How to Answer “What Are Your Hobbies?” in an Interview
It’s hard to answer the question “What are your hobbies?” because there’s no right answer. But if you want to get hired, it is important that you have an answer ready for this difficult question. Here are some tips on how to respond!
How Do I Choose a Hobby to Talk About?
Before we get into what activities might be good answers, let’s talk about what not to say. Don’t mention work-related activities. That will just make you seem like a boring person who never does anything outside of their job description and responsibilities at work.
You also don’t want to mention any things that may reflect poorly on your character or personality traits, such as drinking too much alcohol or being addicted to drugs–these topics could disqualify you from the job.
For some people, the question “What are your hobbies?” is easier to answer than for others. If you have an interesting way of spending your free time that’s easy to talk about, go ahead and bring it up! Just avoid talking too much about one activity–if you do this, interviewers won’t know which hobby is most important to your life or why it’s significant.
Here are some good ways of describing what you like to do in your free time:
1. You may have a favorite sport or physical activity, but if not there are other options as well!
2. Hobbies can vary depending on your interests outside of work, so be sure you chose something that shows you’re a well-rounded person. If you’re an introvert, for instance, it may be better to highlight a hobby that can be done in private and doesn’t take too much energy or time out of the day!
3. Career experts recommend using this question as an opportunity to really sell yourself. This means not only describing your hobbies but also mentioning what skills you gained from them and how they’ve helped you throughout other areas of your life. For example: “I’m very active in my church–I help teach Sunday school to children, organize church fundraisers every year, and also coach basketball for teenagers twice a week.”
4. You could mention something that’s true about your personal life that will make you seem less intimidating to others. If you have kids, for example, you may want to talk about how they are what inspires you the most in life and why you’re so passionate about being a parent!
5. If your hobby is locally-oriented, it’s best not to say that every time you do this activity, it costs money. It can be helpful to mention something that shows that even if it isn’t free, there are ways of getting around high prices or access barriers. For example: “I love hiking–but since gas is expensive now I usually only go on carpooling dates with my friend.”
6. Finally, don’t forget to highlight any academic achievements associated with each hobby! Saying something like “I’ve been writing poetry since I was 12” will give the interviewer an idea of how seriously you take your interests. You can also mention what skills you think are necessary for this hobby, then explain why these same skills are important to the job for which you’re interviewing!
What If I Don’t Have Any Hobbies?
If you don’t have a hobby, or if the interviewer doesn’t believe you, there are other good ways of answering this question. Here are some ideas:
1. If you’re not skilled at any sports or artistic activities, try talking about how you take care of your health and body! You could mention something that goes along with the industry where you want to work–for example, caring for animals if that’s relevant to your field.
2. Mentioning things in your personal life is another option when it comes to describing what kind of outside-of-work interests you have! Try to highlight a personality trait in yourself that might be helpful in doing your job by saying something like “I’m an active person who loves staying up-to-date on what’s going on in the news, so I love reading books for fun.”
3. If you’re interviewing for a research or writing job , you can choose to explain that you enjoy learning new things and sharing your education with others. Just be careful not to come across as unintelligent–mention how much effort goes into each hobby of yours!
4. As mentioned before, it’s also possible to mention something about your personal life that will make you seem down-to-earth and relatable. For example: “I really love watching TV shows about zombies, but if I’m being honest sometimes they scare me!”
5. This question is the perfect opportunity to show off any awards or academic achievements you’ve earned in your hobbies! Mention titles of competitions or publications, and explain how these honors have positively impacted your life.
6. If none of these don’t work for you, try to think of something that’s very common among people your age–for example, enjoying selfies or doing hair/nails! This is usually a safe option because most interviewers won’t be too surprised by this answer.
What Are Some Good Hobbies to Answer in a Job Interview?
Reading mentoring, and volunteering are all great things to mention because they give the interviewer an idea of your personality, perspective, and passions. Also, if their company values these same traits for team members , it may help you stand out as a candidate!
Activities like cooking or DIY projects are smart choices because they show that you’re helpful around the house–which is useful in nearly any job. Finally, hobbies that take place at home are good ways to demonstrate both independence and responsibility .
If you don’t have any certain hobby, try brainstorming activities that interest you! This can be anything from playing with your dog to traveling. Just make sure not to say something too bizarre or specific – like saying Friday night is “Netflix night” every single week!
Conclusion
Remember that there are some activities you should never bring up in an interview, but with a little forethought and preparation, it’s possible to answer questions about your hobbies without giving too much away or sounding boring!