List of Hobbies and Interests for Resume

While hunting for a job, the first thing to do is to prepare a Resume. Are you wondering, what is a resume? Or more importantly, what does it contain? It can be defined as a formal document which contains academic and professional experiences of a candidate. It plays a crucial role while applying for jobs and internships. If you have a strong resume filled with minute details ranging from scholarships to hobbies and interests, then you are likely to be a centre of attraction during the hiring process. While education and work experience are the most highlighted sections of a resume, there is a dedicated segment for hobbies and interests as well. Here is a complete blog on hobbies and interests for resume stating their importance.

Why do we add Hobbies and Interests in a Resume?

While hunting for a job, educational qualification is the key to success but having particular hobbies and interests for resume is impressive. Adding interests and hobbies for your resume not only makes your personality enhance but adds value to your educational background. Regardless of whether you have an enthusiasm for offering connections to the network, you like to run long-distance races in remote, or you play bass in a band, your applications will hold more weight if you’re ready to show innovation. There are several benefits of adding hobbies and interests for resume-

• It Helps to Highlight your personality. 
• It Can Get a Conversation Started 
• It Can Prove That You’re an enthusiastic person

Find out How to Craft A Perfect MBA Fresher Resume?

What are Interests?

Interests are things that one is curious about and would like to know more about. These are focused on an activity, idea, event, or topic and may be short-term or long-term. Interests show your desire to learn additional information about something. Having interests grounded into your personal life or influenced by your profession shows that you have a mindset of growth and are seeking ways to better yourself. 

What is the Difference Between Hobbies and Interests?

Following are the differences that you will find between hobbies and interests!

Hobbies are Activities

Taking part in hobbies actively allows one to be participating in a sport or activity. Interests are more often feelings or desires to gain more knowledge. For example, if you are interested in playing badminton, you occasionally study it and observe players. However, if badminton is your hobby then you participate in it actively.

Hobbies are Consistent

Active dedication is shown toward hobbies. Interests can be in various subjects depending on your mood, profession, or attention span.

Interests can become hobbies

Hobbies are activities and interests are the need to learn more about something, it is very common for interests to become hobbies. Learning more and more about something could push you towards making it a hobby.

Reasons to Include Hobbies and Interests on a Resume or CV

A section for hobbies and interests on your resume or CV showcases your interests that extend beyond your work and helps the hiring manager, interviewer or employer connect with you on a personal level. When done with purpose, indicating hobbies and interests on your resume helps to show the strengths of your personality, highlights your interpersonal skills and can function to communicate important information to a prospective employer. You may also consider including this section if:

• You have limited work and educational experience.
• You are just entering the industry.
• Your job responsibilities are correlated to your hobbies and interests.
• The employer values this information or requests it.

List of 50 Common Hobbies and Interests

The best capacity of having hobbies and interests is that it fills in as an icebreaker at interviews. Here is a full list of 50 common hobbies and interests for resume-

3D printing	Table Tennis	Quilling Singing
Computer Programming	Digital Designing	Sculpting
Sewing	Yoga	Gaming
Writing	Photography	Colouring
Instrument Playing	Cooking	Magic Performances
Cryptography	Calligraphy	Baking
Crossword Puzzles	Fishkeeping	Painting
Reading	Embroidery	Mountain Biking
Rafting	Skydiving	Handball
Bodybuilding	Gardening	Rugby
Water Sports	Roller Skating	Taekwondo
Swimming	Fishing	Shooting
Bird Watching	Mountaineering	Sailing
Scuba Diving	Motor Sports	Skateboarding

There are other essentials for a resume just like hobbies and interests.
Read our blog on career objectives to know more!

Job Specific Hobbies

Contingent upon the conditions, remembering side interests and hobbies for your resume can fortify your application – particularly on the off chance that you don’t have a great deal of work experience. Here is a list of job specific hobbies for you:

Technical job profile

• Python
• C++
• Blog writing
• Game programming
• Web designing
• Digital music production

Management job profile

• Marketing
• SEO
• Social network analysis
• Leadership skills
• Cycling

Content writer profile

• SEM
• Google Analytics
• SEO
• Copywriting
• Keyword analysis
• Blogging
• Google AdWords

Photography job profile

• Adobe Photoshop
• Adobe Lightroom 
• Illustrator
• Graphic Designing

These are a few interesting collections of ideas for hobbies and interests for resume building.

Must Read: How to Write Personal Details in a Resume? 

How to Choose the Perfect Hobbies for a Resume

Including hobbies in  your resume is not mandatory but it is always a good idea to include those hobbies that are relevant to the job profile and the company. For example, companies like Google and Facebook frequently recruit people who are passionate about their hobbies which align with the company and job description. They are always looking for creative people who are imaginative and open, no matter what the profile. You should look for the following when choosing the hobbies for your resume tailored for a specific job profile or company:

1. Job Description

Read the job description carefully and identify the key skills and complementary traits that are required for the position. Now make a list of your hobbies and match both the lists to find out which of your hobbies fits in with the description.

Also Read: Resume for Freshers Looking for the First Job

2. Website

Go through the website of the company, read the ‘about us’ section, company profile, team descriptions, and any other information you might get about their organizational culture. It is equally important for a newly hired employee to be compatible with the organization and its culture. 

3. Social Profiles

Go on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms to check out the profiles of prospective superiors and employees. Social activity can give you a pretty good idea of the desired traits that the company looks for.

4. Reviews

You can find company reviews on Glassdoor and Indeed and get a good idea of how the company works and what it focuses on. These reviews will again help you get an insight into the company from the perspective of a working employee and help you filter relevant hobbies for your resume and CVs.

What to Include in Hobbies for Resume

Hobbies can be like a wild card that can get you to the top of the pile of endless resumes but you should be careful how to present them as well. Be sure that you are:

• Specific and Direct: Just list down the main activity and do not beat around the bush. You should write one line about the hobby and not just a word which is the hobby itself.
• Honest: Do not try to fabricate or exaggerate a hobby just for the sake of a resume. They will sense out pretty easily that the mentioned activity is not your hobby if you lie.
• Relevant: You may have 10 hobbies in total but can identify that only 4 are relevant to the present profile. Do not write all 10 and stick to the relevant hobbies only. 

Also Read: Personal Details In Resume: Do’s And Dont’s

What not to Include in Hobbies for Resume

There are some things that when included as a hobby may negatively impact your application. Make sure you’re wary of the following:

• Dangerous Activities: You may be a thrill junkie and live your life on the edge. But refrain from mentioning extremely dangerous activities as they may hint towards being irresponsible. But it is recommended to add these if the profile demands risk-taking and initiative.
• Criminal Activities: Your passion may lie in graffiti or murals. But usually, this is associated with vandalism and is not appreciated. Be careful when adding such hobbies to your resume.
• Anti-Social Activities: Some activities may scream ‘introvert’ and that too in a negative way. Every company wants someone who can gel up with the company employees nicely and usually prefer extroverts over introverts.
• Personal Opinions: Some activities might reflect personal information in relation to political preference and opinions. These hobbies in a resume are considered unprofessional and should be avoided. 
• Misinterpreted Activities: Some activities might be misinterpreted and have multiple meanings. They can have multiple interpretations and therefore can be taken in a light that was not intended by you. So our advice is that you steer clear of them altogether. 

Having problems and issues building up your resume? The check out this blog for help: Resume Format for Freshers: Elements & Samples 

List of Hobbies Common for Resume 

1. Blogging 
2. Stamp collecting
3. Currency collecting 
4. Reading 
5. Creative writing 
6. Poetry 
7. Dance 
8. Singing 
9. Computer programming 
10. Crossword Puzzles 
11. Graphic designing 
12. Vlogging 
13. Video editing 
14. Image editing 
15. Photography 
16. Yoga 
17. Cooking 
18. Baking 
19. Golf 
20. Sports 
21. Video games developing 
22. Stock trading 
23. Travelling 
24. Music 
25. Playing an instrument 
26. Teaching 
27. Martial arts 
28. Discussion clubs 
29. 3D Printing 
30. Board or tabletop games 
31. Listening to podcasts 
32. Filmmaking 
33. Painting 
34. Art and craft 
35. Fashion designing 
36. Learning new languages
37. Online courses 
38. Organising events 
39. Web development 
40. Social media influencer/blogger 

Check out this blog: How Passion Paves Career by Harjeet Khanduja

How do Hobbies and Interests Communicate Valuable Information about You?

Your hobbies and interests are a reflection of your personality. Time and time again movies and shows tell us how we need to be more than just robots in our corporate life. We need to have a part of our personality that extends over our professional responsibility and just gives us joy. Other than just being an escape, these hobbies and interests are constantly developing your character. They show what your strengths and weaknesses are. This information not only helps the recruiter in determining whether you will be a good fit for their company but also helps you in making informed decisions about your own life.

Hobbies and Interests Better Left Off your Resume or CV

Hobbies or interests which fall into any of the following categories must definitely be avoided from your resume:

• Dangerous Activities
• Criminal Activities
• Anti-Social Activities
• Personal Opinions
• Misinterpreted Activities

So to wrap it up, hobbies and interests for resume can get you your dream job. After reading this article, you can easily frame your resume in less time duration. If you experience difficulty thinking of supporting interests or exercises, follow the above information to have the option to concoct a couple. Stay tuned to Leverage Edu for more such informative articles!