Hobbies and Interests for your CV: 79+ Best Examples

Curious about what different hobbies and interests say about you? In this video, Career Expert Seb breaks down the types of leisure activities you should put on a CV:

Hobbies and interests is an optional section that appears last on a properly structured CV.

Its purpose is to give employers an understanding of who you are beyond your work experience, skills, and education.

If it’s well written, your hobbies and interests section can be the deciding factor in helping you land a job interview. If it’s poorly written, it’s dead space.

Take a look at this hobbies and interests example from a graphic designer CV.

Creative projects, languages, and sports can be interesting. But listed out like this, they don’t tell us much about the applicant.

Meanwhile, this hobbies and interests section gives us a vivid picture of the person behind the CV:

Employers look at your hobbies and interests section to get a better idea of who you are and whether you’ll be a good fit for the company culture.

As a result, your hobbies and interests might sometimes even determine the success of your application, especially if you’re applying for a competitive role or are similarly qualified to another applicant.

In this article, we’ll show you how to write a hobbies and interest section that gets the employer’s attention and gives your CV a more competitive edge.

What are the best hobbies and interests to put on your CV?

The best (and only) hobbies and interests to put on your CV should be relevant to your target job and highlight your key skills.

Which hobbies and interests you choose for your CV tells the employee much more than what you like to do in your free time. Often, they indicate important soft skills (personality-related traits) that you could bring to the company.

Here are some ways you can showcase your soft skills through your list of hobbies and interests:

Examples of hobbies and interests for any CV

Here are some more hobbies and interests that impress employers in any industry:

• Gardening: Responsibility, patience
• Playing music: Spatial intelligence, memory
• Crossword puzzles/word games: Problem solving, verbal skills
• Sudoku/number games: Analytics, data management
• Blogging: Written communication, initiative
• Cooking/baking: Ability to follow instructions
• Hiking/biking: Physical fitness
• Art: Creativity, innovation

Attractive hobbies and interests by industry

The best hobbies and interests for your CV will differ depending on the kind of work you want to do.

Here are the best hobbies and interests to show employers in seven specific industries.

Examples of hobbies and interests for specific skills

Employers list the skills they’re seeking in their job postings. To get an interview, you must show that you have those skills on your CV — including in your hobbies and interests section.

Here are good examples of hobbies and interests to list if your target employer is seeking:

Do you need to put hobbies and interests on your CV?

You should almost always include your relevant hobbies and interests in the information you put on your CV. Here’s why:

• Your skills and hobbies give employers an idea of what kind of person you are and how well you’ll fit into their company culture
• If you lack the professional experience necessary for your target job, listing your non-work activities that show you do have the required skills could help you get the job anyway

The only time you shouldn’t list your hobbies and interests when writing a CV is when your other relevant details already fill the standard two-page CV (or your one-page CV if you’re applying without much relevant experience).

If your CV is too long to include hobbies and interests, you can still let the employer know what you do in your spare time when you create your cover letter.

How to write your CV hobbies and interests section

Here’s how to write a great CV hobbies and interests section.

1. Take a closer look at the job and company

First, research the company by checking its About Us page as well as press releases and company news. You should also consider what skills the employer is looking for.

Develop a profile of the company. Ask yourself the following questions:

• If this job/company was a person, how would I describe them? (e.g. Creative, detail-oriented)
• What kind of soft skills (personality traits) does this company value?
• What traits might someone senior at this company need?

Developing a profile of the company will help you understand what kind of traits and skills will be a good fit for the company culture. You can then use these traits and skills as a guide for deciding which hobbies and interests to put on your CV.

2. List your hobbies and interests

Describe each hobby and interest in a sentence or two, including any relevant data and achievements.

3. Choose two to four suitable hobbies and interests to highlight

Compare your list of hobbies and interests with the company’s profile and choose two to four listed items that suit the culture of your potential employers.

4. Put your hobbies and interests on your CV

When you lay out your CV, your hobbies and interests section should look like this:

Hobbies and interests to leave off your CV

Some hobbies and interests are best kept off your CV to avoid offending an employer. Unless you’re applying for a job that specifically requires them, don’t list interests and activities that are related to the following controversial areas:

• Politics
• Religion
• Hunting
• Weapons and firearms