CVForge / Hobbies for resume
Hobbies for resume: when to include them
Hobbies earn a line when they prove something the job needs, or give an interviewer something real to ask about. Here’s when that is, and what it looks like.
Include them if
- You’re a student or graduate with space to fill
- The hobby shows a skill in the job ad
- The company is small or culture-led and says so
- You can make it specific, with a number or result
Leave them off if
- Your experience already fills the page
- They’re generic: reading, travel, music, movies
- They reveal religion or politics without relevance
- You’d struggle to talk about them for two minutes
Examples, grouped by what they signal
Discipline & endurance
- Marathon or half-marathon running (list finishes)
- Competitive swimming
- Learning an instrument to grade level
- Martial arts belt progression
Leadership
- Volunteer youth sports coach
- Captain of a club team
- Organising a community event or meetup
- Scout or Guide leader
Technical curiosity
- Building PCs or electronics
- Open-source contributions (link GitHub)
- Home automation projects
- 3D printing and CAD
Communication & creativity
- Writing a blog or newsletter (with readership)
- Podcasting
- Improv or community theatre
- Photography with published or exhibited work
Analytical thinking
- Competitive chess (rating)
- Fantasy sports analytics
- Puzzle hunts or escape-room design
- Personal finance modelling
Care & community
- Food bank volunteering
- Animal shelter fostering
- Tutoring or literacy mentoring
- Language exchange hosting
How to write the Interests line
One line at the bottom of the page, specific and short:
Interests: Half-marathon runner (4 finishes) · Volunteer U12 soccer coach · Restoring 1970s film cameras
Add it in the “extras” step of the resume builder. If you’re applying in the UK, see the CV maker, where an interests section is more common.
Questions people ask
Should I put hobbies on my resume?
Only if they add something: you are early in your career with little experience, the hobby shows a skill the job needs, or the company culture clearly values it. Experienced candidates with a full page usually leave them out.
Where do hobbies go on a resume?
At the very end, in a short section called “Interests” or inside “Additional information”. One line with two to four specific items is enough.
What hobbies look good on a resume?
Specific ones with evidence: “Marathon runner (3 finishes)”, “Volunteer coach, U12 soccer”, “Built a home weather station with Raspberry Pi”. Specific hobbies start conversations; generic ones like “reading, travel, music” do not.
Which hobbies should I leave off?
Anything that reveals protected characteristics (religion, politics) unless relevant to the job, anything risky or controversial, and anything so generic it tells the reader nothing.