What are the Best Hobbies and Interests to Put on a CV

Best Hobbies and Interests to Put on a CV – A Complete Guide


To a hiring manager, most of the interests and hobbies you use on your CV will say something about you. Hobbies and interests can be used for the signalling of character traits, as an ice-breaker question or to resonate with the interviewer.

But there is a problem-

The most commonly mentioned pastime activities according to CV analysis are- you guessed it- travelling, reading books, listening to music, and watching movies. These hobbies have been seen by hiring managers thousands of times. Truly when you think about it- they do not care.

Choosing which aspects of your personality you want to communicate and emphasize is the basis of selecting happenings for your CV.

Let’s check out the list below!

List of Hobbies and Interests for CV

Community involvement and volunteering

Research shows that managers are 80% more likely to hire someone with experience volunteering- so there is a reason we have this first on our list.

A lot of strong and initiative morals are shown through volunteering. Community involvement and volunteering also teaches leadership and organizational skills.

Writing

The heart of every organization is communication. A clear representation of your written communication skills can be showcased if you have written or like writing scientific papers or novels.

Blogging

Just like other types of writing, blogging proves that you have excellent writing and communication skills. The most important skill for people who enter the workforce is communication which can be achieved through blogging

Podcasting

Incredibly popular these days are the podcast format. You can demonstrate that you have industry expertise through podcasting. Podcasting also helps in connecting with leaders and helps in building an audience. Hence, a great way to improve organizational skills is podcasting.

Learning languages

If you’re planning on developing your career, speaking English may not be enough. Japanese, Hindi, and Russian are the fastest languages emerging among global consumers. Correlation between problem-solving abilities, memory skills and intelligence, and learning have been found by many studies

Marketing

From 5% in 2005 to 80% in 2019, the number of adults in the US social media rapidly increased. With a passion for marketing, you can get a new profession as an SEO specialist, content creator, and media manager. It will make a good impression on HR if you talk about owning an Instagram profile with a larger audience.

Travel

Self-organization, courage, and curiosity come with travelling. Through travelling, you can prove that you want to learn new things and want to step outside of your comfort zone especially because among the most important workplace personal traits are adaptability and flexibility.

Photography

Photography is so much more than taking pictures. Not only does it develop technical expertise but also conceptual skills and the ability to collaborate with others around you.

Sports

What sports you take part in does not matter. Patience and self-disciple in general are developed through exercising. Opportunities to improve interpersonal, communication and leadership skills are improved through team sports.

Yoga

Yoga is much more than just stretching; it can be characterized as a type of sport. It is a great way to relax your mind since it involves concentrating on breathing. Research shows that employees are less likely to leave if they’re relaxed.

Dancing

More than just fun, dancing is a social activity that leads to collaboration skills being acquired. Dancing also helps to unwind and boost cognitive performance.

Art

Creativity skills are required by hundreds of jobs. Also part of critical thinking skills is inventiveness and imagination. Data shows that over candidate’s undergraduate degrees, employers prefer individuals who have the ability to think critically.

Reading

Reading books will show that you follow your passions even if it is just romantic books that you read. It also helps reduce stress and prevent cognitive decline while helping maintain a great work-life balance.

Making music

What else is good for your brain? Making music! You might find it surprising but learning how to play different instruments can help with science and maths abilities being fostered. Your mental performance can also be improved along with your memory.

Listening to music

For elevating moods, listening to music can also help lower stress. It strengthens memory abilities and learning abilities too. Being able to learn new things on a daily basis, in the ever-changing corporate world is a top employability skill that every employer is looking out for.

Rules You Should Not Forget

Adding hobbies and interests has hidden benefits. Hundreds of resumes are shuffled through by recruiters searching for candidates and looking for the right person for the job. For that, a full image of an applicant needs to be created for the interviewer.

You can stand out from the crowd with a list of distinct interests and hobbies on your CV. Your potential employer will also look at you as more of a memorable and attractive candidate.

If you’re a champion cake decorator, your recruiter will think of you as someone who gets things done.

Using interests and hobbies can also work in reverse:

Do some snooping and put on your Sherlock cap if you know who’s going to conduct your interview. By checking their LinkedIn profile you can find out what you have in common with them.

You can get a pocket full of icebreaker topics once you know your interviewer’s personal interests. Initiating small talk during your interview will be easier through these topics.

The three rules you should not forget is keeping your level of weirdness low, being honest, and being specific.

Key Takeaway

Listing personal interest on your CV, just like on dating websites, should be done for a reason and with caution. You want your skills and interest to become a conversation starter, reflect on the culture of the organization, and resonate with the hiring manager for all the right reasons.

It’s a bit of a long shot but you can also use your personal interests for signalling character traits. In the end, the key takeaway is that a CV needs to be to the job at hand.

You now know how to include hobbies and interests in a cv– but if you still need more help finalising your CV which includes your list of hobbies and interests? CVWritings can offer you a helping hand to create a tailored CV.

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