Theme: hobbies and interests

Theme: HOBBIES AND INTERESTS

As you build your resume, you should include information that is both relevant to the role and also helps you stand out to employers. Featuring your hobbies and interests on a resume is one great way to showcase your personality and skills to help hiring managers learn if you're a good fit for their company. It's important to know the difference between the two to correctly list them on your resume.

In this article, we explain what hobbies and interests are and the differences between them, and we share tips to help include them on your resume.

What is a hobby?

A hobby is an activity you may complete in your free time that brings you pleasure. Common hobbies can include collecting items, participating in a sport or activity or working on creative projects. When you're actively pursuing something outside of work hours, you're participating in a hobby. As you engage in your hobby, you're dedicating your time and energy to something you enjoy and are passionate about. Pursuing a hobby is often an ongoing experience that you can regularly commit to.

What is an interest?

An interest is a desire or need to learn more about a specific subject. Interests can be a personal desire to learn more about an activity or to educate yourself further about a topic to improve your work performance. An interest can last a short amount of time or you can participate in it sporadically without the need to pursue it on an ongoing basis.

For example, a personal interest could be to learn more about music by studying classical artists and pieces. On a professional level, a medical student pursuing neurology as their specialty would have an interest in learning more about the human brain.