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One vacancy - countless other people applying for that one vacancy. It's hard to stand out from the crowd of applicants. Therefore, in addition to your professional skills, also mention your hobbies in your CV. It is not an obligation, but through this you tellthe HR managers something personal about you. This completes your CV profile.
We recommend that you do not add all hobbies to your CV. Some hobbies do not make a good impression. Interests in which you demonstrate versatility, team spirit or creativity are ideal to mention.
Important Additional Information: What Hobbies Reveal About Your Personality
Hobbies in your CV - yes or no? This question is often discussed, with the same answer: It depends. If your hobbies are a good fit for your desired industry and advertised job, they are an important additionat the end of your CV. True, they influence the selection process in very few cases. Nevertheless, they complement your qualifications, expertise and professional experience. They help your potential employer to get a complete picture of you as an applicant.
Conclusions can be drawn about you as a personality from every hobby. At best, your hobbies emphasize your versatility and confirm the good impression the recruit has of you. This is a good way to complete your profile, especially for young professionals with little experience. In the worst case, however, your personal interests can also become an application killer.
Hint: Are you curious about a new hobby? We have made an overview of the 46 possible hobbies.
Character Traits perhobby
Each leisure activity that you list in your CV represents certain character traits. We give you an overview per popular hobby:
- Football, hockey, basketball, etc..: These sports let you potential employer sees that you are success-oriented and a team player. Hobbies like tennis, on the other hand, tend to reveal that you are a lonely fighter.
- Swim and jog in your spare time or do you even participate in marathons? This shows recruiters that you have perseverance, determination and...can work under pressure. You also emphasize your physical condition.
- Interests such as golf, sailing or equestrian and polo sports are status hobbies. From this, HR managers conclude that you are used to certain social interactions and are good at making contacts.
- From hobbies like blogging, tweeting or YouTube conclusions can be drawn about your openness to trends. This shows that you have your finger on the pulse of the times, which fits well with modern companies.
- You can also score points with down-to-earth hobbies like cooking or Paint by Numbers. This portrays you as sociable (cooking for friends), open to new things (trying recipes) and creative.
- Recruiters are most interested in you volunteer work. They show that you also take responsibility in your free time,you are committed to others and are a real team player.
Computer games or base jumping: hobbies as job application killers
For hobbies in your CV: Indicate interests that match the advertised position. This varies from case to case. For example, it makes sense to mention hiking or climbing as an interest if you are applying for a job in the outdoor industry.
But be careful: hobbies with a high risk of injury, such as skydiving, cave diving or base jumping, raise alarm bells for most recruiters. Such interests represent a great willingness to take risks. Shedisqualify you from jobs that require conscientiousness and thoughtfulness. You make HR managers wonder whether a traditional job might quickly become too boring for you. Moreover, HR managers fear that you will often be absent due to illness.
Do you prefer standard hobbies such as reading, meeting friends or listening to music? Here too, you have to choose your interests carefully: Such hobbies are quickly labeled as boring - and in the worst case, so are you.
This also applies to passive activities such as watching TV, going to the cinema or playing computer games. These hobbies have a rather negative image and are associated with an unsociable loner without a social network. This robs you of the opportunity to position yourself as a motivated team player.
Checklist: This is what counts when it comes to hobbies in your CV
- To the point: Don't mention all facets of your many interests. Limit yourself to a maximum of four hobbies.
- Suitable for the job: Choose your hobbies wisely and with the job in mind. Thequalities associated with it must match the job.
- Highlight performance: If you have achieved any self-set goals in your spare time, list them - for example: "half marathon (second winner)"
- Avoid extremes: Injury-prone hobbies are not well received by recruiters. Risk-taking conflicts with professions such as controller, quality manager or positions with major budgetary responsibility.
- Honesty is the best policy: Stick to the truth about your hobbies and be willing to ask questionsto answer. Otherwise, you will quickly be exposed as an impostor.
Frequently asked questions
This depends on which vacancy you are applying for and what hobbies you enjoy. We give you in our blog article the most important tips.
Yes! If you practice a hobby with several people, you are more of a team player. You can enter a list with the most popular hobbies and character traits.
