Resume Builder Most candidates have a lot of doubts about what they should include on their resumes. Education, previous experience, and personal skills are essential, as well as a description of language skills and relevant personal data. However, the inclusion of other items depends a lot on the vacancy and the candidate. One possibility is to include personal interests and hobbies; but how to do it correctly?
Interests and hobbies can add value to your resume, especially if you have little or no experience. It is always good to highlight aspects beyond your work experience and academic level. Some companies are looking for candidates with interests related to the vacancy offered, so it is important to check if this is not the case for you.
In this article, we'll explain what types of personal interests are often included on a resume, how you can add your own, and what you can gain from doing so. It is also important to be aware of interests not recommended for the curriculum. Therefore, we will mention examples of both cases.
Hobbies and Interests:
Hobbies and interests are not the same things, although they are related. Hobbies are activities that you regularly engage in of your own volition. On the other hand, interests are the ideas or subjects that interest you. For example, you might habitually read and practice it regularly. This would be a hobby. On the other hand, you may be interested in a particular author or topic that you haven't read anything about recently (or even never read). If you like to read about a specific subject regularly, this can be considered interest and a hobby.
Understanding this difference is essential when including both on your resume. If the recruiter is interested in learning more about a hobby or interest you've included on your resume, they'll likely ask you a question about it during the interview. Both hobbies and personal interests can end up influencing your interests at work.
When to Include Hobbies and Interests on Your Resume:
In most cases, including these elements in your resume is unnecessary and can be left out. However, there are some situations where you might want to dedicate a section to your hobbies and interests on your resume. See some of them:
• If you have little work experience or less-than-ideal education
• If you don't have experience related to the job you are applying for
• When the selection is for a role or for a company known for valuing the personality and uniqueness of candidates
• When the recruiter asks or motivates, in the job description, that candidates include additional hobbies and interests in their CV
• When, in the job description, preference is given to candidates who have certain hobbies or personal interests
Before submitting your resume, do a lot of research on the company to which you submit your application. Make sure the employer values these aspects in candidates and if you can benefit from mentioning them on your resume.
Examples of hobbies to put on your CV:
• To read
• To write
• Produce content for Youtube
• Use of social networks
• Cook
• Volunteering
• Team or individual sports (running, being part of a football team, practicing martial arts)
• play musical instruments
• Artistic activities: theater, dance, visual arts
• Meditation
• Trips
• Decoration
• Woodworking, gardening, and other crafts
Examples of interests to put on your CV:
• Foreign languages
• visual arts
• Cinema/theatre
• Poetry
• Travel ("backpack," exchange, trail)
• Nature
• Song
• Photography
• Research (mention area of interest)
• Social causes
• Collections (mention object)
How to include hobbies and interests in your resume
A professional resume is a communication tool with the recruiter. So, before adding interests and hobbies, think carefully about which ones give you a good idea of how you spend your time. It's also important to include your skills on your resume. Combining these elements can give the recruiter a clearer idea about your profile.
Your hobbies and interests should be included intelligently so they don't seem like frivolous items. Remember that your education, work experience, and skills will often be the most important elements of a resume and, therefore should be prioritized. But your hobbies and interests are complements that can become more relevant depending on the job you are applying for. So pay special attention to them if you plan to include them.
Having these elements in a separate section at the end of the curriculum is best. List all the hobbies and interests that you think are relevant and make a short description for each one. Ideally, the curriculum should not exceed one or two pages unless, in specific cases, where there are more detailed criteria for submitting applications.
So don't waste space with irrelevant examples or long and unnecessary descriptions. Only include hobbies and interests that complement and shine your resume. Describe them in a few words intelligently.
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