The benefits of including your hobbies on your resume

Recently, I was talking to a friend about their plans after graduation. They told me how they struggled to write a resume and find work. Beyond the hospitality job they had worked in for years and their uni degree, they needed to figure out what else to list on their resume. How did they get their foot in the door?

This was a friend who I had been playing Dungeons and Dragons with for years, so I asked, “Why don’t you list D&D?”

They, of course, looked at me like I had two heads (much like a monster out of D&D).

However, although it might seem strange, including your hobbies on your resume could give you the edge over other candidates. Hobbies could include:

• Roleplaying games like dungeons and dragons
• Creative hobbies like drawing, writing, crocheting or photography
• Team or individual sports
• Volunteering groups
• Recreational activities like abseiling or geocaching
• Gardening
• Many, many more…

Here are some main reasons you should consider adding your hobbies to your resume.

Hobbies are evidence of soft skills

Soft skills, or transferrable skills, are the personal skills not necessarily taught in school or university but instead picked up through your daily life. Employers look for soft and hard skills when searching for the ideal candidate. Some examples of soft skills are:

• Time management
• Organisation
• Communication
• Teamwork
• Conflict resolution
• Emotional intelligence
• Self-motivation
• Creativity
• Work under pressure

Your hobbies could show how you have developed and use these soft skills regularly. For example, roleplaying in Dungeons and Dragons could demonstrate your ability to improvise, communicate, and creatively respond to problems. Playing soccer might show how you can work in a team, dedicate yourself to something, and work under pressure.

Whatever your hobby is, it likely involves soft skills. You may have even picked them up without realising. You can use your hobbies to show potential employers how you have learnt and used the soft skills they’re after.

Hobbies show your personality

The first step of the recruitment process after submitting your resume often involves automatic screening for keywords related to the job ad. Having space to include relevant keywords in your ‘personal experience’ section could help during that process. However, they really help when getting to the human review stage.

Having your hobbies on your resume illustrates more about who you are, even before the interview process. Beyond the soft skills they helped you develop, hobbies can help to show employers what you’re passionate about and what you enjoy.

Hobbies make you seem more like a real person and less like a list of accomplishments.

Hobbies differentiate you from other candidates

In the same way that hobbies show your personality, they set you apart from the other candidates. Most employers look for requirements and skills first and foremost. However, when it comes down to choosing between similarly qualified candidates, employers often resort to looking more holistically at each candidate’s personality and personal branding. This is to find the candidate that will best fit with the company’s culture and values.

Including your interests on your resume can create a point of difference between you and the others applying.

Your hobbies and personal interests can show employers so much about you. If you haven’t already, consider building a ‘Personal Experience’ section of your resume. In it, you can include one, or some, of your hobbies, alongside any volunteering or other experience that might qualify you for the role. 

If you’re looking for more CV and resume tips, check out our blog’s Resume and Cover Letter category. 

Featured image courtesy of Pexels