Should You Put Hobbies on a CV?

A question often asked is whether hobbies and interests should feature on a CV? If the answer is yes, what should they be? We have worked with lots of clients who believe they have a relevant hobby that’s applicable and adds value to their CV, but do they?

Let's look at some examples of hobbies, and why lots of people think they’re worth mentioning. Then, we'll question whether adding hobbies and interests really positions you more favourably than other candidates who choose to leave them off.

Examples of hobbies and interests on your CV

"I focus on my creative skills as I play a musical instrument in my free time"

"I watch my favourite TV programme"
"I have my personal blog which is about personal development"
"I love public speaking to improve my communication skills”
"I get involved in community activities and fundraising events.”
“I’m a team player and love playing team sports locally"
"I love reading Charles Dicken's novels"

Why do people think listing hobbies in one of your CV sections adds value for your potential employer?

They compliment the professional skills and competencies highlighted elsewhere on your CV and if directly related to the opportunity, they could add value
It gives the employer a more complete picture of you and hopefully positions you as a rounded individual
It provides additional relevant information about what you enjoy in your spare time when not at work and what your passions are
If you play sports, it shows you are a fit and healthy person
They can show you to be active, outgoing, resourceful, and dynamic, which are valuable skills that could be useful in the workplace
It makes you seem more interesting than the other candidates if you have an unusual hobby

Do you need a hobbies and interests section on your CV?

Does listing hobbies on a professional CV add any value? This is a good question because quite a lot of hiring managers will say:

"I really like to see a hobbies and interests section like on a CV, it really helps me to understand the person and not just the candidate."

The key to this question lies in the relevance of the hobbies and interests. A hobby section and/or an interests section could include a list of hobbies including sports, music, performing arts, blogging, or even researching family history.

Job seekers that mention hobbies must ensure they are relevant to make the section effective. Rather than taking up valuable space on your CV, it may perhaps be appropriate to give an example or two in job interviews.

Do hiring managers read your hobbies section?

Fundamentally, people are curious and hiring managers are no different. As it’s not one of the core CV sections, not everyone will include their personal interests.

However, carefully selected examples of hobbies or interests that are linked to professional attributes and qualities could be worthwhile incorporating.

How the hobbies and interests are presented can also influence whether they are noted by hiring managers. Supporting grassroots sports or a local Scout organisation presented as Voluntary Roles or Community Involvement may see more recruiters reading the details provided.

Hobbies and interests to avoid

We often see candidates add hobbies on their CV to improve their chances of securing job interviews. Some of these might include:

"I enjoy socialising"
"Going to the cinema with my friends"

These are things that most people would claim to enjoy, but they would almost certainly be viewed as irrelevant hobbies that have no place on a professional CV.

Regardless of advice that suggests you should include hobbies that give an insight into you as a person, including meaningless ones may undermine an application and see you dismissed as a credible candidate.

Why shouldn't you put personal interests and team sports in a CV? Example 1

When you list hobbies on your CV you create the opportunity for unconscious bias.

For example, we once had a client that was an avid supporter of West Ham United and choose to highlight this on their CV.

In this instance, if the hiring manager or recruiter happens to support Arsenal, there’s a chance they may immediately consign your CV to the bin due to their dislike of West Ham. In effect, you have needlessly introduced unconscious bias into the decision-making process by highlighting a personal interest that has no relevance to the role advertised or your ability to do it.

It may not be professional, but human beings often make emotional decisions and removing any scope for irrelevant hobbies to trip you up is a sensible approach. Of course, there’s a chance the hiring manager could like football and also be a West Ham supporter, but statistically it’s unlikely and therefore it’s not worth the risk.

Why shouldn't you put your hobbies and interests on your CV? Example 2

Another client was a very experienced managing director and offered a wealth of experience and wide range of skills. His hobby was thai boxing. Whilst martial arts can be associated with discipline, commitment, and fitness, others may view it as violent, brutal, and dangerous.

How the reader views thai boxing may influence how they view your application. They may associate martial arts with certain personal characteristics and conjure a negative mental image of you that bears no resemblance to reality and doesn’t align with the managing director they’re looking to recruit.

However unfair, these considerations should be factored in when deciding what hobbies and interests to highlight, or whether any need to be included at all.

Why shouldn't you put your hobbies and interests on your CV? Example 3

On another occasion, we had a customer with a passion for trainspotting and highlighted this on their CV. There are some who may consider this a little ‘boring’ or ‘nerdy’ and choose to exclude a candidate based on their hobby, regardless of their professional suitability.

Again, the highlighting of a hobby unrelated to the opportunity being applied for has the capacity to promote unconscious bias and negatively affect your application.

Include a very special, impressive hobby if you've achieved something

There could be an argument for including certain achievements related to your hobbies or interests on your CV.

If, for example, you are a passionate fundraising and raised substantial sums of money climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, that could be viewed as an impressive achievement and worthy of note.

Similarly, if you’re a competitive runner who competes on the global marathon circuit and is trained by an Olympic-standard coach, it shows character traits that employers may see as relevant to their organisation.

If the hobby or interest doesn’t meet the criteria of being special but is just something you enjoy to do away from work, it’s probably better to leave it off.

Key takeaways. What should you focus on instead of adding hobbies?

Hobbies and interests or your favourite community activities should almost certainly be excluded.

Focus should instead remain on what's going to create a long-standing, world-class impression on the hiring manager. Leave valuable space on your CV for high impact content instead.

Valuable skills as part of your value proposition
Optimise your CV for applicant tracking systems
Frame interests and hobbies as something more impressive, where relevant
Ask yourself – will this improve my ability to do the job in the eyes of the recruiter?

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Should you put hobbies on a CV?