for.
- The employer is looking for unique candidates.
Most importantly, you should only list hobbies and interests in your résumé if you have the space for them.
How to choose hobbies and interests for your résumé
If you’ve decided to add a section for your hobbies and interests to your résumé, it’s important that you’re strategic in what you choose to list. Here’s how to do just that:
Step 1: Research the company
Before you start listing your hobbies and interests, do some research into the company that you’re applying to so you can better understand their culture. You can do this by reading the job description, browsing through the company website and checking out their social media pages.
This will, essentially, help you tailor your interests to the job. For example, if the company arranges regular hikes for its staff, it’s a no-brainer that you should mention your love of hiking (provided, of course, that it’s applicable). Remember: the more tailored your résumé, the better your chances are of getting noticed.
Step 2: Focus on your transferable skills
When choosing which hobbies and interests to list, think about the specific transferable skills and personal qualities that they demonstrate, and how these can be translated to the job.
For example, if you’re applying for a customer-facing role, then you’ll want to showcase your confidence and interpersonal skills — and hobbies like acting and improvisation can help you achieve this. Likewise, sports-related hobbies are perfect if you want to demonstrate your teamwork abilities.
Step 3: Show variety
It’s always a good idea to have some variety between the hobbies and interests you list.
Not everyone is musically inclined, for example, so mentioning that you enjoy songwriting, playing the guitar and collecting vinyl records limits you to a very specific audience. But by listing a variety of interests and activities, you can relate to different people — not only the hiring manager reading your résumé but also your future coworkers and clients.
Step 4: Make sure you’re memorable (for the right reasons)
Don’t be afraid to list unusual hobbies and interests, such as African drumming or collecting keychains — as long as you can relate them to the job, of course. This will further demonstrate your personality to employers, and it helps you stand out from other applicants who have chosen more traditional hobbies.
That said, there are some no-go areas, including hobbies and interests that:
- are controversial
- are potentially dangerous, violent or illegal
- reflect antisocial behavior
- are listed as a joke that could be misinterpreted
- reveal political or religious affiliations
Get more information on résumé hobbies with this video:
List of résumé hobbies and interests to include
Need some inspiration? We’ve compiled a list of 200 hobbies and interests to consider adding to your résumé.
Arts and crafts
- Animation
- Architecture
- Calligraphy
- Candle making
- Cardmaking
- Ceramics
- Crocheting
- Drawing
- Embroidery
- Fashion design
- Filmmaking
- Floristry
- Furniture building
- Gardening
- Glass painting
- Home decorating
- Jewelry making
- Knitting
- Origami
- Painting
- Photography
- Quilling
- Quilting
- Scrapbooking
- Sculpting
- Sewing
- Sketching
- Soap making
- Pottery
- Woodburning
- Woodcarving
- Woodworking
Collecting
- Action figures
- Amateur geology
- Antiques
- Autographs
- Cars
- Coins
- Comic books
- Dolls
- Fine art
- LEGO sets
- Model diecast cars
- Movie memorabilia
- Music memorabilia
- Sports memorabilia
- Sports trading cards
- Stamps
- Vinyl records
- Watches
Food and drink
- Baking
- Bartending
- Beer tasting
- Brewing
- Coffee roasting
- Cooking
- Grilling
- Mixology
- Sushi making
- Whiskey tasting
- Wine making
- Wine tasting
Games
- 3D games
- Arcade games
- Billiards
- Board games
- Bridge
- Card games
- Chess
- Crossword puzzles
- Dominoes
- Geocaching
- Jigsaw puzzles
- Sudoku
- Table tennis
- Video games
- Word scrambles
Model, electronic and tech
- App building
- Blogging
- Car restoration
- Model airplanes
- Model cars
- Model railroading
- Model rockets
- Model ships
- Podcasting
- Programming / Coding
- RC boats
- RC cars
- RC helicopters
- RC planes
- Robotics
- Scale miniature building
- Web design
- YouTubing
Music
- Choir singing
- Composing music
- DJing
- Mashups
- Opera
- Playing a musical instrument
- Rapping
- Singing
Performing arts
- Acting
- Ballet
- Breakdancing
- Historical reenactments
- Juggling
- Line dancing
- Magic tricks
- Puppetry
- Salsa
- Standup comedy
- Swing
- Tango
- Waltz
Pets and animals
- Animal breeding
- Animal rescue
- Animal training
- Beekeeping
- Dog walking
- Fishkeeping
- Pet fostering
- Pet grooming
Spiritual and mental
- Astrology
- Astronomy
- Freelance writing
- Genealogy
- Journaling
- Languages
- Meditation
- Neurolinguistic programming
- Novel writing
- Online classes
- Play writing
- Poetry
- Reading
- Screenwriting
- Sign language
- Songwriting
- Speed reading
- Volunteering
Sports and outdoors
- Acrobatics
- Archery
- Badminton
- Backpacking travel
- Base jumping
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Birdwatching
- Bodybuilding
- Bowling
- Boxing
- Camping
- Canoeing
- Croquet
- Cycling
- Darts
- Diving
- Fantasy football
- Fencing
- Figure skating
- Fishing
- Flying
- Football
- Go karting
- Golf
- Gymnastics
- Hang gliding
- Hiking
- Horse racing
- Horseback riding
- Ice skating
- Kayaking
- Marathon running
- Martial arts
- Mountain biking
- Mountaineering
- Paintball
- Paragliding
- Pilates
- Rock climbing
- Running
- RV traveling
- Sailing
- Scuba diving
- Sightseeing
- Skateboarding
- Skiing
- Skydiving
- Snowboarding
- Squash
- Surfing
- Swimming
- Tennis
- Travel
- Water skiing
- Weight training
- Windsurfing
- Yoga
Key takeaways
To sum up, here’s everything we covered about including hobbies and interests in your résumé
- Only list hobbies and interests if it makes sense to do so (they’re directly relevant to the job you’re applying for, for example) and you have space for them.
- Research the company, and tailor your hobbies and interests around their culture.
- Choose hobbies and interests that demonstrate your transferable skills and unique personality traits.
- Stay away from controversial hobbies or potentially illegal activities (such as gambling, pole dancing, hunting and hacking) or interests relating to your political or religious affiliations.
Meanwhile, if you decide to include your hobbies and interests in your résumé, keep these things in mind:
- Add a dedicated section for them at the end of your résumé.
- List them as separate bullet points and, ideally, briefly expand on each one in up to one sentence.
- Don’t list more than five hobbies and interests.
Got a question about including hobbies and interests in your résumé? Let us know in the comments section below.
Originally published on 31 October 2019.