“What do you do for fun?”
Story time!
As someone who recently graduated from undergrad, I’ve been enlisted by my university to help interview applicants as part of the admissions process. I am incredibly grateful for my college experience and the tremendous privilege it has given me, so I’m glad to do this. I still remember my college interview like it was yesterday; and I don’t know what my interviewer said about me to the admissions team, but he undoubtedly changed my life. I would love to pay that kindness forward.
What I see time and time again is that these high schoolers are extremely nervous. This is completely understandable. And most of them deal with this nervousness by over-preparing - something that I am intimately familiar with. They have a list of tremendous achievements they intend to work into the conversation, and they want to talk about their superb grades in school.
They have seemingly prepared for every question a “typical” interviewer would ask, but then I hit them with one that almost always throws them off: “What do you do for fun?”
Sometimes, interviewees hastily try to re-work a pre-prepared answer to address this question, telling me about a new textbook one of their teachers gave them to read in their spare time.
I then make it clear that it’s not a trick question; I genuinely want to know what they do to unwind. Do they watch reality TV with their friends? Is there a sport that they love to play, even though they’re really bad at it? Are they secretly a Soundcloud rapper?
My job as an interviewer isn’t really to assess how extraordinary their academic achievements are or determine if they’re the next Bill Gates; it’s to get a sense of whether they’d be a good roommate, teammate, or friend. Would they contribute positively to the community? Are they a good, interesting, curious, passionate human being?
Diving into the question
This question seems so simple and frivolous, but I actually take more stock in it when I conduct interviews than practically any other. As much as I care about and admire people’s accomplishments, I care first and foremost to know that I am talking to a real human being.
Furthermore, asking somebody what they like to do for fun elicits an emotion of joy. Especially in a stressful situation, placing the feeling of happiness at the forefront of the conversation can ease the tension a bit. And when it comes to an interview, I find that nothing helps me get to know someone’s true character better than seeing what makes their eyes light up - and that’s generally what happens when anyone talks openly about activities that they most enjoy doing.
It surprises me how caught off-guard most interviewees are when they get this question. I think that it has to do with how our culture seems to value achievement over our own humanity. But when it comes to admitting students to university or hiring someone for a job, it’s vitally important to get an understanding of someone’s character in order to build a well-rounded and pleasant community. We lose sight of this when we focus too much on evaluating individuals on their accomplishments.
What made this question so effective?
Diffuse the tension in a stressful situation ✅
This is a relatively easy question for people to answer on the spot. Even though they may not have prepared for it, the lack of preparedness makes way for a genuine, honest answer.
Puts humanity at the center ✅
I want to know what makes you a real human being. We all have things that we do in our spare time that are not what others consider “productive.” And that’s ok!
Emphasizes an emotion ✅
Talking about what you do for “fun” is really code for “What makes you happy when you do it?” By evoking the feeling of happiness, you help jog the interviewee’s memories more effectively.
Makes your institution seem more empathetic ✅
If you’re conducting an interview, asking this question indicates to the interviewee that your institution (university, company, etc.) cares about them as a person. I assure you, this leaves a lasting impression and makes them see you more favorably.
Disclaimers and notes:
This is a perfectly fine question to ask in a more casual setting as well, like on a date, for instance.
If you’re getting to know someone, it’s always a good idea to talk about what they enjoy doing in their spare time. Who knows? You may even find that you share a common interest!
If you are being interviewed, there are many instances where you can flip this question back to the interviewer.
This requires a bit of re-phrasing, but if you are the interviewee, it’s usually a good idea to use this question to get a sense of what the community is like - whether it’s a college interview or job interview. For instance, you can ask your college interviewer, “What activities did you most enjoy participating in when you were at [insert college name here]?” And you can ask your job interviewer, “How does [insert company name here] prioritize building community among the team?”