Resume Interests Examples & How to List Them

When writing a great resume, job seekers tend to keep it brief with just qualifications, experience, and education.

Surprisingly, however, inserting a list of interests and hobbies can boost a job seeker’s chances.

Think about this: As hiring managers sort through dozens of resumes with similar qualifications and job descriptions, what differentiates your resume?

The right interest examples on your resume can say a great deal about your personality, demonstrate your skills, and show how you fit in with the corporate culture.

Still, not all interests can be included on a resume, and mentioning the wrong ones can be counterproductive.

So, if you are thinking, what are interests examples? We’ve got you covered. In this guide, we expatiate everything about listing your interests and hobbies on your resume.

Let’s get into it together.

Why Include Interests on a Resume?

Your resume is not just intended to lay out your work achievements; it is meant to give some sense of who you are as a person.

Well-chosen activities and hobbies can uncover transferable skills, show enthusiasm, and sometimes even give you a competitive edge in a field full of job applicants.

However, simply listing any random interest does not suffice.

It is important that you know when and how you can deliberately use them.

When to Include (or Exclude) Interests on Your Resume

As a new graduate, a job seeker, or someone in a job transition phase and looking for a firm that is culture and personality-based, expressing interest at the beginning can give some depth to your resume.

There is no formal, traditional “Interests” section on a resume.

If you have a great deal of experience, you can lead with your professional qualifications.

In any case, knowing whether to add (or leave out) this section can make or mar your resume’s impact.

How to Choose the Right Interests for Your Resume

The key is selecting interests that develop related skills, add to the corporate culture, and beef up your credentials for the position at hand.

Let’s break down the best procedure for selecting appropriate interest examples for a stronger resume.

Aligning Interests with the Job You’re Applying For

To make your interests work for you outside core working hours and boost your CV, you need to be specific about them concerning the job.

This means summarizing interests that show whether you have skills related to the job or at least the traits that the employer looks forward to in an employee.

Here is how it is accomplished:

• Break Down the Job Description: Identify keywords that are related to the skills and qualifications that they are seeking. In a case where creativity is a requirement, mentioning activities you do in your leisure time, i.e., graphic design, blogs, photography, can be a good suggestion. In a case where teamwork is essential, mentioning sporting activities or volunteering can depict that you can work in a team.
• Do Your Homework on the Company: Some firms stress creativity, others collaboration, or leadership. If learning is a priority for the firm, expressing interest in reading industry publications or taking online courses can be a great fit.
• Identify Your Interests and Relate Them to Transferable Skills: Your interests and pastimes must demonstrate your hard or soft skills for the job. For example, for strategic thinking, you can use interests like chess, puzzles and coding. 
• Stay Away From Irrelevant or Controversial Interests: While your interest in extreme sport or shows may be interesting, it is not necessarily a benefit on your resume. Likewise, political or religious affiliation is best left off unless it is directly related to your job.

You can make your resume stand out and support your application by carefully selecting interest examples that align with the firm’s philosophy.

Personal Interests vs. Professional Skills

Your personal interests are a demonstration of your character and passion, while professional skills are technical abilities that are required in the job you are seeking.

The goal is to have a wonderful combination of both in a resume.

Interests and hobbies represent what you enjoy doing in your free time when you are not working and can provide a measure of understanding about your personality.

If appropriate, they can illustrate your soft skills, like creativity, team play, or leadership.

Some excellent examples of interests worth mentioning on a resume include creative activities like painting and photography, volunteering, public Speaking, athletics and sports.

Professional skills, on the other hand, are those technical skills that are job-specific.

While you are supposed to declare these in your “Skills” section, you can also mention your leisure activities and areas of interest in an engaging way.

For a marketing job, a passion for blogging or social media can be a good quality to have.

Likewise, a passion for web development or coding can add a boost in a technical job.

How Interests Can Highlight Transferable Skills

Transferable skills are skills received in one field but can be applied in another.

Outside of communicating personality, interests can be a great way of highlighting transferable skills, especially if you recently graduated or are career-switching. 

The examples below show how various interests can be turned into useful workplace skills:

• Playing chess or strategy games increases problem-solving and critical thinking abilities
• Learning a foreign language shows adaptability, communication, and an understanding of cultures.
• Organizing community activities reflects project planning, leadership, and teamwork.
• Blogging on a website is a demonstration of creativity, communication skills, and marketing ability.
• Playing team sports is a demonstration of teamwork, order, and goal orientation.

Strategically tapping into your interest can complete gaps in work experience and add depth to your application.

How to Properly List Interests on a Resume

After you’ve chosen the most suitable hobbies and interests examples, it’s crucial to present them in the right way.

You want to keep them professional and place them where they will not distract hiring managers from your work experience and skills.

Here is how interests should be listed on a resume:

1. Dedicate a Separate Section For Your Interests and Hobbies: Name it “Interests & Hobbies” or “Interests” and position it last in your resume, after your work experience and your skills.
2. Use Bullet Points for Clarity: Make your list organized and easy to read. Instead of vague phrases such as “sports” or “music,” be specific. For example:

• A marathoner who has run 5+ marathons
• Food blogging (runs a blog of 10K monthly visitors)
• Chess player (competes in local tournaments)

3. Make Your Interests Align With Your Job: If you are a job applicant for a finance position, mentioning “investing” as an interest can illustrate a passion for the sector.
4. Maintain Professionalism: Refrain from controversial or highly personal interests, such as political activism, religious affiliations, or niche pastimes that may not be appropriate for a work setting.

You can add a suitable listing of your areas of interest.

Examples of Interests on a Resume for Different Careers

The right interest examples to include on your resume will depend on your industry and the job position you are applying for.

Below are a number of industry-specific interest examples that can make your resume stronger.

Creative and Marketing Career Path

• Photography: This best exemplifies an eye for visuals and composition.
• Blogging: Shows great writing and internet marketing skills
• Social Media Content Creation: This is indicative of an understanding of branding and engaging audiences.
• Graphic Design: Facilitates learning of appropriate technical skills for design roles

Information Technology and IT Professions (Software Engineer, Analyst, Cybersecurity Expert)

• Personal Coding Project Code: Demonstrates initiative and technical capability
• Hardware fiddling or PC building: suggests analytical thinking
• Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: Represents a passion for innovation
• Competitive Gaming (strategic games, e-sports): Focuses on critical thinking and decision-making

Finance and Business Career Pathways ( Financial Analyst, Investment Banker, Accountant )

• Stock market investment is an example of financial literacy and analytical capacity.
• Math puzzles or strategy games develop problem-solving skills

Public Speaking (Toastmasters, Debate Clubs)

• Healthcare and science career options (Physician, Nurse, Medical Researcher)
• Volunteering in medical facilities exemplifies compassion and dedication
• Recreational activities for fitness and wellness 
• Science or medical blogging is an indication of interest in knowledge-sharing.
• Mentorship or teaching focuses on leadership and communication skills.

Legal & Political Careers (Policy Analyst, Lawyer, Government Official)

• Moot Court or debate clubs illustrate great reasoning and argumentation skills.
• Studying legal case studies reflects industry enthusiasm and critical thinking.
• Volunteering for community activism is a reflection of passion for public service.
• Writing legal or political articles refines and enhances research and communication skills.

Tailoring your interests to your industry and role can make your resume stand out and make it more appropriate for hiring managers.

Interests You Should Avoid on a Resume

Listing the wrong interests can weaken your job application. Some of these can be irrelevant, unprofessional, or controversial.

The following are interests that should be avoided.

1. Interests That are Too Vague: Words such as “reading” or “music” aren’t valuable unless you can say exactly how these apply to the job (for example, “reading business strategy literature” for a job in a managerial role).
2. Sensitive Topics: Politics, religion, or other controversial topics should be avoided unless they are directly related to your role.
3. Possible Risky or Dangerous Hobbies: Hobbies such as extreme sports, gaming, or anything that suggests a personal risk can deter your possible employer.
4. Interests That Can be Perceived as Inappropriate for a Professional Career: For example, video gaming can be fine for a technology role but may not be well received for a corporate finance role unless framed well.
5. Habits Suggesting a Lack of Commitment: Interests that consume too much time (e.g., “world traveling”) can lead your boss to question your time and long-term commitment to the organization.

You must arrange your resume in a way that depicts a well-rounded, able person.

By selecting your hobbies and interests examples carefully, and leaving out those which can give a bad impression, you give yourself a better chance to secure the job.

How to Make Your Resume Stand Out With the Right Interests

When the job market is competitive, your resume will have to leave its impact in a matter of seconds.

Experience and qualifications are crucial, but a few chosen and thoughtful examples from your leisure activities can give you a competitive edge over job seekers with similar qualifications.

The secret is using them to support your professional attributes and enhance your personality in a manner that contributes positively towards your job application.

Here is how your interests on your resume can stand out:

Be Specific and Concise

Instead of vague interests like “sports” or “reading,” specify:

• “Competitive race participant 5+ races participated” shows discipline and perseverance.
• “A 20K monthly reader following on a finance blog” demonstrates competence and communication skills.

Keep It Professional

While employers do care about personality, do not discuss interests that could be seen as political, time-consuming, or irrelevant.

By being strategic about this, your interest examples can be a second level of differentiation for you among other job seekers.

Use Undetectable AI Tools to Build a Flawless Resume

Would you like to do away with the guesswork in selecting suitable examples of hobbies and interests on a resume?

Our Undetectable AI Resume Builder can recommend examples that are specifically tailored to your field and experience level.

This tool helps you identify the best interest examples that are appropriate for your application, tailor your resume for ATS (Applicant Tracking System) optimization, and make your resume professional by formatting it to industry standards.

Also, the Undetectable AI Auto Applier can help you with your job hunt, saving you time and boosting your chances at interviews.

Begin today and craft a resume that not only lists your qualifications but also reflects you in a flattering light.

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Conclusion

When used strategically, some examples of suitable interests can give power to your CV by reflecting transferable skills, relevance in a job, and making you a more discernible job seeker.

By applying appropriate interest examples and presenting them in a professional format, with the assistance of tools like our Resume Builder, you can have a CV that is noticeable in any field.

Be professional, and let interests work in your best interest.