When you’re interviewing for a job, the hiring manager will ask you questions to determine whether you’re a good fit for the company’s culture. As such, they’ll likely ask you, “What are your hobbies?”
Hobbies are activities that bring you joy – and they can say a lot about your character. When it comes to interviewing for a job, the hobbies you mention can give your hiring manager great insight into your personality type, what you do to de-stress and relax, as well as how you cultivate your own personal growth outside of the workplace.
Don’t type “What Are Your Hobbies Interview Answer” into Google. Instead, keep reading for the best answers to give when asked about your hobbies in an interview – and why.
1. Cooking
Cooking is something everyone does, but it’s not always something everyone enjoys. That’s why, if you enjoy cooking, you should bring it up in your interview when asked about your hobbies.
The culinary arts not only take a lot of time to master, but they constantly challenge you to make new recipes, use new foods, and try different techniques. It’s for these reasons that you should mention it in your interview.
Cooking requires a strong focus on the task at hand, following directions, and executing a project from start to finish – all soft skills that your hiring manager is looking for. Soft skills are “..non-technical skills that impact your performance in the workplace.” The same applies to baking.
If you have an interest in the culinary arts, even if it’s taking cooking classes or cooking with your spouse or children at home, it can show your potential employer that you’re able to dedicate yourself to a project and see it through independently or by working with a team.
If you’re planning on discussing cooking, be prepared to share your favorite meal you’ve cooked. It’s likely something your hiring manager will ask you before ending the interview.
2. Writing
If you enjoy writing as a hobby, it shows others that you’re a free thinker and creative. This can be a beneficial soft skill in the workplace because it shows that you’re capable of problem-solving and looking at a situation from multiple angles.
In addition to this, writing as a hobby demonstrates your ability to think about what you want to say and why. And, in the workplace, this strong ability to communicate can lead to more thoughtful conversations with peers, clients, and management to find the resolution to a problem.
Those who write in their free time also tend to be very passionate about their craft. If you love to write, you should also let your hiring manager know what you prefer to write about. Is it blogging? Short stories? Poetry? Books? You don’t have to divulge all the details, but it’s okay to let your hiring manager in on what kind of content and genre inspires you to pick up the pen.
Just be mindful to steer clear from talking about anything that could be inappropriate, such as politics or anything of an adult nature.
3. Gardening
Similarly to cooking, having gardening as a hobby means that you like to see your hard work pay off. Gardening requires not only a lot of learning to be successful but constant upkeep for the plants to thrive.
In addition to these qualities, gardening also demonstrates a strong level of patience, which can be very handy in the workplace when it comes to achieving long-term goals. Employers commonly look for applicants who demonstrate dependability and ambition, two soft skills that are routinely executed in gardening.
If you’re asked about your hobbies in an interview and you reply with gardening, let your interviewer in on the kinds of plants and flowers you like to grow, any methods you use for success, and what you’ve learned as a result of your experiences. They may be itching to start gardening themselves!