Should You Include Hobbies on a Swiss Resume?#
While not strictly mandatory, hobbies are highly valuable for graduates, career changers, and apprentices who need to demonstrate initiative and teamwork. For experienced professionals, keep it concise and focus on activities that demonstrate leadership, discipline, or community engagement.
Top Hobbies Favored by Swiss Recruiters#
Switzerland places high value on social responsibility and outdoor culture:
- Club and Volunteer Work: Serving as treasurer, board member, or coach in a Swiss club (Verein) shows accountability and teamwork.
- Endurance and Alpine Sports: Hiking, mountaineering, skiing, or marathon running demonstrate resilience, stamina, and discipline.
- Creative and Technical Pursuits: Photography, woodworking, or coding show patience and craftsmanship.
What to Avoid#
Steer clear of generic pastimes like "watching TV" or "hanging out with friends". High-risk extreme sports should also be omitted, as Swiss employers consider occupational accident insurance (UVG) risks.
Provide Concrete Details#
Instead of single words, add brief context: "Football (Captain of regional league club, organized weekly drills)" rather than just "Football".
Align with the Target Position#
Pick 2 to 3 pursuits that subtly reinforce qualities relevant to the role and prepare to discuss them naturally during your job interview.
Checklist for the Swiss CV#
Before sending, follow these Swiss rules of thumb:
- List no more than 2 to 3 concrete hobbies.
- Add details such as roles, club names or licences.
- Be ready to talk about them authentically in the interview.
Where hobbies belong – and when they cost space#
A hobby entry is a decision about space. Whoever lists three lines of hobbies has three lines fewer for professional development or for a position closer to the job. So a simple order applies:
- Position: as the last line of the CV, after education and languages. Hobbies do not belong in the short profile and not on page 1.
- Extent: one line, two at most. Three hobbies of two words each, or two hobbies with a short explanation each – not both.
- Rule for cutting: if the application fills two pages and the second page is thin, cut the hobbies first, not the professional development.
- Exception: when starting a career without practical experience, hobbies may take somewhat more room because they are the only evidence of personal qualities.
The most common mistake is not the wrong hobby but the wrong quantity: a list of seven interests reads like a collection of attributes and in the end says nothing about a person.