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I just finished my finals of first semester 1L year and am looking to apply for 1L summer jobs soon. I know that there have been several posts about the best types of interests to put, but I had a quick question about a specific interest.

I like to trade cryptocurrency, I've done it daily for the last couple months (especially because it's open on the weekends). Would putting something like that on a resume sound weird? I don't want to put something that could potentially hurt my resume, especially with all of the recent attention it has gotten and some of the bad stigma for being a bubble.

Thanks!

I am a 7th year associate at a NY firm and I can tell you id ding you on the spot for that, for a myriad of reasons.

Since the interests section is never supposed to have anything remotely controversial, there’s your answer.

Anonymous User wrote:I am a 7th year associate at a NY firm and I can tell you id ding you on the spot for that, for a myriad of reasons.

Since the interests section is never supposed to have anything remotely controversial, there’s your answer.

Fair enough, that's all I was looking for. Thanks!

lol i disagree. however, I wouldn't put "trade cryptocurrency" but maybe just "cryptocurrency."

block chain is all the buzz right now and if you can explain what it is to a screener that would be a good look IMO

also had an adjunct prof (partner) this semester where outside of class we talked about cryptos (totally unrelated to class) for like half an hour

I don’t see anything wrong with it. Some firms are even growing crypto practices.

Anonymous User wrote:I am a 7th year associate at a NY firm and I can tell you id ding you on the spot for that, for a myriad of reasons.

Since the interests section is never supposed to have anything remotely controversial, there’s your answer.

But is it controversial to people who aren't drunk on the sheer, intoxicating power of being a 7th-year associate?

don't say u trade it but it's an interesting interest that will spark convo

Same associate as above. “block chain/cryptocurrency” would be a fine interest, but I’d avoid it bc the whole point of the interests section is to have non-work related conversation topics and for some folks blockchain is now something they’re engaging with professionally.

“Trading crypto” as an interest is a bad idea because (1) some folks might read it as you being a risk taker, which is not a great look for a lawyer (I wouldn’t put that you’re a day trader of equities, either); (2) a non zero proportion of people in the industry think it’s a bubble and everyone trading it is an idiot, so you’ve just made like 10% of your audience think you’re an idiot; (3) since everyone knows that 10% of the financial industry thinks it’s a bubble and will judge you, putting it on the resume shows bad judgment and lots of people will ding you for that even if they have no personal issue with cryptocurrency and (4) if the bubble pops in the ~2-3 month window between when you submit your resume and your last callbacks, you will look so freakin’ stupid.

On the other hand, the upside for putting it as an interest is de mininis, since the only purpose of the interests section is to provide your interviewer with a source of small talk topics (crypto not great for that) and to show you’re not an axe murderer (crypto not great for that).

This isn’t a power thing, it’s interviewing 101: until you got the offer, avoid anything controversial and blend in.

Anonymous User wrote:
“Trading crypto” as an interest is a bad idea because . . . a non zero proportion of people in the industry think it’s a bubble and everyone trading it is an idiot, so you’ve just made like 10% of your audience think you’re an idiot . . . [and] since everyone knows that 10% of the financial industry thinks it’s a bubble and will judge you, putting it on the resume shows bad judgment and lots of people will ding you for that even if they have no personal issue with cryptocurrency

This is basically where I stand on the matter, too.

Anonymous User wrote:Same associate as above. “block chain/cryptocurrency” would be a fine interest, but I’d avoid it bc the whole point of the interests section is to have non-work related conversation topics and for some folks blockchain is now something they’re engaging with professionally.

“Trading crypto” as an interest is a bad idea because (1) some folks might read it as you being a risk taker, which is not a great look for a lawyer (I wouldn’t put that you’re a day trader of equities, either); (2) a non zero proportion of people in the industry think it’s a bubble and everyone trading it is an idiot, so you’ve just made like 10% of your audience think you’re an idiot; (3) since everyone knows that 10% of the financial industry thinks it’s a bubble and will judge you, putting it on the resume shows bad judgment and lots of people will ding you for that even if they have no personal issue with cryptocurrency and (4) if the bubble pops in the ~2-3 month window between when you submit your resume and your last callbacks, you will look so freakin’ stupid.

On the other hand, the upside for putting it as an interest is de mininis, since the only purpose of the interests section is to provide your interviewer with a source of small talk topics (crypto not great for that) and to show you’re not an axe murderer (crypto not great for that).

This isn’t a power thing, it’s interviewing 101: until you got the offer, avoid anything controversial and blend in.

This is a good post.

I would not put that on your resume.

Blockchain itself is pretty cool--it's basically like putting, like, computer programming in your interests section--but lots of people who trade cryptos don't give a fuck about the underlying technology, they just want the 1000% profit, and it seems like you're probably in that camp.

runinthefront wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:
“Trading crypto” as an interest is a bad idea because . . . a non zero proportion of people in the industry think it’s a bubble and everyone trading it is an idiot, so you’ve just made like 10% of your audience think you’re an idiot . . . [and] since everyone knows that 10% of the financial industry thinks it’s a bubble and will judge you, putting it on the resume shows bad judgment and lots of people will ding you for that even if they have no personal issue with cryptocurrency

This is basically where I stand on the matter, too.

If you do list cryptocurrency, the conversation turns to you investing in it, and they either haven't heard of it or think it's a joke - - - you better be prepared to give an extremely brief and compelling summary as to why you're not throwing away time, effort, and money at magic internet gold as a get-rich-quick scheme. And one that convinces a lawyer, at that. Otherwise, they might not take you seriously if they perceive it as taking unwarranted risks or poor judgment.

It's kind of difficult to explain crypto/blockchain to anyone who hasn't gotten involved themselves, let alone an old-fashioned partner that may not be at all tech savvy. Might be better to focus on a few aspects of the blockchain technology itself if you kinda get that - rather than your trading it. Everything relating to this would likely play much better (and safer) in a tech/IP practice or with younger people in general.

FWIW in regards to risk-taking, I had "riding motorcycles" in my interest section for OCI and still ended up in BigLaw.

If you want to play it safe, I'd just drop the "trading" part. In the event you do end up interviewing with an associate/partner who thinks crypto traders are risky morons, you can just claim to have an academic interest and agree.

Anonymous User wrote:FWIW in regards to risk-taking, I had "riding motorcycles" in my interest section for OCI and still ended up in BigLaw.

If you want to play it safe, I'd just drop the "trading" part. In the event you do end up interviewing with an associate/partner who thinks crypto traders are risky morons, you can just claim to have an academic interest and agree.

This is not an abnormal interest at all.

Anonymous User wrote:FWIW in regards to risk-taking, I had "riding motorcycles" in my interest section for OCI and still ended up in BigLaw.

If you want to play it safe, I'd just drop the "trading" part. In the event you do end up interviewing with an associate/partner who thinks crypto traders are risky morons, you can just claim to have an academic interest and agree.

That’s not the kind of “risk-taking” that day trading bitcoin is.