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 slightly extra personalization to my resume and wish [recruiters] to know me as an individual past a chunk of paper.”
And apparently, he’s not alone. In accordance with a research by Standout CV, one in 4 folks embody hobbies and pursuits on their resumes.
Suppose you’re interested by what pursuits to place in your resume — and why — that is the article for you. We’ll additionally assessment the completely different pursuits and hobbies that can aid you stand out within the job market.
Why You Ought to Embrace Pursuits on Your Resume
Why You Ought to Embrace Pursuits on Your Resume
Whereas not at all times relevant, there are a number of situations when mentioning your pursuits and hobbies in your resume is smart.
Sarah Johnston, founder and CEO of govt resume writing agency Briefcase Coach, says should you select to incorporate pursuits in your resume, deal with customization. “We at all times contemplate the viewers and the relevancy of the extra enjoyable reality to the viewers,” she suggests.
Listed below are a number of the reason why it is best to add your pursuits to your resume.
1. You may showcase your character.
Essentially the most compelling cause to incorporate pursuits in your resume is to showcase your character. Recruiters and hiring managers assessment numerous resumes for each job position. They’re doubtless studying the identical expertise and comparable experiences again and again. What higher strategy to stand out than to offer 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 might 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 based mostly in Austin. As a Western model promoting boots and attire, Tecovas emphasizes its mission of “welcoming first-time boot patrons and Western fanatics alike.”
In the event you contemplate your self a Western fanatic and luxuriate in actions comparable to horseback driving, it could be value mentioning that in your resume to point out 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 will search candidates with particular expertise or pursuits. For instance, should you’re making use of for a advertising and marketing supervisor position at an artwork museum, the hiring supervisor would doubtless anticipate you to be focused on artwork or artwork historical past.
I did a fast seek for such a position to check this concept, 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 increase your resume you probably have restricted expertise.
All of us have to begin someplace. In the event 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 might help an employer get to know you you probably have restricted work expertise.
The secret’s to attach the dots between your pursuits and the job you’re making use of for thus recruiters perceive the way it might help professionally. Research the job descriptions and the corporate to get a way of their tradition and job necessities, work out how your pursuits and hobbies relate, and showcase your strengths.
For instance, sports activities can show 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 be certain 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 every of HubSpot’s resume templates.
I added an pursuits part that displays my present work and is related to the varieties of firms I wish to work with. Listed below are the hobbies and pursuits I included.
1. Pilates
I attend Pilates lessons not less than twice per week (it helps that my sister is an teacher!), and it’s at all times the most effective a part of my day. As a author, I’m sitting in entrance of my laptop computer display for hours, so Pilates helps me get a break from my desk.
Why it really works: Committing to an everyday train routine — whether or not yoga, operating, and even strolling — showcases a wholesome work-life stability.
2. House Renovations
If you already know my fiancé and me, then you already know 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 incredible dialog starter throughout interviews. Persons are focused on listening to concerning the course of, primarily as a result of we do the work ourselves to economize (for higher or worse).
3. Classic Gathering
On any given weekend, you could find me at a thrift retailer or an property sale. I really like looking for distinctive gadgets and hidden gems and giving them a second life.
Why it really works: I’ve discovered that this subject is one other icebreaker. If I’m speaking to somebody who additionally enjoys classic purchasing, we normally swap tales concerning the varieties of gadgets we acquire and the place to seek out them.
4. Guide 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 discovered from the e book.
Why it really works: This passion demonstrates my curiosity in persevering with training and my eagerness to prepare occasions (on a small scale) since I created the group and deliberate the whole lot myself.
5. Small Companies
I used to write down for an area journal masking life-style subjects, comparable to the place to buy and eat round city. The perfect 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 varieties of roles I’d be focused on 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: In the event you’re an lively sports activities workforce or group league member, add it to the pursuits part in your resume to showcase your teamwork outdoors of labor.
7. Pictures
I used to be scrolling by 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 record the kind of pictures you’re focused on, like iPhone, movie, or product pictures.
8. Group Service
Early in my profession, as I used to be constructing my resume, I relied on my earlier volunteer experiences to show my completely different expertise and pursuits. I used to be an lively member of a volunteer group in school 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 show 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 show your artistic expertise.
What we like: Whether or not you’re making use of to a artistic job or not, artistic hobbies might help enhance your creativity at work.
10. Baking
My pal Micah Peterson, an internet 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 kind 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: In the event 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 should you can join your expertise to the position you’re making use of for, that’s even higher.
11. Studying
Possibly you’re in a e book membership like I used to be or take pleasure in studying challenges. Or maybe you’re lively on #BookTok, the huge subcommunity on TikTok devoted to sharing and reviewing books.
Why it really works: One instance of a task the place this curiosity might 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 folks embody 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 show curiosity and data in a number of components, from the technical points of the gaming system to the visible points discovered within the graphics to the technique that goes into the sport.
13. Writing
Do you take pleasure in writing in your free time? Whether or not you like writing fiction, poetry, or blogs, these expertise will doubtless translate to no matter position you’re making use of for.
In accordance with 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 at all times be a necessary talent within the office, so this can be a timeless curiosity to incorporate in your resume.
14. Graphic design
In accordance with Upwork, graphic design is one in every of probably the most in-demand expertise for freelancers. Even should you’re not pursuing freelance work, this information proves the necessity for this talent amongst firms of all sizes.
What we like: When you have graphic design expertise, even when this isn’t the main focus of your position, it could actually increase your resume.
15. Animals
Sure, the furry associates in your life might 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 preserving your resume skilled.
Johnston, who works with a few 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 beloved this!”
Professional tip: This curiosity works properly when the corporate you’re interviewing for is within the pet or animal {industry}.
16. Nonprofits
Like group service, an curiosity in nonprofits demonstrates your dedication to particular causes or communities.
Professional tip: Solely embody this as an curiosity should you’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 value together with as an curiosity in your resume.
What we like: Having an entrepreneurial mindset might 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 smart 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.
In the event you’re perpetually on-line like I’m, it’s possible you’ll bear in mind seeing this artistic 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 because of her creativity.
What we like: As if the Spotify-branded design structure wasn’t artistic sufficient, Vu added an pursuits part that referred to 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 have got a powerful curiosity and data of the topic, together with this in your resume can show that you simply’re well-rounded.
Why this works: In the event you work in a artistic area, particularly should you’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 getting ready your meals to connecting along with your pure environment, tenting demonstrates an adventurous character.
What we like: In the event you’ve been tenting earlier than, chances are high you have got a shaggy dog story concerning the expertise, which might make for icebreaker.
21. Educating
In the event you train lessons associated to your job position, it might be a good suggestion to record that in your resume.
As an example, do you train coding lessons throughout evenings and weekends? This will show your deep understanding of the position and dedication to furthering the {industry}.
What we like: An curiosity in instructing can set you up for a coaching or instructing position inside your organization. In the event you’re focused on pursuing this sooner or later, don’t hesitate to incorporate your instructing expertise in your resume.
22. Journey
An curiosity in journey might be particularly related should you work at a distributed firm that values journey and encourages its workers to see the world.
Advertising and marketing guide 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. Climbing
Like tenting, mountain climbing can show a way of journey. You don’t should verify Mount Kilimanjaro off your record to think about your self a hiker.
What we like: If mountain climbing is your passion, this could be a nice dialog starter throughout an interview. You may point out any vital hikes you’ve accomplished, which might result in thrilling tales between you and your interviewer.
24. Operating
Nearly 50 million folks 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 Schooling
There are such a lot of on-line studying alternatives accessible immediately. Whether or not you wish to be taught a brand new language, how to attract, or how one can grasp web optimization, there’s an internet course for it.
To not point out, 62% of firms provide skilled improvement as a part of their advantages package deal, based on the GMAC Company Recruiters Survey. If persevering with training is crucial to you, it’s value mentioning should you’re interviewing with an organization that gives this as a part of the job.
Why this works: An curiosity in persevering with training exhibits dedication to studying new expertise and topics.
26. Inside Design
When you have an eye fixed for inside design, don’t hesitate to say it in your resume. You may 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 undertaking administration apps to handle the whole lot from work duties to grocery purchasing? A ardour for planning and dedication to organizing can go a great distance in any position.
What we like: Bonus factors should you create and share group templates like this Notion creator does.
28. Actual Property
Apart from the apparent industries like actual property or mortgage lending, there are different roles that an curiosity in actual property may gain advantage from.
For instance, in case you are making use of for a job within the private finance {industry}, your curiosity in actual property might show an intimate data of one of many largest purchases the common purchaser will make of their lifetime.
What we like: Some pursuits, like actual property, show your cross-industry data, which might be helpful should you apply to jobs in enterprise, advertising and marketing, or gross sales.
29. Cooking
Do you have got 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 show endurance and creativity.
30. AI and machine studying
Pursuits don’t at all times should be hobbies. Pursuits embody topics you’re focused on studying extra about or are increasing your data on, like AI.
Having an curiosity in know-how like machine studying also can 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: Exhibiting an curiosity in sure applied sciences demonstrates adaptiveness and a dedication to studying.
31. Private Finance
I do know a number of individuals who have completed 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 suggestions with others on-line.
What we like: In the event you’ve achieved one thing comparable and usually share your ideas and recommendations on social media or by a weblog, this may be a superb curiosity so as to add to your resume to show your thought management.
32. Distant Work
In the event 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 appropriate employers.
Whereas distant work could also be extra frequent than in years previous, some folks and corporations have advocated for the digital nomad life-style for a very long time. For instance, Buffer has been a completely distant and distributed workforce since 2013.
Why this works: This curiosity doubles as a job choice in your resume.
33. Studying Languages
Studying a brand new language could be a problem. Nonetheless, a dedication to finding out and practising a international language is value mentioning in your resume.
It showcases your pursuits. Plus, relying in your talent stage, understanding a number of languages will also be an asset to any workforce.
What we like: Studying languages exhibits dedication to studying and an openness to completely different cultures.
34. Podcasting
It’s estimated that there will probably be over three million lively podcasts in 2023. In the event you host one in every of them, contemplate mentioning it in your resume.
You won’t wish to embody your podcast’s actual identify 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, know-how, and advertising and marketing goes into creating your individual podcast. These expertise might help increase your resume should you work in advertising and marketing or communications, as an illustration.
35. Internet Design
In accordance with Upwork, internet design and improvement are each in-demand expertise for impartial professionals. In the event you’ve been exploring internet design in your free time, contemplate together with it as a passion in your resume, even should you aren’t planning on pursuing freelance work.
What we like: This curiosity can double as a talent you probably have a variety of data and experience on the topic.
36. Attending Conferences
In the event you take pleasure in networking occasions and attending {industry} conferences, this counts as an curiosity to incorporate in your resume.
Why this works: In the event you’re making use of for a gross sales place, your potential employer will doubtless be impressed that you simply take pleasure in networking in your free time.
37. Standup Comedy
Most of us love to observe comedy exhibits, however pursuing standup comedy as a passion is a completely completely different story — one which’s far more fascinating. In the event you observe comedy, this could show creativity, braveness, and the power to not take your self too severely.
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 like creating cooking movies to share on TikTok? Or possibly you typically publish UGC (user-generated content material) on Instagram to showcase manufacturers you like.
Content material creators have expertise in pictures, advertising and marketing, and social media, which might all be interesting expertise within the eyes of an interviewer or recruiter.
What we like: Being a content material creator can increase your resume should you’re on the lookout for advertising and marketing 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 superb weekend exercise to partake in.
What we like: Gardening can show endurance and humbleness.
40. DIY Tasks
Much like my curiosity in dwelling renovations, I additionally take pleasure in any kind of DIY undertaking. 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 artistic strategy to give recruiters and interviewers a greater sense of who you’re.
Not solely do pursuits let folks know what you take pleasure in outdoors of labor, however in addition they give employers an concept of how these pursuits translate into your work.
