Which hobbies are worth listing on your resume and which are not? Asked HR professionals

Sport

Occupations in it most often imply a healthy lifestyle, teamwork skills and the ability to maintain work‑life balance. However, this does not apply to all sports - some, on the contrary, may raise questions.

Team sports: football, volleyball, hockey

If a person is involved or has ever been involved in team sports, this may indicate his ability to negotiate with people and be a reliable partner.

Single sports: running, swimming, fitness

Ekaterina Zakirova, HR Director of the digital consulting company AIC, believes that sports hobbies in the resume are a big plus.

Single sports - running, swimming, fitness — reduce stress, relieve tension, allow you to quickly switch between tasks and maintain work‑life balance.

In addition, if a person indicates one of these in the "Hobby" section, it can be assumed that he has the skills time management and self-discipline - he understands how to build his life in such a way that there is room for sport.

extreme sports

This can attract attention, however, notes Olga Chaptykova, not always in a positive way. If we take, for example, Formula 1, there is a fear that a person will constantly request vacation for the duration of the competition.

Not all companies can easily provide it - especially when it comes to a unique specialist or employee involved in project work. This, she adds, applies to all sports that people play professionally.

In addition, some HR may be confused by the potential for injury in extreme sports. In the company where Olga worked, 1-2 people every winter, during the ski season, took sick leave due to broken legs. Their projects were stalled, which had a negative effect on the entire company.

However, now this is easier - remote work has become more common.

Creation

Having a creative background is an essential requirement when applying for a job in the creative industry. However, even if the position is not related to art, theater and cinema, having a hobby in these areas can play into the hands.

Art, cinema

This hobby may indicate that a person is diversified, erudite and savvy in matters of culture. In addition, watching movies and arts help develop good taste, which for some areas - for example, design - can be a very important criterion when applying for a job.

However, when listing this hobby on a resume or cover letter, it is important to describe it correctly. Do not limit yourself to the wording: "I love cinema." It is better to justify why it makes you stand out and useful to the team. For example: "I can talk about new movies and run a film club in your company."

Acting

HR professionals agree that this hobby will make a positive impression on the employer. Especially if a person is applying for positions related to filming, for example, the host of a YouTube channel.

But even if a candidate is interviewing for "non-creative" jobs—say, a manager or a waiter— acting skills would still be a good addition to the core skills. After all, the employee will have to constantly interact with people, and sometimes, perhaps, speak in public.

Oratory

This is a big plus. It is important for employers to see that a person knows how to present himself and his work, as well as convey thoughts in a structured, correct and beautiful way.

Ekaterina Zakirova says that for some time an employee worked in her company, whose oratorical skills raised questions. After he went to speech production courses, it became easier for him to present his work to customers and communicate with colleagues.

This case inspired Ekaterina so much that she organized a public speaking training for all managers.

Drawing

Maria Nikolaeva, Lifehacker's HR director, says that in any business, a creative streak is important. Even if we are talking about an exact and uncreative specialty - for example, accounting.

When Maria sees a similar item in the resume, she concludes: most likely, this person will search for non-standard approaches in solving problems at work. Which, of course, is a plus.

Lifestyle

Here we will talk about hobbies that are directly related to our lives: learning foreign languages, reading, traveling and even esotericism. Many of them will make your story about yourself brighter, but something should still be kept silent.

Foreign languages

Usually a person who knows foreign languages ​​makes a favorable impression: he is assiduous, purposeful, diversified. And, most likely, he is interested in the culture of different countries and can suggest some unusual ideas for the company.

Olga Chaptykova recalls how she interviewed polyglotswho knew 4–8 foreign languages ​​and had confirmed international certificates. Moreover, they did not graduate from linguistic areas - it was “just a hobby”! Talking about yourself in this way will play into your hands.

Esoterics

Ekaterina Zakirova laughs, remembering her resume, where people indicated astrology and numerology among their hobbies. Even if the candidate has the necessary relevant experience, HR may have a question: “Why is this write?" In addition, employers who adhere to a scientific and evidence-based approach, this is only scare away.

Travels

A person who has extensive experience in traveling to different countries or regions delights, says Maria Nikolaeva. Firstly, this means that he knows how to navigate in critical situations. After all, it often happens that on a trip people get into various troubles, from which you need to be able to extricate yourself.

And secondly, a person probably knows how to organize and plan his time, which is also a good quality.

Reading

This hobby says a lot about a person: about his outlook, tastes, views. One of AIC's managing partners always asks the question in an interview: "Sorry if it seems strange, but do you like to read?"

At the same time, it is not scary if the candidate does not like books. Someone lacks audio sources, articles, films. The main thing, says Ekaterina Zakirova, is for a person to develop - to receive information in any of the available ways. You don't have to be a fan of reading.

Hunting

All hobbies associated with aggression, violence and murder fell into the antitope of a hobby. Among them, HR specialists noted hunting. Now, when companies are trying to “green up”, introducing eco-practices into the office and holding events to create a comfortable safe atmosphere, such hobbies in the resume can cause rejection.

eSports

Olga Chaptykova notes that the inclusion of this hobby in the resume should be justified. For example, it is appropriate if a person is interviewing at a digital or gamedev company. After all, if he wants to create games, it is important that he plays them himself.

However, if a person is applying for another job in a “serious” company, it may not be worth indicating eSports. Olga Chaptykova recalls a case when a manager candidate wrote that he was playing computer games. The head looked at his resume and said: “We won’t hire him - what if he is a gamer?”

Collecting

A person who collects looks interested, says Maria Nikolaeva. He dives deep into the subject and studies it thoroughly. Most likely, such a candidate will have a share of perseverance, patience, gambling - in a healthy way.

To find some valuable copy of a coin, numismatists are ready to visit many sites, track its appearance, bargain with sellers - this inspires respect.

---

Whatever your hobbies, remember that this is far from the main thing on the resume. Your professional skills and relevant experience are more important. If you want to hook an employer, write briefly about your hobbies.

And also add what benefits they can have for the company. For example: “I love baking cupcakes. I can prepare them for corporate parties for all colleagues.