The best hobbies and interests for your CV.

Examples of hobbies and interests to put on your CV.

Not all hobbies and interests are made equal when it comes to your CV. But don’t be disheartened — it all depends on the role you’re going for. What you need to prioritise is relevancy: transferable skills and experiences that relate to your desired job role.

Here are some examples of hobbies and interests to put on your CV (and why they could be relevant):

• Sports. Having a sporty hobby can look good on most CVs — it is thought to demonstrate self-discipline and focus. In many instances, it can show you’re a team player too, which makes it good for most jobs.
• Writing and art. Creativity and commitment are both exceptional traits — especially if you’re working in a creative field. Something like writing could show great communication skills and an attention to detail, essentials in many roles.
• Languages. Learning a language in your spare time isn’t only a useful skill, it also demonstrates the ability to focus and learn. Being proficient in a language could be seen as a useful tool in most jobs.
• Music. Music takes dedication — that alone can strike a chord with employers. If you’re applying for a music-related (or generally creative) role then this is an incredible hobby to explore.
• Graphic design. Graphic design as a pastime shows creativity and commitment. It demonstrates your ability to think up concepts, as well as your practical skills. From office jobs to graphic design roles or even events management — it’s a practical skill to demonstrate, especially if you’ve ever worked to a brief.
• Social media. There are often opportunities to leverage social media — especially in smaller companies. Whether your desired role is in social media or not, it shows an ability to curate and dedicate yourself to growing something. It’s a useful skill that could open new doors and even help startups.
• Reading. Reading could help you find common ground with your employer. If you’re going into a specific field — such as cooking — you could give detail about the types of books you’ve read. For example, perhaps you enjoy books on travel or cuisine because it inspires you to think more about other cultures, which you incorporate into your work.
• Hiking. Grit. Determination. Success. Hiking is a catch-all hobby that speaks to your character. You can mention your organisational skills or your ability to orient alone as well as some of the physically taxing elements of your journey.
• Arts and crafts. Arts and crafts not only take focus and commitment but creativity as well. It also means you’re handy. All of these are useful skills in most fields of work — whether that’s a complex problem that needs creative solutions or a helping hand getting things together for the spring party.
• Team-based gaming. Like TV, gaming can sometimes be looked down upon. However, in the right field (with the right people) team-based gaming can show the ability to communicate and work as a group in a stressful environment — similar to sports.
• DIY. Hobbies that centre on DIY are not only creative but practical. They can give the sense that you’re a problem solver — especially if you’re self-taught. Shout out about your projects, even if you’re doing a desk job, as the skills learned are seen to be highly transferable.

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