Hobbies in a Resume: Do's and Don'ts


Hobbies in a Resume: Do's and Don'ts

When you’re a student, you feel inspired and motivated to get the best job ever. But what can you offer besides some hobbies in resume to HRs of the companies you choose? We’ll tell you what can make them like your resume and offer you a good position that will meet your expectations.

Writing hobbies in a resume: Do’s

Here are the key things that should definitely be mentioned in your resume. Don’t go too long and try to make your phrases as short as possible.

Add relevant hobbies

If you plan to be a waiter, it may look weird that you love laying in bed and watching cartoons at the weekend. If you are a blogger and you know your audience, you can mention it if you plan to work in the marketing or sales team. If you like extreme sports, you can apply for a position that requires soft skills related to evaluating risks and so on.

Each of the hobbies you mention should be somehow related to the position you wish to take. If there’s nothing in common in a resume, your resume won’t stand out. If you think that your hobby is not interesting for the HR team, you may think of the skills that are common for both your hobbies and your future job. You can list them in a resume.

Choose the hobby that can make you stand out

What things can make you stand out? Think about what you have done recently that can attract the attention of the resume readers. If you love going out in the evenings, you’re likely to fail with your resume. If you state that you have no hobbies as you don’t have time for them, HRs may think that you cannot plan your time the right way.

What can you do if you have no uncommon hobbies? You can describe something habitual or usual in a new way. Your goal here is to evoke emotions. Please mind that your story should be short.

State current hobbies

It’s great that you won dozens of medals when you were a kid. But that’s not interesting to the resume readers. It’s good to mention those things that you have been into during the last five years. We ask you to state only true information. The truth will come out sooner or later after you get a new job.

Writing a resume: Don’ts

Now it’s time to tell you what not to mention in your resume. Have a look at the “don’ts” below and never do these things.

Don’t leave much space

It’s not good to have much space between the lines, paragraphs and resume sections. There should be enough space to make the resume text readable. But leaving too much space can make HRs think that you are not good at formatting. Visual attraction of a resume matters, and much free space will not make it look good.

Don’t present your dreams as the truth

A resume is not a place where you can replace the truth with your imagination. You shouldn’t lie or state unreal hobbies. HRs can ask some questions related to your hobbies during the interviews and they can detect that you lie. This will automatically leave you without an opportunity to get that job.

Don’t disclose your inner secrets

You should state only those hobbies that you can discuss in public and don’t hide any information about them. Your inner soul and your real feelings, secrets, and emotions should stay with you forever - there is no need to share them with HRs.

What hobbies can you include in a resume?

Here are some of the indoor hobbies that can make your resume stand out:

3D printing

Embroidery

Reading

Baking

Fishkeeping

Sculpting

Calligraphy

Gaming

Sewing

Coloring

Quilling

Singing

Computer Programming

Magic Performances

Table Tennis

Cooking

Painting

Digital Designing

Crossword Puzzles

Photography

Writing

Cryptography

Instrument Playing

Yoga

 

Indoor collection hobbies in your resume:

Book
Collection

Stamp & Postcard
Collection

Card & Coin
Collection

Video Game
Collection

Movie
Collection

Vintage
Collection


Outdoor hobbies in your resume:

Antiquities

Insect Collection

Flower Collecting

Seashell collecting

Fossil Hunting

Flower Pressing

 

If you love something very much but you cannot call it a hobby, you can name it as an interest. You can make a separate list of interests in a resume - you can also mention what you’d love to gain in a new company. 

Need help with hobbies in a resume?

What should you do if you don’t have any prominent hobbies or you don’t know how to describe the ones you have? The description of the hobbies should be short, clear, and precise. It should appeal to the HRs and be somehow related to the position you want to take. If you cannot describe what you love doing, it doesn’t mean that you’ll be a bad worker.

When you have found some jobs that you’d like to apply for, let us know about your decision. We’ll help you make a compelling resume including hobbies that will reflect your personality from a positive side. To do this, drop us a message and we’ll help you right away.