Does the hobbies & interests section of my CV matter?
When it comes to crafting your CV space is paramount – one to two pieces of A4 is all you …
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Our experts look at why the hobbies and interests section of your CV is important, and how you can use the section to your advantage when it comes to standing out from a very large pile of job applications.
When it comes to crafting your CV space is paramount – one to two pieces of A4 is all you …
Although the hobbies and interests section are typically the least important when it comes to writing a CV, this doesn’t mean to say you can’t reaffirm your skills. For those of you with sporty or creative hobbies, you can delve deeper into the skills you are demonstrating and align those with the role.
Here’s why your hobbies are more important for your CV than you realise…
Being the captain of a sports team means you have to hold various skills – leadership, communication, organisation, problem solving and so on. Don’t underestimate what it takes to be captain, as the employer certainly won’t! Are you now starting to realise why your hobbies are actually more valuable than you first thought?
Instantly you can see how this could relate to a job you’re applying for. It doesn’t matter if you’re not making it obvious to the employer as they will understand what’s required.
Writing a hobbies section is all about being subtle, but ensuring the hiring manager can quickly see that you demonstrate certain skills outside of work. It’s not just the captain of a sports team that demonstrates skills; it can be any number of hobbies and interests.
A creative hobby could also help you with a creative role. It is all about trying to link your outside activities to anything relevant in the work place. For instance, playing in a band takes confidence – especially if you’re the lead singer! So this would clearly demonstrate a whole host of soft skills. For example:
Communication
Leadership
Confidence
Public speaking
Organisation
Passion and dedication
Creativity
If the role you’re applying for requires a lot of creativity, then don’t hold back with the details of anything creative outside of work. Painting, arts and crafts, music, writing, website creation, and so on – these are all fantastic examples to showcase your creative streak.
We will show you how to further provide evidence of your skills via the hobbies section, and not only demonstrate your skills but add some personality to your CV. If your interests are reading books and going to the cinema, you are probably not going to add any value to your CV by including these. But if your hobbies are more adventurous, then you can certainly include these and ensure they align nicely with the role you’re applying for.
Do your hobbies align with the role or industry you’re applying for? If so, this would be a great way to showcase your passion and dedication to your craft. If you live and breathe your work and enjoy every second of it even outside of work, then you are probably classed as ‘gold dust’ to an employer, and whilst you may have not realised that your hobbies are of interest to the hiring manager – you’d be very wrong.