Hobbies on Your Resume?

Do hobbies belong on your resume?

Possibly.

Yoav Shapira, CTO at Happier, Inc., recently told us that he looks favorably on candidates who have a hobby: “something they're passionate about, which is not work. I don't want someone who just codes all day, every day.”

Before you add hobbies to your resume, consider:

Company Culture

Check out the company’s blog and social media. If the company seems to have a personality-driven culture, consider listing some hobbies at the end of your resume in an “interests” or “What I Like to Do” section. A hiring manager at a company with more of an old school culture may not appreciate the personal details as much.

“Regardless,” Alison Green of Ask a Manager writes, “No reasonable interviewer is going to reject you for listing hobbies.”

Type of Hobby

An avid viewer of the Real Housewives franchise? You’ll probably do well to leave that off your resume. Choose hobbies that say something good about you -- that you're committed, motivated, etc. -- or make you more interesting.

“A hobby that includes travel or outside sports, like skiing, reflects a progressive personality,” says Edward DuCoin, entrepreneur and owner of Impact Marketing. “Typically a weekend coach of a child’s sports team reflects commitment and good time management skills.”

Adapted from Ritika Trikha’s Resume Tip Tuesday