Answering hobby related questions at Civil Services Interview - Preparation Tips.

Tips to answer hobby related questions at Civil Services Interview

A question related to your hobby is one of the most predictable questions to be asked at civil services interview. The answer to the question is found to be perplexing for most people, especially those who do not have any serious hobby that they have pursued for a long time. However, you do not want to miss the opportunity of answering a very predictable question which you can obviously prepare in advance. These questions are asked to find out what you as a person prefer doing in spare time so be very careful what you answer – you obviously don’t want to mention that you prefer gambling and partying when let loose. Here are some tips that can help you in answering hobby related questions at civil services interview:

Do not lie

The interview board has highly proficient intellectuals who are well experienced in testing the personality of a person. You are most likely to be caught if you try bluffing. So, the best policy still remains to be honest – no substitute. Unless you are actually a social worker who enjoys helping people and actively participating in such activities, do not mention them just to paint a good impression about yourself. If you have mentioned a hobby that you pursued years back, do tell them so; they will understand.

Cannot recall a hobby last pursued

Think about the activities that you enjoyed doing and would still like to do given a chance and spare time of course. It is understandable that civil services aspirants do not get enough time to devote to hobbies so you can honestly ask yourself what you have always been interested in doing during high school days or college days. Choose a simple hobby that you have been familiar with like playing cricket or football and get prepared about questions on them by doing research on recent news on them and the popular news about them.

Smile when you talk of your hobby

Hobby is what you enjoy doing and that should bring a smile on your face when you are talking about it. Put on a pleasant and polite smile while you are talking about your hobby in a relaxed posture. Your tone should be enthusiastic and it should depict your liking for the activity. Remember that you are talking about something that you seek for passion and that should be your pride.

Be specific

You will have to prepare for questions related to your hobby and keeping that in mind, it is better if you keep the hobby specific instead of broader terms. That will mean lesser contents to study about. If you mention reading books, that leaves a whole lot to know and you can never be sure what the interviewer might ask you so rather go for specific genre of books that you prefer and those that you can skill refresh like you can mention reading novels, fictions, classics, magazines or journals. This way you get a specific kind of genre to prepare for and be ready for questions that can be related. Similarly if you mention sporting activities in your hobby section that would mean that you have interest in more than one or two sports. Go for specific sports that you played or indulged in like you can mention playing chess, football, or cricket. This will give you a better understanding to what to expect and what to be prepared for. Choose fields that are easier to stay updated on alongside your other preparations.

Prepare well

Whichever hobby you have mentioned in your examination form needs to be thoroughly prepared for the interview. Look for popular terms and basic understanding of that particular activity. You can also take help from people who are professionals in that field like if you have mentioned singing or dancing as your hobby, a singing and dancing professional can help you understand the activity better and also provide you with the recent developments or any other events that happened recently.

Independence or a teamwork

If the interviewer simply asks you to tell them about your hobby or any such question that lets you speak openly about the advantages of the particular hobby, you might want to mention the impacts it has on you – the positive ones of course. If your hobby is reading, painting, writing, etc. you can mention how this has made you an independent person while if it is a sport of activity that takes collaboration with people, you can mention that it has made you a teamwork-person and improved the way you interact with people. It is a good thing if you can depict how your hobby inspires you in your professional life as well and how the balance of both gives you contentment.