Interviewers often ask the question, “What are your hobbies?” to try and get to know more about who you are as a person. By gauging your personality and interests, recruiters can assess whether you can fit in easily with the company culture.
Your interests and hobbies reflect your core beliefs and advocacies, both of which can indicate your willingness to work in teams, determination for self-improvement, and capacity to adapt to new challenges.
Key Takeaways
- Asking the interview question, “What are your hobbies?” helps recruiters get a glimpse of an applicant’s interests, personality, and other skill sets they would otherwise not discover just by looking at a candidate’s resume and portfolio.
- By uncovering a job applicant’s character and preferred activities outside of work, recruiters also gauge how well an applicant can adjust to the company culture.
- The key to answering the ‘What are your hobbies?’ interview question is to align your hobbies or interests with skills that are relevant to the position you’re pursuing.
- Sharing your interests and hobbies during a job interview is a great way to express your individuality and possibly stand out among other candidates in a positive way.
How to Answer “What Are Your Hobbies?” Interview Question
To answer the “What are your hobbies?” interview question, you must focus on expressing
how your hobbies impact your life, beliefs, and perspectives in general. Moreover, you can also use them as a way of describing yourself and your personality.
Better yet, you can provide a quick backstory by sharing certain events or significant people who helped spark your interest in pursuing a specific hobby.
Check out some of the pro tips we’ve prepared below to ace this type of interview query:
#1. Never Say You Don’t Have Any Hobbies
When presented with the interview question, “What are your hobbies and interests?” avoid saying you don’t have any. Saying that you have no hobbies instantly kills your interaction with the interviewer before it even begins.
Job interviews are not just about exploring your professional experiences. Building rapport with the recruiter is also crucial for the success of the hiring process because it helps you leave a good and lasting impression.
Also, interviewers will ask you what your hobbies and passions are to break the ice or ease the tense atmosphere in job interviews. After all, giving applicants a chance to talk about the activities that pique their interest serves as a great conversation starter.
#2. Think About Relevant Hobbies and Interests
When describing your personal interests, focus on pursuits or activities that involve skills and capabilities relevant to the position you’re after. It is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate or underscore your fitness for the job.
Here are examples of hobbies that are usually linked to the skills recruiters typically seek in a viable candidate for the job:
- Playing video games. Gaming helps develop useful skills such as multitasking, decision-making, and problem-solving, all of which are useful in the workplace setting.
- Cooking. Cooking a dish requires precision in following a step-by-step process. It entails keen attention to detail, resourcefulness, and creative thinking.
- Physical activities. Engaging in physical activities like swimming and jogging enhances endurance and helps you stay healthy and disciplined.
- Content writing. Content writing improves your grammar and sentence construction as well as your research skills. It is also a versatile skill to have because it suits creative, formal, and technical niches.
Another reason interviewers ask about your hobbies is to see how you work towards improving your skills and dealing with stress. Therefore, citing interests that offer opportunities to boost and develop new skills is usually a plus for recruiters.
It shows that the candidate can be well-rounded in terms of their abilities and knowledge.
#3. Explain the Connection Between Your Hobbies and the Job
An effective technique in answering the “What are your hobbies?” interview question in the right manner is to connect your hobby with the responsibilities that come with the job.
Let’s say you already have an idea of the relevant skills that connect your hobbies and interests with the job you wish to fill. You can proceed to explain how your favorite pastime has helped you become more suitable for the role.
For instance, if you’re applying to become a branch manager of a fast-food chain, think of hobbies that are often linked to the development of leadership skills. Team sports like volleyball and basketball are great examples of the activities you can mention and connect with the role.
Or, if you seek to land a job as a graphic designer, you can cite hobbies that are closely tied to creativity and multifaceted, such as reading books, writing, and photography. You may also have insightful volunteering experiences that you would like to share if you’re eager to work with youth NGOs, for example.
You can describe the most striking dialogues you had with your fellow volunteers and expound on how interacting with fellow volunteers has helped improve your interpersonal skills and adaptability to your surroundings.
#4. Prepare Your Answer in Advance
Rehearsing your answers to the question, “What are your hobbies and why?” beforehand gives you time to perfect your answer and minimize distracting mannerisms such as stuttering or using filler words.
An excellent way to rehearse your job interview answers is to have a friend conduct a mock interview with you. A mock interview is a simulation of a real job interview, wherein one or more individuals pretend to be recruiters and ask an individual common interview queries.
If you don’t have any friends available to do mock interviews with you, practice in front of the mirror instead. When conducting mock interviews, try to list as many possible interview questions about different hobbies and interests.
Then, rehearse one to two unique variations of your answers to the interview query. Let’s say you’re trying to connect your interest in art with your professional experience as a virtual assistant.
Instead of providing a predictable answer such as, “Creativity helps me become more productive at work,” why not delve deeper and explain how art therapy effectively boosts your mental and physical wellness?
Not only will you take interviewers by surprise during your real job interview, but you will surely leave a good lasting impression.
#5. Be Authentic
Answering the question, “What are your hobbies?” can be tricky if you have more unique interests that interviewers may or may not be familiar with.
The good news is that you don’t have to pretend to like an activity simply because it is often correlated with your career of choice.
If you have hobbies that may not seem closely related to the position, it is still advisable to talk about them because it shows your passion and proactiveness in choosing your own happiness.
A good company will take notice of these traits and will be happy to hire a candidate who embraces and celebrates their uniqueness.
Similarly, the question, “What are your hobbies?” is often included in an interviewer’s cultural fit interview questions since shared interests promote positive social relationships among colleagues.
9+ Sample Answers for “What Are Your Hobbies?” Interview Questions
To help you be more prepared when asked what your hobbies are during a job interview, we’ve prepared 10 sample interview answers based on some of the most common types of hobbies:
#1. Sports
You can call me an adrenaline junkie. I jog every morning and join our local lacrosse team every Wednesday and on the weekends. I also play tennis, volleyball, and cycling, and I’ve also competed in several local and state-wide competitions over the past five years.
Engaging in sports not only helped boost my self-confidence, but it was also instrumental in honing my concentration, maintaining good health, and overcoming my social anxiety.
#2. Cooking
Cooking is a very relaxing activity for me. My favorite cuisines to explore would have to be Italian, Vietnamese, French, and Japanese.
For me, cooking is both an art and a science. Whenever I cook, I feel like I can let my imagination run more freely, and it helps me unwind after a long day’s work.
Believe it or not, it also helps me in my day-to-day responsibilities at work. As a project coordinator, I need to keep things organized and have a systematic process in place so I don’t forget any important detail.
#3. Volunteering
Volunteering has always been an essential part of my life. Whether it be in homeless shelters, animal rescue centers, or foster homes, I’m always game to participate in donation drives and other charitable activities.
My volunteering experiences have pushed me to step outside of my comfort zone and value even the smallest gesture or contribution that I can give.
Volunteering has also provided me with an excellent way to hone my leadership and interpersonal skills, thanks to all the charitable activities and events I have organized with my fellow volunteers.
#4. Traveling
I’m the type of person who loves exploring different wonders of the world. I’m always in awe every time I immerse myself in different cultures and make new friends from different parts of the globe.
Some of the most memorable places I’ve visited include Berlin, Madrid, Cape Town, Tokyo, Mumbai, Porto, and São Paulo. I highly recommend traveling to anyone who wants to be more independent, confident, adaptable, and learn new languages.
My constant travels have also helped me improve my interpersonal skills.
Despite having sufficient work experience managing people and interacting with different clients, I can say that my traveling adventures have led me to have a broader and more empathetic perspective on everything.
5. Writing
I write short horror, romance, and mystery fiction during my free time. I’m also a contributing columnist at my friend’s digital magazine.
I can’t exactly remember when I started pursuing writing as a hobby, but I remember how I felt the first time I finished a short story and gave it to my friend as her birthday present. It was one of the best and most inspiring feelings I have ever experienced in my life.
Since then, I always turn to writing whenever I want to unwind and unload all of my worries and stress. My students are also aware that I love writing, and so whenever we have extra time before class ends, some of them would approach me and ask me for feedback on their poetry, essays, and stories.
#6. Painting
I know it might seem like an uncanny combination at first, but I am a software engineer by day and an artistic soul by night. Painting is a great way to relax my mind and, most importantly, my eyes!
I stare at the screen for long hours because of my job, and while my profession is my passion, it can also drive me to my limits sometimes.
As such, I need a hobby that will make me forget about work and help me get in touch with my creative side while I immerse myself in my own colorful world.
#7. Reading
My hobby is pretty simple, but all the different worlds and characters I encounter whenever I read books are far from plain. I’ve always been an avid reader since I was a kid. At one point, my room was so filled with books that my parents had to build a mini library just for me.
Reading makes me have a more in-depth view of the world. It inspires me to look past what people show on the surface, and be more sensitive to social cues. It makes me more curious about people, about the world, about life.
My hobby has also made me expand my vocabulary and enhance my writing skills, both of which are quite useful whenever I have to compose several emails for my boss and his clients.
#8. Meditating
I start and end my day meditating. In fact, meditation has become more than just a hobby for me. It’s become a part of my daily routine.
I work in customer service, and I have to deal with all types of customers every day—from the happy and polite ones to the classic Karens to the downright rude and aggressive ones. It can be quite the rollercoaster ride!
Not to complain, but I believe that we all have our limitations, and it is important for us to be mindful of the amount of stress that we can bear. It is this realization and mindset that has also made meditation an essential part of my regular schedule.
Whenever I’ve had a long day at work, feel anxious, or simply want to unburden myself from stress, I close my eyes, take deep breaths, calm myself, and meditate.
#9. Hiking
Working for the government can be rewarding but the demands of the job can take a toll on your physical and mental health. Two years ago, my colleagues invited me for a hike over the weekend.
In the past, I was not really fond of spending time outdoors. I would usually just stay at home, sleep in until late in the afternoon, binge watch my favorite TV shows, or play video games.
But that initial invitation from my co-workers led to a second one, and then a third, until it was already too late when I realized that I became the one organizing our next hiking trips! Hiking is a great way to exercise your muscles and bones.
It also brings you closer to nature, makes you forget the hustle and bustle of living a fast-paced life, and helps you improve your relationship with yourself.
#10. Multiple Hobbies
I used to feel uneasy whenever people ask me what my hobbies are because my interests outside of work are not what one would usually expect of me, given my appearance and my job. I’m a tattoo artist by day and a bartender by night.
Hobby-wise, I love knitting, gardening, and calligraphy.
People would often say that knitting as a hobby is something that grandmothers would find enjoyable to do. I beg to disagree. Knitting helps me forget about my troubles and worries and it has also been instrumental in improving my hand-eye coordination.
Gardening teaches me how to be self-sufficient and nurturing, while calligraphy helps improve my motor skills and concentration.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know why interviewers ask the question, “What are your hobbies?” during a job interview, it is important to note that staying true to yourself is key. Be yourself, and don’t be afraid to tell them about your passions and interests.
Your hobbies are what push you outside of your comfort zone. Pursuing your interests inspires you to focus on self-improvement, something that will help you be more successful and efficient while pursuing your career goals.
