"Reading, cinema, travel": this line appears on millions of resumes and tells the recruiter nothing. In finance, where profiles look very similar on paper (same degrees, same internships, same tools), the hobbies section is one of the few places where you can stand out, provided you take care over it. Here is how to choose your interests, word them and avoid common missteps.
Why recruiters read this section
Many candidates think the "Interests" section is mere filler. Recruiters often read it last, for three reasons:
- It gives a conversation topic. In an interview, a specific hobby lets you talk about something other than your academic path. It relaxes the exchange and shows your personality.
- It reveals qualities the rest of the resume does not show: discipline, competitive spirit, teamwork, curiosity, ability to stick with something over time.
- It helps judge cultural fit. In an investment banking or consulting team that spends long hours together, personality matters as much as technical skills.
The French student media L'Étudiant has looked at whether recruiters read the bottom of the resume 🔗 (article in French): they do, and this area is far from trivial.
⚠️ Keep in mind: a hobbies section never makes up for a weak resume, but it can separate two close profiles. First get the essentials right with our guide on how to write a finance resume.
Hobbies that support your application
Sport, especially team or endurance sports
Sport remains the most appreciated hobby in finance and consulting, because it points to qualities employers look for:
- Team sports (rugby, football, basketball, volleyball): teamwork, performing under pressure, competitive drive.
- Endurance sports (running, marathon, triathlon, rowing): discipline, resilience, managing effort, measurable goals.
- Demanding individual sports (fencing, tennis, competitive swimming): rigour, autonomy, progress through repetition.
What matters is level and regularity. "Amateur club football for ten years, captain of the university team" says far more than "sport".
Associations and volunteering
A role in a student association, regular volunteering or civic commitment shows your sense of responsibility and your ability to run a project. If the commitment is significant, it even deserves a separate section on the resume, with figures (budget managed, number of members, events organised).
Creative or intellectual pursuits
Music, theatre, writing, photography, chess, bridge: these hobbies show creativity, concentration and an intellectual life. Chess, analytical poker or bridge are often well perceived for their closeness to decision-making under uncertainty.
Interests related to the job
Following the markets, managing a mock portfolio, joining a finance club, running a blog or podcast on economic news: all consistent with your application and proof of genuine interest. Be ready to discuss them in detail, since a recruiter may ask your opinion on a recent news item.
💡 Learn more: to prepare for these questions, see our guide to preparing for an investment banking interview.
Travel, with a precise angle
"Travel" alone says nothing. By contrast, "Semester abroad in Montreal, three-week trek in Nepal, six-month volunteering in Morocco" shows adaptability and an international outlook. Always specify where, when and what you took away from it.
Generic wording to ban
Some phrases are so widespread that they have the opposite of the intended effect:
- "Reading, cinema, music" with no detail;
- "Travel" or "Going out with friends";
- "Sport" without saying which one;
- "New technologies" or "Social networks";
- "Miscellaneous", which suggests you have nothing to say.
The rule is simple: every line must be specific, verifiable and defensible in an interview. If you cannot talk about a hobby for five minutes, leave it out.
A typical transformation:
| Generic version | Useful version | |---|---| | Reading | Reading entrepreneur biographies and the business press (Les Échos, Financial Times) | | Sport | Running: Paris half-marathon in 1h45, training three times a week | | Travel | Three months volunteering in India, a study stay in Singapore | | Music | Piano for 12 years, member of the university orchestra |
Examples by profile
Business or engineering school student looking for an internship
You have little experience, so the hobbies section weighs more. Highlight your association involvement (student union, junior consulting firm, finance club) and a sport practised regularly.
Sport: university rugby club, second row, inter-school tournament Involvement: treasurer of the student association (budget of €15,000) Interests: stock market investing (study portfolio of €5,000), chess
Recent graduate looking for a first job
Tighten it to three lines at most, keeping what best reflects your professional profile: one sport, one commitment, one intellectual interest.
Experienced professional
With several years of experience, the section becomes more discreet: two lines are enough, and it can even disappear if space is short. Keep one standout hobby (high-level sport, long-term volunteering) that humanises your career.
Career changer
Use the section to show the consistency of your project: voluntary treasurer role in an association, self-taught stock market training, a finance blog. Our guide on switching to finance details this approach.
What is better left out
Even if these interests matter to you, avoid them on an application resume:
- Political, trade union or religious opinions: they have no place in an application and can trigger bias, even unintentionally.
- Risky or controversial hobbies (sports betting, gambling): in finance, where compliance and risk control are central, they can be misread.
- Passive hobbies (series, video games, social media) with no clear angle: they give a less dynamic image. If gaming is a real passion, present it from a competitive or creative angle (esports team, game design).
- Lies and exaggeration: "marathon" when you ran 10 km. A curious recruiter will expose the gap in two questions.
- Hobbies that take more space than your experience: the section must stay short (three lines at most).
⚠️ Keep in mind: do not include unnecessary personal information (family situation, age) here either. The hobbies section is not a place for confidences.
Where to place the section and how to format it
- Position: at the bottom of the resume, after skills and languages.
- Title: "Interests" or "Hobbies and involvement". Avoid "Miscellaneous".
- Length: two or three lines, in short bullets.
- Consistency: reread it against the rest of the resume. For a consulting firm, favour hobbies that show teamwork and curiosity; for a trading floor, competition and decision-making.
These layout details also matter for applicant tracking systems. With FinanceCV, you do not have to worry about format: you write the content of each section and the tool handles the layout, producing a clean, ATS-compatible document that screening software reads without trouble. To go further, read our guide on optimising your resume for ATS.
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