Hobbies in Resume? Forum

[purplegoldtornado]

Should we put our hobbies in our resume? If so, what are some good ones to put?

[cavalier1138]

Should we put our hobbies in our resume?

Sure.

If so, what are some good ones to put?

Ones that you have an actual interest in.

[lawdog97]

Yes, as long as it is beneficial to the job you are applying to.

For example, I am a classical music nut, so I am on the board of directors of my city's symphony. It shows I am in an extracurricular activity that has nothing to do in my work, but is a "prestigious" leadership position. I add it to my resume, because it is a passion of mine. Do not make stuff up.

[nixy]

Should we put our hobbies in our resume?

Sure.

If so, what are some good ones to put?

Ones that you have an actual interest in.

Exactly this. The whole point of putting hobbies on your resume is that it might spark conversation with an interviewer (I had various foreign travel listed on mine, and one interviewer greeted me right out of the gate with, "What's your favorite Italian city?"). This can be a decent way to get conversation going and show you're a reasonable human being. If you put stuff you don't really know about on your resume, it can completely backfire depending on your interviewer (for ex. if you put chess or wine on your resume to sound smart/cultured, but then run into someone who's a chess grand master/sommelier in their spare time. If you genuinely enjoy the hobby even if you're not at elite levels, that's fine, but making something up is not).

That said, I've seen a lot of debate over "video games" and probably wouldn't put that on a resume (but I also don't play video games so it might go over great, who knows). But there isn't really much point in overthinking unless your hobbies are actively disturbing (like dissecting live kittens or using a telescope to spy on your neighbors).

[cavalier1138]

And with a few small tweaks, even the most idiosyncratic hobbies can make you seem accessible and interesting.

But there isn't really much point in overthinking unless your hobbies are actively disturbing (like dissecting live kittens citizen science projects, with a focus on community biology or using a telescope to spy on your neighbors crime prevention through a "neighborhood watch" program).

[nixy]

I'm impressed/disturbed.

[Anon-non-anon]

Agree with what's been said here. I have a few rules to live by in this front:

1. make sure you're really interested/able to do the thing.
People test languages/skills. I knew a partner that would interview you over a run if you put running on your resume. If you actually suck at running, you're not gonna do well.

2. make sure it says something good about you

Either being an interesting person or having a useful skill. I put things that lead to conversations about past jobs I had (that aren't on the resume anymore). I was told once by a WilmerHale partner that the first thing he looks for is service sector experience bc then you know how to be other people's bitches like in law. But I'm not gonna put McDs on my resume.

Languages are good here; things that show broad interests; that you can play well with others; have some life; etc.

3. Specific is better than general

Everyone has "travel" so it's not that interesting. If there's something more specific to say, even something a little funny or quirky that sets you apart, I think that's good (don't go too far on this). Italian Travel is better than travel. "Backpacking Through Europe (Italian and Austrian Alps, [Other places, Etc.])" is probably more interesting as long as you're not just bragging.