Use Your Hobby to Advance Your Career

Use your hobby to advance your career

Career Counseling December 29, 2019

Use Your Hobby to Advance Your Career

Creative Hobbies Can Improve Your Job Performance

​Have you been thinking about a creative career related to your hobby?
 
A recent study at San Francisco State University looked at how creative hobbies like knitting, cooking, painting, photography, gardening, or other similar activities affect work performance, and results showed that what you do in your leisure time could make you a more valuable employee. Findings were published in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology.
 
People who use their free time creatively perform better at solving problems at work and are more helpful to their colleagues, according to researchers at San Francisco State University. They believe creative activities stimulate learning and help people to feel energized and engaged. The study’s Lead Author was Dr. Kevin Eschleman.
 
The question is: Are YOU ready to make the connection between your hobby and your career? Consider these suggestions about using your hobby to get ahead at the office.

How to Choose a Hobby that Can Help Your Career

1. Focus on the mission. Think about how your pastimes align with the company's mission. A sustainable architecture firm might appreciate your organic garden.
   
2. Connect with your colleagues. Relationships play a big role in job satisfaction. Accept your coworkers’ invitation when they ask you to join them for a social event that could also be a hobby, i.e., a hiking trip. 
   
3. Review your job responsibilities. Do your hobby and your professional position have anything in common? You might be juggling numbers at work for budgeting and at home for the local community's fundraising budget.
   
4. Showcase your strengths and achievements. We’re often drawn to hobbies that enable us to develop our innate talents. Employers will notice that you’re a strategic thinker if you tell them about your tournament bridge winnings or your public speaking abilities, if you tell them about your efforts at Toastmasters.
   
5. Be memorable. In today’s job market, you may need to distinguish yourself in a large pool of candidates. A recruiter is more likely to remember your name if you verbally tell them something about your personal interests.
   
6. Express your personality. Focus on something you’re passionate about so it will be easy to sound articulate and engaged.
   

• Remain up-to-date. At the same time, it’s always good to keep up with the trends. Be open to learning new skills that will connect the dots between your career and your hobby.

How to Use Your Hobby to Help Your Career

• Edit your resume. Depending on the position, add a hobbies section to your resume. Include it only when it appears relevant.Mention it at your interview. Some questions provide an opening to discuss your hobby. When a reviewer asks what you do with your free time, you’ll have a better answer than watching TV.
  
• Put on a show. Hobbies come in handy for the office talent show. Reveal your musical talent on the piano, if that's the case.
  
• Share with your coworkers. Whatever activities you enjoy, you probably have expertise, goods, or services that your coworkers would appreciate. Baked goods usually top the list.
• Personalize your staff bio. Let your clients get to know the real you. They may enjoy finding out that their graphic designer also illustrates his own comic books.
• Create a side income. Some people turn their hobbies into full-time jobs. Starting gradually is a good way to test your earning potential while you hold onto your current paycheck.

1. Extend your network. The best leads tend to come from friends of friends and acquaintances. If all your LinkedIn connections are accountants, your leisure pursuits could help you to meet more hairstylists and foreign diplomats.
   

• Achieve life balance. Best of all, a hobby widens your experiences and knowledge. You’ll gain exposure to things you may never see around the office.​

Final Thought

Of course, your hobby is rewarding in itself, even if your boss doesn’t share your enthusiasm for its details. Advancing your career is just a bonus compared to the deeper benefits of learning about yourself and becoming more accomplished.

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About the Author

Mandy Fard is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW, CMRW) and Recruiter with decades of experience in assisting job seekers, working directly with employers in multiple industries, and writing proven-effective resumes.
 
Feel free to connect with Mandy Fard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandyfard/
 
Please follow Market-Connections Resume Services on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/market-connections-resume-services.com