Resumes & Cover Letters

5 hobbies that could boost your resume

5-hobbies-that-could-boost-your-resume
Written by Guest Contributor

Are you making the most of your hobbies and interests on your resume?

If not, you really need to be.

Whilst adding this section to your resume is optional, if done right, this can really boost your application. Particularly if you don’t have a huge amount of relevant experience or qualifications to shout about.

But how do you know what to include?

Well, that’s where we come in. Below, we’ve pulled together a list of five hobbies that could help to boost your resume and make you stand out from the competition.

Team sports

There are a number of benefits to including team sports on your resume, especially if you are the captain or you coach your own team. These could be sports like football, soccer, netball, hockey, or even dancing.

This is because team sports can highlight an array of useful skills that employers are looking for, such as tenacity, determination, teamwork, and risk management.

What’s more, if you are the captain or you oversee a younger team, this can demonstrate skills such as leadership and organization.

Individual sports can also be included on your resume as long as you include some of the relevant skills that you have learned from doing these alone.

Playing a musical instrument

Playing a musical instrument not only shows that you’re creative and musical, but it also comes with a range of transferable skills that can be applied to the working world.

These skills include patience, discipline, and attention to detail. It also shows that you’re dedicated to learning new skills.

And best of all, it doesn’t really matter what musical instrument you play, they all require these desirable transferable skills that employers are looking for in a new recruit. This also gives you an opportunity to show off your skills and achievements at the same time by listing any concerts you’ve played, bands you’ve been in, or pupils you’ve taught music to.

Blogging

Creativity is a desirable skill in lots of industries, so listing creative hobbies like blogging can be a great way to show this off.

This is particularly true if you’re looking for a job that is going to require you to write blog posts or any other type of creative content, as this can showcase your writing skills.

But more than this, it also shows that you’ve got other important transferable skills such as passion, dedication, communication, and attention to detail.

Better still, you should include details of the digital skills required when blogging. For example, using content platforms like WordPress or promoting your blogs across popular platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram.

Similar creative hobbies that you might wish to shout about on your resume include photography, video production, and art.

Exercise

For lots of people, exercise (outside of the team sports we mentioned earlier) is an important hobby. From running and swimming to yoga and meditation, not only does it keep us fit, but exercise requires a lot of transferable skills that can be used in the workplace.

For example, yoga and meditation can show that you’re mindful, calculated, and in control. It also shows you calm and self-disciplined.

Similarly, running shows determination, focus, and confidence.

People who love to exercise in their free time will also often set themselves goals. Being goal-driven is a very useful trait for employers, as they want workers who are going to continually strive to reach not only their own personal goals but also the overall business goals.

Learning a new language

Thanks to handy smartphone apps, podcasts, and CDs, learning a new language has never been easier, and lots of people have chosen to take this up as a hobby.

Language skills are highly sought after in the working world. Therefore, if this is your hobby, you should definitely include this on your resume.

Not only does knowing another language open you up to more job opportunities, but it also requires you to work on important skills such as communication and dedication and proves that you want to keep learning and developing your skills.

Including hobbies on your resume

As we said, the hobbies and interests section of your resume is optional and should only be included if you have interesting hobbies that showcase your skills, like those we’ve outlined above.

It’s also important that you only include hobbies if they demonstrate relevant skills, so it’s a good idea to do some research before writing your resume and look at the key transferable skills the employer is looking for.

This way, you can optimize your hobbies section for maximum impact.

About the Author:
Andrew Fennell is the founder and director of Job Description Library and StandOut CV, two leading UK careers advice websites. He is a former recruitment consultant and contributes career advice to publications like Business Insider, The Guardian, and The Independent.

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Guest Contributor