If you are in the job market, you will be asked about your hobbies and interests in your interview. This is a perfect opportunity to demonstrate your skills, cultural capacity, and competence in your field.
In the following article, we will cover some of the hobbies that will glisten in the showcase of your skills and personal capacity.
We will also cover some of the reasons these hobbies make you a prime candidate for a variety of professional pursuits.
So, let’s begin!
What Types of Hobbies is Best to Include in Your Interview?
First, let’s discuss what types of hobbies are best to include in your interview.
As a rule of thumb, it is good to mention any hobbies that showcase your talents, personality, and ability to work well with people. Here are some great ideas.
Best Hobbies to Include in Your Job Interview
Volunteering and Community Involvement
If you have a big heart and interest in giving back to your community with your time and effort, you MUST include this in your job interview. This hobby sits at the top of our list of good hobbies to include on your resume.
According to statistics, 82% of employers are more likely to hire someone with volunteering experience. Volunteering and community work show initiative and strong moral character.
Be sure to mention how this hobby has increased your organizational skills and leadership capacity.
Writing
Clear communication is essential for any organization making progress in this technological age and any professional entering the workforce.
If you write a journal, blog, novels, short stories, memoirs, scientific papers, or even poetry, your potential employer needs to know about this.
You may want to have some choice examples of your work available for inspection.
Podcasting
Podcasting has become an especially popular way of getting your message heard and speaking to like-minded individuals. Creating, organizing, and producing a podcast is fun and fairly easy.
Nevertheless, it shows you have the capacity for marketing as you build your audience and highlights your communication skills through connecting to other thought leaders. All of these skills are in high demand in modern industry.
Social Media
Social media is an essential part of making connections of all types, and you probably have some experience in this advanced form of communication.
According to research, only about 5% of American adults were using social media in 2005. Today over 80% of all adults are active on social media.
If you have managed a popular Facebook page or own an Instagram account with a stable number of followers, this is something to include in your interview.
Learning Languages
If you have an interest in languages, the world is your oyster. Your potential employer is sure to value the intelligence, memory skills, and problem-solving capacity it takes to learn a new way of communicating and a new way of thinking.
There are so many languages to learn and so many ways to pursue this intellectual hobby. If you are looking to place your career on the fast track to success, consider learning a new language.
It is always best to choose your hobbies based on your interests and inclinations. But you can also research the fastest growing languages in your sector if you would like a serious leg up on job market competition.
Photography
Communication is not just about writing and speaking. It takes an especially creative mind to capture emotions, stories, dimensions, and experiences in a photograph.
In addition to the creative and technical skills required for capturing engaging imagery, a hobby in photography provides the opportunity to meet new people, make friends, travel, and even impress your potential employer with your expertise.
To your potential employer, it’s not just the pictures you take. It’s about the skills of communication and collaboration that culminate in your passion for this art.
Travel
Are you tenacious, adventurous, intrepid, and self-organized? Then, lace up your shoes, pack your bags, and head out on a flight into the unknown.
Traveling is the ultimate hobby as it takes you far from the comforts of home and places you in new cultures where you must learn to adapt and evolve.
When supported by a keen understanding of other cultures and a passion for new languages, traveling is one of the best hobbies to include on your resume.
During your interview, your potential employer will be impressed with your capacity for initiative. They will also recognize the value of adaptability and flexibility in the workplace.
Sports
No matter what you practice, sports show a high level of determination, a passion for excellence, and a competitive edge.
Team sports can hone your skills of leadership, cooperation, and coordination toward a common goal. Individual sports showcase your passion for personal development, self-discipline, patience, and dedication to your goals.
And if you do some research, you may find there is a position in the company softball team, for example.
Dancing
Dancing is a fun hobby with many benefits to social, mental, physical, and emotional health.
If you have advanced your dance skills, you will also have a good handle on collaboration, coordination, organization, and even cognitive performance.
Dancers also tend to be more relaxed and graceful in their interpersonal relations — this always makes for a positive and uplifting workplace.
Arts
Creativity is in high demand these days and welcome addition to any line of work. Taking an interest in arts requires a dedication to consistently reexamining your process and fine-tuning your practices.
The artwork also requires another level of critical thinking. When all of these skills are brought to the workplace, productivity and profitability are greatly improved.
Music
Whether you play a musical instrument, write music, or sing, musical accomplishment represents an important intelligence that has applications in all aspects of your life.
Music is like learning a new language while mastering skills in math and science.
But you don’t have to practice music to enjoy these benefits. Musical appreciation is more than enough to include music as a personal hobby.
Listening to music can balance the mind and soothe emotions. It can also enhance the memory portions of the brain, making you a quick learner.
With the unprecedented advance in technology, the workplace is in constant need of fast learners with balanced moods.
Hobbies to Avoid Mentioning in Your Interview
There are no hobbies that can’t be mentioned in your interview with a potential employer. But some will not glisten in the showcase of your skills and accomplishments.
If you are not careful with the way you present your hobbies, your employer may get the wrong idea.
Here are some hobbies that require special consideration in an interview.
Reading
Reading is an excellent hobby and has a considerable wealth of advantages. People who can spend time reading are often smarter, more cultured, and even more successful.
So, why not include “reading” as your hobby when in an interview?
Reading is not a particularly unique hobby, nor does it always require a great deal of creativity or discipline to master.
Furthermore, reading is the hobby of “loners,” and recluses are not always valued in the highly connected workplace of today.
Other Hobbies
Be very careful when presenting personal interests, as they can cause decisions to be made about your work capacity. None of the hobbies mentioned here are likely to have this effect.
But if you are a member of a political group, host a podcast with especially questionable views and opinions, or are an active member of an advocacy group, your perception could be altered unexpectedly.
Take a moment to consider the job you are applying for and how your hobby could be perceived by a potential employer.
Final Notes on Hobbies to Include in Your Interview
Presentation is the most important thing. Remember, your potential employer is only interested in your hobbies as they can benefit their operations, so take the time to present them as so.
Highlight the skills and experience you have gained from your hobby rather than the actual content.
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