What Are Your Hobbies: Tips To Answer This (+ Sample Answers)

A hobby is a routine leisure activity done during one's free time. Singing, painting, dancing, or collecting coins, a hobby can be anything that keeps you engaged during your free time. But when interviewers ask, what are your hobbies during a job interview, what do they wish to know? Let's find out. 

'What are your hobbies?' is a common question in a job interview that intends to know about your passions, interests, hobbies, and activities that you indulge in outside your work. Through this question, interviewers wish to get an idea about your ability to balance your personal life and your work and also see if you are their culture fit. 

Why Have A Hobby?

Having a hobby has many benefits. Research has shown that people who take part in outdoor activities, extracurricular activities, or have productive hobbies perform better than those who don't do any of these. Some of the benefits of having hobbies are:

• Physical health: People who indulge in enjoyable activities are known to have lower body mass index, lower blood pressure, reduced levels of stress hormones, and better overall health.
• Better sleep: While many may think that to pursue a hobby, one has to cut down on sleep hours, a study showed that people who spend time on their hobbies get better sleep.
• Lower stress levels: People who participate in engaging activities deal better with stressful life events. Studies show that such people have comparatively lower chances of experiencing mental health issues.
• Happy mindset: People who have hobbies and spend enough time on them, are believed to have greater life satisfaction.
• Improved work performance: A study has found that employees with creative engagements had leadership qualities, problem-solving attitudes, and better interpersonal skills as compared to those who didn't have any hobbies. Honing a hobby helped people to learn new skills and these also transferred to their work.

What are your hobbies vs What are your interests?

As discussed above, interests can transform into hobbies. Hence, for the 'What are your hobbies?' type of questions in the interview, you can mention any interest that you like to spend time with and tell the interview panel that you may take it up as a hobby in the future.

Why Do Recruiters Ask 'What Are Your Hobbies?'

Even though this interview question may sound extremely generic and it may seem that the interviewer is least interested in knowing your hobbies, it is not true!

The interviewer wants to understand your personality better by knowing about your creative activities or additional skills. They also want to understand if you have any leisure indulgence that might interfere with your professional work or whether you are a good fit for the company culture.

Hobbies to your rescue! If you are a fresher or don't have enough experience and skills for a particular job profile or if there is a gap in your resume, you can make up for all this by including a section of hobbies and interests along with other skills in your CV. This way you can add extra information in your CV or resume which will help the employers learn more about you.

This will also allow the hiring manager to get an idea of your life outside your professional sphere and then assess if you would be able to get along well with other employees and fit well in the company culture.

How To Answer 'What Are Your Hobbies?'

When answering questions about your hobbies for an interview, you have to be honest about it. However, the catch here is that you must refrain from giving out any information that shows that your hobby can interfere with your professional work. For example, suppose your hobby is a particular game and you very often participate in competitions that happen across the country. In that case, it may make the potential employer think that your work would be affected.

Following are some points that you must keep in mind when dealing with what is your hobby answer.

Points to be included in your answer

Share the hobbies or interests that relate to your job: You may have many interests and hobbies that you spend your time with. But it won't be very wise to speak about each one of them in your job interview. You must share a hobby that can be related to the job position you have applied to. For example, if you are applying for the position of marketing professional in a company that sells fitness equipment, you could state gymming as a hobby. Similarly, if you are applying for a position in a tech firm, and you mention that your interests include reading about the latest technology, it would leave a good impression in the minds of the interviewers.

Identify skills developed through hobbies: Identify the soft skills that you have been able to develop with the help of your hobbies in the past years and how those have helped you improve your personality and skills. It may be your communication skills, planning skills, leadership skills, or problem-solving skills. You can then mention how these qualities would be useful for you in your job.

Give a reason for taking up a specific hobby: The interviewer might be interested to know the reason behind taking up a specific hobby. Hence, you must be ready to mention one. For example, suppose you started playing some sport due to fitness reasons, and now it has become your hobby. Giving reasons for taking it up as a hobby shows that you haven't jumped into something abruptly. Instead, there is a pretty good reason behind the same.

Points that must not be included in your answer

Sharing controversial hobbies: Hobbies are supposed to be activities that keep you engaged in your free time. However, if your hobby might not get easy acceptance such as hobbies that are passive or may spark a political/social debate then you should not be sharing the same with the interviewers. It might sabotage your chances of getting the job as recruiters avoid taking people with unconventional or controversial ideologies into their work environment. Hence, refrain from such answers to avoid giving a bad impression. It's better to err on the side of caution and choose hobbies that portray you in a positive light and align with the company culture.

Be unprofessional: Sometimes while talking about your hobby, you may tend to lose track and indulge in personal conversations. This must be avoided altogether. Also, you must refrain from asking the interviewer any personal questions about their interests, hobbies, etc. This might make him/her uncomfortable or displeased.

Talking too much about your hobby: It is fine if you come across as passionate when asked 'What are your hobbies?' during the interview. But after you share its important details, come back to the main conversation quickly. Extending the conversation about your hobby will only waste your time and you will have less time at hand for discussing other important aspects such as your technical skills, experience, expertise, etc. So talk briefly about the relevant hobbies and move ahead.

Framing What Is Your Hobby Answer: Top Tips

Talking too much about your hobby: At times people get taken aback with questions that are not related to the job profile or if situation-based interview questions are shot at them. One must understand that such questions are a way to peek into the personality of the candidate. Hence, being confident in these questions will fetch you brownie points. Questions related to hobbies also fall in the same league.

With your presence of mind, you can turn these questions in your favor. Keep a list of 5-7 hobbies ready and use it as per the situation. In case you are going in for a job that requires analytical skills, mention a hobby that requires analysis like playing chess. Similarly, if the job profile needs you to be creative, state a hobby that involves creativity. All you have to do is, keep some rough points ready in your mind and answer confidently during the interview.

Keep it short: As already discussed above, replies related to what are your interests/hobbies must be kept short. Taking too long to answer this question may cut your time slot short for other more important topics that underline your career goals and need to be discussed in detail.

Be honest: While you might get away with bluffing when asked "what are your hobbies?" in your job interview, this isn't the right way to go ahead. Being honest about what you do in your free time will not only help you to answer this question confidently but will also save you from getting stuck in further questioning by the interviewer in case he/she assesses that you might be faking your hobby. It is always advisable to play safe and be honest and balanced in such types of interview questions.

Never say no: Refrain from saying that you do not have any hobbies when asked about your favorite pastime. It shows a lack of interest, initiative, or passion. It paints your personality as boring and doesn't provide much information about you to the hiring managers.

Exhibit your creativity: This question is the best way to show your creative or interesting side to the interviewers. If you get a chance, try to tell the interview panel about how hobbies have helped you improve your personality and polish your lateral thinking skills. They also improve your ability to approach challenging tasks and strengthen your stress-taking capacity.

Explain your strengths: While mentioning your hobbies, highlight your strengths to the interview panel. The real motive behind knowing your hobby is to assess your personality. Hence, focusing on the positives through your hobbies is a good approach during the interview.

For example, If you love to go on long treks, you can highlight your endurance, persistence and ability to take new ways as your plus points. Similarly, if you play a team sport, you can mention that you believe in team spirit, have a good understanding of group dynamics, and can work towards a collective goal.

When answering interview questions related to hobbies, you must try to turn the tables in your favor and project yourself as someone worthy of the position being offered. However, you must also remember that the interview is not about discussing your hobbies. Hence, keep it short, simple yet effective. Also, avoid mentioning a hobby that may sound complicated to understand. Your ultimate motive is to keep the interviewer interested in the conversation and highlight your positive points.

What Are Your Hobbies Example Answers

Getting an idea of the best answers to what are your hobbies can help you frame your replies well. Following are some sample answers that might be useful.

Response: "I love to play table tennis and I read in your job advertisement that there is a TT break that you offer to your employees during the day. I really appreciate this idea. It will not only help to de-stress but will also offer an opportunity to connect on a casual basis with other employees who love to play table tennis"

Why it works: Hobbies where physical activity is involved can show that you are energetic and have the ability to handle stress. Also, saying that you would love to connect with other employees reflects that you are a team player and can coordinate well with other employees.

Response: "I have many hobbies like gardening, painting, reading, solving crosswords, etc. All these activities keep me positive and calm-minded."

Why it works: This response mentions various common hobbies that involve patience, creativity, concentration, and problem-solving skills. Hence, this would be a good way to indirectly show your desired skills required for the job profile.

Response: 'I am into volunteering and during my off days I love to volunteer for social service. It gives me happiness and satisfaction to help others and do my bit for society."

Why it works: This answer reflects your concern for others. Some hiring managers might also view such social hobbies as beneficial for their business networking and sourcing potential clients.

What To Say If I Don't Have Any Hobbies?

This might be of concern to many candidates who believe that there is nothing worthwhile they have as a hobby that could be quoted in the interview. However, this is not entirely true.

Hobbies are activities that hold your interest. Hence, doing something that doesn't conform to the standard hobbies doesn't mean you can't call it a hobby or interest. Activities such as cooking, reading the newspaper, taking walks, sorting, and managing stuff could also be counted as hobbies.

Sometimes you may have strong interests rather than hobbies such as being a technology buff, reading about business personalities, or having an interest in fashion. There is no harm in honestly sharing the same with the interview panel. Your other skills and confidence will speak for themselves.

You can also tell about something that you did in the past but don't find time for anymore. For example, you used to play basketball long back and even represented your college at various competitions. However, due to your busy schedule and because nobody around you seems to be interested in the game, you have left this interest in the past.

Having said this, it is never too late to take up a hobby. The following points may help you to go in this direction:

1. Introspection: For listing out hobbies for interviews, analyze what you like to do in your free time that you may call your major hobby. It may be playing video games, going to Yoga classes, or anything you engage in during your leisure time. Once you have this sorted, make a list of hobbies that you may be able to take up. This way you might gravitate towards taking up a productive activity or at least learning about it. After all, hobbies do no harm and are always the best conversation starters!
2. Go back to your old interests: Very often people end up dropping an interesting activity from their schedule owing to a busy life and other obligations. However, you can try and go back to your old interests and see if they can still keep you invested. In case they do, you can try to make time to carry out such activities.
3. Have the gist to try something new: Push yourself to try something new. So whether it is drawing, trekking, or learning to code, don't hesitate to try out something new and useful. It will not only add to your hobby but will also keep you motivated and excited as you rush through your busy life.

Common Hobbies for Interview 

Choosing the right hobbies to mention in an interview depends on the job you're applying for and the company culture. Here are some general tips that can help make a positive impression:

General Tips:

• Focus on transferable skills: Choose hobbies that showcase skills relevant to the job you're applying for.
• Be passionate: It's better to mention a hobby you're genuinely interested in, as your enthusiasm will shine through.
• Balance is key: Avoid mentioning overly time-consuming hobbies that might portray you as unavailable.
• Consider the company culture: If the company has a culture of teamwork, mentioning a team sport could be beneficial.

Here are some examples of how to tailor your hobbies to the job description:

• Job: Marketing Manager
• Hobby: Running a blog about social media trends (Shows passion for marketing and social media awareness).
• Job: Software Engineer
• Hobby: Building robots in a hobbyist club (Highlights technical skills and problem-solving abilities).
• Job: Customer Service Representative
• Hobby: Volunteering at a local animal shelter (Demonstrates communication skills, patience, and ability to work with people).

We hope this article helped you get some good tips and tricks to handle the 'What are your hobbies?' interview question. For more such articles, stay tuned to Unstop. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What are some examples of hobbies I can mention in a job interview?

Some examples of hobbies you can mention in a job interview include reading, playing a musical instrument, cooking, hiking, volunteering, and playing sports. These hobbies demonstrate various skills and qualities such as being intellectually curious, disciplined, creative, and team-oriented.

2. How do I choose which hobbies to mention in a job interview?

When choosing which hobbies to mention in a job interview, consider selecting ones that highlight your strengths and align with the job profile and company culture. Think about hobbies that have helped you develop transferable skills or have taught you valuable lessons. Additionally, choose hobbies that you genuinely enjoy and can speak passionately about.

For example, if you are applying for a marketing position, mentioning hobbies such as social media management or graphic design can showcase your relevant skills.

3. Should I mention hobbies that are not typically seen as "productive"?

While it is generally recommended to mention hobbies that showcase skills or qualities relevant to the job, it is also important to be authentic. If you have hobbies that may not be traditionally seen as "productive" but bring you joy or provide a unique perspective, it can be worth mentioning them. This can help the interviewer get to know you better as a person.

4. How much detail should I provide when discussing my hobbies?

When discussing your hobbies in a job interview, provide enough detail to give the interviewer a clear understanding of what the hobby entails and why it is meaningful to you. However, be mindful of not going into excessive detail or rambling. Keep your answers concise and focused on highlighting the skills or qualities that make the hobby relevant to the job.

5. Can I mention hobbies that are not currently active?

Yes, you can mention hobbies that are not currently active. It can still be relevant to talk about them as they may provide insight into your interests and experiences.

You may also like to read:

1. CV building from a recruiters' perspective
2. 8 Highest Paying Jobs For Computer Science Professionals In India
3. Who said only engineers can be the CAT toppers?
4. Failing Coding Interviews? Get inside tips on how to crack interviews in top companies