Do you have any hobbies? If you do then chances are that you’re a bit attached to them. You probably go to great lengths to maintain your hobbies, perhaps buying new tools or props to make them even more entertaining. So how can you develop a hobby if you don’t have much time for it? This article discusses the top hobbies for busy people.
Hobbies can be anything from painting, cooking, sewing, or ballroom dancing. A sample resume highlighting your hobbies should highlight your skills and interests. Hobbies are typically thought of as a leisure activity that’s done for pleasure, usually during one’s free time. Sample resumes highlighting your hobbies should emphasize your skills and interests, as well as a few personal stories about how you discovered your particular interest.
If you’re interested in hobbies that often require specialized tools or expensive materials, list your skills and experience for each type of specialty. For example, if you’re good at sewing, include your designs for clothing or interior decorating. You may also want to mention your passion for collecting sports memorabilia, a special sport that you play in high school or college, or a current sport you follow. You can save time by describing your hobbies in terms of work culture or industry, rather than focusing on one thing, like “my hobby with the girls.”
Hobbies can be a great way to list your interests, but they don’t always fit neatly on a resume. You may have interests that are technically interesting such as woodworking or sewing but not necessarily exciting to read about. You can save yourself a lot of time by finding ways to incorporate your hobbies into your work life. One way is to list your interests under your job title, so that your hobbies are highlighted. Another is to simply highlight your hobbies on your resume. If you’re a book lover who reads regularly, for instance, you may want to mention your favorite titles under your career title.
If you have a difficult time reading or writing about a particular niche, consider doing a little research about it before sending your resume. Ask friends or family members what they think about the job you’re applying for and if possible request some opinions from them. This can help you make sure that your interests and skills are best interests of the hiring manager. Remember, your cover letter is a marketing tool that’s meant to sell yourself, so make sure your resume and cover letter to reflect your best personality.
When considering hobbies on your resume, keep in mind that these should be things that you enjoy and find personally relaxing. Don’t choose a line on your resume about your passion for model planes if you hate painting. Likewise, if you have three favorite television shows, don’t list your interests under “my four favorite shows.” On the other hand, if you enjoy playing poker and watching football every Sunday, you may want to save your hobbies section for that. If you don’t know what interests you most, ask your job candidate before you include it on your resume.
One good way to list your hobbies on your resume is to use Chinese character lists, which were originally created by the Chinese as a tool for listing their personal interests. The Chinese characters were designed to match the names of specific interests, so for example, wang shui could represent water (hot). The same can be used for writing a resume, since it gives more specific information about a person’s personal interests. If you know the preferences of a particular group, you can easily note these on a cover letter.
You don’t have to choose all the hobbies you like for your cover letters and resumes, and you should avoid selecting hobbies that turn you into an alcoholic, gambler, smoker, or hoarder. Instead, focus on the things you know about best, and find ways to fit them into your job description. An employer may look at your resume as a whole, but it will be a lot easier for him or her if they see that you are personally interested in the job. As long as the hobbies are relevant to the job and related to the position, you can use the hobbies section to show that you are qualified for the job.
