200+ Hobbies and Interests to Put on a Resume

The best way to stand out on a resume beyond showcasing some epic experience is to give the hiring manager a glimpse into your world. Whether it’s showcasing some hobbies you’ve taken up and mastered or showing interests that showcase unique skill sets, having hobbies and interests on a resume could be valuable. Of course, your work experience is more valuable than the things you do for fun, but they do share insights into what kind of person you are, your dedication to mastery, and more. This article is going to give you a deep dive into when to include hobbies and interests on a resume, which type are best to include, the best niches for hobbies on a resume, and includes lists of hobbies based on common skills and job titles.

Should you put hobbies on a resume?

It depends. Adding hobbies on a resume isn’t always ideal. For some professions, it’s more formal and serious to hire a candidate and it’s less about personality and more about whether or not you can do the job. Hobbies on a resume might also introduce some bias. For example, if your resume includes a bunch of thrill seeking hobbies and you’re applying for a job at a boring bank, a bank hiring manager might think you’d get bored at the job. The type of work you do needs to line up with the hobbies and interests on a resume so it showcases that you’re a good fit for the job.

When to include hobbies and interests on a resume

When it’s relevant to the job

Adding hobbies and interests to a resume makes sense when it’s relevant to the job you’re applying for. A nurse who exercises and practices healthy eating will likely set better examples for her patients. So, if it’s relevant it can create a positive bias for you. However, if your hobbies include racing and you’re a mechanic, you might be at risk of injury which may put you at a disadvantage. You know, unless you’re applying to be a mechanic for a racing team.

When it shows culture fit

Adding hobbies and interests on a resume is a good idea when it shows culture fit. For example, if you’re applying for an entrepreneurship company, showcasing your entrepreneurial spirit is a good idea. However, if your hobbies include political activism at a neutral company, it may be seen as a distraction.

When you lack professional experience

When you lack professional experience, you can include hobbies and interests to pad out your resume. This can be helpful for allowing you to add relevant interests and hobbies to help you land a role as an early employee, such as a new grad.

When you need to fill an employment gap

When you’ve recently been laid off from a job or you’ve been off of work for a while to take on parental leave, you might find filling an employment gap is necessary. You might add hobbies and interests on a resume to showcase that you’re aligned with what the role is about while showcasing yourself as an ideal candidate despite the small employment gap.

When you need to stand out

When you know a specific job is ultra competitive and you need to stand out to differentiate yourself from other candidates, you can add hobbies and interests to showcase your uniqueness.

When you want to demonstrate unique skills

Every hobby and interest requires a different set of skills. If you’re trying to showcase your unique skill set through your hobbies and interests, you’ll be able to differentiate yourself while still showing others that you have developed those unique skills through what you’ve done.

When applying for creative roles

It’s not uncommon for creative roles like graphic design, writing, marketing, and entrepreneurship to find creatives who have hobbies within their craft. A writer who writes novels for fun could include her interests on a resume and it’s a good fit. An entrepreneurial person putting their side hustle on a resume could help them land a job.

Which type of hobbies are best to include on a resume

Relevant skills

The best hobbies and interests to put on a resume are those that align with your skills. For example, if a job posting asks for someone with presentation skills, you might put public speaking, Toastmasters, improv club, tutoring, podcasting, and debate club.

Relevant to craft

When deciding which hobbies and interests to put on a resume, consider choosing hobbies and interests that align with your craft. For example, a writer applying for a job might put hobbies and interests, such as blogging, novel writing, content marketing, scriptwriting, poetry, creative writing, and so on.

Relevant to industry

When choosing hobbies and interests to put on a resume, you might choose things that are related to your industry. For example, if you work in tech, you might mention AI, robotics, programming, building things, entrepreneurship, and more.

Best hobbies niches to put on a resume

Community focus

Those who are community-minded and like helping the people around them can put community-focused hobbies and interests on their resume. For example, volunteering, philanthropy, book clubs, community gardening, bowling, and so on.

Creativity minded

Those in creative industries can put more creative-minded hobbies and interests on their resume. For example, drawing, writing, photography, pottery, dance, woodworking, sewing, or cooking.

Multicultural interests

Those in diversity and inclusion focused roles or companies might list some multicultural hobbies and interests. For example, learning languages, traveling, folk dancing, networking, and so on.

Intellectual pursuits

Those who like intellectual stimulation might find themselves including intellectual pursuits on their resume. For example, reading, learning new skills, playing an instrument, chess, jiu jitsu, crossword puzzles, and so on.

Professional affiliations

In some industries, there are professional affiliations that you can sign up for to connect to your work community. For example, human resources, public relations, engineering, and so on have professional affiliations.

The difference between hobbies and interests on a resume

The difference between hobbies and interests is that interests might include things you consume content for, like learning about, or enjoy passively. However, hobbies are something you actively pursue and do. If you like watching social media videos about making money online, that’s an interest. However, if you like playing tennis and actively play multiple times a week, that’s a hobby.

Is it better to put hobbies, interests, or skills on a resume?

You can put hobbies, interests, and skills on a resume. Skills are the best thing to put on a resume. However, hobbies showcase that you develop skills through your regular activities. Interests showcase you like learning new things. Ultimately, whether you’re adding hobbies, interests, or skills to a resume it should help you pass filters by having the right keywords on your resume but also showcase your unique personality to give you a competitive edge in your job search.

Best Hobbies Based on Skills

Communication Skills

• Public speaking
• Blogging or vlogging
• Debate club
• Storytelling
• Learning a new language

Teamwork Skills

• Participating in team sports
• Volunteering for community projects
• Playing multiplayer video games
• Joining a book club
• Organizing group travel or events

Problem-Solving Skills

• Puzzles (crosswords, Wordle, Sudoku)
• Escape room challenges
• Coding or programming
• Strategy board games (e.g., chess)
• DIY projects or repairs

Time Management Skills

• Planning and hosting events
• Using productivity apps
• Maintaining a personal journal or planner
• Practicing mindfulness or meditation
• Gardening or maintaining a home

Adaptability Skills

• Traveling to new places
• Learning new activities
• Attending workshops or seminars
• Learning new technologies or tools
• Engaging in improv theater

Creativity Skills

• Painting or drawing
• Creative writing
• Crafting (e.g., knitting, scrapbooking)
• Playing a musical instrument
• Cooking or baking new recipes

Work Ethic

• Long-distance running or endurance sports
• Joining a study group or academic club
• Learning a new skill or subject
• Practicing a disciplined hobby (e.g., martial arts)
• Participating in charity or volunteer work

Interpersonal Skills

• Networking events
• Hosting social gatherings
• Presenting in philanthropy groups
• Engaging in active listening exercises
• Joining social clubs or organizations

Leadership Skills

• Leading a sports team
• Organizing community events
• Mentoring or coaching
• Taking leadership roles in clubs or organizations
• Participating in leadership training programs

Attention to Detail

• Model building or miniature painting
• Photography
• Editing or proofreading
• Collecting (e.g., stamps, coins)
• Playing musical instruments that require precision

Emotional Intelligence

• Practicing active listening
• Journaling about emotions
• Meditation or yoga
• Reading books on psychology or self-improvement
• Volunteering for support groups

Negotiation Skills

• Playing negotiation games (e.g., Monopoly)
• Role-playing exercises
• Participating in debate clubs
• Practicing conflict resolution scenarios
• Learning about different cultures and perspectives

Conflict Resolution Skills

• Mediation training
• Studying psychology or counseling techniques
• Role-playing conflicts and resolutions
• Participating in collaborative projects
• Volunteering for community mediation programs

Stress Management Skills

• Practicing yoga or meditation
• Engaging in regular exercise
• Pursuing hobbies that induce flow (e.g., painting, playing music)
• Spending time in nature
• Learning and practicing relaxation techniques

Networking Skills

• Attending industry conferences
• Joining professional associations
• Participating in social media groups
• Organizing meetups or networking events
• Volunteering for community events

Decision-Making Skills

• Playing strategic games (e.g., Risk, chess)
• Scenario planning exercises
• Participating in escape rooms
• Learning about decision-making models
• Analyzing case studies

Critical Thinking Skills

• Reading and discussing non-fiction books
• Engaging in philosophical debates
• Solving logic puzzles
• Learning a new language or coding
• Analyzing current events and news

Customer Service Skills

• Volunteering in customer-facing roles
• Participating in role-playing exercises
• Working in retail or service industries
• Joining a hospitality club or association
• Taking courses on communication and empathy

Presentation Skills

• Practicing public speaking
• Joining Toastmasters
• Participating in drama or theater
• Creating and delivering presentations for clubs
• Recording and reviewing video presentations

Self-Motivation Skills

• Setting and achieving personal goals
• Learning new skills independently
• Participating in self-improvement workshops
• Engaging in solo sports or activities
• Maintaining a personal blog or journal

Best Hobbies Based on Job Titles

Software Developer

• Coding or programming side projects
• Participating in hackathons
• Building and tinkering with electronics
• Contributing to open-source projects
• Playing strategic video games

Project Manager

• Planning and hosting events
• Participating in strategic board games
• Volunteering for community projects
• Learning new project management methodologies
• Engaging in DIY home improvement projects

Graphic Designer

• Drawing or sketching
• Photography
• Visiting art galleries and museums
• Creating digital art
• Participating in design challenges

Marketing Manager

• Blogging or content creation
• Studying market trends and consumer behavior
• Networking at industry events
• Participating in social media campaigns
• Volunteering for community marketing projects

Sales Representative

• Networking and attending social events
• Reading books on sales techniques
• Practicing public speaking
• Participating in competitive sports
• Engaging in role-playing sales scenarios

Human Resources Specialist

• Volunteering for community support groups
• Participating in workshops on empathy and communication
• Reading about labor laws and workplace culture
• Organizing team-building activities
• Mentoring or coaching others

Financial Analyst

• Studying stock market trends
• Playing strategy-based board games
• Analyzing financial news and reports
• Participating in investment clubs
• Engaging in personal budgeting and finance management

Teacher

• Volunteering for educational programs
• Reading and discussing educational theories
• Creating educational materials
• Engaging in public speaking
• Participating in community theater or drama clubs

Administrative Assistant

• Organizing events and gatherings
• Practicing mindfulness and organization techniques
• Learning new office software
• Volunteering for administrative roles in community projects
• Engaging in journaling or planning

Nurse

• Volunteering in healthcare settings
• Participating in first aid training
• Practicing mindfulness and self-care
• Learning about nutrition and wellness
• Engaging in physical fitness activities

Mechanical Engineer

• Building and repairing mechanical devices
• Participating in robotics clubs
• Engaging in DIY home improvement projects
• Flying model airplanes or drones
• Studying automotive mechanics

Data Analyst

• Analyzing data sets for personal projects
• Participating in data science competitions
• Reading about statistical methods and trends
• Learning new programming languages
• Engaging in puzzles and logic games

Content Writer

• Blogging or journaling
• Participating in writing workshops
• Reading a wide range of literature
• Engaging in storytelling or creative writing
• Volunteering to write for community newsletters

Customer Service Representative

• Volunteering in customer-facing roles
• Participating in role-playing exercises
• Learning about communication and empathy techniques
• Engaging in active listening exercises
• Practicing public speaking

Accountant

• Managing personal or family budgets
• Participating in financial literacy workshops
• Studying tax laws and regulations
• Engaging in puzzles and logic games
• Volunteering for community finance roles

Architect

• Visiting architectural landmarks
• Sketching and drawing
• Participating in model building
• Studying architectural styles and history
• Engaging in photography

Operations Manager

• Planning and organizing events
• Participating in strategy-based board games
• Volunteering for logistics roles in community projects
• Learning about new operational methodologies
• Engaging in DIY home improvement projects

Web Developer

• Building personal or freelance websites
• Participating in coding challenges
• Contributing to open-source projects
• Learning new web development languages
• Engaging in gaming or tech forums

Public Relations Specialist

• Networking at social events
• Writing press releases or blog posts
• Studying media trends and communication strategies
• Participating in public speaking or debate clubs
• Volunteering for community PR projects

Human Resources Manager

• Volunteering for mentorship programs
• Participating in workshops on leadership and communication
• Reading about workplace culture and employee engagement
• Organizing team-building activities
• Networking at industry events