What Interests and Hobbies Do You Have ? : Important Interview Question !

Safalta expert Published by: Gitika Jangir Updated Wed, 19 Oct 2022 11:06 PM IST

Highlights

"What are your interests and hobbies?" "What are your favourite hobbies?" "How would you describe your hobbies?" or "What do you like to do in your free time?" You may have a list of interests prepared, but impressing the interviewer will depend on picking the proper interests and hobbies and providing thoughtful answers to their questions.

Free Demo Classes

Register here for Free Demo Classes

Please fill the name
Please enter only 10 digit mobile number
Please select course
Please fill the email
Something went wrong!
Download App & Start Learning
Having interests and hobbies outside of work enables you to pursue your passions and develop into a more well-rounded individual. While an interviewer might ask you to go into more detail about the training and experience indicated on your resume, they might also inquire about your hobbies or how you like to spend your free time on the weekend.In this article, we'll explain how to identify your relevant interests and hobbies, connect them to the position you're applying for, and give you an example of how to respond to inquiries like, "What are your interests and hobbies?" "What are your favourite hobbies?" "How would you describe your hobbies?" or "What do you like to do in your free time?" You may have a list of interests prepared, but impressing the interviewer will depend on picking the proper interests and hobbies and providing thoughtful answers to their questions.In addition, you can also check out our CUCET English E-book- download for free.

Also check,

Table of content

  1. Various Hobbies
  2. How to Plan your answer ?
  3. Tips to Answer : What Interests and Hobbies Do You Have ?

Various Hobbies

  • Cooking/Baking
  • Making your own DIY: Crafts, calligraphy, etc.
  • Home decor 
  • Reading 
  • Listening to a particular music genre like Rock, Pop, Indie, etc.
  • Podcasting
  • Dancing
  • Travelling and outdoor activities 
  • Social work
  • Gardening 
  • Learning a new language 
  • Playing music like guitar, violin, piano, etc.
  • Yoga
  • Volunteering
  • Painting/Sketching
  • Blogging
  • Photography
  • Arts and crafts 
  • Journalling
  • Any sport like Cricket, Football, Basketball, etc.

How to Plan your answer ?

You can use the following stages to organise your response:

Pick relevant interests and activities. Even though you may have a variety of interests and pastimes outside of work, it is a good idea to focus on those that are most relevant to your new career. During an interview, it's customary to discuss the following extracurricular activities:Travel ,Participating in volunteer, community, or charity work ,Sports like team or league competition, hiking, or other forms of physical activity ,Writing, music, painting, and other creative arts 
gardening or cooking
Describe your abilities or traits. Identifying the abilities or attributes you acquired from your extracurricular activities will help you choose the ones that are most applicable. Make a list of your interests and hobbies, and then list all the skills and qualities you acquired or developed as a result of each activity. Some possibilities include: Organizational and planning abilities ,Leadership qualities ,interpersonal and communication abilities ,Teamwork ,tenacity and dedication ,Problem-solving and imaginative, thinking ,Patience  and Adaptability
Figure out how your recreational hobbies and your job relate. You can contrast your list of interests and activities with the requirements in the job description.

Source: Safalta.com

This stage enables you to relate your skills to those that your interviewer is likely to bring up during the interview. 
Your extracurricular activities might show a love for your industry in addition to your personal values. If you work in the arts, you might engage in artistic pursuits as a hobby, such as writing or acting. You might also look into career prospects connected to organisations or causes outside of work that you also support.

Tips to Answer : What Interests and Hobbies Do You Have ?

1. Mention extracurricular activity
Give at least one or two relevant interests and hobbies. Giving only one can help you keep your response succinct and to the point, while talking about two or three will help you show off your range of extracurricular interests. If the interviewer doesn't ask you to go into more detail, make sure to keep your description of your activity or interest concise.

2.Describe your activities / Hobbies with enthusiasm!
Mention your favourite hobbies or interests with enthusiasm and then spice it up with a funny anecdote or backstory.

3.Your personality may be revealed via your hobbies.
One of the key purposes of asking about your hobbies during an interview is to get to know you better and determine your natural interests. The hobby you pick should reflect your personality.

4.Keep your response succinct and to the point.
Make sure to keep your conversation about your pastime brief and to the point. If reading is one of your hobbies, for instance, describe that as well as any recent books you've read or the background of how you first became interested in reading. The interviewer will get more intrigued by your resume as a result.

5.Emphasize your abilities, traits, or values.
You should make reference to your extensive list of extracurricular activities in this section of your response. Talk about the preparation you did for training, tasks, and other professional success.

6.Combine your hobbies and profession
By fusing your interests and your profession, you can get another major brownie point. As a business development manager, for instance, you may state that you enjoy volunteering and how doing so has helped you grow your people skills, learn about individuals from different backgrounds, and stay on your toes.

7.Describe how your interests improve you as a person.
While relaxing and renewing are more closely associated with hobbies, you can always point out how a certain activity enhances a specific skill in your life. Sports teach us about collaboration, the value of fitness, and other things while reading can improve your writing and storytelling skills.

8.Don't bring up any contentious or political issues.
This is a major no for the question "What are your hobbies?" as political ideas vary widely across individuals and organisations, and anything divisive can further give the interviewer the wrong impression. Therefore, avoid including any controversial hobbies or political interests.

9.Never deny having a hobby.
Your interviewer will not be impressed if you claim to have no interests. Instead, you might describe a skill you are currently developing or an interest you have developed. You can mention even the most basic interests with an engaging anecdote, such as learning to cook or enjoying psychological thrillers.

10. Consider your qualities or skills. 

11.Select your hobbies wisely 

12.Highlight Work-life equilibrium. 

13.Explain why you chose a certain pastime. 

14. Honesty is paramount.


 

Free Demo Classes

Register here for Free Demo Classes

Trending Courses

Professional Certification Programme in Digital Marketing (Batch-5)
Professional Certification Programme in Digital Marketing (Batch-5)

Now at just ₹ 49999 ₹ 9999950% off

Master Certification Digital Marketing Program Batch-10
Master Certification Digital Marketing Program Batch-10

Now at just ₹ 64999 ₹ 12500048% off

Advanced Certification in Digital Marketing Online Programme (Batch-22)
Advanced Certification in Digital Marketing Online Programme (Batch-22)

Now at just ₹ 20999 ₹ 3599942% off

Advance Graphic Designing Course (Batch-9) : 90 Hours of Learning
Advance Graphic Designing Course (Batch-9) : 90 Hours of Learning

Now at just ₹ 15999 ₹ 3599956% off

Flipkart Hot Selling Course in 2024
Flipkart Hot Selling Course in 2024

Now at just ₹ 10000 ₹ 3000067% off

Advanced Certification in Digital Marketing Classroom Programme (Batch-3)
Advanced Certification in Digital Marketing Classroom Programme (Batch-3)

Now at just ₹ 29999 ₹ 9999970% off

Basic Digital Marketing Course (Batch-24): 50 Hours Live+ Recorded Classes!
Basic Digital Marketing Course (Batch-24): 50 Hours Live+ Recorded Classes!

Now at just ₹ 1499 ₹ 999985% off

WhatsApp Business Marketing Course
WhatsApp Business Marketing Course

Now at just ₹ 599 ₹ 159963% off

Advance Excel Course
Advance Excel Course

Now at just ₹ 2499 ₹ 800069% off