Should I mention LARP in job interviews?
A surprising amount of interviewers like to ask what I do for fun. So far, I've never mentioned larp in an interview (or I call it "camping" if I do) since it didn't feel worth the potential stigma or the time it takes to explain. However, now I have an interview coming up that includes dinner with some of the team, so I'm going to have a very long time just for casual conversation and to talk about my personal life. I wonder if larp could be a unique talking point that might make me seem more interesting or more social, but I also worry that it could easily do the exact opposite due to the stigma.
What are y'all's attitudes or insights towards mentioning LARP in work environments like this? Is it worth the risk?
Extra context:
I live in the USA and I'm applying to engineering jobs that care a whole lot about taking initiative and being good at communication and working with others. I believe that larp has been a very good exercise in my confidence, collaboration, and generally being more pro-social and putting myself out there, but idk if I can convince others to see it that way. If the topic comes up, I could explain how I went to my first ever larp event alone even though I was kinda terrified and way out of my comfort zone. I think my ability to take that initiative and be bold despite my nerves is a pretty good quality that an employer could appreciate. Plus, I also wonder if talking about larp could be that extra little something that makes me stand out and seem just a bit more interesting or passionate. I have a handful of other hobbies that I can talk about too, but this one is definitely the most unique and most involved.
However, larp still comes with all of the negative stereotypes, and even if they don't know what larp is, they could still be put off just by the general strangeness of how it sounds on the surface. In particular, I would hate for the cliche stereotype of larpers being weirdo recluses who live in fantasy land to be associated with me. I know I don't come off anywhere near that bad, but I *am* a fairly timid person who also gets quite nervous in interviews. I really don't want that stereotype to exacerbate my natural awkwardness. That's probably the biggest concern I have about mentioning larp, so I don't know if the potential small benefits are worth that risk.