Hobbies and Interests on a Resume: What to Include (40+ Examples)
Table of contents
Hobbies and interests are optional resume details. Include them when they add relevant context or show a genuine interest, and leave them out when more important experience or qualifications need the space.
This guide gives you the test to decide whether to include hobbies at all, 40 examples grouped by what they prove, the interests that quietly cost interviews, and how to format the block so it takes three lines instead of a third of the page.
Decision
Should you include hobbies? Three tests
- 1
Test 1 — Does it carry information?
Common interests such as reading or travel may not distinguish you on their own. Add a specific detail only if it is true and useful—for example, a language level, a published project or a volunteer role.
- 2
Test 2 — Does it connect to the work?
Volunteer coordination, competitive team sport, writing you publish, a language you use with clients, an open-source community you moderate. If the connection is obvious to a recruiter, the line earns its space.
- 3
Test 3 — Do you have the room?
If the resume is already one full page with no white space, hobbies lose to a certification, a metric or a second project. Add them only when at least two clean lines are free.
| Situation | Include hobbies? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Early-career with a thin resume | Yes — two or three | Fills space with genuine signal: interests, responsibility, initiative |
| Career changer | Yes, if they evidence the new field | A coding community moderation role or a published blog supports the pivot |
| Experienced professional in a full one-pager | Usually no | The same space should hold evidence: numbers, credentials, scope |
| Conservative sectors: law, banking, government | Rarely | Neutral topics only, and only if there is genuinely room |
| Creative or culture-led companies | Often yes | A relevant interest may add context, but it is not a substitute for role-related evidence |
| Senior leadership | No | Prioritize space for relevant leadership experience and results |
How to choose
Pick hobbies that prove something transferable
Every strong hobbies line answers one of five questions. Choose two or three that answer different ones, so the block shows range rather than one trait repeated.
| What it proves | Hobby types | How to phrase it |
|---|---|---|
| Discipline and consistency | Long-distance running, martial arts, competitive swimming, music practice | Marathon runner (3:42 PB, 5 marathons) |
| Teamwork under pressure | Team sports, rowing, amateur theatre, band performance | Rugby union, club 1st XV — 4 seasons |
| Communication and leadership | Coaching, mentoring, committee roles, debate, event organising | Volunteer football coach, U11s (2 seasons, 18 players) |
| Learning and craft | Languages, woodworking, coding side projects, photography with published work | Spanish (B2, working proficiency abroad for 6 months) |
| Community and giving back | Fundraising, food banks, animal rescue, conservation, first aid | Community first-aider (St John Ambulance, 3 years) |
Library
40 examples by role and situation
Technology and engineering
Interests: Open-source contributor (3 projects, 40+ merged PRs), bouldering, mechanical keyboards (built 4 from kits)
The open-source line is a keyword and a culture fit signal at once.
Interests: Marathon runner (3:42 PB), chess (club level, 1,750 rating), volunteer coding mentor for a local youth group
Three different proofs: discipline, analytical play, giving back.
Interests: 3D printing (designed and sold 12 models online), cycling commuter (8,000 km in 2025), home-lab builder
Selling a model is a small commercial proof — worth mentioning.
Interests: Competitive esports (team captain, national league semi-finalist), keyboard layout tinkerer, sci-fi book club founder
Team captaincy converts gaming into leadership evidence.
Business, sales and marketing
Interests: Business book club (organiser, 40 members), half-marathons, Spanish (B2)
Organiser status plus a language — leadership and reach.
Interests: Freelance event photography, community fundraising (£4,200 raised for a local hospice in 2025), padel league
A fundraising figure is an achievable, real metric.
Interests: Public speaking (Toastmasters, Competent Communicator), volunteer bookkeeper for a small charity, tennis
Volunteer bookkeeping directly supports finance or ops roles.
Interests: Podcast co-host on small-business marketing (62 episodes), marathon training, cooking (recipe blog, 8k subscribers)
A podcast with an episode count is professional-grade evidence.
Healthcare, education and public sector
Interests: Community first responder (St John Ambulance, 3 years), open-water swimmer, school reading volunteer
Directly relevant to care work and shows sustained commitment.
Interests: Amateur dramatics (12 productions), choir, cycling — Land's End to John o' Groats completed 2024
Endurance achievements are respected across sectors.
Interests: Duke of Edinburgh Award volunteer assessor, hillwalking (completed all 282 Munros), chess club coach
Teaching and assessing others is the strongest transferable hobby proof.
Interests: BSL Level 2, community garden coordinator, parkrun regular (100+ runs)
BSL is a genuine accessibility asset in clinical and education roles.
Graduates, career changers and returners
Interests: Society treasurer (managed a £14k budget), intramural football captain, Spanish (A2)
Student society roles are the best available leadership proof for graduates.
Interests: Code-first learning community moderator (2,400 members), 5k personal best 22:14, bread baking
Moderation is community management — a real transferable skill.
Interests: Volunteer ESOL conversation tutor, parkrun, film photography
Tutoring supports a pivot into teaching, training or people roles.
Interests: Parent-run school fundraising committee (raised £9,600), recreational netball, French (B1)
For returners, current community activity answers 'what have you been doing?'
General, safe and useful options
Interests: Running (2 marathons), volunteer football coach, Spanish (B2)
Three lines, three different proofs, no risk — the default safe block.
Interests: Photography (two published travel features), cycling, first-aid certified
Published creative work plus a practical certification.
Interests: Competitive swimmer (national level 2021), chess, community garden volunteer
Elite-level sport is worth stating with the level and the year.
Interests: Amateur radio (licensed), 3D printing, hiking (completed 12 national trails)
Specific, unusual and conversation-starting — which is the point.
Privacy and relevance
Personal interests: what to consider
There is no universal rule to include or omit a particular kind of hobby. Decide whether an interest adds relevant context and whether you are comfortable sharing it; you do not owe an employer personal or sensitive details that are unrelated to the role.
| Consideration | Examples | Practical approach |
|---|---|---|
| Personal or sensitive details | Political views, faith, health or identity-related activities | Share only what you choose to disclose; a resume need not explain private beliefs |
| Relevance to the role | Volunteering, community work, a language, a creative or technical project | Include it when it adds truthful, useful context—not because a category is assumed to be preferred |
| Interests without much detail | Reading, travel, films, sport or music | Include them if you want to; a brief, specific detail can make the line clearer |
| Time commitments | Competitive sport, touring or scheduled volunteering | Mention availability only when it is relevant to the role or requested |
Formatting
How to write the block
Weak
Hobbies: Reading, travelling, watching films, going to the gym, spending time with friends
Stronger
Interests: Competitive swimming (county level, 5 seasons) · French (B2) · Volunteer mentoring (12 students over 2 years)
Why: the rewrite adds qualifiers, which is the entire difference.
- Three items maximum, each three to five words plus a qualifier. Seven hobbies is a sign the rest of the resume is thin.
- One labelled line — 'Interests:' or 'Hobbies & Interests:' — is enough. Do not give the section its own heading, bullets and whitespace.
- Use the same separator throughout: centred dots or commas, not both.
- Place optional interests where they fit the document; prioritize role-relevant experience and qualifications.
- Keep them current. A hobby you abandoned in 2019 is a question you may have to answer awkwardly in the interview.
Do
- Add a level, duration or result to every item
- Choose hobbies that connect to the role's skills
- Keep the whole block to one or two lines
- Use it to explain a career change (volunteering, retraining, community work)
Don't
- List unqualified commonplaces: reading, travel, socialising
- Disclose personal details you would rather keep private
- Give hobbies their own full section with a heading and bullets
- Let the block push education or experience onto a second page
Better uses of the space
What to do when the space is tight
If space is limited, compare an interests line with other relevant evidence you could include. The best use of space depends on your experience and the role.
- A certification line — even a short, recognised one adds a searchable keyword. See the certification examples library.
- One more achievement bullet in your most recent role, with a number in it. See the achievement examples.
- A languages row — with CEFR levels — if you speak any language at B1 or above. In global roles this is a real differentiator.
- A short projects entry that uses the same tool the job advert names. See project examples.
- A publications or speaking line if you have presented, taught or written anything published — it is external validation of your expertise.
Do it now
Build your hobbies block in three minutes
- 1
List everything you actually do regularly
Include volunteering, coaching, community roles and any competitive level. Aim for eight candidates.
- 2
Score each one against the five proofs
Discipline, teamwork, communication, learning, community. Delete anything that scores zero on all five.
- 3
Delete the risky ones
Political, religious, high-risk and availability-conflicting interests come off the list entirely.
- 4
Pick three, add qualifiers
Level, duration, frequency or result. One line, centred dots, placed last on the page.
Frequently asked questions
Should I include hobbies on my resume in 2026?
Which hobbies should I avoid on a resume?
How do I write hobbies on a resume?
Do hobbies help with ATS screening?
Where should hobbies go on my resume?
About this guide
Hiring and applicant-tracking practices vary by employer and platform, so no format, keyword check or tool can guarantee an interview. Treat example details and metrics as models, not verified outcomes; use only facts you can support from your own experience.
Something out of date or wrong? Tell us — we review suggested corrections and update the guide when appropriate. Last reviewed .
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