It’s one of the most common interview questions, và for some people, it’s an easy enough one to lớn answer.
When you’re the sort of person who fills your time with rich and rewarding experiences that better you as a person, it’s easy to lớn bring those up when someone asks.
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But for people with less mainstream hobbies and interests, it can be a challenging question lớn answer.
We’ll cover why hiring managers and recruiters ask this question at a job interview, give tips for how khổng lồ (and how not to) answer, and pull all our advice together with a few sample answers.
Why Interviewers Ask “What vị You do for Fun?”As with most interview questions, it’s important to lớn understand exactly what hiring managers really want to know.
You see, while it’s definitely important for a hiring manager khổng lồ know what your qualifications for the job are, they also have to work alongside you at the over of the day (if they decide to hire you).
In the sự kiện that this happens, they need to know how you’ll fit into the company culture, or even just if you’re a baseline interesting person lớn talk to.
All of this means that it’s important for your quái thú to figure out if you’re willing lớn hang out & develop relationships with strangers, or if you’re more likely khổng lồ stay home and play obscure indie games on your VR console.
Here are some things the hiring manager or recruiter might be trying khổng lồ figure out about you by asking this question:
Tips For Answering “What do You vày For Fun?”
How khổng lồ Answer “What vì You do for Fun?”
Unlike some interview questions, you don’t really need khổng lồ prepare a full answer to lớn this question, and doing so might even work against you.
You’re looking for common ground with your interviewer or for a way to portray your chất lượng interests in such a way that they’ll understand what you find valuable about your hobbies.
Here’s a four-step strategy for giving a winning answer khổng lồ “what vì chưng you do for fun?”
Focus on values. How you spend your miễn phí time reveals a lot about what you value in your life outside of work. It can also tie into skills or qualities that are helpful for the job you’re applying for.
For example, if you spend time knitting, you can mention something about finding detail-oriented tasks meditative và relaxing.
Tips for answering what vị you bởi vì for fun?
To prepare for this question, it’s important to understand the company you are interviewing with. Is the company involved in any community based activities that align to lớn your interests outside of work? For example, if the organization participates in volunteering và that is something you also do, you could answer “There are several things that I do for fun including volunteering for X organization. My experience doing that has allowed me to meet people, use my skills to lớn help others, & contribute to lớn our community. Does the company encourage wellness or work-life balance activities, & which of those could be things you like to bởi vì or would lượt thích to do? Many companies have programs for employees khổng lồ exercise và maintain healthy lifestyles. If you have done your research & found out that they have these, you may include “I also lượt thích to exercise by doing Y at least three times a week. I have been doing that for Z years and it helps me feel better physically & I also enjoy challenging myself.”
Common Mistakes to lớn Avoid When Answering “What vì chưng You vì chưng for Fun?”
You might think it’s pretty hard to lớn mess up on this common interview question. You’re right — even if you don’t give a stellar answer, this is not a super important part of the job interview.
That said, a truly horrible answer will stick out in your interviewer’s mind & may cost you the job.
If you và another candidate have all the same skills and qualifications, but she’s just a more interesting person to lớn talk to, the odds are that the hiring manager will hire her.
Avoid these common mistakes & you’ll be just fine:
Don’t say you have no hobbies at all. Even if this is mostly true, it’s not a good look, and there are a lot of ways that you can frame your interests to lớn make them a little more accessible to lớn those who are unfamiliar with them.
Don’t bring up anything illegal. Enough said. Also, this isn’t college, và your love of drinking và smoking does not qualify as a hobby.
Hanging out with friends. This is boring. Talk about what you and your friends actually do.
Tips for Answering “What vì chưng You bởi For Fun”
Start vague, then get progressively more specific. For example, try talking about how much you love video clip games in general và gauge the hiring manager’s interest before you start talking about your favorite Starcraft build orders.
Bring up constructive hobbies. It’s okay to talk about some of the less “exciting” hobbies that you might have, like watching Netflix or going on long walks, but make sure that you balance these out by bringing up more positive hobbies as well.
Answer the question directly. Don’t avoid the question, or talk about things you don’t lượt thích to do. The hiring manager will wonder why you’re trying to lớn avoid answering the question và will assume the worst.
Example Answers lớn “What bởi You vì chưng For Fun?”
While we’re sure there are plenty more things people vì for fun, these are some good hobbies to lớn mention:
Outdoors activities like rock climbing, hiking, cycling, etc.
Reading, learning, documentaries, podcasts, etc.
Crossword puzzles, chess, sudoku, or other puzzle games
Cooking
Travel
Gardening
Community-based activities lượt thích church, clubs, sports teams, etc.
Video games (but explain why)
Remember, you can try to lớn tie in an element of your hobby with a job-related skill or quality, but don’t force it. Simple answers can be just as effective for this question.
Let’s look at some example answers:
Example Answer 2: sale Manager
“I really enjoy cooking. I experiment with a new recipe every Sunday evening và while some are disastrous, it’s always fun finding a good meal and adding it to lớn my arsenal. Và I never stop trying to tweak my recipes lớn perfection; except for my grandma’s meatballs.”
Example Answer 3: Accountant
“Don’t laugh, but I’m a huge Dungeons Dragons nerd. I organized a biweekly trò chơi night with friends that’s gone on for about a year now, and I love my role as dungeonmaster. It’s a fun way lớn blend my impulse for bookkeeping with my more creative story-telling side.”
Example Answer 4: Retail Clerk
“I keep up with a variety of hobbies. I go hiking with my dog & husband on the weekends, get out on the boat in the summer, và go skiing upstate in the winter. I’ve also recently gotten into knitting, but I’ve got a long way lớn go before I can make you a pair of mittens.”
None of these answers try too hard khổng lồ jam in job-specific keywords. Nevertheless, they all allude to great qualities for the job they’re applying for.
A salesperson has to be able to lớn read the room and adapt
Think about how where your hobbies and your career overlap, & you’ll be on your way lớn a winning answer.
How to Answer “What bởi vì You vì For Fun?”
Here’s a twist. If during an interview you are NOT asked the question, “What bởi you vì for fun?”, don’t make the mistake of not sharing something about yourself that gives them a glimpse of who you are beyond work. Yep, a common mistake is simply answering their questions and saying anything about what you do for fun. A great way to lớn give them a glimpse is early on when you’re asked, “So, tell me about yourself.” Use this as the opportunity khổng lồ weave in one or two items whether it’s volunteer work, a hobby, or simply spending time with your loved ones doing something in common.
Final Thoughts
When it comes lớn talking about what you do for fun, remember that enjoyment — much like beauty — is in the eye of the beholder.
What you find fun isn’t necessarily what other people would find fun, but then, that isn’t really the point. The point is that you enjoy things outside of work & that you have some way of communicating that to other people, even if they don’t nói qua that interest.
While this is a sort of a softball question, you can knock it out of the park if you’re able to lớn tie your hobby into a job-related skill or quality. At the same time, don’t feel forced to vì that if your answer sounds awkward.
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At the kết thúc of the day, just communicate what you lượt thích and why you lượt thích it, and you’ll be fine.