Appropriate for 'Interests' on resume?

I'm applying to various analyst positions/programs in the US and overseas (I'm American, female), globally-focused relationship-oriented and IB roles. I feel like many of my interests are related or refer back to other resume content...

Travel, international relations - relates to foreign languages
Running, other athletic activities - relates to college sports etc Sustainability - relates to theses and research projects
Interior design, photography - relates to previous work exp in fashion

...I want to add "craft beer." I want a little bit of a wild card interest. I really do love craft beer, if anyones asks I'll totally have something interesting to say about it, and it'll actually relate back to my international exp and motivation- I love seeing in all the places I've been how the people invest such pride in their local alcohol (Chinese Qingdao, Cambodian Angkor and delicious jar wine in the hills, etc...), and the American version of this recently has spurred this awesome craft brewing culture (which I got to experience on a cross-country road trip after graduation), which is even creeping beyond US borders like the brewery in Chinese hutongs. Anyways...

This is genuine interest of mine, and hey, it might catch someones attention or spur the discovery of common ground! This section is supposed show your human side right?

Or is it just inappropriate to have 'craft beer' in my list of interests?

Much appreciated!!!

 

I think it would be fine as long as you are over 21. It's not like you're saying 'binge drinking,' there is nothing wrong with enjoying a beer and while I'd never put 'beer' as an interest, 'craft beer' as an entry implies a genuine, healthy enjoyment rather than a getting wasted on weekends kind of vibe. Just my $0.02.

 

I vote you do it as well. Combined with the other interests you'll seem well-rounded. If anything, you have room to be a little more provocative, but craft beer is a great start.

“Millionaires don't use astrology, billionaires do”
 

NONONONONONONONONONONONOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Ever hear of potential upside/downside? I assume you know something about finance or are pursuing a finance job or perhaps have invested money and understand the possibility of potential upside and downside.

The upside is that you manage to find the one person on Wall St who is willing and enjoys talking about beer with people who have been 21+ for

 

They generally like it. I'm an awesome skier, and everyone can relate to that, so when i put freestyle skiing under interests, people are like "whooa what's that, you can do that, wowoooo!". (double ++ since EVERYONE in finance skis)

in other interviews people have mentioned the love of adrenaline and pressure works well in an IBD environment, and hence an ability to demonstrate your skill in that area is good

"After you work on Wall Street it’s a choice, would you rather work at McDonalds or on the sell-side? I would choose McDonalds over the sell-side.” - David Tepper
 

"adrenaline sports"

"After you work on Wall Street it’s a choice, would you rather work at McDonalds or on the sell-side? I would choose McDonalds over the sell-side.” - David Tepper
 
BTbanker:
wtf is skiing? can i get one in my cubicle?
sort of...

http://www.youtube.com/embed/dUqsznQyyz0

"After you work on Wall Street it’s a choice, would you rather work at McDonalds or on the sell-side? I would choose McDonalds over the sell-side.” - David Tepper
 

Rule #1 of resumes is be ready to speak in detail about anything you put on there during an interview. If you put skydiving on your resume, get asked about it (you probably will) and say you've only done it once you'll sound like a tool. On the other hand, if you truly do partake in any activity such as the ones you listed above and could speak to it it will be a big boost, the crazier/riskier the better since it sets you apart and is more interesting.

 

It's best if you can put something tangible down as a line item.

There is no risk management in a mere hang glider ride that is run by a hang four tandem certified pilot if you happen to get on. Solo flights are a different story. The deal is the same in technical diving, paragliding, and whitewater rafting. A recruiter will want to see you (A) taking the personal risk and (B) fully owning and managing that risk.

I see no indication of B without a clearly defined accomplishment you can put on a resume line item.

Line items I would notice as a recruiter and pay immediate attention to include, but were not limited to:

-PADI/NAUI/SSI Rescue Diver/Divemaster/Instructor -TDI/UTD certs (Deco diving, cave, wreck penetration, etc.) -USHPA pilot ratings (Paragliding/Hang gliding) -WERA, USMA, or other motorcycle racing certs (ideally listing a few races) -Major skiing races. -Solo climbing experience -Skydiving licenses

All of the above show some demonstration (some more than others) of a capacity to take, accept, and manage risk.

I'm not one to comment on what looks toolish and what looks badass since everyone has a bit of a different definition. But I think it's smart to list an accomplishment on a resume only if the interviewer sees it as an accomplishment.

Every diver will see "Rescue Diver" as a certification they earned. Same with Divemaster (especially Divemaster), along with most of their technical ratings. The same goes for any solo USHPA rating, especially one earned in the Northeast. Most folks who ride motorcycles will consider a literal track record an accomplishment. But there are also a lot of folks with these sorts of backgrounds in banking, trading, and research. So don't claim you are a hang gliding fan after getting towed up behind a plane for a tandem when you're sitting across the table from a guy who has a H4 tandem rating.

If you are interested in hang gliding and in getting solo experience, I can hook you up with an instructor in the NY area. He is considered one of the best in the country. If you want to get your hang 2 or 3, you WILL get a lot of flights in and have one or two genuine scary stories to tell by the time you get to an interview. It will also involve dozens of days spent on a training hill and dealing with New York's flaky weather.

 

Thrill junkie and financial markets seems like a terrible combination. Sounds like something Enron would like.

And even in IBD, if you're a thrill junkie wouldn't you hate sitting in a cubicle correcting grammar mistakes?

Just playing the devil's advocate here. If I saw all kinds of crap like sharks and parachuting and cliff diving, I'd wonder if an office job is even for you.

 
ReadLine:
Thrill junkie and financial markets seems like a terrible combination. Sounds like something Enron would like.

And even in IBD, if you're a thrill junkie wouldn't you hate sitting in a cubicle correcting grammar mistakes?

Just playing the devil's advocate here. If I saw all kinds of crap like sharks and parachuting and cliff diving, I'd wonder if an office job is even for you.

you're coming at this from the wrong angle, ie, one where people do not like or enjoy their job. if people like the pressure, the rush of doing deals etc.. then they get their fix through work, it's not the same fix but it is similar; if you enjoy your job.
"After you work on Wall Street it’s a choice, would you rather work at McDonalds or on the sell-side? I would choose McDonalds over the sell-side.” - David Tepper
 
you're coming at this from the wrong angle, ie, one where people do not like or enjoy their job. if people like the pressure, the rush of doing deals etc.. then they get their fix through work, it's not the same fix but it is similar; if you enjoy your job.

Sorry, I just don't buy that at all. First, the idea of an excel monkey is there for a reason- it's the time to hunker down and sit in the cubicle. Thrill seeking = ADHD = restless = fidgety = unreliable. And it's even worse (in the other direction) for any risk-carrying role in S&T.

Second, motivated and enjoying a sennse of accomplishment is different from skydiving and shark dancing (or whatever). You need people who can operate reliably on a less intense wavelength at times, if that makes sense- not somebody who is going to get bored working on a prospectus for 6 hours straight.

But this is just one guy's opinion. Your's makes a certain amount of sense to some.

 
Best Response
ReadLine:
you're coming at this from the wrong angle, ie, one where people do not like or enjoy their job. if people like the pressure, the rush of doing deals etc.. then they get their fix through work, it's not the same fix but it is similar; if you enjoy your job.

Sorry, I just don't buy that at all. First, the idea of an excel monkey is there for a reason- it's the time to hunker down and sit in the cubicle. Thrill seeking = ADHD = restless = fidgety = unreliable. And it's even worse (in the other direction) for any risk-carrying role in S&T.

Second, motivated and enjoying a sennse of accomplishment is different from skydiving and shark dancing (or whatever). You need people who can operate reliably on a less intense wavelength at times, if that makes sense- not somebody who is going to get bored working on a prospectus for 6 hours straight.

But this is just one guy's opinion. Your's makes a certain amount of sense to some.

I'm not sure where you're getting that from. Many of these sports are for the OCD.

I've seen divers with a number of verbal ticks before any dive. They keep counting to themselves as they check their gear, repeating the same process over and over again.

Hang gliding requires a detailed preflight before any launch, a detailed review of the weather, and incredible patience while waiting on launch. It requires a lot of planning. This is all stuff that OCD folks tend to be good at.

The ADHD kids are playing video games of this stuff. The OCD kids, if they are functional, are the ones doing the real thing.

 

is muscle building/fitness on a vegetarian diet a good one? one of my friends is really into gym/fitness/veg diets and was grilled about it... loved talking about it... one of the senior guys asked him to make a diet/exercise plan for him :D (he got the job also)

 

Getting a rush from work is nothing like getting rush outdoors in a new environment, doing something physical that you've never done before. Some people need that rush!

 

What? Dude, why would you get dinged for that? I'm still an undergraduate, h/w, I think the more unique the interests the better -- maybe you could say "accomplished []" instead of listing the races.

fdba Emory Blaine and BBA or otherwise trying to find the perfect pseudonym.
 

Because it could have the potential to turn someone off. It's in the same vein as wearing a better tie than an analyst during one's SA internship. Sort of get what I'm saying?

 
Adam Smith:
Because it could have the potential to turn someone off. It's in the same vein as wearing a better tie than an analyst during one's SA internship. Sort of get what I'm saying?

I get what you are saying but I don't think it should be a problem if it is something you are really in to. It is better than something you are not really in to that you just put to look the part so to speak.

fdba Emory Blaine and BBA or otherwise trying to find the perfect pseudonym.
 
Edmundo Braverman:
There's nothing douchey about sailing unless you're Thurston Howell. Absolutely list it. Way better than golf.

WSO's first Gilligan reference?

looking for that pick-me-up to power through an all-nighter?
 

Sorry to semi-hijack this thread, but how appropriate is it to put accomplishments from high school under the interests and activities heading. I've won a number of major awards for one of my (otherwise very common and plain-sounding) high school activities that I have continued as a hobby.

 

I thought of numerous wise ass remarks, but I'll try to hold back.

Your resume is generally the first thing they see. You want to make every thing you put on it represent good expereince/skills/qualities that you (hopefully) have. If you think saying that you watch reruns of Seinfeld would make them think you are right for the position, go ahead. Less competition for me.

Just because something makes you stand out doesn't mean it'll help you. They're running a serious business, not a match.com.

 

As a former associate who helped a lot with recruiting, as well as a self-annointed resume nazi, i have to say that if your list of interests at the bottom of the page included seinfeld re-runs (or simpsons, or any other cult comedy), you would likely score with a number of the associates in charge of screening you at initial interviews and super days. MDs could care less. Your risk is with an all too full of himself 1st or 2nd year VP. Of course, that assumes that you could pick up on subtle references and carry the jokes at the outset or end of an interview.

That said, this would only be the case if your resume was very strong over all (including format). Most analysts do a poor job at crafting a strong resume.

 

I'm an associate with a small private wealth firm and the entirety of the analyst recruiting is on my plate. I would ding you for putting any television show on your resume, whether or not I like it, unless the rest of your resume is great. I also just dinged a guy for putting "fanatic video gamer" even though I myself enjoy video games. Your resume is the most important advertisement for your personal brand. Why market yourself as a TV-watcher rather than a world-changer? Do yourself a favor: put rock climbing or Indochinese history, but not TV.

I think our ideal thing to see in the interests section of a resume is your titles and achievements (hopefully at a national or international level) in sports.

 

I wouldn't even recommend putting down television shows under your hobbies...the VPs & MDs want to know that in your free-time your activities are social/athletic in nature...you're not going to be sitting down with CFOs at pitches talking about what Seinfeld rerun was on last night. They're going to be schmoozing about the Red Sox game, or that awesome wine tasting they went to in the Hamptons Memorial Day weekend.

 

recruiters go through thousands of resumes, spending less than a minute on each one. why bother wasting space/their time on saying you like classic rock or seinfeld!?

put activities that distinguish yourself from the rest of the pack. common sense imo.

 

Would you even put that on your Facebook profile? It is not that you shouldn't put something of your interests, but only do it if it is an interesting interest or you can write it in a funny way.

I feel like most of the comments here (don't list it) are probably the safe choice but I feel the OP on this one...I wish I could list Seinfeld as an interest Anyone who doesn't appreciate it being listed on my resume should himself be fired and his job should be given to me. The show is by far one of the best products television has offered us (though...that's not saying much I guess considering the fact that 99% of TV shows are utter crap anyway)

 

i screened some resumes at a very very selective top tier alternative investment fund this summer during some not so busy time with a 2nd year VP, and if we liked a kid, and they had something humorous or unique like this to add at the bottom, we ate it up. you are going to be working with the people who are reading your resumes. their liking you can definitely help...but it only will if the rest is respectable

 

Totally agree.

If somebody can make me laugh, I appreciate it. So assuming the rest of a resume is flawless... then by the time I get to the interests section... if you caught me by surprise and I smiled, that's a good thing for you. The bottom line is this, we work f'n long hours. If I sense that someone can bring levity to a team, and the cultural fit is good, it will sway me over some 3.98999 gpa candidate with no personality.

Sorry Mis Ind, sports on a national or international level don't impress me, that's just me though :-(

 

Btw, I love Seinfeld. So many favorite episodes. One of my favorites was on the other night...

It's the one where Jerry makes a new friend - that bball player - and Jerry wants to introduce himself but can't figure out how. But the bball player introduces himself first and says "I always wanted to do what you do". Jerry gets infatuated and he talks about him like a woman would a new boyfriend. He tells Elaine, "Its been 3 days, why hasn't he called me?" Hilarious. HAHAHA

Now what's that baseball players name? What's his NAME?!? Ugh. It's killing me.

 

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