Fresh graduate resume tips - mention your hobbies

Why mentioning hobbies is important?

The inclusion of hobbies on a resume can demonstrate a well-rounded personality, transferable skills, initiative, and passion, while also providing a conversation starter during an interview.

When it comes to writing a resume, many fresh graduates tend to focus on their academic qualifications, work experience, and technical skills. However, adding hobbies and interests to a resume can provide several benefits for both the candidate and the employer. In this post, we'll explore some reasons why it's important to add hobbies to fresh graduate resumes.

Idea in Brief

The post explains why it's important to add hobbies to fresh graduate resumes. Including your hobbies can also help the resume stand out from others and catch the employer's attention. The post provides examples of hobbies and interests that can be added to a resume, such as playing team sports, learning a new language, volunteering, writing, reading, participating in creative hobbies, playing musical instruments, and traveling. However, it's important to keep in mind that the hobbies and interests should be tailored to the job requirements and the company's values and goals.

Shows a well-rounded personality

Adding hobbies and interests to a resume shows that the candidate has a well-rounded personality beyond their academic and professional achievements. Employers are not just looking for candidates with the right technical skills and qualifications but also for individuals who can contribute to the company's culture and values. Hobbies and interests can give employers a glimpse of the candidate's personality, passion, and interests, which can help them determine if the candidate would be a good fit for the company.

Demonstrates transferable skills: Hobbies and interests can also demonstrate transferable skills that can be applied in the workplace. For instance, if a candidate lists playing team sports as a hobby, it can indicate that they are a team player, have good communication skills, and can collaborate effectively with others.

Similarly, if a candidate lists writing as a hobby, it can demonstrate that they have strong written communication skills, which can be valuable in roles that require writing reports or emails.

Helps the resume stand out

Adding hobbies and interests to a resume can help it stand out from other generic resumes. Employers receive hundreds of resumes for each job opening, and most of them tend to look the same. However, a resume with unique and interesting hobbies can catch the employer's attention and help the candidate stand out from the competition.

Shows initiative and passion: Listing hobbies and interests on a resume can also demonstrate the candidate's initiative and passion. If a candidate lists volunteering for a non-profit organization as a hobby, it shows that they are willing to go beyond their regular responsibilities to make a positive impact on society. Similarly, if a candidate lists learning a new language as a hobby, it can indicate that they are passionate about self-improvement and continuous learning.

Provides a conversation starter: Hobbies and interests can also provide a conversation starter during an interview. Employers often ask candidates about their hobbies to learn more about their personality and interests. If a candidate has listed hobbies and interests on their resume, it can help them prepare for such questions and provide a starting point for a conversation.

Some examples of hobbies

Playing team sports, such as basketball or soccer - Learning a new language or taking language classes - Participating in community service or volunteering - Writing or blogging - Reading books or attending book clubs

Participating in creative hobbies, such as painting or photography - Playing musical instruments or singing in a choir - Traveling or exploring new cultures

Adding hobbies and interests to a fresh graduate resume can provide several benefits, such as demonstrating a well-rounded personality, showing transferable skills, helping the resume stand out, demonstrating initiative and passion, and providing a conversation starter during an interview.

Be picky about which hobbies to mention

Since not all hobbies are relevant to a specific job you may be applying to, keep in mind you may have to be picky about which ones to include and which ones to leave out, especially considering the company culture. For example - if you are applying to an investment bank, you might want to highlight your sudoku addiction as a hobby and drop the macabre tattoo designs one. You get the point right? Once more - it's essential to tailor the list of hobbies and interests to the job requirements and the company's values and goals. Good luck with your job hunt!