Resume mein ‘reading books’ likha hai, ab follow-up aa gaya toh?
How to answer “What are your hobbies?” in an interview
It is usually asked to relax you, or because the interviewer saw something interesting in the hobbies line of your resume. It can also catch you out. “Reading books” sounds fine until the next question is “What are you reading right now?”
Treat it as a chance to show a bit of personality and one quality that matters at work, without turning it into a sales pitch.
Practise it now: 15 seconds to think, 60 to speak →
Try it now
Pick one. You get a prompt and a timer.
Talk to a random prompt. 15 seconds to think, 60 to speak.
Why interviewers ask it
Interviewers ask about hobbies to see the person behind the resume, and because how you talk about something you enjoy shows how you communicate when you are relaxed.
They are also checking honesty. Many resumes list hobbies the candidate hasn’t done in years. A follow-up question or two quickly shows which ones are real.
Some interviewers look for transferable qualities: discipline from sport, patience from music, curiosity from reading, teamwork from a club. You don’t need to force the link, but it helps if it’s there.
A simple structure: What, How, Why
What
One or two hobbies you actually do now. Be specific: not “sports”, but “I play badminton three mornings a week”.
How
A detail that makes it real: how long, how often, something you achieved or learned.
Why
Why you enjoy it, and if it is natural, what it has taught you.
Only list hobbies on your resume that you could talk about for two minutes.
Sample answers for freshers
“I play chess, mostly online, and I’ve been doing it seriously for about three years. I play a few rapid games most evenings and I’ve taken part in two district-level tournaments. I like it because every game is a problem with no obvious answer, and losing teaches you more than winning. It’s also made me much better at slowing down before I make a decision, which helped a lot when debugging code for my project.”
Why it works: Specific, honest, and the link to work is natural rather than forced.
“I cook, mostly regional dishes from my grandmother’s recipes. During college I started a small Instagram page where I post one recipe a week with the exact quantities, because her recipes were all “a little of this”. It has about two thousand followers now. I enjoy it because it’s creative, and running the page taught me consistency. Missing a week is noticeable.”
Why it works: A personal hobby with a small, real achievement.
Sample answer for experienced professionals
“I run. I started during the lockdown to stay sane and I’ve now done four half marathons, including the Mumbai one last January. I train with a group on weekends, which is the part I enjoy most. It’s the only time in the week nobody is talking about work. I think it’s made me better at long projects, where you have to keep going even when progress feels slow.”
Why it works: Real details make it believable and give the interviewer something to ask about.
Use these for the shape, not the words. An answer in your own words, about your own work, always beats a memorised one.
5 common mistakes
Generic hobbies
“Reading, music and travelling.” Everyone writes these. Be specific or choose something else.
Hobbies you don’t actually do
If you list cricket and can’t name your last match, it shows.
Forcing the work link
“Watching movies taught me leadership.” If the link isn’t natural, skip it.
Anything controversial
Political activity or risky pastimes can raise questions you don’t want in an interview.
One-word answers
“Cricket.” Then silence. Always add how and why.
Follow-up questions to expect
- “How did you get into that?”
- “What are you reading right now?”
- “How do you find time for it?”
- “What has it taught you?”
How to practise this answer
- For each hobby on your resume, answer three questions out loud: when did you last do it, what is something you achieved, and why do you enjoy it. Remove any hobby you can’t answer.
- Practise talking about your hobby for 60 seconds without stopping. It is good practice for speaking fluently on any topic.
- Notice how you sound when you talk about something you enjoy. Try to bring the same energy to your work answers.
Reading about an answer is not the same as saying it. Use the timer above, or come and do it in front of real people.
Questions people ask
What if I don’t have any hobbies?
Think about what you actually do in your free time: watching a particular kind of video, cooking, helping in a family business, walking, gaming. Any of these can be a hobby if you talk about it specifically and honestly.
Is gaming an acceptable hobby to mention?
Yes, if you talk about it thoughtfully, for example strategy games, team play or competitive ranking. Avoid making it sound like it takes all your time.
Should my hobbies relate to the job?
They don’t have to. A genuine hobby you are enthusiastic about is better than a related one you are pretending to enjoy.