Interests and hobbies

INTERESTS AND HOBBIES
You’re a hiring manager considering two candidates with similar resumes. You’re having trouble deciding which of the two to move forward.
Now, as a running enthusiast, you notice that one of the applicants is also a running fan. You, therefore, decide to go with the one you think will be a slightly better cultural fit due to your shared interest.
So, why “shared interest” instead of “shared hobby?” Great question. “Hobbies” and “interests” are interchangeable—just two words expressing the same thing. Displaying your hobbies and interests won’t make or break your resume, but they can up your chances of getting an interview by showing you’re a real person with real interests.
We’ll dive into interests and hobbies to include on your resume, and show you how to list them to gain a leg up in the application process.

Why this resume works

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  If you’re writing something highly-specific like a middle school history teacher resume, then you’ll want to curate your hobbies and interests to express how well you’d fit into a mentorship role.
  
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    Always choose hobbies and interests for your resume that relate to your field. 
    
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    And don’t be afraid to include something cool and credible like being a Jeopardy contestant, even if it isn’t an ongoing hobby. 
    
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    Thought-provoking interests like helping troubled youths can effectively display your compassion and adaptability in difficult situations.
    

Here’s an extensive list of hobbies and interests you can potentially include on your resume. You can always list a slew of things you enjoy on your resume outline and narrow it down when you get ready to build your actual resume, but we’ve also got some simple and student resume templates from Google Docs that have a section just for hobbies and interests.
Remember, your hobbies are supposed to be for your enjoyment. If you don’t think you have any hobbies for your resume that will work, that’s okay!