October 2025
In this VETgirl online veterinary continuing education blog, Amanda M. Shelby, RVT, VTS (Anesthesia & Analgesia) discusses the importance of having a hobby in veterinary medicine – after all, it’s your personal responsibility as a veterinary professional in establishing work-life balance. Establishing a work-life balance that works for you improves your potential for achieving professional and personal goals, increases job satisfaction and overall makes you a more productive member of the organization. Read on to learn about the importance of having a hobby outside of the workplace!

By Amanda M. Shelby, RVT, VTS (Anesthesia & Analgesia), VETgirl Senior CE Specialist

The Importance of Having a Hobby in Veterinary Medicine – for both the Employee and Employer

Work-life balance seems like a buzz word today. Work-life balance is the concept that there are respected boundaries between time dedicated to work and time dedicated to one’s personal needs. It is not always an equal division of time between work and personal time, and it looks different for everyone. It changes over time as our needs and life circumstances change. But the key factor to obtaining a work-life balance involves identifying your personal needs for wellbeing and creating boundaries that allow both the workplace and personal space thrive.

So, why are hobbies so important?

Numerous studies have demonstrated improved work performance, job satisfaction and individual wellbeing associated with people who have hobbies.(1-2) Hobbies also have the potential to build skills that benefit the workplace.(2-5) Having a hobby is one step towards establishing work-life balance.

Imagine, you are in an interview for your dream position at what you consider the ideal organization you have been waiting for an open position. In fact, when you found the job posting, it was like the job description was written for you! You are skilled, you have experience, you have the credentials, you’ve prepared for the interview questions, even the working interview…but do you have an answer prepared for the question, “What do you do for fun or as a hobby outside of our profession?”

Image by Mo Farrelly from Pixabay

You may be wondering if this is really any of a potential employer’s business or even, why they ask these questions. When organizations are hiring a new team member, they are looking for the individual with the skills, experience and characteristics that will fit into and grown the organization. In short, what you do outside of work can provide the employer a deeper understanding of your personality, interests, capabilities like how you manage stress, how you prioritize tasks, what drives you, and skills—yes, skills you possess that will complement the position and organization you are interviewing for.

Just as important, during the interview, you want a potential employer to ask about what you do outside of work to bring balance and wellbeing to yourself! This question reveals much about their organization’s culture as well. Remember, an interview is bi-directional. If you accept a position offer, you will want to know if they prioritize work-life balance with their employees? How do they respect professional-personal boundaries? Specific to our profession, when interviewing for a position, you should feel comfortable asking these questions:

  • How often do team members work past the end of their shift? (You could phrase this, “How often is there opportunity for overtime?”)
  • Does everyone get their lunch full lunch breaks consistently?
  • Is there an area away from the immediate workplace where team members can take their breaks?
  • Are there expected means of communication outside your scheduled shifts?

Some of these questions are great to reserve for a working interview where you can ask potential peers. Perhaps an employer not asking about hobbies or personal interests is just as telling as asking. Regardless, you should have an answer prepared that is authentic and have questions prepared to ask the potential employer!

Let’s explore my example. I am a credentialed veterinary technician (since 2006) with a specialty in anesthesia and analgesia (since 2010). It is obvious my resume demonstrates years of experience and skills specific to anesthesia and analgesia. But my resume is also filled with a very similar job repeatedly. If I was applying for a role outside of the primary responsibility of performing anesthesia, my hobbies can provide the employer with a broader sense of my strengths and characteristics. My hobbies include showing horses with my oldest child at the national level, exploring national parks with my family and maintaining my edible landscaping from which I proudly make my household’s (and many neighbors’ households) annual supply of jams, jellies, pickles, and salsa. Just writing that out, I sound busy! Let’s review what my hobbies could tell my potential employer about me so you can better understand the importance of having a hobby and having that prepared, thoughtful answer.

Making homemade jam! Image courtesy of Amanda M. Shelby

There is no denying my hobbies are time consuming. A quick reference check will clear up any doubt about my past employment attendance if you are thinking ‘Wow, this lady is going to miss a lot of work.’ Two of these hobbies (showing horses and gardening) take consistent, regular intervals of time. What these hobbies also demonstrate is great time management skills along with dedication, competitiveness, resilience, perseverance, focus, and longevity (I have been riding and showing horses since I was about 10 years old). These hobbies also provide my employer information about the way I learn new tasks, that is, learn by doing. The potential employer could ask follow-up questions to gain a better understanding of the hobby and ultimately, the individual. For example, they could ask, “How often I get to show horses now?” They would learn that I have taken a back seat to support my oldest daughter towards her goals (shameless mom plug—she placed twice in the top 10 at the American Quarter Horse Association Youth World Show 2024)! This shows the employer, I have servitude leadership skills in that I like to support others across the finish line. They would also learn that my preference is speed events while my child prefers a different discipline to which we have focused. This further emphasizes that I can pivot priorities and learn new skills.

It’s important you give the hobby selection you are willing to share considerable thought. The goal for the employer is to gain a better understanding of the skills that either inherently come natural to you or skills you actively seek in developing or maintaining. Connect those skills to the skills of the job you are interviewing for! Help them connect those dots!

Horseback riding. Image courtesy of Amanda M. Shelby.

In summary, you owe yourself time to an activity or interest that allows you to refocus, recharge and relax. This does not mean that you cannot love your job but your contributions to the organization and your job performance will improve if you ensure you have a hobby that gives back to yourself. This is work-life balance. This is prioritizing your well-being. This supports a sustainable work-place culture, this supports a sustainable career, this improves employee retention and job satisfaction. Simply having a hobby, something you do outside of work that brings you joy, allows you to recharge and focus can help reduce burn-out.(6) Having interests outside your workplace is healthy for both you and the employer. In fact, it makes you a better employee and a better version of yourself.

References:

  1. Campbell-Nowlin M. Exploring Hobbies as a Critical Component of Work-Life Balance: Perceptions of Their Influence on Job Satisfaction and Job Performance. Accessed 27NOV2024.
  2. Li Z, Dai J, Wu N, et al. Effect of long working hours on depression and mental well-being among employees in Shanghai: the role of having leisure hobbies. Int J Env Res Pub 2019;16(24):4980.
  3. DiNardi G. Why You Should Work Less and Spend More Time on Hobbies. Harvard Business Review. 2019 Feb. Accessed 27NOV2024.
  4. Creative Hobbies Linked with Job Performance. Association for Psychological Science. 2014 Apr. Accessed 27NOV2024.
  5. Strauss K. How Hobbies Can Help You at Work. Psychology Today. 2021 May. Accessed 27NOV2024.
  6. 6 Ways to Avoid Veterinary Burnout. BluePearl. Accessed 2DEC2024.

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