Listing Hobbies and Interests on a Resume: Examples & How-to

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Adding relevant hobbies and interests to your resume can show hiring managers that you’re dedicated to your profession. They can also highlight your skills and related experience to make you stand out from other candidates. Learn how to add hobbies and interests to your resumes and the best ones for different industries.

What are hobbies and interests you can list on a resume?

Hobbies and interests on a resume are things you do in your free time that help complete your resume. Usually, you can create a ‘Hobbies and interests’ section towards the end of your resume to show employers what you like to do when you’re not working. Listing hobbies and interests can help hiring managers understand more about you and how you could fit into their company culture. 

It can be helpful to list hobbies and interests that relate to the role you’re applying for to show you’re a dedicated professional in your field. For example, if you’re applying for a job as a mechanic, you can list interests like rebuilding classic cars or reading automotive magazines. 

How to list hobbies and interests on a resume

Here’s how you can add your hobbies and interests to a resume: 

1. First, think about what you do in your free time

Consider anything you enjoy doing when you’re not working, like exercising, reading, cooking or anything else. Most things that you like doing in your free time can be considered hobbies or interests. 

2. Second, make a list of all of your hobbies

Write down everything you like doing. Make the list as long as you need to include all of your interests. 

3. Third, look at job descriptions

Read different job postings in fields you’re interested in to see what some common responsibilities and skills are. See if any of your hobbies or interests relate to the jobs. Your hobbies could also use some of the skills needed for the job. For example, if you’re applying for a job that listed teamwork as a needed skill, you could list playing a specific sport to showcase your teamwork skills.

4. Next, read resume samples

Find resume examples for the job you want to apply for to see some possible hobbies and interests you could list on your own resume. These examples can give you inspiration for hobbies you have that you hadn’t thought of before. Examples can also show you the best way to add your hobbies. 

5. Then, create a ‘Hobbies and Interests’ section on your resume

This section should probably be last on your resume since you want to show all of your experience, skills and education first. When you add your hobbies and interests, it’s best to add three at most, so choose your most relevant ones. 

6. Last, be descriptive

 When you add your hobbies and interests, be sure to make them specific so hiring managers have a better understanding of them. For example, instead of adding ‘Cooking’ as a hobby, try ‘Passion for French baking.’ Being descriptive helps you be more relatable to the employer. 

Not everyone adds hobbies and interests on their resumes, but it can be a useful section to show your personality. Only include a ‘Hobbies and Interests’ section if you have space on your resume. 

Best hobbies and interests for different industries

Here are some of the best hobbies and interests you can list for different industries: 

Information technology (IT)

Examples that show IT interests or how you stay current in a continuously changing field:

  • Building neural networks 
  • Active participant in local annual hackathon 
  • Learning new coding languages 
  • Volunteer instructor at local high school’s after-school programming class 
  • Play Sudoku and other number puzzles 

Be specific in any programming languages or other IT programs you’re learning in your free time. The IT industry also involves a lot of analytical thinking and problem-solving. Additionally, you may need to collaborate with a group or team.

Retail

Examples to highlight your communication or entrepreneurial skills for retail:

  • Member of neighborhood softball league since 2015 
  • Regular volunteer at local clothing and furniture charity 
  • Create custom sewing patterns as side job 
  • Active member of chess club 

Depending on the type of retail you’re involved in, you may be able to add more specific interests as well. You can also add any hobbies that could showcase your customer service skills, which is another valuable skill needed for retail. 

Healthcare

Examples for the healthcare industry to show your interest in physical health and staying current with the latest medical trends:

  • Read monthly psychology and neurology medical journals 
  • Boston and New York Marathon participant 
  • Volunteer coordinator at local Red Cross 
  • Lead cycling class twice a week at fitness center 
  • Member of group aiming to provide healthcare to underserved communities 

Healthcare has a wide variety of jobs available, so mention any other hobbies for your specific field. 

Construction

Examples for construction that show your stamina and creative problem-solving skills:

  • Create custom tables for additional income, about one per month 
  • Habitat for Humanity volunteer since 2017 
  • Avid backpacker and speed hiker 
  • Practice welding techniques 

Some of these hobbies involve working with others, which is also important in construction. 

Hospitality 

Examples for working in the hospitality industry with a variety of people:

  • Traveling and exploring local culture 
  • Maintain a blog about travel experiences 
  • Currently learning Portuguese and Italian 
  • Sailboat enthusiast 
  • Volunteer at local refugee center 

Adding any hobbies that involve teamwork would be helpful for hospitality resumes as well. 

Foodservice

Examples for foodservice related to your experience with food, time management and collaboration skills:

  • Maintain active food critic blog Interest in variations of curry worldwide 
  • Participant in local food service kickball league 
  • Volunteer three times a week at local food bank 

Depending on the job you’re seeking in the foodservice industry, there are many other hobbies you could add. A server’s hobbies and interests will likely be different than a sous chef’s hobbies.