Answering the question "What are your personal interests?" in a professional context, such as a job interview, is an opportunity to reveal more about your personality, transferable skills, and how well you might fit within the company culture. It's not just about listing activities but demonstrating valuable attributes.
Here’s a structured approach based on expert advice:
Strategy for Crafting Your Answer
The key is to connect your hobbies and interests back to the professional environment. According to advice on this topic, you should follow these steps:
- Select Appropriate Hobbies and Interests: Choose activities that reflect positively on you and are generally well-received. Avoid overly controversial or potentially negative interests.
- Identify Skills or Qualities Related to Your Hobby: Think about the skills you use while pursuing your interest. Do you demonstrate teamwork, leadership, perseverance, creativity, planning, or problem-solving?
- Find a Relationship Between Your Hobby and the Job: Look for connections between the skills and qualities you identified and the requirements or values of the role or company you're applying for.
- Use an Example to Show Skills, Qualities or Values in Action: Provide a brief, specific anecdote illustrating how your interest has helped you develop a particular skill or quality relevant to the job.
Linking Interests to Professional Skills
Consider how common hobbies can demonstrate valuable workplace attributes:
| Personal Interest | Potential Skills/Qualities | Relevant Job Areas |
|---|---|---|
| Sport | Teamwork, discipline, resilience, leadership | Collaborative environments, goal-oriented roles |
| Volunteering | Empathy, initiative, communication, planning | Roles requiring interpersonal skills, community focus |
| Travelling | Adaptability, planning, cultural awareness | Roles in diverse teams, requiring flexibility, logistics |
| Reading | Analytical skills, learning, focus | Roles requiring research, detail-orientation, continuous learning |
| Creative Pursuits | Innovation, problem-solving, attention to detail | Design roles, marketing, roles requiring creative solutions |
Providing Examples
Using the examples highlighted, here’s how you might frame your answer:
- Example 1 – Sport: If you play a team sport, you could talk about the teamwork involved, overcoming challenges together, or the discipline required for practice and fitness. "Outside of work, I'm an avid basketball player. I've found that being part of a team has really honed my collaboration skills and ability to work towards a common goal, which I believe is crucial in this team-oriented role."
- Example 2 – Volunteering: Discuss the cause you support and the skills you utilize. "I volunteer every Saturday at a local animal shelter. This has taught me a lot about empathy and effective communication, often in challenging situations, and has strengthened my organizational skills in managing tasks for the day."
- Example 3 – Travelling: Focus on the planning, adaptability, and learning aspects of exploring new places. "I love travelling and exploring different cultures. It requires a lot of planning and budgeting, but also teaches you to be incredibly adaptable and resourceful when things don't go as expected. I think this ability to navigate unforeseen circumstances and learn quickly is valuable in a fast-paced environment like this."
By following this structure, your answer provides insight into your personality while also highlighting skills that are beneficial in the workplace, demonstrating your potential fit and value to the employer.
