Should You Put Hobbies and Interests on Your CV?
The hobbies section divides opinion. Done thoughtlessly, it's filler that wastes prime space. Done well, it adds a human touch and can even reinforce skills. The deciding question is simple: does it help you get this job? Here's how to decide and what to list.
When hobbies help
Whether to include hobbies comes down to one question — does this help me get this job? — and the honest answer is "sometimes." Interests are worth including in three situations: when you have space to fill, which is common on early-career and student CVs; when a hobby genuinely reinforces a skill the role values; or when culture fit is part of how the employer hires. The key is that a good hobby works as a small, relevant signal rather than decoration. Team sports hint at collaboration; chess or coding side-projects suggest analytical thinking; running a community group or organising events points to leadership and initiative. Choose interests that quietly support the story the rest of your CV is telling, and that you'd happily talk about in an interview. If a hobby does none of that, it's just taking up space a relevant achievement could use — which is exactly when to leave it off, as the next section explains.
When to leave them out
If your CV is already full of strong, relevant experience, hobbies are the first thing to cut. On a tight one- or two-page CV, every line should earn its place — and a relevant achievement always beats "I enjoy reading and travelling."
Be specific, not generic
"Reading, music, sports" tells an employer nothing — almost everyone could write it. "Long-distance running (completed two half-marathons)" or "building IoT projects with Raspberry Pi" is specific, memorable, and hints at real qualities like discipline or curiosity.
Avoid anything risky or polarizing
Keep it professional and neutral. Skip political, religious, or potentially controversial activities, and anything that could raise safety or commitment concerns. The goal is a small, positive signal — not a talking point that distracts from your qualifications.
Add or remove it easily in write.cv
write.cv makes the interests section optional and easy to toggle, so you can include it on a fuller CV and drop it when space is tight — same content, the right length every time. Build yours and export a clean PDF.