How Hobbies on Your Resume Can Help Land a Job
Posted June 6th, 2016
When putting together a resume, career experts counsel job seekers to keep anything extraneous off of it. If it is not directly related to the job you are applying for, you should not put it on the resume. Hobbies would seem to fall under the category of something extraneous. After all, they are not even work related.
However, there are times when including your hobby is actually a good idea because it can help you get the job. It can set you apart, display your personality, and highlight some of your talents.
A recent study has shown that companies are taking more of an interest in hobbies. Some, in fact, are using them as a way to determine how well a candidate will fit in with the culture of the company. And some companies are even saying that hobbies can be as important as your other qualifications.
If you have a hobby like coin collecting, it probably won’t give you much of a bump in the job hunt competition and might just as well be left off.
However, if you have one of the following hobbies, you should definitely highlight it because of what it says about you.
1. Endurance sports
This would include activities like cycling, distance running, or swimming. If you are a triathlete, you have hit the jackpot. This shows the qualities of perseverance and determination, plus a lot of plain old grit, and would look good on any resume.
2. High risk activities
If you like to sky dive, for example, or bungee jump, this shows you are someone who pushes the envelope, who takes risks.
3. Painting, writing
These hobbies would show creativity, which is a quality valued by employers.
4. Team sports
These kinds of hobbies, such as playing in a basketball or volleyball league, show your ability to work as a team player, someone who knows how to get along and work cooperatively for the greater good.
5. Games
Games like chess and other similar pursuits show an ability to use strategy and tactics, to analyze situations and think logically.
6. Reading
This, strictly speaking, might raise a few eyebrows if listed as a hobby. After all, everyone reads. But if you pursue it as a planned, purposeful avocation, you may want to include it. If you are a voracious reader, it shows you are a lover of knowledge and the life of the mind, all qualities that employers would value.
If you want the opportunity to show off your hobbies to employers in the San Francisco Bay area, and you work in a technology-related field, Bayside Solutions can help you find a job that fits your skills and experience. Bayside specializes in technology-related jobs. Give us a call today.
