One of my hobbies/activities is writing, and I’ve got a book listed on Amazon.com That’s the upside. The downside is that the subject (how to improve your relationships) is a bit controversial, especially for someone trying to get into banking field. Should this be on my resume or not?
That’s great you have authored your own book, it’s too bad it wasn’t Margin of Safety or Securities Analysis something similar. To be honest I would leave it out. If something came up in the conversation and it seemed appropriate to mention it, then that’s probably ok, but otherwise, yeah I would skip it. Interested to hear what others think though. Nice little topic.
It would be perceived as a little creepy. I would leave it out.
what do students know about relationships?
illcaprice Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > It would be perceived as a little creepy. I would > leave it out. +1
Bring in an autographed copy.
yea maybe leave it out because they might say hey, this guy is going to run out of the door at 5pm so he can go write another Danielle Steele novel…NEXT!
I have to lean towards leaving it out, but could be convinced otherwise. My concern would be is this something people will perceive as a conflict of your time? I have had other business and ventures I do on the side that I leave out (or change the dating to appear it is finished) because of that concern. Of course, you have the added concern that it may not be perceived well for other reasons…
It shows an accomplishment that takes time and dedication, and that’s good. I’d personally take that over worrying that the topic is not “investment-y” enough (though obviously an investments book would be even better). I don’t think that I’d worry that you would put your job at risk because you are busy writing a new novel, although I might ask you in an interview about the fact that you might not have much time or energy left over to do much other writing if you are working with us, to which the appropriate response is: “I’m glad I did it when I had the time, and I am comfortable focusing on your needs when I am working for you.” Some people will be put off by the idea of a book about relationships. However, human relationships are pretty important, even in the hard-nosed investment world. A company that messes up its relationships with its clients is not likely to generate good fees. Maybe you can spin it more that way. Sum total, I’d put it on a resume, but try to spin it to address relationships in general, and not specifically personal relationships (actually, I don’t think you said it was specifically about personal relationships; I think it was other people who made that assumption for you).
I think an employer not only would wonder if it would compete for time as other have said above…but also they may question your interest. I would leave it out. If they see it on the resume they may be looking for reasons to throw you in the garbage pile and that might push it over. But feel free to bring it up in an interview…I think in interviews they are looking for reasons to hire you, and that might be seen in a positive light as long as you can spin it as a clue that you are a hard worker and can think critically.
I think it’s a fantastic achievement to be published and, as an employer, i would be pleased to find a candidate with the skill and determination required to pull it off. As a candidate, I wouldn’t want to work for a business that sees creative activity as a threat. If they want robots, there are plenty out there. I wouldn’t work for anyone who saw getting published as a negative factor.
I don’t think anybody is saying it isn’t a fantastic achievement, of course it is. It’s just that prospective employers might think: A - you’re a bit weird, and/or B - you’re likely to write your next book on company time, and/or C - you really want to be an author and are only doing this job to pay the bills Remember he (or she) is going for a finance job, not marketing or writing advertising copy or as a journo for Life magazine. If it was a book on finance on the other hand, then I would put it front and center.
Leave it out.
I would see writing a book as an accomplishment worth mentioning, especially if it sells well. I can’t believe all the people who get worried that this means you’ll write another book on company time. You might as well say the same thing about people who run marathons, or invest in their personal accounts, or who use the internet to make online purchases. I’m sure that far more company time is lost on Facebook than is likely to be lost on novel-writing, even among the author crowd. Yes, in an interview, I would ask questions to feel out whether this is an accomplishment, a hobby, or an obsession, but I would not toss your resume in the trash because you accomplished something significant. And I think you should not be working for people who do. Good writing and good writers are hard to come by. If you are applying for sell-side stuff, your writing skills are going to be at least as important as your analytical skills. Buy side, maybe not so much, but you still have to communicate there well.