This article was last updated on September 5, 2017
Have you ever though that your hobbies can strengthen your resume? Most resume writing guidelines advise you to skip this section. However, your hobbies can help you stand out among other applicants and increase your chances of getting the job.
For example, Google always pays attention to the hobbies of prospective employees. They have their own approach to candidates. Google believe that a successful person always has time for some hobbies. In their case, it’s not so important whether the hobby is related to your job. However, it would be a mistake to state that all other companies practice this theory. Instead, it would be better if your hobbies relate to your current job. In this way, you become an attractive candidate.
How to present your hobbies in a resume?
One of the main questions that a candidate may ask when creating a resume is how to smoothly integrate information about their hobbies with other details. You can follow a traditional approach and just add a special block to your resume. However, if you think that this won’t work for you, you may add these details to the cover letter.
We would state that this is perhaps the best way to present such an information. The matter is that you create a cover letter to display the benefits the company will get when hiring you to a certain position. Thus, you will have enough room to tell how your hobbies affect your work, productivity, or help to boost your creativity.
Yoga
Today, everyone takes care of their mental and physical health. We are living in a critically stressful environment, and for most of the employees it seems almost impossible to handle stress successfully. There are many ways that help to deal with this problem, and yoga is perhaps the most popular one. The HR managers know the effect of yoga: a person becomes more focused, less irritated, and knows how to set goals and reach them. In case you are not sure how to present this information in your resume, you may just describe the effect that you get from regular practice.
Even though sports activities are not related to your job, yoga is a great hobby to demonstrate that you know how to handle emotions and how to stay emotionally stable when the situation is totally unbalanced. This hobby will suit any kind of job, including finance and legal sector.
Extreme sports
Studies show that many of those who have leadership skill prefer extreme sports. If you have decided to apply to a top manager position, do not hesitate to add information about your preferences in extreme sports. What does it show? First of all, this extreme sports demonstrates that you are a risk-taker. Most of the companies are looking for the candidates who are ready to take risks and who understand that the slightest move can lead to catastrophic results. Those who participate in extreme sports perfectly understand that. Secondly, it will show that you feel absolutely comfortable with getting rid of all kind of boundaries. None obstacle will prevent you from starting to plan and turning your plan into actions. This is priceless for any company.
Video and photo production
Although it may seem from the first sight that theses hobbies are not related to any kind of job expect for photography and videography. In fact, they can be applied to almost all spheres. If you state in your resume or cover letter that you are involved in this kind of hobby, you can dwell upon the positive effect that these hobbies bring to you.
First of all, this is your ability to communicate with different people. You know how to find a common language with any person and how to understand what this person wants exactly. Additionally, this shows that you are a good planner, as you have found a way to combine video and photo production, and both of them require time. And thirdly, this is attention to the details. And this is a quality that is highly appreciated by everyone.
Blogging
Of course it is always better to brag about your hobbies where you’ve got some prominent results. For example, if you just have a blog to post a couple of photos with a one sentence description once in a while, you should not include that in your resume. However, if you have a successful blog with a huge number of followers, always point out this information. It does not actually matter what niche your blog is in. The potential employer will understand that if you managed to become famous your area of expertise, you will definitely be able to repeat your success in another niche.
Climbing
This is the sport of leaders and extremely passionate people. If you have already climbed several peaks, do not hesitate to show that in your resume. Additionally, emphasize how climbing helps you to manage stress in everyday routine, how it taught you to act in the most complicated situations, and how great it is when it comes to decision making.
Gardening
If you apply for a position of a sitter, medical service, or customer support, gardening will be a perfect hobby to support your resume. Gardening will prove that you understand the importance of regular maintenance, keeping everything clean and tidy, and day-by-day care. Besides, this type of hobby demonstrates that you are ready to take the responsibility and you are someone that everyone can rely on.
Foreign languages
This is the best option for any type of resume. The matter is that it has a practical value. If you are passionate about studying languages, you should know at least a couple of them on a sustainable level. Thus, you will get the advantage over all other applicants. However, the benefits of studying a foreign language are not limited by that. Additionally, you show that you are a dedicated and passionate person who has a huge experience in self-control. Also, it proves that you are attentive to details and ready to take responsibility.
Volunteering
Even if volunteering had no benefits to a personal development at all, it still would be one of the best hobbies to include in your resume. Employers love to hire people who spend their free time working to help others. Additionally, the volunteers are generally responsible, open-minded and can estimate any risks. Would you include one of this hobbies on your resume or cover letter? We hope that you found the idea on how to make your hobby an additional tool to attract the attention of the companies and make your resume stronger. So add your hobby, dwell upon its benefits, and enjoy the inflow of job offers.
