📝 9 Tips for a Surprisingly Helpful Hobbies & Interests Resume Section

Why you might include the one resume section that most people don’t.

Photo Credit:  Dean Hochman

This is a guest post by Martin Demiger.

Most people think that a hobbies and interests resume section is a silly addition, but that’s only true if you include silly hobbies and interests.

It can actually be a very helpful addition to showcasing who you are, your personality and your capacity for work.

Potential employers will appreciate that you put in the extra effort to tell them a little bit more about who you are as a person.

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Why have a hobbies and interests section?

1) Stand out

Most people do not list their hobbies and interests on their resume, so this alone will immediately make your resume different.

2) Present potential interview topics

You’re opening up topics of discussion if you’re contacted for an interview.

3) Prove you’re well-rounded

Hobbies and interests can show off how likable you are and how easily you’ll mesh with future colleagues.

But what to include?

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Not just any hobbies and interests

1) Be relevant

If the job you’re seeking and your hobbies or interests coincide, don’t be afraid to play that factor up.

For example, if you are applying to a restaurant for the job as a chef or even a cook, list that you are passionate about cooking and food and devote a lot of your spare time to the kitchen.

2) Be relatable

Put your hobbies and interests that you think a potential employer will relate with the most, and this may need to change from employer to employer.

3) Be honest

Don’t just list things to try and impress a potential employer. If you end up interviewing for or even getting the position, any lies will probably come back to haunt you.

4) Be authentic

You should be able to discuss and demonstrate your interests. This may sound cliché, but be ready to show off your skills if asked. If you listed “reading”, be able to talk about the last few books you’ve read and share your thoughts with potential employers.

5) Be positive

Add the hobbies that come across as a positive and fun use of your down time.

For instance, if you enjoy playing poker, it shows that you like to be mentally engaged and utilize strategy. Sports are also a great hobby to include, as it shows you’re active, like to exercise and are a team player.

6) Be passionate

If it interests you, your eyes will light up when you talk about it and employers will take notice.

If you love rock climbing, share it on your resume. Not only is it athletic and impressive, but it highlights your sense of adventure and willingness to take risks — something that a future employer may appreciate.

7) Be unique

Instead of saying “reading” is an interest, be specific about what you love to read, whether it is a specific author or time period. For instance, don’t just say that you enjoy Shakespeare – be specific about which works move you the most.

8) Be concise

You don’t want to bore the employer by going on and on. Keep it short and sweet yet informative — this could be the difference between getting your foot in the proverbial door or getting your resume filed with a ton of others.

9) Don’t skip it on application forms

If applying for a job via an application form, do not leave the hobbies and interests section empty as potential employers can view this negatively. Inversely to the above, it says to an employer that you are not very well-rounded, don’t like to open up personally and may not be a good asset to their team of employees.

Interviewer: your resume is just a list of hobbies that say "oh hell yeah" after them
Me: oh hell yeah

— Luna (@Lunalovebadxo) May 12, 2016

Now some more suggestions of hobbies and interests to include and why.

Examples

Reading

This shows you like to be mentally stimulated and have an imagination. Mention latest, most relevant book.

Traveling

Tells an employer you are not afraid to venture out into the world and experience new things. Mention most relevant recent destination/event.

Music

Music is something that everyone has in common, so it’s a no-brainer to include it in the hobbies and interests section of your resume, but mention which kinds of music.

The more you tell a possible employer about yourself, the better odds that your resume will stand out among others in getting you the interview and ultimately, the job.

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About the Author

This article was brought to you by Martin Demiger.

Question of the article

After reading this article, will you add a hobbies & interests section to your resume? Tell us in the comments.

If you liked this article, you’ll also enjoy Do You Need Help Writing A Resume?

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⛔ Older Job Seeker? Stop Making These Mistakes Immediately

5 problems that older job seekers struggle with unnecessarily.

Are you making these mistakes too?

Don’t worry! They’re all fixable.

1) Focusing on what worked in the distant past

This is normal. It just isn’t helpful.

Whenever you need to do something again, it’s natural to try what worked last time.

But what if your last job search was 10 years ago or more?

Job search is more Internet-oriented than ever, and the Internet changes all the time.

The longer it’s been since your last job search, the less chance that what worked then is going to work now.

Free bonus: The Midlife Job Search Report is a handy guide I compiled for older job seekers. Download it now.

2) Over-emphasizing experience

In the 2013 JobMob Census, when I asked “Are there any specific topics that you’d like me to blog about?”, one of the responses was typical:

“Finding work for older job seekers, who are unemployed and have a lifetime of experience in their profession.”

In 7 Clear Signs You Should Call Yourself An Expert, I mentioned one of my favorite quotes:

“Niels Bohr famously said that “an expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field.” Only an expert knows how things can go wrong and how to anticipate and avoid that from happening.”

Experience (or accumulated expertise) matters but what if your experience isn’t (all) relevant for the job you’re applying for?

3) Using ageism as an excuse

Ageism is very real.

(So are many other forms of job search discrimination: racism, sexism, and more, such as discrimination against younger job seekers, which is technically also ageism, although not usually discussed that way).

"Ageism is experienced both by older and young people" #intergenerational solidarity is necessary for both groups http://ift.tt/21B7bgv

— YO!Mag (@YOmag_YFJ) May 5, 2016

If you feel you’re suffering from ageism on your job search, it’s usually your own fault.

Not the ageism itself, of course; rather, the fact that you’re suffering from it.

Let it go! Easy to say, I know, but adversity is part of the job search and you can’t let it affect you. What you can do is stop doing things that hurt your cause, such as emphasizing your 20 years of industry experience, and do things that help your cause, such as emphasizing the 5 years of experience in a still-relevant branch of your field.

But if you still feel you are suffering from ageism, there’s a good chance that you’re…

4) Applying for jobs in the wrong places

Studies show that employers hire people they want to be friends with, and wouldn’t you do the same?

It makes a lot of sense when you consider how much time colleagues spend together.

With that in mind, do you really think that a few extra years of experience are going to matter more to a small company made up entirely of people 10-20 years younger than you, who are at a different stage in their careers and lives?

If their job listing explicitly requires a lot of experience, then yes! You’re absolutely right to apply.

Otherwise, do yourself a favor by first researching companies who currently employ people with a similar level of experience. In other words, companies with a track record of hiring people like you. Then, only apply to them.

Lol… Offered another "big data expert" job… Replied "data mining you mean?". He goes "you are too experienced". Click.

— New IT Risk Services (@Newitrsdotcom) November 28, 2014

5) Incorrectly assessing your value and skills

Truth be told, job seekers of all ages have this problem.

But it’s how they react that’s different.

I can’t count how many times an older  job seeker said to me “I’m prepared to do anything, I just need a job.”

Can you imagine a movie poster claiming the movie is about “whatever you like”?

Would anyone see that movie?

Of course not. You see a movie because you’re in the mood for something in a specific genre, whose trailer pulled you in, or a friend recommended it.

Similarly, employers consider you because they need someone with a specific skillset, whose resume clearly showed success in a related role and/or who was recommended by a credible reference.

Figure out which of your skills is most marketable, and aim for relevant positions only.

Free bonus

The Midlife Job Search Report is a handy guide I compiled to help older job seekers.

This free download contains:

• 5 Common Mistakes Older Job Seekers Make
• How To Defeat Any Form of Job Search Discrimination
• 9 Real Reasons Overqualified Job Seekers are Rejected
• 40 Tips for Older Job Seekers That Actually Get Results

Click the image below to get access to The Midlife Job Search Report:

JobMob Insiders can get this free bonus and other exclusive content in the JobMob Insider Bonuses area. Join now, it's free!

Subscribe to JobMob via RSS or email and follow me on Twitter for more job search advice for job seekers 35 and up.

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