10 Examples of Interests & Hobbies to put on your Resume
It is the most neglected part of the resume and yet... it is sometimes this section that can help you land a job!
It is precisely because 99% of candidates do not work on the hobbies or interest section that it can be useful. Useful to tell a little more about your personality and make your resume more human. Useful to show the recruiter you correspond to the company's style and culture. Finally, it is useful because it can help break the ice during the job interview.
Choose interests or hobbies to include in your resume that highlight the skills recruiters are looking for
For a company looking to recruit a marketing or communications manager, a candidate who has a personal blog, writes articles regularly and even has a certain amount of success means that he or she already knows Wordpress or another CMS, has experience with social networks and knows how to create content that arouses the interest of their readers. He or she is therefore the ideal candidate!
Creation of the food blog The little muffins, writing 65 articles and restaurant reviews in 3 years, reaching 25.000 monthly readers and 15.000 fans on Facebook
A public relations manager, a salesperson or an account manager must be sociable, enjoy meeting new people and have a good network. Their participation in events can show the recruiter that they have these qualities.
Organization of monthly musical dinners with opera singers (80 people), sponsored by the BBC and Veuve Clicquot.
Or:
Organization of a monthly meetup on the circular economy since 2015 (80 participants, 500 registered, 32 companies and associations having participated).
These two examples not only show professional skills but also personal qualities or soft skills like curiosity, initiative and collaborative spirit. And soft skills are highly appreciated by recruiters!
💡 Our advice:
Choose wisely 2 to 3 hobbies, personal interests or activities that highlight the skills sought for the position and that attest to your abilities.
Personal interests show whether your profile matches the company's culture
More than ever, you want to find a company where you feel comfortable, that shares your values and where you feel you have a meaningful mission with a visible impact. More than the salary, the meaning of your job, the work environment, your colleagues, these are what are important.
In the same way, companies have understood that motivated employees, interested in their missions and who feel good, work better and stay longer in the company on average.
Find out about the company beforehand, via its website, Facebook or Twitter account, via press articles or by meeting with employees, to understand the company's values and culture.
Adapt the style according to the position you are applying for. Here's an example that works well if you're applying to a "cool", non-traditional company:
Basketball enthusiast (casual player and avid viewer of NSA games)
On the other hand, the following example would be more appropriate if you were applying to a bank:
Basketball: weekly practices and competitions (finalist of the regional championship of California in 2014 and 2016)
You show that you are combative and competitive, qualities sought after by investment banks or consulting firms.
💡 Our advice:
Tell the truth! Don't pretend that you are involved in soccer competitions if you are not. Choose hobbies that fit the position or tailor the description of your interests to what is being sought.
Hobbies can be an icebreaker during the job interview
A friend of mine had written on his resume that he was a basketball fan, especially NSA games, which he watched regularly. To his surprise, the recruiter started the interview by talking about basketball and continued for a good 20 minutes.
My friend, a bit perplexed and afraid that he would not be able to talk about his experience, then asked him if he had any questions about his background. The recruiter then asked him a question or two and they talked for barely 5 minutes about his work experience.
Talking about basketball broke the ice. The recruiter found the candidate friendly and could imagine enjoying working with him. He offered him the job at the end of the interview!
A shared passion is the best way to start a conversation. Once the ice is broken, everything you say will appear in a positive light to the recruiter. This is called the confirmation bias in psychology.
Be specific and add numbers to be more convincing
It is more interesting to read this than just soccer:
Coaching a youth soccer team for four years and participating in the finals of the Florida league championships.
If you like literature or cinema, give examples or specify which genre or director you like.
Member of a book club specializing in contemporary horror literature
Also if you want to talk about your travels, specify and add figures to make your words more convincing:
Cycling around Asia (5600 km) for a cancer fundraising campaign that raised €9,000 for the National Cancer Research Institute.
Our advice: In the CV of a student who has little professional experience, one or two internships to show for example, the personal interests can be a significant plus!
How do you know which interests or hobbies to include in your CV?
Is there a list of interests or hobbies to put or not to put on your CV?
No! On the contrary, the more original you are, the better. Within certain limits, of course.
Keep in mind that your hobbies reflect your personality and that the recruiter will wonder if this personality corresponds to what the company is looking for.
When a recruiter analyzes your resume, he or she is looking to answer the question: "Is the applicant qualified for the position? By looking at your work experience and education, they can make up their minds.
If they think you are qualified for the job, then they will ask themselves if you will fit in with the company. This is where your hobbies or interests can make a difference and give the recruiter a clearer picture of your personality. And get you the job. So don't neglect them!