Adding Sports, Hobbies & Volunteer Work to Your Resume: What Recruiters Think

Should You Add Sports, Hobbies, and Volunteer Work to Your Resume?

‍

Here’s What Recruiters and Hiring Managers Really Think

Beyond Work Experience: Your Resume's Hidden Assets

When crafting a resume, job seekers often wonder: Should I include my hobbies, sports, or volunteer work? Will mentioning my passion for marathon running or my years of coaching little league baseball help me land the job—or just take up valuable space?

The answer? It depends. While adding personal interests can showcase skills and values that employers appreciate, it’s crucial to know when and how to include them strategically.

Let’s break down how recruiters and hiring managers view this information, best practices for including it, and how cvsandresumes.com helps you present it the right way.

How Recruiters and Hiring Managers View This Information

Recruiters: Quick Screening for Relevance

Recruiters typically scan resumes quickly (often in under 10 seconds) to find job-specific qualifications. If hobbies, sports, or volunteer work don’t directly connect to the job or industry, they may skip over them entirely.

However, if your extracurriculars highlight leadership, teamwork, or industry-relevant skills, they might give your application an edge—especially in competitive job markets.

✅ What recruiters like:

●      Volunteer work that shows leadership or industry involvement

●      Sports that demonstrate discipline and teamwork

●      Hobbies related to the job (e.g., coding for a software developer role)

🚫 What recruiters don’t like:

●      Generic or unrelated hobbies (e.g., “I enjoy watching Netflix”)

●      Long lists of irrelevant activities

●      Personal details that take up space needed for work experience

Hiring Managers: Looking for Cultural Fit & Soft Skills

Hiring managers (the people making the final decision) often care more about cultural fit and soft skills than recruiters do. This means they may appreciate a well-placed mention of relevant extracurriculars.

For example, if you’re applying to a mission-driven organization, volunteer work might demonstrate shared values. If you’re joining a high-energy sales team, showing your competitive sports background could signal resilience and drive.

✅ What hiring managers like:

●      Volunteer experience that aligns with the company’s mission

●      Hobbies that reflect creativity, problem-solving, or leadership

●      Sports that indicate perseverance and teamwork

🚫 What hiring managers don’t like:

●      Irrelevant personal details that don’t add value

●      Overly personal or controversial interests (e.g., politics, religion, etc.)

Best Practices for Including Sports, Hobbies, and Volunteer Work

If you decide to include this section, follow these best practices:

1️⃣ Keep It Relevant – Tie your extracurriculars back to the job whenever possible. If your hobbies don’t enhance your professional brand, leave them out.

2️⃣ Be Concise – One or two bullet points under an "Additional Experience" or "Volunteer Work" section is enough. Keep it clean and to the point.

3️⃣ Show Impact – Instead of simply listing “volunteering,” highlight what you did and the results. (Example: "Led a team of 10 volunteers to raise $20,000 for local shelters.")

4️⃣ Use It as a Conversation Starter – A well-placed interest can make your resume memorable and spark a great interview discussion.

How cvsandresumes.com Helps You Get It Right

At cvsandresumes.com, we help job seekers craft resumes that strike the perfect balance between professionalism and personality.

🔹 AI-Powered Optimization – Our platform analyzes your resume and recommends whether adding extracurriculars strengthens your application.

🔹 Tailored Resume Sections – We guide you on where to place hobbies and volunteer work, so they complement your work experience, not distract from it.

🔹 ATS-Friendly Formatting – We ensure your resume passes through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), meaning recruiters and hiring managers see what matters most.

Final Thought: Let’s Make Your Resume Stand Out (for the Right Reasons!)

Adding sports, hobbies, and volunteer work can help boost your application—but only if done strategically.

The good news? You don’t have to figure it out alone.

With cvsandresumes.com, you’ll get a professionally optimized resume that showcases your skills, experience, and personality—all while making the recruiter's job easier.

💡 Ready to create a winning resume? Get started now with cvsandresumes.com and land your next job faster!🚀