‘What do you do in your spare time?’ is a common job interview question. It is an opportunity for hiring managers to get to know more about the person behind the CV.
While there is no wrong answer, how you respond can help sway a hiring manager's decision. As with all questions during an interview, it’s important that a candidate portrays themselves in the best light possible by taking the time to prepare their answer.
So how do you make sure your answers give your interviewer the right impression? We look at some sample answers and ideas to incorporate into your response.
How to answer “what do you do in your spare time?”
Preparation
A good way to prepare for this question is for a job seeker to create a list of their hobbies, activities, and interests. Then using the job description, they can match any desired skills to their hobbies. A job seeker should look to highlight hobbies that show relevant skills needed for the role, make them unique and relate back to the specific job’s duties. All information given should also align with a candidate’s CV.
Structure your answer
When a candidate is preparing their answer, they should also explain why they enjoy this hobby, combining a skill that is desirable in the role, and mention a goal in relation to the hobby (this shows ambition and commitment).
For example:
‘In my free time I enjoy reading, when I’m reading, I completely relax and find myself in another world. Reading books helps me creatively when I’m writing. It helps me to think outside the box and use my imagination. I’ve set myself a goal of reading 100 books this year.’