It’s 2022. Maybe you’re wondering, “Should I still be listing my hobbies on my resume?” After all, many templates include a space for hobbies and interests.
The answer to this question very much depends on your career path and circumstances. Below, we’ll examine reasons why you should (or shouldn’t) include hobbies on your resume. Then, we’ll consider a list of hobbies and how to leverage them.
Still seeking more resume inspiration? Check out these online resume examples to download.
When to Include Hobbies and Interests on Your Resume – and When Not To
There are two reasons why you might want to include hobbies and interests on your resume.
- If you have very little experience, such as when you are first entering the workforce. A Hobbies and Interests section can fill up that blank space, as well as highlight transferable traits such as commitment or a good work ethic.
- If your hobbies are relevant to the job at hand or your career goals. Some hobbies indicate that you have knowledge of a subject or specific skills.
There are also times when you should omit the Hobbies and Interests section.
- When your resume is too full. If you already have a lot of qualifications, don’t draw attention away from them by including hobbies. Trying to put too much on your resume can also make it look cluttered and difficult to read.
- If your hobbies are not relevant or if they could be considered inappropriate. Hiring managers draw conclusions about you based on your resume. If you include hobbies without a good reason for doing so, you may appear immature. If you include offensive or questionable activities, they may draw negative conclusions about your personality traits. Even the assumption that you are introverted (a chess hobby) or a risk-taker (a skydiving hobby) could be detrimental depending on the company culture.
Let’s assume that you have determined that hobbies would be a good addition to your resume. How do you do it? Let’s look at one specific example.
How to Leverage Your Hobbies – An Example to Follow
Hobbies are typically listed in a stand-alone resume section entitled “Hobbies and Interests.” With few exceptions, hobbies should come at the end of your resume or in a sidebar.
You can list your hobbies using bullet points. Depending on spacing and your unique circumstances, you may choose to include a brief description of each, highlighting its relationship to your career goals.
You can get creative in how you apply your hobbies to your career path. For example, imagine that you are looking for a job as a midwife. With appropriate descriptions, you might be able to leverage some of the following hobbies to support your career goals:
- Volunteerism – working as a hospital volunteer would expose you to the medical work environment.
- Anatomy and physiology – this interest would support that you are knowledgeable about body systems.
- Alternative medicine/essential oils/herbs – midwives with a background in alternative health are sought out by some expectant mothers.
- Singing or playing a musical instrument – could be used to soothe mothers and children.
- International travel/culture – this can come in especially handy in diverse communities, where expectant mothers may have certain cultural sensitivities.
Let’s see what that might look like on an actual resume.
Hobbies and Interests
- Volunteering at a local hospital
- Anatomy and physiology
- Essential oils
- Singing (lullabies)
List of Interests and Hobbies for 2022
Do you have any of the following hobbies? Consider including them on your resume if they are relevant or represent transferable skills.
- 3D printing
- Archery
- Art
- Artificial intelligence
- Baking
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Being involved with charities
- Blog writing
- Blogging
- Board/tabletop games
- Boardgames
- Book collecting
- Book discussion clubs
- Book restoration
- Bullet journaling
- Caligraphy
- Camping
- Chess
- Community service
- Computer programming
- Cooking and baking
- Creating and organizing a book club
- Creative writing
- Crossword puzzles
- Cycling
- Dancing
- Design
- Drawing, sketching, and painting
- Exercising and healthcare
- Exploring other cultures
- Fencing
- Filmmaking
- Fitness
- Football
- Foreign languages
- Gaming
- Gardening
- Graphic design
- History
- Image editing
- Joining social, environmental, or animal rights groups
- Journaling
- Language classes
- Learning Languages
- Listening to podcasts
- Local meetups
- Making or listening to music
- Marathon running
- Marketing
- Mentoring
- Mindfulness
- Mountain climbing
- Nature
- Networking events
- Organizing events in the community
- Outdoor activities
- Painting
- Participating in campaigns
- Participating in fundraising events
- Photography
- Playing a musical instrument
- Playing chess and solving puzzle games
- Playing sports (football, tennis, etc.)
- Podcasting
- Public speaking
- Reading
- Reading and writing books and articles
- Scuba diving
- Sketching
- Skiing
- Social causes
- Solar Energy
- Solving puzzles
- Stand-up comedy
- Stock trading
- Swimming
- Team or individual sports
- Tennis
- Theater
- Topical blogs or research
- Travel
- Video Games
- Video editing
- Video game developing
- Volleyball
- Volunteering
- Volunteering at a charity center
- Volunteering at local companies, clubs, and organizations
- Wikipedia editing
- Woodworking
- Writing
- Yoga
- 3D printing
- Archery
- Art
- Artificial intelligence
- Baking
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Being involved with charities
- Blog writing
- Blogging
- Board/tabletop games
- Boardgames
- Book collecting
- Book discussion clubs
- Book restoration
- Bullet journaling
- Caligraphy
- Camping
- Chess
- Community service
- Computer programming
- Cooking and baking
- Creating and organizing a book club
- Creative writing
- Crossword puzzles
- Cycling
- Dancing
- Design
- Drawing, sketching, and painting
- Exercising and healthcare
- Exploring other cultures
- Fencing
- Filmmaking
- Fitness
- Football
- Foreign languages
- Gaming
- Gardening
- Graphic design
- History
- Image editing
- Joining social, environmental, or animal rights groups
- Journaling
- Language classes
- Learning Languages
- Listening to podcasts
- Local meetups
- Making or listening to music
- Marathon running
- Marketing
- Mentoring
- Mindfulness
- Mountain climbing
- Nature
- Networking events
- Organizing events in the community
- Outdoor activities
- Painting
- Participating in campaigns
- Participating in fundraising events
- Photography
- Playing a musical instrument
- Playing chess and solving puzzle games
- Playing sports (football, tennis, etc.)
- Podcasting
- Public speaking
- Reading
- Reading and writing books and articles
- Scuba diving
- Sketching
- Skiing
- Social causes
- Solar Energy
- Solving puzzles
- Stand-up comedy
- Stock trading
- Swimming
- Team or individual sports
- Tennis
- Theater
- Topical blogs or research
- Travel
- Video Games
- Video editing
- Video game developing
- Volleyball
- Volunteering
- Volunteering at a charity center
- Volunteering at local companies, clubs, and organizations
- Wikipedia editing
- Woodworking
- Writing
- Yoga
