How to Answer Interview Question: What Do You Do In Your Spare Time?
What you do with your spare time is your thing and you may sometimes not want to share some personal information with a stranger. However, if you are an applicant who is getting prepared for an interview, it will be nice to have at the back of your mind that the question “what do you do with your spare time?” will come up.
Our spare time is the moment we use to relax, develop ourselves, have fun, and do many other things. But during an interview, your spare time should be restricted to the ones that have something to do with your professional and personal development.
There are no wrong or right answers, but there are appropriate responses to this question. So how do you as an applicant preparing for an interview impress the interviewer or hiring manager with your response? Not to worry, this article will inform you and give you the power to wow your potential employer.
Before we jump into impressing the interviewer with your response, let’s get background information explaining why hiring managers ask this question.
Why do Hiring managers ask what you do with your spare time?
Meanwhile, this question may seem like a personal intrusion; however, the interviewer means no harm. The Interviewer just wants to get to know you more as a person, and the kind of person you are outside work. This question is very important to them because your activities outside work can affect your performance at work.
Furthermore, they want to know if your personality would match their company’s culture and if you will blend well with other team members.
Structuring your response
Truth and nothing but the truth
Just like responding to other interview questions like “can you about a difficult situation and how you overcame it”? You should stick with the truth, do not talk about an activity you are now involved in.
This is important because the interviewers may probe more, and if you hesitate or fumble, they may question your integrity. Talk about activities you are fully involved in and enjoy; the interviewers can easily identify the passion you have for these activities.
Add any volunteering role
When talking about the activities you are involved in, you can chip in any volunteering role you have been involved in. Talking about community service will portray you as an individual who cares about other people and the development of the community which will be an advantage to you.
Include Social life
You do not have any experience working as a volunteer, do not worry; you can talk about your social life. Including activities like camping or hiking with friends will tell the interviewer that you have good social skills. It also tells your potential employer that you are good at maintaining relationships and good at communication.
What to Avoid
Discussing work
This is the one chance you need to talk about something different other than your work life. Try not to digress back to talk about your profession. Feature intriguing parts of your life that don’t include the profession that may intrigue the interviewer or place you at the top of consideration.
Blabbering
Try not to blabber about your pastimes. Give definite data in the briefest time conceivable. For instance, on the off chance that you appreciate watching football, talk about your #1 group in a word and leave the interviewer to ask more if necessary. talking too much may lead the interviewer to lose focus, particularly on the off chance that they don’t stream alongside that part.
Discussing disputable subjects
Try also any exercises which might be disputable. This incorporates political exercises religious affiliations and anything that you wouldn’t sound so good to the r=ear like something naughty.
Discussing insane stuff
This is vital. In however much you have been given the freedom to talk about how you spend your spare time, you ought to keep away from subtleties of insane things you do with companions like drinking, smoking, or some other insane stuff, this may negatively depict you.
Final thoughts
The response you give to the question “how do you spend your spare time?” is a chance to sparkle and give hiring managers or interviewers to know you more personally. Be sure to keep it brief and fascinating. Try not to address the question in a way to look great; rather, give a genuine and exact reaction.
