How Your Hobbies Can Add to Your Repertoire of Career Skills

Our passion projects can help us learn and acquire “soft skills” that are increasing in demand globally. In fact, jobs that require interpersonal, management, and communication skills have grown 83% over the past 30 years.

Engaging in a hobby “gives you a sense of mastery”, says Dr Kevin Eschleman, assistant psychology professor at San Francisco State University, in his study on the link between hobbies and job performance. “You’re developing new skills, new thought processes and really challenging yourself to learn something new and develop your skillset."

More importantly, hobbies make us happy — when we are happier, we are more productive.

Let’s take a look at some of the more popular hobbies and what we can learn.

Volunteering

Nothing better than taking up an activity that helps you learn new skills while making the world a better place. According to consulting firm Deloitte, this plays a big role in building must-have skills for successful leaders.

Some popular activities include helping out at local food kitchens, caring for animals, promoting environmental awareness and more. Choose a cause you feel most strongly for and it could bring out a new side of you.

Gaming

There’s more to gaming than many may think. Some games — strategy, role-playing, or simulation types — can help you plan ahead, cultivate creative problem-solving skills and work well with others.

“It helps me understand that everyone has a role to play in a team and take note of each person’s talents,” sys Ms. Linda Yeo, who works at wellness start-up Metamorphosis and enjoys playing the multiplayer World of Warcraft.

Reading

Picking up a book expands your knowledge, gains new perspectives and help you better understand others, whilst enjoying a good story.

“I use my hobby of reading fiction to connect with my clients on more than a professional level. It can give the client a sense of closeness and trust that helps me build better relationships with them,” shares Mr. Shab Kumar, growth director at influencer marketing firm IndaHash.

Art

Tapping into our creative juices could unlock various skills. Sketching, drawing, or painting will encourage you to look at things differently, which helps immensely when you’re solving problems at work.

“Art helps us to look at problems differently and find creative ways to solve them,” says Mr. Chankerk Teh, founder of My Art Space. “It helps you overcome your fear of failure. Because there’s no risk involved if something didn’t work out.”

Running

Group activities like running helps you find motivation and push yourself to go the extra mile — like during crunch time at work. It also helps build discipline and confidence to achieve your goals.

“Running teaches me discipline and accountability. I know I’ll be letting down my group if I don’t show up for our weekly run,” says Ms. Stephanie Lukito, a design strategist at Grab, who runs with CBD Run Club.

All work and no play? No way!

So if you're looking for a new hobby to take up, try something that lets you keep practising regularly and improving. A good place to start would be at your local community centre for classes on arts & crafts, cooking, music, drama and fitness etc.

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