Hobbies in resume

In almost every resume we find hobbies, but have you ever wondered why you should write your hobby in the resume at all?

You may be asking yourself, "What business is it of the employer's how I spend my free time? What if I have a quirky or whimsical hobby?"

Here we would like to show you why you should list your hobbies in your CV and how they can shed a different light on an applicant when read.

Why hobbies enhance a resume
To begin with, a clarification: listing hobbies in your resume is not a must. Nor will it actively influence the selection process, but unconsciously it certainly has an effect.

Hobbies help us as recruiters to get a better picture of the candidate. The vacancy should be filled by a person who, on the one hand, fits well into the team, but who also brings certain qualities and character traits that may be relevant to the performance of the job. Hobbies help here, as the candidate's personality can be better assessed and provide a starting point for lightening up questions in an interview. Many candidates flourish when you can talk about their interests and hobbies.

What you should list
For us it is important that your hobby is really yours. By definition, a hobby is an activity that is carried out voluntarily and regularly in one's free time, serves solely for pleasure or relaxation, and contributes to one's self-image. It is therefore of little use to add or list activities that you once did years ago. Hobbies complete the image that is created about you when you read your CV. For example, sports activities imply an active and dynamic personality. A team sport suggests that you are good at working in teams. If you are also the captain of a team, it shows that you are willing to take responsibility even in your free time. Chess players are expected to be structured and organized personalities, but perhaps should not be used in a team. If you like cooking this can imply creativity, openness and structuredness. If you are involved in clubs, foundations or voluntary work in your free time, you appear responsible, committed, motivated or willing to help. If you like to travel, this implies your openness to other cultures, personal responsibility, organizational ability and sociability.

What you should rather not list
In general, you should make sure that your hobbies show you as an active person. Passive hobbies suggest a passive personality. This refers to activities like watching TV, Netflix, or playing computer games. Although the latter is getting more recognition because of the interaction and complexity, it is still stigmatized as a hobby.

Furthermore, you should try to exclude extreme sports. Although these show your willingness to take risks and your thirst for action, they already trigger the HR manager's fear of long absences from work. Depending on the position you are aiming for, too much risk-taking can also have a negative effect.

Also, the popular hobbies: reading, listening to music, biking, hiking, etc. should be enjoyed with caution. Most people listen to music or ride their bike every now and then. In 95 percent of all CVs, for example, we see "reading" listed, but just because a book is picked up from time to time does not make it a hobby. Often candidates try to appear intellectual through this - but can't name their favorite author in conversation. Consider again the above definition of hobby: "Travel" is not necessarily the annual vacation at the beach hotel, "cycling" is not the occasional bike ride, football is not the weekly stadium visit and "cooking" is not exactly the daily portion of spaghetti.

Again, be honest - especially with yourself. If you often and enjoy reading, hiking or cycling, then feel free to state this hobby. The important thing is that it reflects you correctly. You must always expect questions about your stated hobbies.

The right choice
You can organize your free time however you see fit. In the application, however, it can make sense to exclude certain components of your free time. Not only because of the resulting impressions of your personality, but also because an excess of different interests makes you suspicious: The HR manager may wonder how you manage all this at the same time. In addition, you should always keep in mind what positions you are applying for and what image of yourself you want to convey in this application.

Pro tip
If you have awards for special achievements within your hobby, list them in parentheses after the hobby. These include competition titles, coaching certificates, achievements, and goals reached.

If you have any unusual hobbies, you are welcome to point them out in your resume or even tell us about them in the job interview. Are you a passionate film critic or restaurant tester, do you write a blog about your own recipes, grow chilies or run a YouTube channel? Show off your dedication or creativity if it's something you're comfortable with and enjoy talking about with others. Unusual hobbies attract attention and your application will be looked at more closely.

By the way: Other countries, other customs
Not everywhere hobbies are seen with pleasure in the curriculum vitae. In the U.S., people like to omit them because there is a stricter separation between work and private life.