Guide for Students: Interests and Hobbies to Put on Your Resume in 2022
A well-crafted resume can help your potential employer easily decide whether you are the right fit for the role you have applied for. It assists the employer in assessing you based on the skills and experience you bring to the table. While your academics play a crucial role in landing you the desired job in your field, your cultural and social abilities are equally important.
A number of people applying for a position may have the same education and experience, but it is unlikely for them to share the same interests and hobbies as you.
In simple words, your personal interests can make you stand about from the crowd. They also give your potential employer an overall idea about who you are as a person.
Furthermore, sometimes recruiters especially look for candidates having cultural experiences, even if they have little to no work experience. So make sure you list them down in your resume, however, not in the skills section. You can create a separate section for your personal interests and hobbies in your resume.
Listing your interests and hobbies in your resume can be a tedious task. Many students get confused about how to go about it and which particular interests to mention. We will discuss this question below and give you some pointers.
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When to include interests on your resume?
Before including your interests and hobbies on your resume, ask yourself what this information can convey to the recruiter and if this aligns with the job requirements.
In either case, listing interests would not do any harm. It will only increase your chances of getting selected. Your interests can tell a lot about your personality to your potential employer and show you have experiences and abilities beyond academics.
Mentioned below are some of the particular instances when you definitely should consider mentioning your interests and hobbies on your resume:
- Not enough work experience.
- Lack of skills required for the job role.
- The company you are applying to have especially asked the applicants to include their interests and hobbies.
- Your interests and hobbies align with the desired position.
Additionally, you can choose to mention them depending on the jobs you are applying to. You may decide to list them for a specific job.
How to mention interests and hobbies in your resume?
After you are done deciding whether you want to include your interests on your resume for a job, the next step is to see how to list them. This is the most crucial as well as exhausting task.
While you may initially think you just have to list down your hobbies on your resume, it is most certainly not that easy. You must follow a proper structure like in other sections in your resume, followed by carefully listing the qualities that are of use to the position you are applying to. This may vary from job to job. Yes, we understand this all sounds confusing, but we are here to help.
Here are some steps you can follow to mention your interests on your resume:
1. Create an interest section
Instead of mixing up your interests and hobbies with other information on your resume and making it look cluttered, add a separate section at the end. The interest section can be created similarly to the other sections in any resume. It will serve the responsibility of letting the recruiter know of your additional skills.
It will also highlight your cultural experiences and the abilities that distinguish you from others. Doing so can persuade the recruiter to hire you because not only do you possess the required skills for the position, but also have a good personality.
2. Include at least three hobbies
When listing your interests or hobbies, make sure you mention at least three or more. Ensure that these hobbies are relevant to the job role you are eyeing and can convince the recruiter of your potential to be the right fit for the position.
You can also consider providing a brief description of each of the mentioned interests/hobbies. The more specifically you describe your hobby, the more professional your resume will appear.
That said, we understand that it may not be possible for college students to have as many hobbies, given their college work commitments. That is why they can consider checking out TopEssayWriting, which is a student-oriented platform providing affordable essay writing services. With this service, you can get quality essays on any topic by your chosen expert on and before your scheduled deadline.
3. Know your potential employer
It is always a good idea to research the company you are applying to and gather information about what they are looking for in the applicants. Every company’s website can easily tell you about its vision and mission and what they expect from its employees. If you possess the same traits and interests they are looking for, you should mention these traits in your resume without any apprehensions.
Apart from this, possessing good writing skills can do wonders for your resume. While it is true that having significant work experience and hobbies will add volume to any resume, if the information is written poorly, it can negatively impact your chances of getting hired.
Some examples of interests and hobbies you can add
It is recommended that you carefully choose which interests to list on your resume to entice the recruiter with your capabilities. A good resume should convey a straight message about your personality and your skills and abilities. The following are a few personal interests one can show on their resume:
- Volunteering
- Blogging
- Public speaking
- Creative writing
- Athletic interests
You may consider adding a brief description of each interest to increase the appeal. Therefore, your interest and hobbies section may look something like this on your resume.
- Volunteering: I have volunteered at a local organization advocating for climate justice
- Blogging: I run a blog where my key focus is on writing at the intersection of fiction and politics
- Public Speaking: I have been a part of many debates at the local and international level
- Creative writing: I contribute to a column in the local paper.
- Athletic interests: I jog and cycle, often partaking in marathons and races.
What not to include?
Adding personal interests that are vague and serve no relevance to the position you are applying for needs to be avoided. You may also not include any hobbies that may negatively impact your selection possibility.
Furthermore, any interests that can be interpreted in a way you may not have intended for them to be or any hobby you do not usually engage in should also not be mentioned on your resume.
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Final words
Your personal interest and hobbies can demonstrate that you are a well-rounded candidate for any potential recruiter/organization. They also allow you to stand out from the other candidates and increase your selection chances. However, it may not be true in all scenarios as it depends on the type of job you are applying for.
It is recommended that you decide if you need to mention your interests or not according to the job. Our comprehensive guide above can better assist you in deciding when and how to list your interests and hobbies on a resume. This may increase the possibility of getting your desired job.
Bio
Andrew Mazur is a professional content writer with extensive experience in writing blog posts, articles, essays, research papers, etc. He has been working in the content writing industry for years. Andrew also has a blog through which he has assisted numerous students in improving their writing skills.
