1/5/2020 How To Answer "What Are Your Hobbies?

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How To Answer "What Are Your

Hobbies?"
Drushtee Shinde | HR Interview Questions & Answers | 08 Jan 2019

One of the most commonly asked hr interview questions that can

take you by surprise is a conversational one – “What are your
hobbies?” – Hobbies are seen as markers of a balanced person
who is adept at juggling personal and professional well-being.
Hiring managers will ask you this question to know if you have
avenues to de-stress outside of work and channelize extra energy!
In this blog, we have compiled some best-fit situation-wise
answers to help you prepare confidently for this ice-breaking
interview question.

Pick from these ready-to-use answers to the HR interview

question ‘What are your hobbies?’. Speak about your hobbies and
things that make you happy! Your enthusiasm will surely infect
the interviewer.

Sample Answer #1
I have only one hobby. Yet, it consumes all my free time. I
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enjoy
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Although I prefer reading fiction, I make a deliberate
effort to read at least one non-fiction book in a couple of
months. My first book was “Famous Five Go to Kirrin
Island” at the age of ten. What I truly treasure about my
hobby is its power to transport me to different locations
whilst I’m still on my couch. It is a low budget travel
option that I often take! Recently, I started attending
book club meetings. It’s a group of 15 individuals and we
meet on the third Sunday, every month to discuss books
that we have read in that month. It’s wonderful how a few
lines can have so many varied interpretations, and can
give rise to a multitude of emotions and opinions. My
hobby has made me develop analytical thinking and open-
mindedness. Reading has also broadened my imagination
across horizons. I wouldn’t possibly trade it for anything
else, ever!

Sample Answer #2
I absolutely love cooking. I can merrily state that my
kitchen is my playground in every sense! My mother has
always been a wonderful cook, and I feel she is my
inspiration. I have seen her prepare scrumptious meals
for hundreds of guests in a few hours! Honestly, I find
cooking very therapeutic and look forward to planning
my meals every day. Besides, my family and friends have
always been very patient and supportive, and happily
turn into guinea pigs for my experimental recipes! It’s
only due to their encouragement and constructive
criticism that I’ve gotten better at my hobby. Other than
cooking, I like watching lifestyle channels and food shows.

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I also
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recipes from time to time and I might publish it someday!

Sample Answer #3
My hobbies are playing board games and solving all kinds
of puzzles. Of the two, I spend most of my free time bent
over a puzzle, like a jigsaw, general trivia, logic, cryptic,
or even a Sudoku or crossword puzzle. On my 9th
birthday, I remember receiving a Rubik’s cube and a 1000
piece jigsaw puzzle. That’s when this hobby got triggered.
Over the years, I have realized that a tough puzzle can
easily take anything between a few hours to a month to
solve! There is always a table in my house adorned with
an unfinished puzzle. In retrospect, this hobby has been a
great teacher. I have acquired patience, consistent effort,
planning, perseverance and observation due to my hobby.
At the end of the day my motto in life is inspired by my
love for puzzles – ‘have faith, all shall fall in place!’
Interestingly, even the Queen of England lists puzzles as
one of her hobbies. That makes my hobby a royal one! ?

Sample Answer #4
I am an avid photographer. I picked up this hobby only a
couple of years ago, so it’s relatively fresh. It started when
I bought a new phone. The phone camera was spectacular
and I wanted to capture everything through that lens. I
started uploading some of these photographs on Facebook
and people seemed to really like them. This encouraged
me to spend more time on gaining basic photography
skills like framing and light. I also invested in a second-
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hand
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with it. There is so much to learn and I am enjoying

myself. Photography has enriched me with having a
broader perspective and made me a keen observer.
Besides photography, I am educating myself on the basics
of graphic design and editing. It’s amazing how a hobby
can lead one to so many more interests.

Sample Answer #5
I am a deltiologist or simply, a person who collects
postcards. Back in school, we had this wonderful exercise
wherein we were supposed to exchange postcards with
school children from Pakistan. The aim of the letter
exchange was to foster peace and educate us about India’s
neighbors. I received many gorgeous postcards from my
pen-pal, Nazia. I remember one postcard in particular
because it confused me deeply. It was a beautiful picture
of Kashmir. Why was she sending me Indian postcards?
Kashmir was in India, and she was in Pakistan! I was too
young then to understand the bigger political scenario but
it paved the way to question more. I have continued to
grow my pen-pal circle and still use the postal service in
the age of electronic messaging to send letters. I love
receiving these postcards with photographs of tourist
attractions or sunsets – it makes me feel like I’m in their
homes, gardens or cafes for those few minutes. Now every
time I travel I am on the lookout for different postcards. I
have over 1500 postcards, and the number is growing.

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Sample answer #6
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I am a wizard! Not like Harry Potter, but I do have some
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magic tricks up my sleeve. I think my hobby is making

people around me happy. And magic has allowed me to
achieve that. I am great at card tricks so there is little
wonder that I am a hit at parties! Magic is a great way to
connect with people. It’s an icebreaker and a great
conversation starter. I was a very shy child and
performing these tricks helped me to speak with more
people and open up to them. I also enjoy cycling and
swimming.

Sample Answer #7
My hobby is acting. I have always been very interested in
dramatics. Early on, I had the benefit of good counsel to
understand the difference between hobbies and career.
Hobbies are what we do away from work, they are the
keys to the doors of rejuvenation. Currently, I am a part of
a theater group and perform in skits and sketches. Acting
helps me forget myself and take on different characters
and understand things from varied angles. It has honed
my ability as a team player and objective thinker. Not to
forget, it is thrilling and exhilarating to perform in front
of an audience!

Sample Answer #8
What are your hobbies? is a question I love answering! It’s
because there is usually someone who enjoys the same
thing as me and it’s great to share interests. I am a

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cinephile
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movies. I can watch almost any movie but I am not a big
fan of the horror genre. I particularly enjoy movies shot
in Hong Kong and am a big fan of Guru Dutt. I have
labeled some movies with tags like ‘for good days’, ‘for
celebrations’, ‘for bad days”‘and they have helped me in
every situation. I am so lucky that my closest friends are
also movie buffs. We have this wonderful Wednesday
night ritual where we get together to watch a list of
curated movies based on a theme or director. Afterwards,
we discuss the movie through its strengths and
weaknesses. It’s a great opportunity to connect with my
dear peers a lot of fun and understand different
perspectives.

Sample Answer #9
I love learning new languages. I am a fluent speaker of 4
languages and I want to learn a few more. At present, I
am learning Spanish and German. I have a tutor to learn
German but I am studying Spanish on my own through a
learning app on my phone. It is a challenging hobby but it
keeps my brain and learning faculties from getting lazy. It
excites me that I shall be able to see movies without
subtitles, read original texts and connect freely with
people from these areas. There is so much information
and meaning that is lost in translation. Besides, it is also
amazing to see the sort of similarities that exist between
languages. For instance, Marathi and German have the
same root language, Sanskrit! Interestingly, pineapple is
called “Ananas” in both German and Marathi. When I
learned this, I was amused but also thrilled by how close

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ourBlog
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pleasure in reading and travelling to new places.

Sample Answer #10

My hobbies are running, hiking and baking healthy
desserts. Out of these, I enjoy running the most, especially
marathons. Marathon running is a strict discipline and
requires immense planning, working on your body and
diet to achieve results. I have acquired the habit of self-
motivation through this hobby. There are at least 8-9
marathons that happen every year in this city, so I am
constantly gearing up to participate in and complete all of
them. I cover a stretch of 10 kilometres every day and eat
healthy to maintain my physique. It’s my aim to go for the
Ironman triathlon that happens in Europe. It will take me
at least 2 years to reach that level of fitness but I am
excited to achieve that goal. Marathons remind me that I
have to push myself and put one foot in front of the other
to get closer to success.

Sample Answer #11

I have always been a very creative person and find it
relaxing to indulge in craft activities. There is a new
modern term for this; ‘Do-It-Yourself’ or DIY. It largely
means to create handmade products and includes a gamut
of different crafts. Most of these ideas are relatively cheap
and I love taking on new projects for home improvement.
I’ve made coasters, revamped old dressers, painted a new
lampshade, and stitched soft furnishings in the last 3
months alone. It keeps me occupied and enables me to
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think
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am
lucky that I can make personalized gifts for close friends
and family. It’s a gesture they never forget!

Sample Answer #12

I take pleasure in listening to music. I never really thought
that this was my hobby, but I’m beginning to comprehend
that it is. I understand that hobbies are activities that a
person actively follows and enjoys. Jazz and Blues help me
recharge and bring me joy. Hence, in that case, my hobby
would be listening to music. I listen to music every
morning before I leave for work and when I return home
every night. In addition to that, I spend time on music
websites to search for the latest artists and albums in my
favourite genres. I like attending music concerts and stay
updated on the music scene in my city. All my interests are
mostly related to music – I also collect different album
arts in the form of posters or T-shirts and the like. These
are basically artworks that every band exhibits on their
CD cases.

Sample Answer #13

I am a bird-watching enthusiast. I love the outdoors and
enjoy going for hikes during weekends. It’s great to
connect with nature, enjoy some gorgeous views and get
away from the city! Bird watching is a calming activity.
One has to focus on the bird calls to discover what bird it
is and ascertain their location. I find it easier to de-clutter
my mind by focusing on these unique sounds. I also keep a

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scrapbook
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a few this

pictures I click with my DSLR. That also makes nature

photography my other hobby! But I always try to draw a
picture of the bird and note down its characteristics. So
sketching is also my hobby! Also, I often spend time
reading nature books and also keep digging information
on the internet about birds in this region. My scrapbooks
and bird feather collection are my prized possessions.

Sample Answer #14

I enjoy playing sports like football and cricket. I have
represented my school and college in both state and
national level tournaments. I honestly believe that my
happy hormones are activated every time I am on the
playground. Once I discovered the effect sports had on me,
it was tough to give up. I still play 5-a-side football at least
thrice a week at the local club. I look forward to these
evenings with my team and it keeps me fit both physically
and mentally. I am also the captain of the official cricket
team of my present organization. You can check out
pictures of me and my teams on my social media handles.
?

Sample Answer #15

‘What are your hobbies’ has always been a very scary

question. I was asked the same question on my first day of
college by my seniors and had a tough time answering
them! During my school days, I was over involved in

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academics
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hobby. I fumbled for an answer and was so embarrassed
on that day! It was then that I decided to explore different
hobbies and find one for myself! In this quest, I even tried
to pick up some string instruments like the violin and the
guitar, but didn’t really enjoy them. I can surely tell you
that my roommates were the happiest when I put these
instruments down! But eventually I realised that I enjoyed
travelling the most. Yes, I am a wandering soul. Visiting
new places, traveling new roads, trying new cuisines and
learning about new cultures excites me! My dream is to
cover all the countries, both small and big, before I turn
50!

Sample Answer #16

There are two activities that I am fond of, yoga and
crochet. My grandmother is my first crochet teacher, and
she was excellent at her handiwork. Crocheting is a
meditative activity and embracing it has greatly
enhanced my levels of concentration. As far as yoga is
concerned, I started attending yoga classes a year back on
the insistence of a friend and have never looked back! In
our industry, we have to interact with too many people on
a daily basis. Besides, we spend most of our time outdoors.
But my hobbies help me connect with myself inner self and
also make me stay indoors. Through them, I achieve
balance and I thoroughly enjoy my ‘me time’.

Sample Answer #17

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I love
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filled with plots, character sketches, and obviously some

random doodles. This passion took birth during my
childhood. Every summer my parents would encourage
me and my brothers to perform a skit. We would all find a
perfect story, stitch the costumes ourselves, put up a set
and make the invitations! It was an elaborate affair and
very exciting. I loved to be on the story and concept team
even back then. I take delight in writing short stories
about the experiences I encounter every day. Due to my
inclination towards writing and acting, I was a key
member of the dramatics society during my school and
college days. I also enjoy reading blogs and poetry.

Sample Answer #18

I am highly influenced by art. My favourite painter is
Vincent Van Gogh. His artwork inspires me and I admire
his painting style. Unfortunately or fortunately, as I
cannot buy any originals, I have taken to making
imitations of the paintings I sincerely love. All I need is a
canvas, paints and free time to study these paintings
online. I have also learned about different eras and events
from the history behind many Van Gogh’s artworks. When
I started 3 years ago I was only keen on painting
imitations. I started out by purchasing some DIY paint-
by-number kits online. These kits are a huge hit across the
globe these days because they are very easy to complete
and even a school goer can create a masterpiece with this
kit. Eventually I moved on to copying artworks from
scratch as a hobby. However, now I also paint my own
imaginations on campus with watercolor and oil paint.

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TheBlog
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liberating effect on me.

Sample Answer #19

My hobbies are playing badminton and needlework. Both
are diverse activities, but I devote equal amounts of time
to each of these interests. Badminton is a sport yet for me,
it is more of a daily workout regime. I generally play for
an hour before dinner. Almost every year in the winter
season, me and my friends have a 45-day long
tournament in my society. When it comes to stitching,
honestly speaking, I experience contentment when I am at
it! I use my mom’s old sewing machine and an electric
portable one alternatively. Thanks to some inspiring
online video tutorials, I have been able to stitch clothes,
bags, soft furnishings and totes from scratch! Because of
this hobby, I have a really unique wardrobe. The most
thrilling part of stitching is finding the best materials – I
visit flea markets, garment stores and local tailors for
usable scraps. I have even re-cycled old clothes into brand
new creations! It is always a great feeling to create a
customized gift for someone special. ?

Sample Answer #20

I am fond of dancing, it is both my hobby and passion.
Sometimes even during the day, I play music on my phone
and dance my heart out, even if its for just 5 minutes!
Dance helps me relax as it invigorates my soul. I am a
trained Bharatnatyam dancer and only recently I have

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joined
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In these classes, my dance routine spreads across Salsa,

Zumba, Jive, Tango and basic Hip Hop. Scientifically,
dancing is proven to release endorphins. Hence, not only
is it a lot of fun, it also ensures that I stay happy and
positive all the time! Personally, I feel that dance is the
best workout and also a great way to unleash your
creative side.
Winston Churchill rightfully said – “To be really happy and really
safe, one ought to have at least two or three hobbies, and they
must all be real.” Churchill has hit the nail on the head about real
hobbies. Do not lie to your interviewer about your interests. Hiring
managers may choose to dig deeper with follow up questions after
asking you ‘What are your hobbies?’. For example, if you list
‘reading’ as your hobby, they might ask who your favorite
author/book is or who won the Man Booker prize this year. So be
prepared!

This question also presents the opportunity to connect with the

hiring manager at a personal level. If your hobbies are close to
theirs’, you can use this information as a leverage to project
yourself better and get them interested all the more!

Convince the hiring manager with confidence that you are a happy
and focused candidate and never let the question – “What are your
hobbies?” – surprise you again!

All the best! ?

“Why should I hire you?” – sample answers to this HR

interview question.

“Tell me about yourself” – sample answers to this HR

interview question.

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“Describe
Naukri's Official Blog who you are” – sample answers to this HR
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