50+ Hobbies and Interests For Your Resume

Resumes are a way for us to show prospective employers what we bring to the table.

And sure, the main intent of a resume is to showcase your professional skills, expertise, and educational background, but being successful at your job takes more than that.

Adding your hobbies and interests to your resume can position you as someone with a well-rounded personality who probably has multiple things in common with co-workers, teammates, and clients.

The ‘hobbies and interests’ section in your resume is a good place to showcase this. By listing the activities and interests that give you joy and relaxation, you give hiring managers a glimpse into who you are outside of the workday. They (and your future colleagues) can use that information to connect with you on a personal level.

A resume with diverse, varied interests also sets you apart from the competition and may even increase your chances of landing the job.

If you don’t know which hobbies and interests to include in your resume, then this guide is for you! 🫵

50+ Hobbies and Interests Examples For Your Resume

Should You Include Hobbies and Interests in Your Resume?

The short answer is yes! Hobbies and interests show prospective employers that you do productive things outside of work.

Consider a candidate who has a passion for rock climbing. When she lists it on her resume, it demonstrates her perseverance and the ability to work under pressure. It also shows her knack for problem-solving as she navigates her way up the wall. All qualities that are prized in an employee and that employers highly value.

Here’s how including a hobbies and interests section can take your resume from good to excellent:

Skills shine through: Your hobbies are an indicator of relative transferable skills. Love cooking? Your attention to detail will come in handy when reviewing documents or making complex project plans. An avid photographer? Your keen eye and ability to capture a moment could make you a good fit in graphic design, marketing, creative, or product design roles
Personality powerhouse: Your hobbies offer a unique window into who you are as a person. Are you a social person who thrives on team sports or a detail-oriented Lego enthusiast who enjoys solo projects? These details paint a picture of your work style and how you might fit into the company culture
Experience booster: New graduates or individuals transitioning to a new career might have a resume that is light on professional experience. This is where hobbies and interests can come to the rescue. They showcase your well-roundedness, initiative, and potential as a future asset to the hiring manager

Hobbies and interests also help you recover from work fatigue, enabling you to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

💡Pro tip: For students, working on side hustles and college projects would be a great addition to their resume as it highlights an entrepreneurial mindset.

What is the Difference Between Interests and Hobbies?

Hobbies and interests might seem similar, but there are subtle differences between the two.

Let’s break it down further. 🛠️

What are hobbies?

These are the activities you engage in regularly. They often require a time commitment and involve skill development. Most importantly, hobbies bring you enjoyment. Think of activities like rock climbing, gardening, or playing the guitar. These pursuits showcase valuable transferable skills that employers seek.

For example, gardening demonstrates patience, attention to detail, and the ability to follow complex growing cycles. Playing the guitar highlights your dedication to practice, ability to learn hard skills (like reading music), and potential for teamwork if you play in a band.

What are interests?

These are topics or activities that pique your curiosity, but you might not actively pursue them as often. Perhaps you’re fascinated by astrophysics or enjoy reading travel blogs.

While your interests don’t necessarily highlight specific skills, they still hold value! They offer a glimpse into your personality and what excites you intellectually.

So, which belongs on your resume?

The answer: both, but strategically!

Focus on hobbies: Prioritize hobbies that directly connect to the skills or qualities required in the job description. If applying for a landscaping role, your gardening hobby showcasing your knowledge of plant life and dedication to maintaining a healthy ecosystem would be a great fit
Use interests (but sparingly): Choose personal interests that genuinely reflect your personality and could spark a conversation during the interview. Mentioning your love of travel blogs might resonate with a company that values a global mindset

Important points to remember:

Relevance is key: Both hobbies and interests should, ideally, be relevant to the position you’re applying for
Quality over quantity: It’s better to list a few impactful hobbies than a long list of generic interests. ‘Watching TV’ for instance, is not a hobby you want to mention on your resume
Show, don’t tell: Use strong action verbs to describe how your hobbies contribute to your skills

Understanding the difference between hobbies and interests can help you craft a resume that goes beyond just listing your experience. Adding them strategically to your resume helps weave a compelling story about your unique skills and who you are as a person.

Different Types of Hobbies to Highlight in a Resume

We’ve established that hobbies can be great for enhancing a resume, but with so many options, where do you even begin?

The good news is, there’s a category for all kinds of personal interests!

Below are descriptions of popular hobbies and how they can improve your resume. 👇

Sports-related: From team sports like basketball to individual sports like running, sports hobbies showcase dedication, perseverance, and the ability to work towards a goal. Team sports additionally highlight collaboration and communication skills
Creative pursuits: Whether you’re a great painter, a master baker, or a coding wizard who creates video games, creative hobbies demonstrate problem-solving skills, creativity, and the ability to think outside the box
Intellectual challenges: Do you spend your free time devouring non-fiction or tackling challenging puzzles? These activities highlight your intellectual curiosity, analytical thinking, and love for learning—all habits of highly effective people
Technological proficiency: Building your computer, mastering a new coding language, or creating apps in your free time? These tech-savvy hobbies showcase your digital fluency and ability to learn new skills quickly
Artistic interests: Playing a musical instrument, composing music, or photography—artistic hobbies showcase your ability to express yourself creatively, your dedication to practice, and your potential to bring fresh perspectives to the table
Cultural and travel interests: These activities demonstrate your openness to new experiences and adaptability. Volunteer work abroad or at home demonstrates your selflessness, generosity, and ability to connect with people from diverse backgrounds

💡Pro tip: The key is to choose hobbies that are relevant to the position you’re applying for. You must highlight the skills and qualities you possess because they implicitly symbolize good work habits.

How to Decide Which Hobbies and Interests to Include?

If you don’t already have a set of hobbies and interests to add to your resume, using personal development tools to build them further can be a good starting point.

But if you’ve got an over-large list of hobbies and interests and don’t know which ones to showcase on your resume, here are some tips to ensure you make an impactful choice. ✅

1. Decode the job description and company culture

Read the job description carefully. Pay close attention to the required skills and desired qualities. Then, study the company’s website and social media.

Get a pulse check on: What’s their work environment? Do they value collaboration or independent work styles? Do employees share their creative journeys on company blogs or LinkedIn profiles?

Look for clues that can help you tailor your hobbies and interests to resonate with the company culture.

For example, if you are applying for a marketing role at a startup, highlight your participation in a local hackathon (intellectual challenge and technology proficiency) to demonstrate your ability to thrive in a dynamic environment and work under pressure.

2. Industry relevance

Some hobbies naturally lend themselves to specific industries.

Are you applying for a graphic design position? Mentioning your passion for photography (artistic interests) signals a sense of visual design, aesthetics, and the potential for creating compelling graphics.

For instance: You’re a recent graduate applying for a research assistant role at a scientific institution. Listing your love for astronomy (intellectual challenge) demonstrates your scientific curiosity and aligns perfectly with the institute’s focus.

3. Steer clear of unrelated hobbies

While your resume is a platform to showcase your personality, it’s advisable to avoid listing hobbies that might be controversial or completely irrelevant to the job.

Stick to activities that paint you in a positive light and highlight your well-roundedness.

Tailor your choices by job role:

Here are some specific examples of how hobbies can align with different job roles:

Project manager: Leading a community garden (creative pursuit and people-related) demonstrates your organizational skills, ability to delegate, and commitment to seeing projects through to completion
Software engineer: Participating in open-source software projects (technology proficiency) showcases your passion for coding, ability to collaborate in a virtual environment, and commitment to continuous learning
Customer service representative: Volunteering at an animal shelter (cultural and travel interests) demonstrates your compassion, empathy, and excellent communication skills—all essential for building rapport with customers

Also Read: 10 Free Life Planning Templates for Personal Life Planning

How to List Hobbies and Interests on Your Resume

Now that we have established that hobbies and interests are important, how do you craft and position them into an impactful section on your resume? 📑

Here are some tips to help you showcase your passions strategically:

Craft a dedicated ‘Interests’ section

The best practice is to create a separate ‘Interests’ section at the bottom of your resume. The term ‘Interests’ sounds professional and reflects your personality in the activities you enjoy.

Why does it work?

A dedicated ‘Interests’ section keeps your resume organized and visually appealing. It also signals to the hiring manager that you’ve put thought into showcasing your candidature from all sides.

Include them when they add value

There’s no hard and fast rule about including interests, but generally, it’s beneficial when:

You have limited professional experience: New graduates or career changers might have a lighter work history. Hobbies and interests can fill the gap, showcasing your skills, initiative, and potential
Your hobbies directly connect to the skills or qualities highlighted in the job description: This is the sweet spot! Let your passions demonstrate your transferable skills
They offer a glimpse into your personality and cultural fit with the company: Do your hobbies hint at a collaborative spirit or attention to detail? These details can help you resonate with the company culture

💡Pro tip: If you’re transitioning to a new career, update your career map to list skills from your previous career that apply to the new field. Include both soft skills (like communication, leadership, and problem-solving) and hard skills (such as technical expertise or project management). Provide concrete examples of how you’ve used these skills in the past.

Detail, don’t just list

Don’t simply list your hobbies—take it a step further! Use bullet points with action verbs to describe your involvement and how these activities connect to valuable skills for the job.

Instead of just saying ‘rock climbing,’ write, ‘I like scaling challenging crags or hard rock climbing routes.’

This example tailors the hobby description to a marketing role by highlighting relevant skills:

Goal setting: Rock climbing often involves setting specific goals for reaching the top of a route or completing a difficult section
Perseverance: This sport requires persistence and the ability to keep trying even when faced with challenges
Problem-solving: Rock climbers need to analyze the route, plan their moves, and adapt their strategy as they go—all valuable skills for tackling marketing challenges

Prioritize and promote strategically

Choose up to five impactful hobbies or interests that best align with the position you’re applying for. List your most relevant ones first to grab the hiring manager’s attention.

Why does it work?

Hiring managers typically spend less than a minute scanning resumes. By prioritizing your most relevant hobbies, you increase the chances they’ll see the skills you want to highlight.

Use ClickUp

Now, the big question is: How do you transform your hobbies and interests into a compelling narrative for your resume? One that showcases your unique personality and skills. This is where ClickUp steps in and becomes your resume-writing partner.

Forget static documents that leave your creativity stifled. Use ClickUp to craft your resume and get ready for that new job!

Use ClickUp Docs to create dynamic resumes with rich formatting features

ClickUp Docs offers a dynamic workspace (read: a living document) to brainstorm, write, and refine the content for the ‘Interests’ section of your resume, or even all of it!

It helps you jump, leap, and explore beyond the limitations of traditional documents.

Here, you can freely brainstorm and jot down all your hobbies and interests, no matter how big or small. There’s no pressure for immediate perfection; just capture everything that excites you.

And if you hit a creative roadblock while crafting compelling descriptions that highlight the skills behind your hobbies? ClickUp assists you in overcoming writer’s block while building your resume as well.

ClickUp Brain, your built-in AI assistant, ensures your descriptions are clear, concise, and impactful. Here’s how:

Suggests relevant skills: Describe your love for baking pastries, and ClickUp Brain might suggest transferable skills like ‘attention to detail,’ ‘following complex instructions,’ and ‘time management’
Corrects grammar: ClickUp Brain acts as your grammar checker, ensuring your descriptions are polished and professional
Checks readability: It analyzes your writing for clarity and readability, making sure your descriptions are easy to understand for hiring managers

The real beauty of ClickUp Docs is its flexibility. As your experience grows and you apply for different jobs, you can easily edit your ‘Interests’ section. This allows you to tailor the descriptions to highlight the skills most relevant to each position.

ClickUp’s Job Search Template

ClickUp’s Job Search Template is designed to organize your job search efforts and target the perfect opportunities.

Log all your job applications in one place, including company names, positions applied for, application dates, and even interview notes.

Curate a list of interesting job openings you come across during your search. Use this as a reference point when tailoring your resume and interests section for specific applications.

If you’ve researched companies that interest you, add your ratings to the template. This can help you prioritize applications and target companies that align with your work culture preferences.

Download This Template

50+ Examples of Hobbies and Interests to Include on Resumes

Remember to choose hobbies and interests relevant to the job and use action verbs to highlight transferable skills. Here’s a list to choose from: 🗂️

Sports and fitness

Racquet sports (tennis, badminton, squash)
Team sports (basketball, football, hockey)
Running
Yoga/pilates
Weightlifting
Swimming
Parkour/freerunning
Rock balancing
Martial arts
Dancing

Creative pursuits

Writing
Beatboxing
Painting/drawing
Photography
Graphic design
Filmmaking
Jewelry making
Woodworking
Homebrewing

Intellectual challenges

Reading
Learning a new language
Chess/puzzles
Attending lectures/workshops
Coding/programming
Crosswords
Jigsaw puzzles
Logic games
Word games
Card games

Technology proficiency

Assembling computers/ tech devices
Open-source software contribution
Creating mobile apps
Web development
Data analysis
Social media management

Artistic interests

Playing a musical instrument
Singing
Dancing
Acting
Playing board games

Cultural and travel interests

Attending concerts/plays
Traveling
Learning about different cultures
Attending cultural events
Trying new cuisines
Learning foreign languages
Volunteering at a historical society
Genealogy research
Metal detecting
Birdwatching

Outdoor activities

Hiking/backpacking
Camping
Rock climbing
Gardening
Kayaking/canoeing
Volunteer work at an animal shelter
Urban exploration

Entrepreneurial pursuits

Freelancing
E-commerce business
Investing

Real-life resume examples

Example 1

Example 2

Example 3

Example 4

Level Up Your Resume and Land Your Dream Job with ClickUp

The hobbies and interests section is your chance to show your future employers who you are beyond the workday. Carefully chosen hobbies and interests can help you stand out and make you a more desirable candidate.

Keep your interests relevant to the job, use strong verbs to showcase your achievements, and tailor it to each job application.

By using skills management software like ClickUp, you can effectively display your professional skills and experiences to create a holistic picture of your capabilities.

ClickUp Docs and Brain will quickly become your trusted writing companions in the job hunt. Meanwhile, ClickUp’s Job Search Template will keep your job search on track.

Boost your resume’s impact and get organized—try ClickUp for free today!