Published on July 3rd, 2019 | by Sunit Nandi

Hobbies and Interests: Should I Include Them in My CV?

If you are thinking of switching career or looking for a job at present, you have to prepare all the necessary documents (resume, cover letter and references) and find an appropriate place for job search. Visit a job site https://in.jobsora.com/, where you’ll find the best companies offering work. Register there, sign up for job alerts and you’ll find the best position for yourself.

While you’re doing that, get your CV ready. As you know, it is a very important document when you are applying for a job. And it has to include all the necessary information about you. Of course, it must contain data on your education, qualifications and professional skills. However, you have to remember that recruiters usually have plenty of resumes to read, so they just can’t spend much time reviewing carefully each one. That’s why CV must be short and precise, one page is the best length. And here the question arises: if it’s necessary to include hobbies and interests in a resume or it’s better to skip them?

Advantages of having your hobbies and interests in your resume

Nowadays in most companies corporate culture plays a vital role in the working process. That’s why an HR manager or an employer pays attention not only on professional qualities but also on the candidate’s personal characteristics. So, including your hobbies and interests into CV:

gives an employer a chance to learn you better as a person
your hobbies and interests may reveal your best qualities to the employer
employer has a chance to see if your personal features fit to the company’s culture
your resume might stand out from other ones
if you haven’t got enough experience, but your interests are very close to your professional responsibilities, do include them. When your work is your hobby, it is a big plus to you as a candidate.
it’s a good ice-breaker on the interview, especially if there is a bond between your and an interviewer’s interests or your hobbies match perfectly to the corporate culture.

Watch the company’s profile in advance and if you see that your hobbies and interests are some way aligned with the company, incorporate them in your CV.

When you shouldn’t include your hobbies and interests in the CV

As it was said above, headhunters spend just a few minutes on reading resumes. So, make sure you haven’t overloaded your CV with unnecessary information. Don’t include your pastime activities if:

a hobby is too plain and it isn’t relevant to your application. For example, watching sports programs on TV, meeting with friends, etc.
your hobby is related to politics or religion.

Never lie or exaggerate in your resume, the truth will come out easily and you’ll lose a chance to get a position you’ve applied for.

Don’t write everything and anything about your hobbies, stay specific and professional. If you have a lot of interests and hobbies, don’t list them all. Choose those which may be advantageous for the particular position.

As you can see, it’s better to include your hobbies and interests in the CV, but you must customize them for every role you’re applying.

Fill the hobby and interests section properly

If you’ve decided to display your pastime activities, you should know some rules.

Make a special section for this information and title it
Put this section at the end of the resume
Brainstorm your hobbies and decide which should be included
List chosen hobbies and interests and describe them briefly. Emphasize how they relate to the job you’re applying. But, again, very short and precise!

Do include hobbies and interests such as sports, art, reading, traveling, cooking, sewing, knitting, fishing, blogging, playing chess, doing crossword, volunteering. These hobbies show your best qualities. Think over how these qualities can help you to perform best at your potential work. And bring it to the attention of the HR manager or an employer.

To sum up, you should include your hobbies and interests in your resume. It’ll help an employer to understand your personality and whether you fit the position. Not only your education and experience play a big role in employment in present days!

Let your hobbies help you to find a dream job!

Tags: CV, hobbies, include, interests

About the Author

Sunit Nandi I'm the leader of Techno FAQ. Also an engineering college student with immense interest in science and technology. Other interests include literature, coin collecting, gardening and photography. Always wish to live life like there's no tomorrow.