How To List Hobbies And Interests On A Resume (With Examples)

Adding your hobbies and interests to your resume shows hiring managers who you are, what you’re interested in, and what you’re passionate about. It can even give them clues about your work ethic and personality. This is especially valuable if you don’t have a lot of work experience or are changing career paths.

It can be tricky to know which hobbies and interests to include on a resume and where to put them, so we’re going to show you how to do that. You’ll also see examples of hobbies and interests on a resume.
Key Takeaways

• Share hobbies and interests that emphasize your soft and hard skills.

• Tailor the hobbies and interests you share on your resume to the culture of the company you’re applying to.

• Avoid including hobbies and interests that are controversial, illegal, or dangerous.

How to list interests and hobbies on your resume

To list your interests and hobbies on your resume, start by making sure you understand the company and role you’re applying for, then choose hobbies that relate to those and emphasize your skills. Put the hobbies you choose in a bulleted list at the end of your resume.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to including interests and hobbies on your resume:

1. Research the company. Before you can know what hobbies will be valuable to the hiring manager or recruiter, you have to know what the organization values. Check out the company’s “About Us” page, its LinkedIn profile, and any other public communications the company puts out.

   When you understand the culture you’d be stepping into, it’s easier to come up with hobbies and interests that reflect a great cultural fit.

2. Understand the role. Next, turn to the job description. Pay special attention to the soft skills and personality traits that are listed as essential or preferred within the job requirements section. Then, think of how your hobbies relate to those desired qualities.

3. Choose hobbies that emphasize your skill set. The hiring manager has already perused your resume’s skills section — now it’s time to further highlight your proficiency with outside-of-work activities that also leverage your skill set. Use your research from the above two steps to inform which skills are most valuable to focus on.

4. Title a separate section, at the end of your resume. Call this section “Hobbies and Interests” and place it as the last section of your resume. Typically this will come after either your education or skills section.

5. Make a bulleted list of 2-5 hobbies. Each hobby should be one bullet point and ideally a single line long, so as not to take up too much space. You should list at least two but no more than five hobbies.

Here’s an example of what this looks like:

When to include a list of interests and hobbies on your resume

Include a list of interests and hobbies on your resume when you don’t have much experience, when it’s required, or when your hobbies and interests align closely with the job description.

Since no two job openings are the same, it won’t always be necessary (or useful) to include this information on your resume. Here are some examples of instances when you should consider adding interests and hobbies to your resume:

• When you have little background experience in the industry, department, or role that you’re applying to.

• When you’re just getting started in the job market and you therefore have little to no professional experience at all.

• When the job description explicitly requests that job applicants include a list of their interests or hobbies in their job applications.

• When the requirements and responsibilities of a given job description align well with your interests and hobbies.

• When an employer mentions in a job posting that they’re interested in learning about applicants’ personalities (in addition to their work experience and background).

Examples of interests and hobbies to list on a resume

Okay – now that we have an idea of how (and when) to list your interests and hobbies, let’s now turn our attention to some examples of how they might look on a finished resume.

Here are some examples that you can use as a guide when listing your personal interests and hobbies on your next job application:

1. Violin

   10+ years of experience playing violin, with an additional three years of experience playing with a small band of local musicians.

2. Chess

   Regularly compete in chess competitions at the local and state levels as a means of sharpening my skills as a strategist and problem-solver.

3. Hiking

   Passionate hiker and mountaineering guide who has led individuals and groups of all ages to the summits of more than two dozen 14,000-plus-foot peaks.

4. International travel

   Annually plan and organize overseas trips to expand my language skills and my cultural worldview.

5. Yoga

   Dedicated yoga practitioner with more than five years of experience studying Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga in a group setting.

6. Blogging

   Founder and sole contributor of the “Denver Food Hub” blog, which focuses on the city’s up-and-coming culinary culture and has attracted more than 25,000 subscribers since its initial launch in 2015.

7. Volunteering

   Regular volunteer at local soup kitchens, food banks, and community shelters, with experience coordinating groups of local volunteers for the annual Thanksgiving 5k outdoor sporting event.

8. Stage theater

   Actor with 4 years of experience producing and performing in stage productions at the local Albrington Theatre.

9. Hockey

   Long-time hockey player (left winger) with a passion for the sport, and three years of experience as a volunteer coach with the local youth girls’ hockey league (ages 6 to 12).

10. Photography

    Photographer with eight years of experience taking family, graduation, and other portrait photos for clients. Have also had several nature photographs published in local tourism publications.

11. Foreign language

    Studying and practicing Spanish by taking college classes, practicing during my travels to Spanish-speaking countries, and volunteering as an assistant translator at a local hospital.

12. Pottery

    Create clay vases and bowls and take classes to strengthen my creativity and problem-solving skills.

13. Robotics

    Compete in biannual team robotics competitions across the country.

14. Biking

    Consistently bike 14+ miles three times a week with my local mountain and road biking club.

How to decide whether to include a hobby or interest on your resume

To decide whether to include a hobby or interest on your resume, you should make sure it is relevant to the job you’re applying for. Before you mention an interest or a hobby on your resume, be sure to ask yourself the following questions:

• Is this interest or hobby (or the skills I learn from it) valued within this employer’s workplace culture?

• Does this interest or hobby match well with the particular job requirements of the position that I’m applying to?

• Will the hiring manager (i.e., the person who will be reading the resume) be familiar with what I’m talking about?

If the answer to each of those questions is “yes,” then go ahead and add that interest or hobby to your list. If the answer to one or more of them is “no,” then you should consider choosing a different hobby or interest that will be more relevant to the purposes of your job application.

Good types of interests and hobbies to put on your resume

Here are a few examples of interests and hobbies that will be useful to list on almost any job application:

• Travel. Travel experience conveys a sense of adventure and an eagerness to explore new places, cultures, and ideas. Plus, the ability to adapt and fit into a new environment proves that you have the power to adjust to your new role as well.

• Exercise. A job candidate who’s committed to taking care of their physical health through regular exercise can also be depended upon to take care of their professional responsibilities.

• Writing for a public audience. A love of writing, particularly when it’s shared with others (as in a blog, for example), demonstrates curiosity, a passion for learning new things, and a willingness to step outside of one’s comfort zone.

• Yoga. This practice is gaining huge popularity as a means of maintaining a calm, cool, and collected state of mind within a group setting.

• Art (painting, music, drawing, sculpture, dance, etc.). A passion for artistic pursuits conveys creativity and independence, as well as a willingness to be outgoing and to try new things.

• Volunteer work. A job applicant who routinely volunteers within their local community can be relied upon to be a strong team player and a compassionate member of the workplace.

• Outdoor activities. A job candidate who spends a significant amount of time outdoors usually has strong problem-solving skills and is adventurous and curious, all of which employers value in employees.

Bad interests and hobbies for a resume

In contrast, here are some examples of interests and hobbies that should never be mentioned on a professional resume:

• Napping

• Coin collecting

• Watching cartoons

• Eating ice cream

• Scrolling through Instagram

While these activities aren’t necessarily bad, they don’t convey anything about who you are and what you bring to the table as a professional. Space on your resume should be reserved for information that builds on why you’re the best candidate for the job, and these hobbies don’t do that.

In addition, to avoid giving hiring managers a negative impression of you, you should avoid mentioning any interests or hobbies that:

• Involve no interaction or cooperation with other people

• Are controversial or polarizing

• Could be interpreted as unnecessarily dangerous

• Are in any way illegal

• Communicate sensitive personal information, such as your political affiliations, religious beliefs, or medical history

Tips for including hobbies and interests on your resume

When including hobbies and interests on your resume, make sure you’re truthful, avoid controversy, and are specific about the extent of your hobby.

• Don’t lie. You shouldn’t lie on any part of your application, but choosing to lie about your hobbies is especially silly. One of the big points of including a section on your hobbies and interests is to establish a connection with the hiring manager. If you’re caught red-handed as a total novice, it could very well sink your chances of landing the job.

• Avoid controversial topics. There’s no reason to include hyper-partisan topics in your resume (unless you happen to be applying to a hyper-partisan organization).

  You can mention participating in social justice advocacy or volunteering at a local church, but we recommend avoiding certain topics (pro-life rallies, missionary work, etc.) that could come across as polarizing, depending on the reader.

• Be specific. If you really want to give the hiring manager a glimpse at your life outside of work, it pays to be a bit more specific than simply writing “cooking” as a hobby. Instead, say “Amateur chef working on learning and improving recipes inspired by Southeast Asian cuisine.”

  That is way more likely to turn into an interesting conversation at the interview.

• Don’t force it. If you can’t think of appropriate hobbies and interests to put on your resume or simply don’t have room for them, leave them off. Unless you’re specifically asked about them in your application or interview, they’re not a must-have for your resume or cover letter.

  However, if you feel that they’d add to your resume and help hiring managers get a better idea of what you bring to the table as a job candidate, you should include them.

• Tailor them to the interviewer. We already mentioned the importance of matching the hobbies and interests you choose to share with the company and position, but you can also take this one step further and tailor them to individual people as well.

  For example, if you notice that the person interviewing you mentions hiking on their bio and you go hiking every weekend, put that on your resume — it’ll spark a conversation and a personal connection.

• Keep things concise. The hiring manager reviewing your resume does not need a comprehensive explanation of how you originally took up a hobby or how your skills have progressed over time.

  It’s sufficient to mention the skill or hobby and then follow it up with a brief sentence that summarizes your experience and skill level.

Hobbies vs. interests

While hobbies and interests are closely intertwined, they’re not exactly the same thing.

• Interests are passive and don’t automatically entail participation. For example, you could be very interested in Spaghetti Westerns, but you’ve never engaged in an activity related to filmmaking or critical film theory.

• Hobbies require active participation on your part. It’s something that you do for free, during your free time, to have fun. To use the same example, if you actively write screenplays for your own version of Spaghetti Westerns or produce animated shorts that unpack old movies, you’re engaged in a hobby.

Generally speaking, every hobby is related to a more general interest, while not all interests have associated hobbies.

When you include hobbies and interests in your resume, focus on your interests that have hobbies to go along with them. This shows hiring managers that you’re actively growing and learning, not just thinking about it.

Resume hobbies and interests FAQ

1. Is it professional to put hobbies on a resume?

   Yes, it is professional to put hobbies on a resume. This is especially true if you don’t have much relevant work experience.

   Just make sure that the hobbies you include relate in some way to the job you’re applying for. This could be a technical skill like photography, or it could be a soft skill like the teamwork or tenacity that you learn in a sport.

2. How do you write your hobbies and interests on a resume?

   Write your hobbies and interests on a resume by creating a section at the end titled “Hobbies and Interests.” In this section, make a bulleted list of two to five hobbies, each with a line describing them and the skills you’ve obtained from them.

Final thoughts

Adding a short list of interests and hobbies to the end of your resume is a simple and effective way to stand out from the competition.

When you’re composing your list, remember to limit each bullet point’s explanation to a single sentence, and be sure to only emphasize those details that will be directly relevant to the role, department, and company that you’re applying to.

No matter what industry or field you’re trying to excel in, listing your interests and hobbies in a resume can increase your chances of being invited to a job interview and advancing to the final stages of the hiring process!

References

1. University of the Cumberlands – 11 Hobbies That Will Look Good to Future Employers

2. Utah State University – How Hobbies Improve Mental Health

Author

Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.

Expert

Don Pippin, MHRM, CPRW, CDCS

Don Pippin is an executive and HR leader for Fortune 50 and 500 companies and startups. In 2008, Don launched area|Talent with a focus on helping clients identify their brand. As a Certified Professional Resume Writer, Certified Digital Career Strategist, and Certified Personal Branding Strategist, Don guides clients through career transitions.