Are you debating whether to list your interests and charity activities on your resume? To be honest, there is no right or wrong response to this. However, it's important to consider listing activities that complement your character or have relevance to the professions you're applying for. If you have also participated in voluntary work, you should include it - especially if you are a student or recent graduate with limited prior work experience. You can use this post to help you brainstorm what to include and what not to!

Hobbies

" enjoy taking my dog Ben for walks."

Consider the value of the aforementioned before including it on your resume. It probably won't bring much benefit unless you want to walk dogs or work with animals. So don't include this kind of information. It may occupy important space on a CV that could be used for more pertinent data.

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"I lead my neighborhood football team."
 

That is more practical. The examples above show how to be a team leader and be organized. These attributes and experiences might be what the recruiter is looking for. Use your interests as a platform to display your skills if your job doesn't provide them.

"I enjoy restoring classic cars in my spare time."

You're putting in a mechanic job application. Then the aforementioned pastime will undoubtedly be pertinent and provide the reader of your CV with some insight into the individual. The goal is to keep your information narrowly focused and to attempt to consider what it says about you and how it pertains to the position you are looking for from the perspective of a recruiter.
 

Work Volunteering

Including volunteer work on a CV can be a wonderful approach to highlight your transferable skills if you are a student with no work experience. It also helps to demonstrate your sense of community and your willingness to sacrifice your time for the benefit of others.

Make a section devoted to "Experience" or "Voluntary Work." This section should be written as if it were for a paid job application. List the company or organization you worked for, the position you held, the dates you were there and when you left, followed by your accomplishments during that time.

Include bullet points outlining these accomplishments, using examples that are as explicit as you can. This will assist in displaying a set of transferrable skills that are pertinent to the application.

You should review the job description for the position you're applying for. Take note of the knowledge and abilities they demand. Then, try using keywords to match the bullet points. Therefore, if the hiring manager is searching for analytical talents, show them through your volunteer work, if applicable, by highlighting a time when you used those skills. For instance, you might have written reports and discussed your results with a financial director. To demonstrate accuracy and analytical ability, you may write "Responsible for producing accurate reports and presenting these to senior management."

If you find it difficult to write your CV in-depth, keep in mind that assistance is available. You are not alone because expert CV writers can aid you.
 

Final Reflections


One important lesson to be learned from this post is to add hobbies and volunteer activities, but to keep it relevant and focused. This will demonstrate to the hiring manager that you are the perfect candidate for the job. If you follow these steps right, you might then stand out from other candidates and land the job you're after. All the best with your applications!

Eusebio Palmer, the founder and director of Boldchatcn.com, wrote this post. Eusebio is a Career Teacher and Systems Engineer. He is also an expert CV writer.