The hobbies and interests section is the most argued-over part of a UK CV. Some people swear by it, others say it is filler that wastes space recruiters skim past. The truth sits in between: done lazily it is dead weight, but done well it can tip a close decision, show culture fit, and give an interviewer something human to open with. This guide explains when to include hobbies and interests on a UK CV in 2026, what genuinely helps, what to leave off, and exactly how to word the section so it earns its place rather than padding the page.
Should you include hobbies and interests at all?
It depends on what you are trying to do with the space. If you are an experienced candidate with a CV that is already full of strong, relevant achievements, a hobbies section is usually the first thing to cut — your track record speaks louder, and on a two-page CV every line should be working hard. But if you are early in your career, changing fields, returning to work, or applying somewhere that clearly cares about culture and teamwork, a well-chosen interests line can add real signal. School-leavers and graduates with thin work history benefit most: hobbies are evidence of commitment, teamwork and initiative when there is not much paid experience to point to. If your experience is light, pair this with our guide to writing a CV with no experience, which shows how to build a strong application around skills and activities rather than job titles. The test is simple: include the section only if it tells the reader something useful they would not otherwise know.
What hobbies actually help — and why
The hobbies that add value are the ones that demonstrate a transferable quality or a genuine link to the role. Team sports and clubs (five-a-side, netball, a running club) signal teamwork, reliability and showing up consistently. Positions of responsibility — captaining a team, treasurer of a society, running a community group — show leadership and organisation. Skill-building pursuits tied to your field carry real weight: a developer contributing to open-source projects, an aspiring chef who caters events, a finance candidate who runs a budgeting blog, a care applicant who volunteers at a lunch club. Sustained personal projects — learning a language to a real level, completing a Couch-to-5K, building something — show discipline and follow-through. The common thread is that each one is specific and says something about how you work. A line like "Volunteer befriender for a local Age UK group, visiting two residents weekly for the past year" is worth ten times "socialising and reading", because it is concrete, ongoing and evidences exactly the reliability and empathy a care or customer-facing employer wants.
What to leave off
Some entries actively hurt you, and plenty just waste space. Cut the generic filler — "reading, socialising, going to the cinema, spending time with friends" tells a recruiter nothing and reads as if you ran out of things to say. Avoid anything potentially divisive: political activity, religious activity (unless directly relevant to the role) and anything controversial give a stranger a reason to form a snap judgement before they have met you, which is all downside. Drop risk-flagging hobbies if they might worry an employer about reliability or insurance, and never list anything you cannot talk about confidently — interviewers do ask, and "I put running but I haven't run in two years" is an own goal. Finally, keep it honest: a fabricated interest is a trap you set for yourself, because the one interviewer who shares it will expose the bluff in seconds. If in doubt, fewer, truer, more specific entries always beat a long generic list.
How to word and place the section
Keep it short, specific and near the bottom. Hobbies belong after your work experience, education and skills — never above them, because they are supporting evidence, not your headline. Two to four entries is plenty, each phrased with a little detail rather than a bare noun. Compare "Football" with "Play in a Sunday-league side and organise the team's fixtures and subs" — the second shows commitment and organisation in nine extra words. Where a hobby genuinely relates to the job, make the link explicit so the reader does not have to join the dots. Treat the wording with the same care as the rest of the CV: clean, consistent, and parser-friendly so an applicant tracking system reads it without choking, exactly as our ATS-friendly CV guide describes. And remember the section's best second use — it gives an interviewer an easy, human way in, so anything you list should be something you would happily talk about for two minutes. If the rest of your CV needs tightening too, our guide on how long a CV should be helps you decide what earns its place.
FAQ
- Should I put hobbies and interests on my UK CV?
- Only if they add something. Experienced candidates with full CVs should usually cut the section in favour of achievements. School-leavers, graduates, career-changers and returners benefit most, because well-chosen interests evidence teamwork, commitment and initiative when paid experience is thin. Include it only when it tells the reader something useful.
- What hobbies look good on a CV?
- Ones that show a transferable quality or link to the role: team sports (teamwork, reliability), positions of responsibility like captain or treasurer (leadership, organisation), skill-building or volunteering tied to your field, and sustained personal projects (discipline). Specific, ongoing entries beat generic ones every time.
- What should I avoid listing as interests?
- Generic filler like "reading and socialising", anything politically or religiously divisive unless directly relevant, risk-flagging activities, and anything you can't discuss confidently in an interview. Never invent an interest — a fabricated entry falls apart the moment an interviewer who shares it asks about it.
- Where do hobbies go on a CV and how long should the section be?
- Place it near the bottom, after experience, education and skills. Keep it to two to four specific entries, each with a little detail (for example, "Play Sunday-league football and organise the team's fixtures"). It should support your CV, not headline it.
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