Top Resume Mistake: Including your Interests or Hobbies

 

In the vast majority of cases, when an interest segment is included in a resume, it is usually inserted at the very end under an Activities, Interests or Hobbies title, or something similar. It used to only be a brief list of hobbies, but nowadays, you’ll find resume templates that also include related icons to try to increase the visual appeal. Here are some examples of resume templates taken from kickresume.com and which include hobbies.

What’s the whole point of a resume again?

Have you ever bothered to ask yourself about the whole purpose of having a resume? Stupid question you may think. Well, humor me for a moment here…

Wikipedia defines a resume as follows:

“A résumé, sometimes spelled resume, called a CV in English outside North America, is a document created and used by a person to present their background, skills, and accomplishments. Résumés can be used for a variety of reasons, but most often they are used to secure new employment.”

So, the whole point of a resume is to showcase your background, skills and accomplishments to a potential employer. Now, with this in mind, ask yourself how your personal interests and hobbies relate to this?

As in the examples above, for the majority of people who do include an interests segment in their resume, it usually includes hobbies such as books, travel, music, photography, movies and one or two sports which usually are running, jogging, hiking, or cycling and often include a team sport like soccer and a winter sport such as snowboarding. Pretty standard stuff.

So again, how would an activity such as watching movies or hiking be relevant to the position you are applying for? How would these activities and hobbies stir up the interest of an employer in your candidacy? How are you skiing and listening to music part of the skills you possess that would be required for this new potential job?

How are your personal interests, hobbies and activities related to the work? Short answer is, they are not.

But…

“But… I read a lot of books and it shows good reading and English language skills!”

No. The employer certainly won’t see it this way. If they need someone with great language skills, they will test you if needed for the position, or they’ll ask you to submit a written sample. You reading books does not translate into mastery of the English language or of skills in communications.

“But… I play soccer, which is a team sport and therefore shows my team spirit and use of strategy!”

No. There are other ways to show your appreciation of collaborating with others towards a common goal. And putting soccer as an interest in your resume is not good strategy.

“But… I travel every chance I get, I have been exposed to many cultures and this shows that I am well travelled, have great adaptability and an open mind towards others.”

No. If adaptability and an open mind are relevant for the job, then show it in a professional context. And if travelling is one of your priorities in life, then the employer will understand that your hobby will require a lot of vacation time, which could backfire even before you get to an interview with the hiring manager.

But… no. Your resume is not your Facebook (which you should not include on your resume). Your resume is not about your life, or about what you do in your spare time, or how adventurous and active you are or how great your life seems. In some instances, mentioning your hobbies can actually do more harm than good and work against you.

Your resume is about your professional life, your professional skills and accomplishments. This is about securing a position for your career, for bettering your future and your personal finances. If you feel the urge to discuss your travel experiences, play book or movie critic or share your latest skiing exploits, then use Facebook and talk to your friends and family. Your resume and job interviews are not for that, and employers are not interested in your personal life.

Your hobbies and personal interests don’t differentiate you from the competition. And these hobbies, in terms of words, won’t get you pass the Applicant Tracking System (the software that scans your resume for keywords relevant to the position you are applying for) or the Talent Acquisition HR employee.

Keep a professional mind frame and stay focused on your goal, which is getting that better job that is more in line with your values and which will hopefully bring in an increased income, if that is what you need and want. Stay focused to keep the odds in your favour, because nobody else will do it for you.

Alright, but what about…

What about something less bland such as skydiving, singing in a band, beer brewing, woodworking, archery? Same as reading books, watching movies and travelling. These hobbies, as intense, interesting and pleasurable as they may be for you, will not make you stand out, or make you come across as someone special, different and worthy of being considered for this position you are applying for.

What about participating in high calibre competitions for semi-professionals or professionals, whether it be sports or something else such as singing for instance? Same. How would your experience in competitive sports, let’s say skiing, even if you won ten gold medals, would qualify you for a position in accounting? I repeat, unless your hobby or personal interest is related to the job, even if you accomplished something great in this activity, should not appear on your resume.

Otherwise, you will simply make yourself look pompous and nobody likes an arrogant and conceited self-centred jerk. An employer won’t be interested in stroking an employee’s inflated ego for months or years to come. And think of it this way: wouldn’t you rather be interviewed for a job because you are actually considered qualified for it or because you tooted your own horn about something unrelated? And in that latter case, would you really want to work for someone like that?

What about personal experience which might be job related?

In a situation where your personal interests and hobbies are directly related to the position you are applying for, then it may be an option to mention this to a potential employer.

For instance, if you are applying for a job in an art gallery and you paint and even have had your works exposed, then obviously it should be mentioned. If you enjoy restoring motorcycles and you are applying for a position in a garage or a car parts dealership, then again it should go without saying that this type of information about you needs to be brought up front and centre for the employer to see and learn about you.

In other words, if your hobby allows you to develop skills and accomplish goals and tasks that are required and valued for the position, then showcase this.

The better way of showcasing the value of your hobbies

Besides mentioning it during an interview, there are mainly two ways to bring forth your personal experiences that show value related to the position you are interested in: your cover letter and the summary statement of your resume, which is a list of your qualifications and skills that are suited for and correspond to what the employer needs and is looking for.

It should go without saying that a personalized and tailored cover letter should always accompany your resume. Mentioning skills you developed while pursuing personal interests could be a great topic to address in your cover letter in addition to showing an employer how they would benefit from employing you. Using the job in an art gallery example from a few paragraphs above, one could write something like the following to include in their cover letter:

Over the last decade, I have gained an in-depth passion for art, which has led me to use my personal time to study and appreciate various painting techniques in master classes and develop my own style. I have also had some of my more recent work exposed at Gallery X, allowing me to gain a deeper understanding of the intricacies related to art exhibits through the artist’s perspective.

These few lines tell a potential employer that this person has a knowledge of art, and more specifically in painting techniques, and therefore could probably easily converse with clients or visitors. She also has knowledge about the process behind organizing an art exhibit, including from the artist’s perspective so this individual could be involved in managing relationships with artists.

In addition to mentioning these experiences in greater detail in the cover letter, one should also include related skills in the summary statement of their resume, which is a better alternative to a resume objective. Using this same example, one could include, amongst other skills and competencies:

• 10+ years of knowledge of art painting techniques, gained in part from master classes in-depth studies.
• Understanding of all perspectives of the process of organizing art exhibits.

Summary

Forget altogether about including an interests or hobbies section in your resume. If you have some hobbies that show dedication to a field relevant to the position you are interested in, then include your related skills, competencies, and possibly accomplishments, in the summary statement of your resume and let your personality shine through in your cover letter.

You’ll want to portray yourself as a serious professional who is focused on business and on the employer’s needs, not on yourself and your personal life.