Do My Hobbies Belong On My Resume?

A hobby is “an activity done regularly in one’s leisure time for pleasure” or “a small horse or pony.” We are working on a valid business reason to do a series of posts about small horses, but meanwhile, let’s discuss this whole “activity done… in one’s leisure time” situation.

 Should you put your hobbies on your resume? Recruiters and human resources professionals do not universally agree on the answer. Some favor it, and some don’t, which doesn’t help the job seeker make an informed decision. There is no standard rule for or against including hobbies on your resume, but you may want to consider the following if you want to include them:

• A resume is a professional tool to get a job. It is not a one-sheet for a dating site. It’s great that you love Piña Coladas and getting caught in the rain, but Acme, Inc. is looking for a full-stack engineer. Acme does not care that you knit or if you’re a ranking member of your regional off-roading club. They want to know if you can engineer full stacks.

•  Is your hobby related to your work? Some people ooze their skill sets all over the place, and the wall between their professional activities and their leisure time crumbles like Jericho. If you employ the same talents in your hobby as you do at work, it may be appropriate to include them on your resume. Here are some examples —  an engineer who restores classic cars, a sommelier who cooks, or a doctor who grows flowers.

• Are you the best at something? Do you have a large trophy with your name on it that says “G.O.A.T.”? Even if it is not related to your work, if you’re the best at something, flaunt it, baby, flaunt it! For example, let’s say you’re an architect and your hobby is windsurfing. Maybe leave windsurfing off the resume. But if you’re the state windsurfing champion three years running, maybe include it. That shows perseverance, commitment, and a competitive spirit.

•  Does your hobby show creativity? Creativity is a transferable skill that is always in high demand. A creative hobby such as drawing or photography is beneficial to share as creative work elicits an immediate reaction from the viewer or reader and instantly shows a different dimension to your personality. For example, let’s say you’re a psychologist and your hobby is underwater photography. Nobody earned their Ph.D. in psychology by defending a thesis filled with photos of prawns and coral reefs. However, producing great underwater photography is not easy. The dive alone takes skill and focus. Then you take out your camera and shine a light on to the teeming life that lives in the darkness. Can you think of a better metaphor for a psychologist? I can’t. You’re hired!

•  Will your hobby help you do your job? Lots of deals are made on the golf course. If you want a hobby that is both work and leisure, golf may be the quintessential choice. There is a fine line here, but you get the point. Many people have pleasurable hobbies that also happen to be a great way to accelerate their professional goals. If your hobby falls into this category, it may be worth including on your resume.

• Is it professional? Collecting garden gnomes and displaying them in suggestive poses may be a great hobby, but in the battle between the professional vs. the personal, it’s firmly in the personal camp. If you include a hobby on your resume, it should have a modicum of relevance and it should not damage your professional reputation.

• Your resume has limited real estate. Every word and space on a resume are precious. You have limited space to make a great case. If you include your hobbies on your resume, it should be the very best version of your resume possible. Remember your goal – get the interview so you can win the job in the room.

Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.