Resume Skills | Hobbies & Interests

Its one of the few things on your resume, that you probably don’t even know! Every candidate I interview, knows where he/she was born, what they did, education, parents etc. somehow when I get to the hobbies and interests part it all seems pointless.

Author: Prabhjot Bedi

Be honest. How many of you have one of the following in there?

Reading

Traveling

Music

 

Internet Browsing

If you do, you are only one of the 96% candidates out there.

Hobbies and Interests are something to talk about. It’s a window into your personality, that is beyond the standard work stuff. These are things you are supposed to be passionate about. You should be using this extensively to not just market yourself, but also to steer the direction the interview takes.

I will talk about how to manage the interview flow, but some other day. Today about your hobbies & interests.

Here are the rules:

Make them true. Have something you are passionate about. Something no one needs you to work upon, or do. Something that excites you, something that makes your eyes sparkle when you talk about it.

Make them Unique. As far as possible mention your hobby in a way that sounds unique. Use this as a lever for the interviewer to remember you. Don’t say reading, when you can say ‘classics’ or ‘Indian art history’ or something more specific. If it is music talk about genre, artist or just decade!

Make them demonstrable. You may like to think, but really that is not a hobby. If you put something like singing, be ready to sing in the interview. If you put something like dramatics, be ready to emote. Put something that can give the interviewers a little break from the monotony of taking interviews. If you say coin collection, carry a unique coin with you!

Make them relatable. Be honest at all times, but if you have more than one hobby, choose the one that the interviewers may be able to relate to. Yes, you read that right. This like all other parts of your resume needs to be customized according to the people you are sending it out to.

Get a life! If you don’t have a hobby or interest, get one! It’s not just something to talk about in a an interview, it is something to treasure and add value to yourself as an individual.

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