Many here ask for resume tips when it comes to listing schools.. What about listing organizations in which one has membership? I know we have some HR managers here, would listing memberships or affiliations help or hurt the overall resume? Examples: MENSA Freemasons City & Guilds
If your membership is part of an organization that directly ties in with your job, such as a electronics technician listing membership in the electronic technicians association, I don't think it would hurt (it may possibly help) listing the membership on your resume. However, if you are listing a membership that has nothing do to do with the job, such as the same technician listing that he is part of his town's PTA, I think it would be a waste of space to list it on your resume. Keep in mind that I am not a HR professional, and that is merely my 2 cents.
One of the reasons I ask is it seems educational qualifications( Degrees, Certifications) are now almost too common. I would think that the more information on a resume the better you can show you are a unique individual. The last time I went job hunting it was commonplace for the HR dept. to tell me they were receiving 100's of submissions a day. Perhaps a secondary question to my OP would be: What tips can our HR members give on setting yourself apart from the 'herd'? JF
Actually, listing PTA affiliation could help, depending on involvement level. Of course it wouldn't help to simply list being a member, as that only requires paying yearly dues. But any offices held would certainly help. My sister is a past president of a PTA at a large school, she listed this on her resume and it helped her secure employment after some time out of the work force due to raising children. The HR person was impressed that she would devote so much time to an all-volunteer organization rather than just being a non-participating dues-paying member. Kit
I would not normally list the organizations you list (except maybe the C&G). This is how I list professional organizations on my resume: EDUCATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS • Master of Aeronautical Science-- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (March ARB campus). • MS in Quality Assurance -- California State University, Dominguez Hills. • BS Liberal Studies -- The University of the State of New York • Higher National Certificate in Mechanical Engineering -- Hatfield Polytechnic, UK. • Numerous company sponsored technical, business, management and ethics courses. • Associate Fellow of American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics. • Current member of AIAA Technical Committee on (my specialty). • Member of SAFE Association.
