[jmspring]

You should do something you enjoy in your spare time, if that is a side project, so be it. Some people do maker type things, others spend time with their families, for myself it is biking and gardening.

When I have had to interview people, there is the technical abilities that are pretty easy to get through. What I prefer, when trying to find out something about the person, is to have them talk about a passion or something they enjoy. For some, that is coding, for others something else.