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The "activities" or "interests" section is often written last and sometimes deleted first. That is a missed opportunity: used well, it shows what the rest of your resume cannot, namely your character, drive and skills built outside paid work. Used badly, it uses up space and says nothing.
Extracurricular activities are everything you do beyond your job or studies: sports, clubs, volunteering, creative practice, side projects, community roles, travel. This guide helps you decide whether they belong on your resume, which ones to keep and how to describe them in a way that supports your application.
Should you include them at all?
It depends on where you are in your career.
- Student or recent graduate: usually yes. Activities fill gaps in work history with real evidence of skills.
- Experienced professional: only if they add something and space allows. Your work record should dominate.
- Career changer: often very useful, particularly if an activity proves a skill needed for the new field.
- One-page resume under pressure: shrink the section to a line or two, or cut it entirely if it adds nothing.
The test is simple: does this line tell the reader something useful? If not, remove it.
What employers read into this section
Recruiters skim it, but it can spark interest or a good interview question. They are mainly looking for:
- transferable skills such as organisation, leadership, persistence and creativity;
- commitment over time, not one-off experiments;
- relevance to the role or company culture;
- a sense of who you are beyond your job titles.
No hobby is "good" by itself. What matters is the link you draw between the activity and what the job demands.
How to choose what stays
Run each activity through three questions.
- Is it real and current enough to discuss? You may be asked about it.
- Does it show a skill or quality useful for this role?
- Can you describe it in a few precise words?
Keep three to five at most, and be specific. "Captain of a 15-player amateur volleyball team" beats "Sports".
Common categories and what they can show
| Category | What it can illustrate |
|---|---|
| Team sports | Teamwork, discipline, leadership |
| Endurance or individual sports | Persistence, self-management, goal setting |
| Volunteering and clubs | Commitment, organisation, service orientation |
| Creative pursuits | Imagination, craft, attention to detail |
| Side projects (blog, app, channel) | Initiative, technical skills, independence |
| Travel and culture | Adaptability, openness, languages |
| Strategy games and reading | Analysis, focus, curiosity |
Three levels of wording
Level 1: too vague
"Sports, music, travelling."
Not wrong, but it reveals nothing about depth or relevance.
Level 2: specific
"Club football for 8 years; guitar; backpacking across Europe."
Better: it shows duration and regularity.
Level 3: value-adding
"Captain of an amateur football team for three seasons: planned training and coordinated 18 players."
Now the activity proves leadership and organisation. Use this level for the two or three most relevant items, and level 1 or 2 for the rest.
Examples by profile
These are patterns to adapt, not statements to copy. Only claim what is true.
Student or new graduate
- "Treasurer of the [university] student society: managed a [amount] annual budget and organised 4 events."
- "Volunteer at [city] food bank, two Saturdays a month for two years."
- "Created and ran a blog about [topic]." (Add audience figures only if they are accurate.)
Career changer
- "Built a personal budgeting app with [tool] and published it on [platform]." (moving into tech)
- "Ran weekend cooking workshops for a community centre." (moving into hospitality or training)
Experienced professional
- "Board member of a local sports association."
- "Volunteer mentor for young people entering the workforce, half a day each month."
Creative or technical roles
- "Produced electronic music; 5 tracks released on [platform]."
- "Regular contributor to an open-source project."
Where to put the section
You have three practical options.
- A short Interests section at the bottom.
- A section called Volunteer experience or Community involvement placed after your work history, when the commitment is substantial.
- Folding the activity into experience, when it works like a role (long-term volunteering, a freelance side project).
Our guide to writing a CV in 2026 explains how to order sections for different profiles.
Connect activities to the job
The best way to make an activity useful is to tie it to a skill the posting asks for.
- The ad stresses teamwork: team sports or club roles show it.
- It asks for independence: a self-driven side project proves it.
- It values organisation: coordinating an event demonstrates it.
This follows the same logic as choosing the skills employers look for. If you are switching fields, the guide to a career change CV shows how to put non-work experience to use.
Mistakes to avoid
- A never-ending list. Beyond five items nothing sticks.
- Generic, passive hobbies like "movies, music, reading" with no detail.
- Invented or inflated activities. Expect follow-up questions.
- Controversial topics such as political or religious engagement, unless directly relevant to the role.
- Irrelevant filler taking space from stronger content.
- Outdated entries. A pastime you dropped ten years ago does not belong.
Frequently asked questions
How many activities should I list?
Usually three to five. Choose the ones that tell the reader the most, and never pad the section.
Is there a difference between hobbies, interests and extracurricular activities?
On a resume the terms overlap. "Extracurricular activities" emphasises organised pursuits outside work or study, including volunteering and clubs, not just casual hobbies.
Does volunteering count as experience?
Yes, particularly if it is regular and involves responsibility. Present it in its own section with dates and duties.
What if I have no hobbies worth listing?
List what you do regularly, even simple things like fitness, learning projects or helping others. If nothing seems relevant, leave the section out; a resume without it is perfectly valid.
Should I tailor this section for each application?
Ideally, yes. Foreground the activities that best match the posting and keep others for when space allows.
Conclusion
Extracurricular activities are not filler. Chosen with care and worded precisely, they prove skills, show personality and give interviewers something to talk about. Keep three to five real activities, add detail, link them to the target role and drop the rest.
To put it all together, build your resume in the GoMyCV builder and pick a clean layout.
