Early in my profession, my boyfriend (now fiancé) was serving to me write my resume. I requested to see his and observed he included private pursuits. He’s an engineer, so seeing hobbies like basketball and video video games stood out to me.
I requested him why he selected to incorporate these, and he mentioned, “I needed a bit of extra personalization to my resume and need [recruiters] to know me as an individual past a bit of paper.”
And apparently, he’s not alone. In response to a research by Standout CV, one in 4 individuals embrace hobbies and pursuits on their resumes.
Suppose you’re interested in what pursuits to place in your resume — and why — that is the article for you. We’ll additionally evaluate the completely different pursuits and hobbies that may show you how to stand out within the job market.
Why You Ought to Embody Pursuits on Your Resume
Why You Ought to Embody Pursuits on Your Resume
Whereas not all the time relevant, there are just a few situations when mentioning your pursuits and hobbies in your resume is sensible.
Sarah Johnston, founder and CEO of govt resume writing agency Briefcase Coach, says if you happen to select to incorporate pursuits in your resume, give attention to customization. “We all the time contemplate the viewers and the relevancy of the extra enjoyable truth to the viewers,” she suggests.
Listed here are just a few the explanation why it is best to add your pursuits to your resume.
1. You may showcase your character.
Essentially the most compelling motive to incorporate pursuits in your resume is to showcase your character. Recruiters and hiring managers evaluate numerous resumes for each job position. They’re doubtless studying the identical expertise and comparable experiences time and again. What higher strategy to stand out than to present them a way of your character proper off the bat?
In my expertise, having pursuits on my resume has led to enjoyable conversations with recruiters and hiring managers. Speaking about hobbies was an effective way to interrupt the ice (and calm my nerves) earlier than diving into the interview questions.
2. Pursuits assist with tradition match.
If the corporate you’re making use of to values uniqueness or particular character traits, pursuits may assist talk the way you’d be tradition match.
For instance, right here’s a job opening for a Senior Merchandising Supervisor at Tecovas, a direct-to-consumer western model primarily based in Austin. As a Western model promoting boots and attire, Tecovas emphasizes its mission of “welcoming first-time boot consumers and Western fanatics alike.”
Should you contemplate your self a Western fanatic and revel in actions comparable to horseback driving, it might be price mentioning that in your resume to indicate that your pursuits and experiences align with the corporate.
3. You may match area of interest industries or roles.
Some firms function in area of interest industries and should search candidates with particular expertise or pursuits. For instance, if you happen to’re making use of for a advertising supervisor position at an artwork museum, the hiring supervisor would doubtless count on you to be serious about artwork or artwork historical past.
I did a fast seek for this kind of position to check this idea, and I discovered an previous job posting for a social media coordinator on the MoMA. One of many job necessities was an curiosity within the artwork and non-profit worlds.
4. You’ll enhance your resume you probably have restricted expertise.
All of us have to begin someplace. Should you’re a brand new graduate or making a profession change, you doubtless gained’t have many related experiences to incorporate but. Itemizing your pursuits or hobbies in your resume may help an employer get to know you you probably have restricted work expertise.
The hot button is to attach the dots between your pursuits and the job you’re making use of for therefore recruiters perceive the way it may help professionally. Research the job descriptions and the corporate to get a way of their tradition and job necessities, determine how your pursuits and hobbies relate, and showcase your strengths.
For instance, sports activities can exhibit your energy in workforce actions, whereas portray can showcase your creativity.
40 Pursuits for Your Resume
It’s been some time since I’ve interviewed for a full-time place, however sometimes, I share my resume for freelance work. And once I do, I wish to make sure that it’s tailor-made to the position and firm to extend my possibilities of standing out.
I put collectively a current resume utilizing one in all HubSpot’s resume templates.
I added an pursuits part that displays my present work and is related to the forms of firms I wish to work with. Listed here are the hobbies and pursuits I included.
1. Pilates
I attend Pilates courses a minimum of twice per week (it helps that my sister is an teacher!), and it’s all the time one of the best a part of my day. As a author, I’m sitting in entrance of my laptop computer display screen for hours, so Pilates helps me get a break from my desk.
Why it really works: Committing to a daily train routine — whether or not yoga, operating, and even strolling — showcases a wholesome work-life steadiness.
2. Residence Renovations
If you recognize my fiancé and me, then you recognize we love tackling dwelling renovation tasks. We aren’t shy about taking a sledgehammer to our cupboards or reconfiguring our home structure to create one thing completely our personal.
Why it really works: In my expertise, that is normally an ideal dialog starter throughout interviews. Persons are serious about listening to concerning the course of, primarily as a result of we do the work ourselves to economize (for higher or worse).
3. Classic Accumulating
On any given weekend, you could find me at a thrift retailer or an property sale. I like trying to find distinctive objects and hidden gems and giving them a second life.
Why it really works: I’ve discovered that this matter is one other icebreaker. If I’m speaking to somebody who additionally enjoys classic procuring, we normally swap tales concerning the forms of objects we acquire and the place to search out them.
4. E-book Golf equipment
A number of years in the past, I began my very own e book membership right here in Austin. We learn nonfiction books on enterprise, creativity, and entrepreneurship, comparable to Elizabeth Gilbert’s Huge Magic and Essentialism by Greg McKeown. As soon as a month, we’d meet up at an area enterprise to share what we realized from the e book.
Why it really works: This passion demonstrates my curiosity in persevering with training and my eagerness to arrange occasions (on a small scale) since I created the group and deliberate all the pieces myself.
5. Small Companies
I used to write down for an area journal protecting way of life subjects, comparable to the place to buy and eat round city. One of the best half was interviewing small enterprise house owners, attending to know their day-to-day routines and motivations, and sharing their tales.
Why it really works: This curiosity works for my resume as a result of I now write for firms whose viewers consists of small enterprise house owners. I can use my enthusiasm and data of small companies to tell my writing.
These pursuits are particular to my expertise and related to the forms of roles I’d be serious about pursuing sooner or later.
If these aren’t a match for you, listed here are another pursuits to think about including to your resume.
6. Sports activities
As I discussed, my fiancé enjoys taking part in sports activities like basketball and golf. He’s usually a part of leagues with each colleagues and non-work teams alike. Together with this on his resume demonstrates his enthusiasm for workforce actions and camaraderie.
What we like: Should you’re an lively sports activities workforce or neighborhood league member, add it to the pursuits part in your resume to showcase your teamwork exterior of labor.
7. Pictures
I used to be scrolling by means of X (previously Twitter) once I noticed that senior product supervisor Diego Granados shared the resume he used to land a job at Microsoft in 2019.
Within the pursuits part, he included iPhone pictures, video video games and taking part in musical devices like saxophone and guitar.
What we like: Pictures is a passion that demonstrates an curiosity on the earth round you. You may even get particular and listing the kind of pictures you’re serious about, like iPhone, movie, or product pictures.
8. Neighborhood Service
Early in my profession, as I used to be constructing my resume, I relied on my earlier volunteer experiences to exhibit my completely different expertise and pursuits. I used to be an lively member of a volunteer group in faculty and even did some volunteer social media work for nonprofits after graduating.
What we like: Including volunteer work to your pursuits part in your resume can exhibit your ardour for particular causes. That is particularly useful if the trigger is related to the corporate or job you’re making use of to.
9. Portray
Hobbies like portray or drawing are an effective way to train creativity and exhibit your inventive expertise.
What we like: Whether or not you’re making use of to a inventive job or not, inventive hobbies may help enhance your creativity at work.
10. Baking
My buddy Micah Peterson, an online designer and developer, was a baker in a earlier life and consists of “baker by passion, developer by commerce” on his resume.
He explains that together with this curiosity on his resume has helped type lasting impressions throughout interviews.
“As soon as, once I was being interviewed, [my baking interest] led to a dialog concerning the interviewer’s son, who was additionally a baker,” he mentioned. “The interviewer admired that about his son, so I feel it left a long-lasting impression on him.”
What we like: Should you’ve ever had a profession pivot, embrace it by together with it within the pursuits part in your resume. It’s an fascinating dialog starter, however if you happen to can join your expertise to the position you’re making use of for, that’s even higher.
11. Studying
Perhaps you’re in a e book membership like I used to be or get pleasure from studying challenges. Or maybe you’re lively on #BookTok, the large subcommunity on TikTok devoted to sharing and reviewing books.
Why it really works: One instance of a task the place this curiosity may intersect with a job you’re interviewing for is a social media place. Mentioning your curiosity in studying, and particularly #BookTok, demonstrates your data of present social media communities.
12. Video Video games
I’ve seen a number of individuals embrace video video games as a passion on their resume, together with my fiancé and Diego Granados, whose resume I shared above.
What we like: Video video games can exhibit curiosity and data in a number of parts, from the technical facets of the gaming system to the visible facets discovered within the graphics to the technique that goes into the sport.
13. Writing
Do you get pleasure from writing in your free time? Whether or not you favor writing fiction, poetry, or blogs, these expertise will doubtless translate to no matter position you’re making use of for.
In response to GMAC’s 2023 Company Recruiters Survey, communication and writing expertise are among the many most in-demand expertise employers search for when hiring.
What we like: Writing will all the time be a necessary talent within the office, so it is a timeless curiosity to incorporate in your resume.
14. Graphic design
In response to Upwork, graphic design is one in all probably the most in-demand expertise for freelancers. Even if you happen to’re not pursuing freelance work, this information proves the necessity for this talent amongst firms of all sizes.
What we like: In case you have graphic design expertise, even when this isn’t the main target of your position, it will possibly enhance your resume.
15. Animals
Sure, the furry mates in your life could be included as an curiosity in your resume. Whether or not you volunteer at an area animal shelter or are a proud pet proprietor, there are methods to say this whereas maintaining your resume skilled.
Johnston, who works with a number of the world’s high leaders at her govt resume writing agency, remembers when she’s seen pets efficiently talked about as an curiosity.
“I do know a job seeker who utilized for a task with Purina Company,” she recollects. “They listed on the backside of their resume that they’re a ‘proud canine dad to 2 golden retrievers,’ and the recruiter apparently liked this!”
Professional tip: This curiosity works effectively when the corporate you’re interviewing for is within the pet or animal {industry}.
16. Nonprofits
Like neighborhood service, an curiosity in nonprofits demonstrates your dedication to particular causes or communities.
Professional tip: Solely embrace this as an curiosity if you happen to’re genuinely concerned in particular nonprofits or volunteer work.
17. Entrepreneurship
Do you wish to begin your individual enterprise sometime? Are you a go-getter with a progress mindset? Entrepreneurship most likely comes naturally to you, which makes it price together with as an curiosity in your resume.
What we like: Having an entrepreneurial mindset could be the important thing to success as a salesman or at a startup.
18. Music
Making use of to a place within the music {industry}? It is sensible to showcase your style in music, whether or not you’re making use of to a competition manufacturing firm, a recording studio, or a streaming platform like Spotify.
Should you’re perpetually on-line like I’m, chances are you’ll bear in mind seeing this inventive resume make its rounds on LinkedIn and Twitter (now X) again in 2021:
The Spotify-themed resume was created by product supervisor Emily Vu, who finally landed a job on the music streaming platform due to her creativity.
What we like: As if the Spotify-branded design structure wasn’t inventive sufficient, Vu added an pursuits part that known as out her music pursuits. This additional demonstrated her enthusiasm and data of the {industry}.
19. Artwork Historical past
Whether or not you went to highschool for artwork historical past or you may have a robust curiosity and data of the topic, together with this in your resume can exhibit that you simply’re well-rounded.
Why this works: Should you work in a inventive discipline, particularly if you happen to’re making use of for a job within the artwork world, mentioning your curiosity within the arts is a good suggestion.
20. Tenting
Anybody who’s been tenting is aware of how a lot preparation and work is concerned. From establishing your tent to making ready your meals to connecting together with your pure environment, tenting demonstrates an adventurous character.
What we like: Should you’ve been tenting earlier than, likelihood is you may have a shaggy dog story concerning the expertise, which may make for icebreaker.
21. Educating
Should you train courses associated to your job position, it might be a good suggestion to listing that in your resume.
As an example, do you train coding courses throughout evenings and weekends? This will exhibit your deep understanding of the position and dedication to furthering the {industry}.
What we like: An curiosity in educating can set you up for a coaching or educating position inside your organization. Should you’re serious about pursuing this sooner or later, don’t hesitate to incorporate your educating expertise in your resume.
22. Journey
An curiosity in journey could be particularly related if you happen to work at a distributed firm that values journey and encourages its staff to see the world.
Advertising advisor Anna Crowe created an “About Me” part on her digital resume to say her curiosity in touring to nationwide parks.
What we like: Journey demonstrates openness to studying about completely different cultures and an adventurous character.
23. Mountaineering
Like tenting, mountaineering can exhibit a way of journey. You don’t need to verify Mount Kilimanjaro off your listing to think about your self a hiker.
What we like: If mountaineering is your passion, this is usually a nice dialog starter throughout an interview. You may point out any important hikes you’ve accomplished, which may result in thrilling tales between you and your interviewer.
24. Working
Virtually 50 million individuals within the U.S. contemplate themselves runners and 115 million are walkers, based on Statista. Translation? These in style actions are relatable pursuits to incorporate in your resume.
What we like: Being a constant runner speaks to your dedication and coaching routine.
25. Persevering with Training
There are such a lot of on-line studying alternatives out there right this moment. Whether or not you wish to study a brand new language, how to attract, or tips on how to grasp search engine optimisation, there’s a web-based course for it.
To not point out, 62% of firms supply skilled growth as a part of their advantages bundle, based on the GMAC Company Recruiters Survey. If persevering with training is important to you, it’s price mentioning if you happen to’re interviewing with an organization that provides this as a part of the job.
Why this works: An curiosity in persevering with training reveals dedication to studying new expertise and topics.
26. Inside Design
In case you have an eye fixed for inside design, don’t hesitate to say it in your resume. You could possibly even showcase your expertise over a video interview by displaying your completely designed setup within the background.
What we like: Having design expertise can translate throughout many roles.
27. Digital Group
Do you employ venture administration apps to handle all the pieces from work duties to grocery procuring? A ardour for planning and dedication to organizing can go a great distance in any position.
What we like: Bonus factors if you happen to create and share group templates like this Notion creator does.
28. Actual Property
Apart from the plain industries like actual property or mortgage lending, there are different roles that an curiosity in actual property may benefit from.
For instance, if you’re making use of for a job within the private finance {industry}, your curiosity in actual property may exhibit an intimate data of one of many greatest purchases the typical purchaser will make of their lifetime.
What we like: Some pursuits, like actual property, exhibit your cross-industry data, which could be useful if you happen to apply to jobs in enterprise, advertising, or gross sales.
29. Cooking
Do you may have a meals weblog? Take part in cooking competitions? If cooking is a big passion of yours, there’s a spot for it in your resume.
What we like: Like baking, cooking can exhibit endurance and creativity.
30. AI and machine studying
Pursuits don’t all the time need to be hobbies. Pursuits embrace topics you’re serious about studying extra about or are increasing your data on, like AI.
Having an curiosity in expertise like machine studying may put you in a greater place for future roles. These are the abilities employers imagine are a very powerful for the long run, based on the GMAC Company Recruiters Survey.
What we like: Displaying an curiosity in sure applied sciences demonstrates adaptiveness and a dedication to studying.
31. Private Finance
I do know just a few individuals who have achieved main monetary achievements — like paying off their pupil mortgage debt inside a yr or saving as much as purchase a home — who now share their ideas with others on-line.
What we like: Should you’ve finished one thing comparable and usually share your ideas and recommendations on social media or by means of a weblog, this may be a wonderful curiosity so as to add to your resume to exhibit your thought management.
32. Distant Work
Should you contemplate your self a digital nomad or are keen about distant work, you may add that as an curiosity to your resume. This will additionally showcase your want to work remotely and assist join you to the proper employers.
Whereas distant work could also be extra frequent than in years previous, some individuals and firms have advocated for the digital nomad way of life for a very long time. For instance, Buffer has been a totally distant and distributed workforce since 2013.
Why this works: This curiosity doubles as a job choice on your resume.
33. Studying Languages
Studying a brand new language is usually a problem. Nevertheless, a dedication to learning and training a international language is price mentioning in your resume.
It showcases your pursuits. Plus, relying in your talent degree, understanding a number of languages may also be an asset to any workforce.
What we like: Studying languages reveals dedication to studying and an openness to completely different cultures.
34. Podcasting
It’s estimated that there will likely be over three million lively podcasts in 2023. Should you host one in all them, contemplate mentioning it in your resume.
You won’t wish to embrace your podcast’s precise title or style, relying on what your podcast is about. But when it’s one thing related to your {industry}, add it.
What we like: Lots of creativity, expertise, and advertising goes into creating your individual podcast. These expertise may help enhance your resume if you happen to work in advertising or communications, as an illustration.
35. Internet Design
In response to Upwork, internet design and growth are each in-demand expertise for unbiased professionals. Should you’ve been exploring internet design in your free time, contemplate together with it as a passion in your resume, even if you happen to aren’t planning on pursuing freelance work.
What we like: This curiosity can double as a talent you probably have loads of data and experience on the topic.
36. Attending Conferences
Should you get pleasure from networking occasions and attending {industry} conferences, this counts as an curiosity to incorporate in your resume.
Why this works: Should you’re making use of for a gross sales place, your potential employer will doubtless be impressed that you simply get pleasure from networking in your free time.
37. Standup Comedy
Most of us love to observe comedy reveals, however pursuing standup comedy as a passion is a very completely different story — one which’s far more fascinating. Should you observe comedy, this will exhibit creativity, braveness, and the flexibility to not take your self too significantly.
What we like: Together with standup comedy as an curiosity will result in fascinating (and humorous) conversations throughout an interview.
38. Content material Creation
Do you’re keen on creating cooking movies to share on TikTok? Or perhaps you typically submit UGC (user-generated content material) on Instagram to showcase manufacturers you’re keen on.
Content material creators have expertise in pictures, advertising, and social media, which may all be interesting expertise within the eyes of an interviewer or recruiter.
What we like: Being a content material creator can enhance your resume if you happen to’re on the lookout for advertising and social media jobs.
39. Gardening
There’s one thing peaceable about getting your palms soiled, planting seeds, and watering flowers. Gardening is a soothing pastime and is a good weekend exercise to partake in.
What we like: Gardening can exhibit endurance and humbleness.
40. DIY Tasks
Just like my curiosity in dwelling renovations, I additionally get pleasure from any sort of DIY venture. I normally discover inspiration for a house decor DIY on Pinterest or Instagram and spend a weekend placing my very own spin on it.
What we like: An curiosity in DIY tasks showcases creativity, dedication, and a way of individualism.
Showcasing your pursuits in your resume is a inventive strategy to give recruiters and interviewers a greater sense of who you might be.
Not solely do pursuits let individuals know what you get pleasure from exterior of labor, however additionally they give employers an thought of how these pursuits translate into your work.
