How To Answer “What Are Your Hobbies?”

March 3, 2015

When preparing for a job interview, you’ll no doubt be preparing answers to questions directly related to your career like “Why do you want to work here?” and “Why are you thinking of leaving your job?”, but it’s also worth putting together an answer for questions about you as a person, and this includes your hobbies and interests outside of the workplace.


Interviewers ask this question to get to know the real you – this is especially important as they need to know that you would be a good fit for the role personality-wise, as well as by your skills and experience.


While this question is about you as a person and you should be honest, it’s also a great way of tipping the scales in your favor, especially if you feel that you haven’t impressed the interviewer enough so far.


When thinking about which hobbies to mention, it should go without saying that answers like “going to all-night raves” or “spending money playing poker online” aren’t going to paint you in the best light – so avoid anything that could be frowned upon or viewed as something that could affect your performance in work like drinking or gambling.


Also, avoid any generic, boring hobbies like “watching TV,” “listening to music,” or “keeping fit” – these don’t really mean anything and add no value to you as a candidate.


interviewerSport is always a good hobby to mention – so if you’re involved in any sort of sport or fitness competition, this is a good way to promote your people skills to your prospective employer.


If you play a sport regularly with a team – whether it be a 5-a-side football at the weekend or a monthly netball tournament – mention it because this shows that you work well within a team, are results-oriented and love a bit of competition – all positive traits in the workplace!


Also, if you genuinely do go to the gym regularly, instead of saying that you like to “keep fit,” explain how you go to the gym three times a week and follow a strict fitness plan to improve your strength/stamina etc. This is a more detailed answer and shows off your dedication and self-discipline, rather than giving off the impression that you’ve just made your hobbies up on the spot.


But what if you’re not into sport or fitness? Well, going to the gym and kicking a ball around aren’t the only hobbies that show off your career skills.


If you’re involved in some sort of community group or volunteer at a local animal rescue center or even help to run your local Brownies club for example, be sure to mention it as it shows that you like to help others, and also that you’re a confident, sociable person.


Don’t worry if you aren’t involved in any community or team activities in your free time – what you do at home can be just as impressive!


Maybe you like to read industry blogs to keep up-to-date with developments in your sector, or enjoy watching online tutorials to expand your skill set. These show that you take your professional development seriously.


While these are all great ways of showing that you’re a perfect candidate – it’s important to mix them up with some personal hobbies that purely give the interviewer an insight into who you are. If you love to catch up with the family, go on long walks or cook new food – then tell the interviewer! As long as it shows you in a good light, then it’s worth mentioning.


To top it all off: don’t lie. Seriously, it’s just not worth it. You will get caught out sooner or later, and your prospective employer won’t be impressed if they find out that you’ve lied to them from the very start.


So there we go, some tips on how to answer the “What are your hobbies?” job interview question.


Do you agree with the tips or have any of your own? Let me know in the comments below!

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