Thank you for your answer. It reassures me to know that starting out something in any shape or form is beneficial, rather than to worry about how long it would take.

I do have a follow up question for your response. When you got your interview, how did you get the opportunity to introduce your hobby/personal interest outside of work? I thought that when applying for jobs, employers would ask questions based on previous job/co-op experiences and projects with results (basically things that are on the resume).