Why Hobbies Make You A Better Employee

Did you know that your hobbies can make you a better employee? It’s true. Many hobbies require you to develop and lean on different skills to get enjoyment from them. The personal growth and development that come from these hobbies can be massively beneficial in many areas of your life, including employment.

If you’ve ever thought twice about listing your hobbies on your CV or shied away from revealing what you enjoy doing in your spare time, why not take a look at the skills and benefits it’s given you? These skills are not just for leisure; they can be used to excel in your career.

Communication

Some hobbies require you to work with others to get maximum enjoyment from them. It can be rock climbing, where you need to work with others for safety and to coordinate climbs; it can be volunteering with an organisation that delivers first aid and/or help to others, meaning you need to communicate clearly to provide this care. Or your multiplayer video games can require a high level of communication to help your team progress through levels. 

Communication is a cornerstone of being a great employee, and your hobby can nurture this skill to make you a more desirable employee.

Strategic Thinking

So hobbies require increased levels of strategic thinking, especially puzzle-based hobbies, card games like solitaire, couponing and video games. You need to be able to approach a problem and assess it badly in the easiest way, and if you can’t do this, chances are you will get stuck both in your hobby and at work. So, if you have developed your critical thinking skills via your hobby and can get creative and work out complex puzzles or circumstances, let others know and transfer these skills to the workplace.

Patience and Attention to Detail

These are valuable skills in aspects of life, not just for employment. Demonstrating patience and displaying excellent attention to detail can help you deliver better results, stay calm under pressure, and look for things that might otherwise be overlooked. For employers, employees who have the patience to see things through, are diligent, and pay close attention to the details are the ones they want to keep hold of and are vital to the efficient running of any business. Whether it’s learning a new language, playing an instrument, building figures, crafts, or anything similar, your hobby requires that little bit of patience and persistence, and for you to be able to be exact with what you do, get shouting about it and ensure employers know this about you.

Motivation

If you have a hobby, especially one you have been undertaking for many years, this shows motivation and determination, an excellent quality employers seek. The fact you don’t give up, and you do this regularly, proves you can be self-motivated and push through even when you don’t want to. Hobbies like fitness, learning a new skill, hiking, etc, prove you have the grit to keep trying and learning and want to be the best, and this motivation can set you apart from your peers in terms of your career.