How Hobbies Can Boost Your Employability

For the majority of us, filling out the hobbies section of a C.V. or job application is the easiest part of the process. But be mindful that what is written there will tell future employers a lot about you, and may even influence whether or not you make it to interview stage. 

Good.co, a personal insights company, recommends the following as the hobbies most likely to improve your employability:

• Endurance sports – sports such as running or cycling show that a candidate has tenacity, perseverance and drive.
• High risk pursuits – hobbies such as mountain biking or sky diving prove a person is willing to push the boundaries and step out of their comfort zone.
• Creative hobbies – artistic past times reflect a creative mind, which is still a beneficial trait even if the job you are applying for doesn’t automatically appear creative.
• Team sports – group sports suggest the candidate is able to function successfully as part of a team, offering commitment to others.
• Strategic mind games – spending time playing chess or completing Sudoku’s proves the person enjoys using their mind strategically.
• Visiting museums, galleries and libraries – these hobbies show a desire to learn and that the candidate will have a hunger for knowledge in a role.

But this shouldn’t mean you go forcing yourself into a new hobby you might not enjoy, or that you feign an interest in an activity you really can’t play – after all, you don’t want to be invited on that company golfing trip with the big boss after pretending you’d spent your Sunday afternoon down the driving range.

Hiring Managers want to see how you spend your spare time to understand what kind of person you are and how you would fit into their team. So think carefully about how you can sell your current hobbies and interests to an employer to best highlight what skills you could bring to a new job. 

Here at Carrot Recruitment, our hobbies include horse riding, long distance running, travelling, netball, sailing, golf, baking, keeping chickens...the list goes on.  These past times not only offer us a way of unwinding after a day at work, but they also help to make us more interesting, engaging and creative people, which goes hand-in-hand with the skills needed to be an excellent recruiter.