Do you still put interests on your CV?

[Plinketyplonks]

I’m applying for a job for the first time in about a gazillion years. Dithering whether to still have a small line on interests at the end. If relevant, they are an adventurous sport (not skiing!) that I compete in internationally and a child-related therapy charity that I volunteer for every week. I’m interested in the benefits of that kind of therapy hence the volunteering.

So probably not the old going to the gym/seeing friends type of interests I might have put at 22!

How is a small interests section currently regarded by recruiters? Is it not a done thing now?

I think if you volunteer in various capacities then put them down. I remember talking to someone who ran is own high powered company and he said if he saw a candidate involved in things like scouting and Guiding or similar he automatically put them on the possible pile.

I don't but those do sound like interesting interests, so worth putting in imo. Obviously just a line or 2.

what about "Freemasonry"?

It's possibly job/sector dependant.

Most of my recruiting experience is public sector and similar (e.g. universities). I'm used to some level of pre-set questions/scoring against competencies. Any suggestion that we should put a candidate through because we'd bonded over a hobby or admire their sports skills wouldn't fly. Unless relevant, we wouldn't usually talk about them enough in interview to be that memorable.

In different styles of interview, it may make much more of an impression.

Not as on hobbies no, absolutely not.

Areas of professional interest, e.g. areas of research you participate in, or perhaps working with a particular client group or project types, but I would consider it quite unprofessional to put hobbies and leisure interests in.

It's something I would expect from a new graduate without relevent occupational experience to put in their CV