4 min.
Created using Perplexity AI
written by Peter Kosel, Talent Community Manager at cyberunity AG
Side Projects and Hobbies: Signal or Missed Potential?
Why side projects and hobbies carry more weight than most people think.
Many CVs include a section at the end:
“Hobbies” or “Interests”.
It often reads:
Fitness
Travel
Reading
Formally correct.
But meaningless in terms of content.
And this is exactly where potential is lost.
Because:
Side projects and hobbies can be an extremely powerful part of your profile.
Or completely irrelevant.
Why are side projects relevant?
Employers want to understand:
- What truly drives you?
- What do you engage with voluntarily?
- How do you develop yourself beyond your job?
Especially in cyber security, this is critical.
Many of the strongest profiles clearly show one thing:
Interest does not stop with the job.
The most common mistake
Side projects are either not mentioned at all.
Or described too superficially.
Example:
“Private interest in cyber security”
“Home Lab”
“Hack The Box”
Sounds good.
But:
What does that actually mean?
Without context, it remains a buzzword.
The reader does not know:
- How deep your knowledge is
- How much time you invest
- What you have actually learned
How real impact is created
A strong side project demonstrates:
Depth
Initiative
and tangible outcomes
Weak example:
Home lab for cyber security
Strong example:
Own home lab (since 2022)
- Built an isolated test environment with Active Directory, SIEM and endpoint detection
- Simulation of phishing attacks and analysis of detection mechanisms
- Development of custom detection rules in Splunk
- Key takeaway: Deepened expertise in detection engineering and incident response
→ Before: buzzword
→ Now: demonstrable competence
Side projects are often the door opener
Especially for:
- Junior profiles
- Career changers
- or candidates with limited professional experience
side projects can be decisive.
They show:
- You do not wait for tasks
- You actively develop yourself
- You bring genuine interest
Also relevant for senior profiles
Side projects do not only show skills.
They also reveal:
- Mindset
- Curiosity
- and depth of expertise
Weak example:
Interest in cloud security
Strong example:
Private project: Analysis of cloud misconfigurations in AWS
- Built a test environment with intentionally misconfigured IAM roles
- Identified attack vectors and documented best practices
- Transfer to the job: Improvement of internal cloud security guidelines
→ Not just interest.
→ But real business value.
Hobbies – useful or irrelevant?
The honest answer:
It depends.
Hobbies are valuable when they say something about you.
Not when they simply fill space.
Weak example:
Fitness
Travel
Gaming
Strong example:
- Endurance training (marathon preparation)
→ demonstrates discipline, goal orientation and long-term commitment - Chess
→ demonstrates strategic thinking and pattern recognition - Capture The Flag competitions
→ direct relevance to cyber security skills
Important:
This is not about appearing creative.
It is about being relevant.
The three most common mistakes
- Buzzwords without substance
“Home Lab”, “I am interested in cyber security”
→ without explanation, meaningless - Side projects without outcomes
You describe what you did, but not what you learned - Irrelevant hobbies
Listing everything that has no connection to your profile
How to review your CV
Ask yourself:
- Do my side projects demonstrate concrete skills?
- Is it clear what I have learned from them?
- Is the level of depth and initiative visible?
- Are my hobbies relevant – or just filler?
If not:
Revise this section.
There is often more potential here than in entire job experiences.
Fazit
Side projects are not a “nice-to-have”.
They are a strong signal.
For motivation.
For willingness to learn.
And for genuine interest.
And that is often what makes the difference.
________________________________________
Next week: NDA & security incidents on your CV
How to present confidential projects – without breaching confidentiality.
This article is part of the cyberunity CV series for cyber security professionals in the DACH region.