From the course: Writing a Resume

Display membership in an organization

From the course: Writing a Resume

Display membership in an organization

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- If before this point you have never joined an organization or volunteered your time, you might want to get started. Being part of an organization shows that you are well rounded and usually that you can or have a desire to get along well with others. At least that's what we get told in high school, right? When we applied to college it was drummed into us that extracurricular activities were in demand. Well, employers are no different. They do want to see that you occupy your time with things other than work. I address memberships and affiliations separately from volunteer experience because they are different. And many times people confuse the two. So let me give you an example from my own life. I'm a member of the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources. And this means I signed up online and I paid my dues. I might attend an event they are hosting every now and then and if that was the sole basis of my involvement, I would list the organization under memberships or affiliations. Why would I do this? Placing this information on my resume shows a few things to a future employer. First, it shows that I have initiative. I took the time to locate an organization that is related to my industry. And second, it shows that I'm interested in furthering my expertise and knowledge in the HR industry. An industry based organization usually provides you with an opportunity to continue learning in your field and the assumption is that I'm taking my own free time to keep up with industry updates. And that demonstrates ambition. Third, being a member of an organization usually means you have the opportunity to network with other professionals in that field, which broadens your network. Not every type of membership needs to be, or even should be listed. There are times when you don't want to list a affiliation because you think it might prevent you from getting the job. Memberships and organizations which provide information about your race, religion, marital status, or any other information that an employer cannot legally ask don't need to be avoided completely, but should be included only if they're relevant to the job for which you are applying. This does require some thought and can include memberships and organizations, which don't make the case you have an interest in the job to which you've applied. An example of this, which isn't immediately obvious is including your membership in an executive level organization when you're applying for a more junior level position. Sometimes that might indicate to a recruiter that you may not stay in the role for very long, because you have much higher aspirations. Refraining from listing purely social, religious or political organizations is a good idea unless you are attempting to work within an organization that would value such an association. If there's a doubt, leave it out. Great categories of organizations to list are ones that are industry-based, CPA societies, marketing societies, banking associations, engineering groups. You get the gest. Not sure if there's a group for you, try and internet search using your industry as a keyword. You'll be surprised at what you find.

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