From the course: Expert Tips for Answering Common Interview Questions

How to approach this question

From the course: Expert Tips for Answering Common Interview Questions

How to approach this question

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- When a potential employer asks you what you like to do when you're not working, they're looking to get a feel for your likability and your culture fit. So your mission here is to provide something that'll give them a favorable impression and make you an across the board yes. So what should you say? And what should you not say? Here are a few tips. First, know that there's not one correct answer. You can share something about your hobbies, your volunteer work, or the places you enjoy traveling to, or maybe you're taking night classes to help you accelerate your skills. That's also an excellent thing to mention. In general, you just want to share something that's true and that'll paint you as an interesting, healthy, tenacious, or genuinely good human being. Next, remember to keep it succinct. If you're a bird watcher in your free time, no one needs to hear some 22-minute account of every species you've ever documented. Share and share enthusiastically so that your passion shines through. Just don't ramble on endlessly. Doing so might give the people that you're trying to make a good impression on the feeling that you're nervous or that brevity just isn't your strong suit. And finally, steer clear of the inappropriate zone. You would think that this would be obvious, but inappropriate can mean something much more subtle than divulging how much you like internet gambling or drag racing down I5 with your buddies every weekend. As a rule, avoid anything that might be polarizing or offend somebody who's not a part of a particular group like politics or religion. You've got a great opportunity here to show them that you're the complete package. Take full advantage.

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