The hobbies and interests section of a CV is often overlooked and more often than not is disregarded altogether. Despite this section of the CV is exactly what it says on the tin, it can often stump a person and leave them struggling to find exciting and interesting things to say about themselves.

However, adding a personal interests and hobbies section is no longer considered irrelevant and unprofessional and as well as this has actually become something most employers are looking at with a lot more interest. Take Google for example.

Google states it wants to employ open and playful people because that’s their work culture.

Now, with that being said, how would you best showcase this?

That’s right, scroll on down to that now all-important hobbies section and include unique hobbies and interests that highlight how much of an open and playful person you are. Makes sense, right?

So what hobbies and interests should I include on my CV?

Now then, before listing off those generic hobbies and interests or rehashing the same ones that have remained on your CV since you first wrote it, you may want to think about what each hobby can mean. Check out some of these examples below.

Competitive running – You’re fit and you enjoy challenges.

Team sports – Teamwork, communication and leadership are your forté.

Extreme sports – A risk taker.

Puzzles and games – You’re a problem-solver and an intelligent strategist.

Referring back to Google, when it comes to deciding what hobbies to Include on your CV You should always start by doing your company research. This way you can determine which hobbies will have value being on your CV.

There are a number of ways this can be done.

Firstly, start with the job description as this will usually include a traits and skillset section.

In addition to this, the company’s website will also provide a great source of valuable information, especially if employee profiles are included to take inspiration from.

This brings us to our final point, check the company’s social media, as well as the LinkedIn profiles of its existing staff, this can prove a real goldmine – Good luck!