Resume hobbies and interests
The hobbies section is the most-debated optional section of a modern resume. The honest answer is that it helps about 10% of the time and wastes space the other 90%.
Cut the hobbies section in most cases — it's almost always filler that takes space from real content. The exceptions: a hobby that's directly relevant to the role, a hobby that proves a hard-to-prove skill, or a hobby that's an icebreaker for a small-team culture-fit conversation. Three lines max.
When to keep the hobbies section
Three cases. (1) The hobby is directly relevant to the role (a marathon runner applying to a fitness app, a board game designer applying to a game studio, a wood-working hobbyist applying to a maker tools company). (2) The hobby proves a hard-to-prove skill (open source maintainer, technical blog with real readership, public speaking at meetups, side project that shipped to real users). (3) You're applying to a small team where culture fit is part of the read and a hobby is an honest icebreaker.
When to cut it
Almost everywhere else. 'Reading, traveling, music' is the dictionary definition of resume filler — every candidate likes those things and saying so doesn't differentiate. The space is better used on a real bullet, an additional certification, or just white space.
What a strong hobbies section looks like
Specific. 'Marathon runner — completed 6, including Boston 2024.' 'Open source maintainer of [project], 1,200 GitHub stars, 40+ contributors.' 'Board game designer — published 3 small-print games via The Game Crafter.' Each of these tells a recruiter something concrete and slightly memorable. 'Reading and hiking' tells them nothing.
The risk of the wrong hobby
Hobbies signal more than you intend. Political affiliations, religious activities, controversial sports, anything that could divide a hiring committee — those go on a personal blog, not a resume. The bar is 'would I be comfortable if my interviewer disagreed with this' — if the answer is no, skip it.
How much space
Three lines max. If your hobbies section is bigger than that, it's pushing real content off the page. Two strong lines is better than three mediocre ones.
Side by side
Open source: maintainer of [project], 1,200 GitHub stars. Speaking: technical talks at PyCon and Strange Loop. Writing: monthly engineering blog at [domain].
Hobbies & Interests: reading, traveling, music, hiking, spending time with family, watching movies.
Mistakes that get this wrong
- Generic interests that every candidate has (reading, traveling, music)
- Political or religious activities
- A hobbies section bigger than three lines
- Hobbies that contradict the role (a productivity app applicant who lists 'minimalism' but also 'collecting figurines')
- Listing hobbies you don't actually do — caught in interviews fast
Default to cutting the hobbies section. Keep it only if you have a specific, memorable hobby that's directly relevant to the role or proves a hard-to-prove skill. Three lines max, no generic filler.
Frequently asked
Will cutting my hobbies section hurt me?
Almost never. Hobbies are the most-skimmed section of any resume. Recruiters will not notice it's missing.
Can I list volunteer work in the hobbies section?
Volunteer work is usually stronger as its own section ('Volunteer Experience') than as a hobby. Treat it like a role.
What if the company specifically asks for hobbies?
Some small startups and culture-first companies do ask. In that case, write three honest, specific lines and be ready to talk about them in the interview.
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