Why What You Like To Do For Fun Might Be The Most Important Interview Question You Face

Why What You Like To Do For Fun Might Be The Most Important Interview Question You Face

Why What You Like To Do For Fun Might Be The Most Important Interview Question You Face

Why What You Like To Do For Fun Might Be The Most Important Interview Question You Face

most common interview questions to prepare for

Written by

James Miller, Career Coach

When an interviewer asks, "So, what do you like to do for fun?" many candidates breathe a sigh of relief. It feels like a casual break from the intense questions about your experience and skills. But make no mistake: this seemingly simple question about what you like to do for fun is anything but trivial. It's a golden opportunity to reveal valuable insights about your personality, work ethic, values, and how well you might fit into the company culture [1]. Understanding the strategic purpose behind this question and preparing a thoughtful answer can significantly enhance your professional communication, whether in a job interview, college interview, or even a networking scenario.

Why Do Interviewers Ask About What You Like to Do For Fun

Interviewers aren't just making small talk when they ask about what you like to do for fun. They're looking for clues that go beyond your resume and cover letter. This question helps them gauge your personality, understand how you manage stress, assess your soft skills, and determine if you're a well-rounded individual who could contribute positively to their team environment [1][2]. Your hobbies and interests can reveal traits like creativity, discipline, teamwork, leadership, problem-solving abilities, and personal values – all qualities that matter in professional settings [1][2]. Essentially, they want to see the person behind the professional profile.

How Can What You Like to Do For Fun Connect to Job Skills and Company Culture

Your choice of what you like to do for fun and how you talk about it can highlight skills and qualities directly relevant to the role or the company's values. For example, analytical hobbies like chess or strategic gaming might hint at strong problem-solving skills required for analytical roles [2][4]. Engaging in team sports or group activities demonstrates collaboration and teamwork [2]. Learning a new language or skill shows adaptability and an eagerness to grow [3]. Creative pursuits like painting, writing, or playing music can suggest innovation and attention to detail [1][2]. Volunteering often indicates empathy, community involvement, and alignment with certain values [3]. Thinking about your hobbies through the lens of transferable skills – communication, leadership, creativity, discipline, adaptability – allows you to connect what you like to do for fun directly to your professional strengths [2].

Which What You Like to Do For Fun Activities Should You Share in an Interview

  • Relevance: Consider hobbies that naturally align with skills or qualities valued in the specific role or industry. Research the company culture – do they value teamwork, innovation, community involvement, or continuous learning?

  • Transferable Skills: Prioritize hobbies that clearly demonstrate soft skills like teamwork, leadership, communication, or creativity [2].

  • Authenticity: Crucially, only discuss hobbies you genuinely enjoy and can talk about with enthusiasm and passion. Insincerity is often easy to spot [5]. Avoid making up hobbies or exaggerating your involvement; your goal is to be relatable and authentic [5].

  • Appropriateness: Generally avoid controversial hobbies or those that might raise concerns about time commitment or safety without careful framing. The goal is to add depth, not raise red flags.

  • Choosing which aspects of what you like to do for fun to share is strategic. Not every hobby is ideal for every situation.

What Are the Challenges When Discussing What You Like to Do For Fun

  • Finding the Connection: It can be difficult to see how a personal pastime relates to a professional role.

  • Fear of Sounding Trivial: Candidates worry their hobbies might seem irrelevant or unimpressive.

  • Overthinking/Exaggerating: Trying too hard to sound impressive can lead to inauthentic or exaggerated answers, which comes off as fake [5].

  • Being Vague: Without preparation, responses can be hesitant, vague, or fail to make a clear point [5].

  • Hesitation: Some feel uncomfortable sharing personal details in a professional setting.

  • Fear of Judgment: Worrying about being judged for their interests.

Many people face challenges when asked about what you like to do for fun in a formal context.

These challenges stem from underestimating the question's purpose and overthinking the need for an "impressive" hobby. The key is thoughtful presentation, not necessarily a unique or extreme activity.

How to Prepare and Answer Effectively About What You Like to Do For Fun

  1. List & Analyze: Start by listing all your hobbies and interests. For each, identify the skills, qualities, or values it helps develop (e.g., running marathons -> discipline, goal-setting, perseverance; playing in a band -> teamwork, creativity, performance under pressure) [4].

  2. Select: Choose 1-2 hobbies that feel most authentic to you and offer the best alignment with the role, company culture, or the specific skills you want to highlight [2][4].

  3. Craft Your Story: Prepare a brief, enthusiastic story or example related to your chosen hobby. Focus on why you enjoy it and what you've learned or gained from it – particularly focusing on transferable skills [4][5]. The "two-minute passion rule" suggests you should be able to talk engagingly about it for a couple of minutes without rambling [5].

  4. Connect to Strengths: Explicitly link the hobby to a professional quality. Instead of just saying "I play soccer," say, "I play soccer, which I love because it constantly reinforces the importance of communication, strategy, and working cohesively as a team to achieve a common goal." [1][5]

  5. Keep it Concise: Your answer should be relatively brief and focused – enough to provide insight without taking up too much time [4].

  6. Preparing your answer to what you like to do for fun transforms it from a potential pitfall into an opportunity.

By practicing articulating the "why" behind your hobby and connecting it to relevant skills or values, you'll be prepared to answer this question confidently and effectively, showcasing your potential beyond the bullet points of your resume.

What Are the Most Common Questions About What You Like to Do For Fun

Q: Do I need a unique hobby to stand out?
A: Not necessarily. How you talk about a common hobby, linking it to skills, is more important than the hobby itself.

Q: What if my hobbies aren't directly related to the job?
A: Focus on the transferable skills (teamwork, discipline, creativity) your hobbies demonstrate, even if the activity isn't job-specific.

Q: Should I mention multiple hobbies?
A: It's usually best to pick 1-2 that you can discuss genuinely and link to relevant qualities. Quality over quantity.

Q: What if my hobbies are very solitary?
A: Solitary hobbies can highlight focus, discipline, creativity, or continuous learning (e.g., coding, writing, learning an instrument). Frame them positively.

Q: How long should my answer be?
A: Aim for a concise answer, perhaps 60-90 seconds, that shares the hobby and briefly explains what it reveals about you.

How Can Verve AI Copilot Help You With What You Like to Do For Fun

Preparing to discuss what you like to do for fun effectively is part of overall interview readiness. Verve AI Interview Copilot can be a valuable tool in this process. You can practice answering the "What do you like to do for fun?" question with Verve AI Interview Copilot, getting real-time feedback on your delivery, conciseness, and how well you articulate the connection between your hobbies and your professional qualities. Verve AI Interview Copilot helps you refine your responses, ensuring you sound authentic while strategically highlighting relevant skills. This targeted practice can make you feel more confident and prepared to use questions about what you like to do for fun to your advantage in any professional communication scenario. Visit https://vervecopilot.com to explore how it can enhance your interview preparation.

Citations:
[1]: https://topinterview.com/interview-advice/interview-question-what-are-your-hobbies-and-interests
[2]: https://management.org/hobbies-to-mention-in-interview
[3]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjYYxcJx22M
[4]: https://uk.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/what-are-your-hobbies
[5]: https://www.themuse.com/advice/hobbies-job-interview-question-answer-examples

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