Your resume is a document that tells a story, and a hobbies section can add helpful personal details. Learn more about what kinds of hobbies to feature on your resume.
Your resume is a document that tells a story. While that story tends to focus on your professional efforts鈥攚hat you鈥檝e done, the skills you鈥檝e developed, and what you鈥檙e excited to do next鈥攁 hobbies section can add more personal details.听
Let鈥檚 go over when you might want to include a hobbies section on your resume, what you can list, and how to format that information.
A hobbies section on your resume is an opportunity to share more about you, providing a larger picture than your professional accomplishments alone may convey. Employers tend to be more interested in your professional experience and skills. Still, they may use details from a hobbies section to learn more about your personality, interests, and skills.听
When applying for a job, you have limited space on your resume to share the most important and relevant information. A general rule is to keep your resume to one page when you have less than 10 years of experience and to expand it to two pages (or more) once you鈥檝e amassed over 10 years of experience.听
Your resume should always include certain sections, such as a header, education, experience, and skills. Depending on your goals, you may also want to include a resume summary or resume objective. Given the limited space you have to work with, a hobbies section isn鈥檛 always necessary. If you still have room after including all required sections, consider adding a hobbies section.听
You may want to use a hobbies section when:听
You鈥檙e a recent graduate looking for your first full-time role
You鈥檙e reentering the workforce after a significant gap
You haven鈥檛 yet earned a lot of experience听
You haven鈥檛 yet developed many skills听
A company specifically requests one听
Follow the steps below to figure out what hobbies you should feature on your resume and how to format them.听
Make a list. Think of about five to ten hobbies and interests you enjoy. These can be things you do occasionally or frequently, but they should be activities that illustrate your personality.听
Review the job description. Read over the 鈥渞equired鈥 and 鈥渞ecommended鈥 sections to see if any personality traits stand out. For example, is the company鈥檚 ideal candidate someone who takes initiative or has strong attention to detail? Determine whether there鈥檚 a way to align any of the hobbies on your list with the characteristics in the job description.听
Review the company鈥檚 mission. Review the company鈥檚 鈥淎bout鈥 section on its website and see if any key traits stand out. Does the company emphasize collaboration? Do they value service or self-development? Again, think about ways to align your hobbies with the company鈥檚 mission.
Create a distinct section. Don鈥檛 include your hobbies under your 鈥渆xperience鈥 or 鈥渟kills鈥 sections. Instead, create a new section titled 鈥淗obbies鈥 or 鈥淗obbies and Interests.鈥 This should be the last section on your resume.听
Choose up to five hobbies or interests. From your original list, figure out the best hobbies or interests to feature in your hobbies section. Aim to include between three to five examples. Use bullet points to list your hobbies, or create one to two sentences and use commas to separate them.听
Don鈥檛 have room for a hobbies section on your resume? Consider adding a few personal details to your LinkedIn summary. Learn more about creating a strong LinkedIn profile and how to add your resume to it.听
Let鈥檚 review three ways to build a hobbies section on your resume:听
There may be times when the hobbies you list align naturally with the role you鈥檙e applying for, giving you a chance to showcase how well you fit the available position.听
For example, if you鈥檙e a graphic designer applying for a role that seeks a creative personality with strong attention to detail and comfortability leading projects, you might choose hobbies that support those characteristics.
Volunteer lead at X
Painting (watercolor, acrylic)听
Cooking Mediterranean cuisine
Learning how to speak Japanese听
You may choose to include hobbies that highlight key skills. For example, suppose you work in social media and often have to develop new campaign ideas, including creating language and assets. In that case, your skills can emphasize your creativity, communication, and proactivity.听
Creative writing
Reading
Sketching
Teaching yoga
Your hobbies don鈥檛 always have to coincide neatly with the jobs you鈥檙e applying for. They can truly stand alone, helping tell a bigger story about who you are. In that case, determine the best five hobbies or interests to share your personality.听
Paddleboarding
Volunteering at X
Playing chess
Podcasting
Making videos
Not sure what qualifies as a hobby? We鈥檝e got you covered with the examples below, which align hobbies with the skills most in demand as of 2023, according to a report from the World Economic Forum [].听
Chess
Board games
Crossword puzzles
Event planning
Learning a new language听
Speaking a foreign language
Enrolling in a class听
Painting
Drawing
Photography听
Writing
Playing a musical instrument听
Woodworking
Knitting or crocheting听
Making jewelry听
Scrapbooking
Pottery making听
Blogging
Podcasting
Making videos
Yoga
Meditation
Exercise听
Hiking
Rock climbing
Kayaking
Mountain biking
Running marathons
Paddleboarding听
Scuba diving
Volunteering听
Teaching a skills-based class听
Teaching a group fitness class
Organizing听
Building websites听
Graphic design
Coding听
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World Economic Forum. 鈥, https://www3.weforum.org/ docs/WEF_Future_of_Jobs_2023.pdf.鈥 Accessed January 15, 2025.
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