5. Interests and Hobbies

As a college graduate with very little or no work experience, including your Interests and Hobbies in your Resume is vital and is often an influencing factor with regards to the fate of your job application.

The basic purpose of mentioning your Interests and Hobbies in your Resume is to provide some information about yourself on a personal level which will in turn help the employers in deciding whether you’re the right person for the job or not.

The employer will attempt to learn about your personality through the Interests and Hobbies you mention on your Resume and will use that information to see whether or not you have the right personal qualities to excel at the workplace. Qualities like Passion, Dedication, Interpersonal Skills and Intellect are highly desiredin candidates. It can be of great use if your Interests and Hobbies manage to show these qualities as vital aspects of your personality.

There are numerous advantages of mentioning your Interests and Hobbies on your Resume. Employers generally tend to seek college graduates who have the personality to take up diverse roles in the organization, apart from having the right Educational Qualifications. Your Interests and Hobbies can go a long way in convincing them about your all round abilities.

Additionally, mentioning your Interests and Hobbies help the employers understand whether you would fit into the culture of the workplace or not.

Another big advantage of mentioning your Interests and Hobbies in the Resume is that they provide a solid base for interaction with the employers during the interview. As a matter of fact, it is very possible that the conversation in the interview revolves more around your Interests and Hobbies rather than your Educational Qualifications or Work Experience.

Keep in mind that questions in the interview will be directed towards the Interests and Hobbies mentioned in your Resume. In case you are not genuinely passionate about what you mention, the interviewer or employer will call your bluff and form a negative impression about you. Therefore, it becomes important to only mention those Interests and Hobbies that you are genuinely passionate about and regularly involved in.

For example, it is not advisable for a person who reads 1 – 2 books per year to mention ‘Reading’ as an Interest or Hobby. Similarly, mentioning ‘Scuba Diving’ as a Hobby when you’ve only gone Scuba Diving once in your life is not a good idea.

You need to be careful even while mentioning an Interest or Hobby that you genuinely follow. For example, if you’re a regular reader, it is not enough to simply mention ‘Reading books’ as a hobby.

It will be much more effective if you go into further details by mentioning the type of books you read, such as Fiction/Non – Fiction and further citing your preferences with regards to Genres, Authors etc. 

The following is an ideal way of mentioning your Interests and Hobbies:

Reading

* Regular reader of fiction, particularly those written by Michael Connelly, Tom Clancy and Lee Child.
*Make it a point to read poetry written by poets like Ghalib, Rumi and Gulzar once a week.

Fitness

*Rigorously follow a fitness routine since 3 years that includes working out in the gym 4 times a week.

While writing your Interests and Hobbies in your Resume, highlight Interests and Hobbies that are unique to you and are not commonly found in others. For example, mentioning about your active interest and participation in Short – Film Making is going to generate more curiosity in the reader rather than mentioning about your interest in Computer Games.

Things to consider before you mention your Interests and Hobbies in your Resume:

* Only mention those Interests and Hobbies that you are genuinely passionate about and are involved in on a regular basis. It goes against you to mention things that you are not regularly involved in.

* Even though it can be beneficial if your Interests and Hobbies and related to your job, it is not at all necessary. Do not fictionalize or twist your Interests or Hobbies to relate them to the job.

* Mention details while writing about your Interests and Hobbies. Try and bring out your dedication and passion for a particular Interest/Hobby in a concise manner.

* Try and include Interests and Hobbies that are unique and different, but do not be dishonest under any circumstances. Employers prefer honesty over uniqueness.