Should you list your interests and hobbies in resume?
Before we get into your interests and hobbies, you should list them on your resume. We need to address the issue of whether you should do so at all.
The type of job and company you're applying to is the main deciding factor in whether you should include an interests section on your resume.
Information about your possible cultural fit is probably of significant interest to modern technology companies. Your interests are a great way to express them on your Resume.
Older and established companies are less likely to be interested in your extracurricular activities.
Consider the following before choosing to list your interests:
- Before applying for this job, read the job description. Do they specifically address their company culture or the relevance of cultural fit?
- If the answer is "yes," it's a good idea to add your "interests" section.
- Look out at all the company webpage. Read their website's "about us" and "employment" sections. Do they discuss the importance of differing views or cultures?
- If the answer is "yes," it's probably best if you mention your hobbies in resume
All interests and hobbies are not created equal regarding your resume!
For example, I have mastered the art of binge-watching television. I could take first place in a competition for binge viewing.
Even so, I would leave this hobby off my Resume. This hobby is not particularly unusual nor noteworthy, but that doesn't mean anything wrong with it.
Remember that the "interests" section aims to make you stand out. Including a hobby on your resume won't be effective if the hiring manager has already seen it hundreds of times.
You should be as specific as possible while discussing your hobbies or interests. Sports and "captain of a local co-ed basketball team" are different.
Avoiding certain hobbies in resume
It's typically wiser to err on the side of caution if you're unsure whether to put the specific interest or hobby on your resume.
The last thing you want to do is include a prohibited item on your resume that will turn a "yes" into a "no."
This means that you shouldn't mention your politics in any way on your CV (unless you're looking for a job in politics, of course).
This does not mean that if volunteering at your local church is one of your hobbies, you should refrain from discussing it.
Imagine meeting someone you would like to leave a favourable first impression of. If you intend to present a professional Resume, leave the topic out if it's one you'd prefer to avoid in that conversation.
Here is my experience, which includes a hobby that, in another set of circumstances, I would have preferred to keep off my résumé.