Picture this: You’re sitting across from a hiring manager who’s just spent the last four hours reviewing identical resumes. Marketing degree, check. Sales experience, check. Microsoft Office proficiency, check. Then they flip to your resume and see “Medieval sword fighting” or “Competitive dog grooming” listed under interests. Suddenly, they’re sitting up straighter, genuinely curious about who you are as a person.

But should you really put that quirky hobby on your resume? The short answer is: it depends. The longer answer? Well, that’s what we’re here to figure out together.

The Real Talk About Hobbies on Resumes

Let me be straight with you about something important: adding unique hobbies and interests to a resume makes you more attractive and memorable to your potential employer. But here’s the catch, and this is where I want you to think like a strategic job seeker rather than just someone excited to share their latest obsession.

Your resume real estate is precious. Every single line needs to earn its place. If including your passion for collecting vintage lunch boxes means cutting out a bullet point about increasing sales by 30%, then those lunch boxes need to take a backseat. Your professional achievements should always come first.

However, if you’ve got the space and you’ve covered all your important qualifications, then yes, absolutely include those interesting hobbies. They won’t hurt you, and they might just be the conversation starter that lands you the job.

Industry Matters More Than You Think

Here’s something that might surprise you: the industry you’re applying to plays a huge role in whether your quirky hobbies will be received well. Let me break this down for you.

Creative Industries (Advertising, Design, Entertainment, Marketing) These fields love personality. Your weekend hobby of creating elaborate cosplay costumes? That shows creativity, attention to detail, project management, and budgeting skills. Your passion for urban sketching? Perfect for a design role. Hiring managers use your hobbies and interests to assess whether you’d mesh well with the existing team, and creative teams often value unique perspectives and diverse interests.

Traditional Corporate Environments (Finance, Law, Consulting) These industries tend to be more conservative. Your hobby of competitive eating might raise eyebrows in a law firm, but your interest in chess or classical music could demonstrate strategic thinking and cultural sophistication. It’s not about being fake; it’s about understanding your audience.

Tech and Startup Culture Tech companies often embrace quirky. That robot you built in your garage? The mobile app you created for tracking your plant collection? These hobbies show technical skills, innovation, and the kind of problem-solving mindset tech companies love.

Healthcare and Education These fields value community service and continuous learning. Hobbies that show you care about others or that you’re always growing (like tutoring, volunteering, or learning new languages) tend to resonate well.

Age and Career Stage Considerations

Let’s talk about something nobody wants to address but everyone wonders about: does age matter when it comes to quirky hobbies on resumes?

Early Career (Recent Graduates, Entry-Level) You have more flexibility here. Employers expect younger candidates to have diverse interests and be still figuring things out. That said, make sure your hobbies don’t overshadow your limited professional experience. A creative way to display hobbies on a resume is to add them to your education section as “Activities and Interests.” This is beneficial if you are a student applying for an internship.

Mid-Career Professionals You’ve got the professional credibility to back up some personality. This is actually the sweet spot for quirky hobbies because you can afford to show some individuality without it seeming unprofessional.

Senior-Level Positions At this level, your track record speaks for itself. Quirky hobbies can actually humanize you and make you more approachable as a leader. Just make sure they align with the company culture you’re trying to join.

When Your Hobbies Are Actually Superpowers in Disguise

Here’s where things get exciting. Sometimes your “quirky” hobby is actually a treasure trove of relevant skills. Let me share some examples that might surprise you:

Dungeons & Dragons This isn’t just about fantasy and dice. D&D requires project management (organizing sessions), creative problem-solving, teamwork, leadership (if you’re the DM), storytelling, and conflict resolution. These are gold-star skills for many roles.

Video Gaming Competitive gaming shows dedication, strategic thinking, hand-eye coordination, and often teamwork. If you’re applying for roles in project management, strategy, or even customer service, these skills translate beautifully.

Cooking/Baking This demonstrates creativity, following detailed instructions, time management, budget management, and the ability to work under pressure. Perfect for operations roles, project management, or any job requiring attention to detail.

Collecting (Vintage Items, Cards, etc.) This shows research skills, market analysis, negotiation abilities, and often community building. Great for sales, marketing, or research positions.

The key is to think about what skills your hobbies actually develop and how those translate to the workplace.

The Art of Strategic Hobby Selection

Not all hobbies are created equal when it comes to resume inclusion. Here’s my framework for deciding what makes the cut:

Include If:

• It demonstrates relevant skills for the job
• It shows leadership or teamwork
• It’s something you’re genuinely passionate about and can speak eloquently about
• It adds diversity to your skill set
• It shows you’re well-rounded and interesting

Skip If:

• It could be controversial or polarizing
• It takes up space that could be used for professional achievements
• You’re not actually that interested in it anymore
• It doesn’t add anything new to your professional narrative

Definitely Avoid:

• Anything illegal or dangerous
• Political activities (unless applying to political organizations)
• Overly personal information
• Hobbies that suggest you might not be reliable (like extreme sports that could lead to frequent injuries)

Making Your Hobbies Work for You

If you decide to include your quirky hobbies, here’s how to do it strategically:

Be Specific Instead of “reading,” try “historical fiction and biographies.” Instead of “music,” try “classical guitar performance.” Specificity makes you more memorable and gives interviewers something concrete to ask about.

Show Achievement “Amateur photographer” is fine, but “landscape photographer with work featured in local galleries” is much better. If you’ve achieved something notable in your hobby, mention it.

Connect the Dots You can compare the expectations in the job description to your list of hobbies and interests. This step allows you to make clear connections between your skills and those your interviewer is likely to discuss in your interview. Help the reader understand why this hobby matters for the role you’re seeking.

Keep It Concise A simple “Interests: Urban sketching, competitive Scrabble, volunteer dog training” is perfect. You don’t need paragraphs explaining each one.

The Interview Connection Factor

Here’s something beautiful about including interesting hobbies: they create natural conversation starters. Take note of any group activities you come across that align with the hobbies you already have. For example, if they highlight their karaoke nights and you love to sing, mentioning that might help interviewers picture you as part of the team.

I’ve seen candidates land jobs partly because they bonded with their interviewer over shared interests in everything from rock climbing to bread baking. These connections humanize you and make you memorable in a sea of qualified candidates.

But remember, the hobby should be a bridge to deeper conversation about your skills and fit for the role, not the main attraction.

Common Concerns and How to Handle Them

“What if they think I’m unprofessional?” If a company judges you negatively for having interesting hobbies (assuming they’re appropriate), do you really want to work there? Companies that value only work-related activities often have poor work-life balance cultures.

“What if I’m not that good at my hobby?” You don’t have to be an expert. The fact that you pursue interests outside of work shows you’re curious, motivated, and well-rounded. Just be honest about your level if asked.

“What if they ask me about it in the interview?” Perfect! This is exactly what you want. Be ready to talk about what you enjoy about the hobby, what you’ve learned from it, and how it connects to your professional life.

The Bottom Line: Your Career, Your Choice

At the end of the day, including quirky hobbies on your resume isn’t about following rules. It’s about authentically representing who you are while being strategic about your career goals.

If you’re applying to a company that values innovation and creativity, showing your personality through your hobbies could be exactly what sets you apart. If you’re applying to a more traditional organization, you might want to stick to safer choices or skip the hobbies section altogether.

The most important thing is that whatever you include should be true to who you are. The goal is to highlight activities that complement your professional abilities, showing that you bring passion and applicable skills to the role. Don’t manufacture interests just to seem quirky, and don’t hide who you are just to seem “professional.”

Remember, the right job for you is one where you can bring your whole self to work. Your quirky hobbies might just be the key to finding that perfect fit.

Your Next Steps

Before you submit that resume, ask yourself:

• Do my hobbies add value to my professional narrative?
• Am I proud to discuss these interests in an interview?
• Do they align with the company culture I’m targeting?
• Have I prioritized my professional achievements first?

If you can answer yes to these questions, then go ahead and let your personality shine. The worst thing that can happen is someone doesn’t appreciate your interests, which probably means they weren’t the right fit for you anyway.

The best thing that can happen? You land your dream job partly because you had the courage to show who you really are.

Trust me, in a world full of identical resumes, a little authenticity goes a long way. Your quirky hobbies might just be your secret weapon.

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What quirky hobbies have you considered adding to your resume? Remember, the goal isn’t to be different for the sake of being different, but to authentically represent the unique value you bring to any organization. Your hobbies are part of your story, so make sure they’re telling the right chapter.

You might also like:

• How to Tell If You’re the Right Fit for the Job (and How to Prepare)
• Common Resume Mistakes and How to Avoid Them