CV Once

Hobbies, interests and references on a CV

Include interests only when they add evidence or a conversation starter. Leave references off unless the employer asks for them.

Interests and references are the two sections people most often include out of habit. Both can be useful in the right situation, but on most CVs one of them is optional and the other is unnecessary.

Hobbies and interests

When interests help

An interests section earns its space when it does at least one of these:

  • Adds evidence for the job. Coaching a youth football team shows responsibility and organisation; running a cycling club’s website shows web skills; translating for a charity shows language ability.
  • Fills out a thin CV. For school leavers and students, interests can be some of the best evidence of commitment, leadership and initiative.
  • Shows a sustained, specific achievement. “Completed the 2025 Cardiff Half Marathon” is concrete; “keeping fit” is not.
  • Fits the culture of the employer. An outdoor equipment retailer may genuinely value that you lead hill-walking trips.
  • Gives the interviewer a friendly opening question. A specific interest is more likely to start a conversation than a generic one.

When to leave them off

  • You are short of space and your experience is strong.
  • The interests are generic: “reading, travel, socialising with friends, music, cinema”. Almost everyone could write this, so it tells the reader nothing.
  • They reveal things you would rather not be judged on, such as religion, politics or health, unless they are directly relevant to the job. These relate to protected characteristics in many countries, and employers are not supposed to consider them, but you cannot control what a reader notices.
  • They could raise doubts about commitment or risk for the specific job (an extreme sport for a role with strict attendance, for instance). Use judgement.

How to write them

Be specific and, where you can, show an outcome or level.

Before: Interests: reading, football, travel.

After: Interests: coach an under-11 girls’ football team (FA coaching qualification; squad of 16 players); read widely in modern history and run a monthly book group.

Before: I enjoy cooking and photography.

After: Photography: two images selected for the 2024 Leeds amateur photography exhibition; I shoot and edit product photos for a friend’s online shop.

One to three lines is enough. If an interest is substantial and relevant (volunteering, a club leadership role), it may belong in a Volunteering section with dates and bullets instead.

By region

  • UK and Ireland: a short interests section is common, especially for graduates. Optional for experienced applicants.
  • US: less common on résumés, and often dropped first when trimming to one page. Some recruiters like a single line of specific interests.
  • Germany and other continental European countries: a short “Interessen” or “Hobbys” line at the end of the Lebenslauf is still common.
  • Australia and New Zealand: optional; common for graduates.

Conventions vary by sector, and many employers will not mind either way. If your CV is tight on space, interests are the first section to cut.

References

“References available on request”

This line is almost always unnecessary. Employers assume you can provide references, and they will ask when they need them, usually after interview or with a conditional offer. The line takes up space and tells the reader nothing.

Before: References available upon request.

After: (delete the line)

The builder does not add a references section by default, and you lose nothing by leaving one out.

When to include referees

Include referee names and contact details only when:

  • the job ad or application form asks for them (common in academic, public-sector, healthcare and teaching applications in some countries, where the form often has its own references section),
  • you are a student or graduate and a specific named academic referee strengthens the application, or
  • the employer’s local convention expects them on the CV. This varies; check job ads in your field and country.

If you do include them, ask your referees first, tell them what jobs you are applying for, and give their name, job title, organisation, the relationship (“my line manager, 2021 to 2024”), email and phone.

Privacy and permission

A CV gets forwarded, uploaded and stored. If you list referees, you are sharing their personal contact details with every employer who sees it. Only include them with their permission, and keep them off CVs you post publicly or upload to job boards. In the UK and EU, employers handle referees’ details under data protection law, which is one more reason many prefer to collect them later through their own process.

German-speaking countries: Arbeitszeugnis

In Germany, employees are legally entitled to a written reference (Arbeitszeugnis) from their employer when they leave, and applicants often attach these documents to an application instead of listing referees on the CV. If you apply in Germany, Austria or Switzerland, follow the ad’s instructions about which documents to attach. See European CV conventions.

Putting it together

For most experienced applicants in the UK, Ireland or the US, the end of the CV looks like this:

  • Certifications and languages, if relevant
  • One or two lines of specific interests, if space allows
  • No references line

For a graduate, interests and volunteering can carry more weight; give them dates and outcomes, and treat them like experience.

In CV Once, interests and volunteering can go in a custom section, which you can rename or hide per application without deleting anything.

Next: section order and headings and writing a graduate CV.