How to Highlight Your Hobbies and Interests on Your CV in the UK
In a competitive job market, it’s essential to showcase your unique attributes to potential employers. Highlighting your hobbies and interests on your CV is one way to do this. However, it’s crucial to approach this in a professional manner. Here are some tips for how to highlight your hobbies and interests on your CV in the UK.
Introduction
Your CV is your selling point, and hobbies and interests can be a valuable addition to it. They provide employers with insight into your personality, skills, and passions outside of work. However, it’s crucial to remember that the primary focus of your CV should be your job-related qualifications and achievements.
Do’s and Don’ts for Highlighting Your Hobbies and Interests
Do
1. Tailor your interests to the job: Be selective about which hobbies and interests you include on your CV. They should be relevant to the job you’re applying for and demonstrate your skills or qualities that match the job requirements. For example, if you’re applying for a marketing position, highlighting your interest in social media or content creation can be beneficial.
2. Showcase your transferable skills: Highlight your hobbies and interests that demonstrate transferable skills, such as leadership, communication, teamwork, organization, or problem-solving. For example, being a team captain for a sports team shows leadership, while volunteering for a charity demonstrates your passion for making a positive impact.
3. Highlight your awards and achievements: If you’ve received any awards or recognition for your hobbies or interests, be sure to include them on your CV. They showcase your dedication, accomplishments, and potential.
Don’t
1. Include irrelevant hobbies and interests: Avoid including hobbies or interests that don’t relate to the job you’re applying for. For example, if you’re applying for a finance position, including your hobby for gardening is irrelevant.
2. Be too personal: Avoid discussing personal information, such as political or religious beliefs, on your CV. This can be off-putting to potential employers.
Examples of Including Hobbies and Interests on Your CV
Example 1:
Marketing Assistant with a passion for social media and content creation. Also, an avid blogger and photographer with experience managing successful social media campaigns for various organizations.
Analysis: This example highlights the candidate’s interest in social media and content creation, which is relevant to the marketing position they’re applying for. They also demonstrate their experience and success in social media campaigns.
Example 2:
Financial Analyst with a love for traveling and learning about different cultures. Volunteered as an English teacher in Vietnam for six months, where I developed communication and teaching skills.
Analysis: This example highlights the candidate’s interest in learning about different cultures and their volunteer experience, which demonstrates transferable skills, such as communication and teaching.
Conclusion
Including hobbies and interests on your CV can be an effective way to showcase your unique attributes to potential employers. However, it’s essential to be selective, relevant, and professional when doing so. By following the do’s and don’ts outlined above and providing suitable examples, you can effectively highlight your hobbies and interests on your CV in the UK.
