Associations/Organizations on a resume
03-15-2011, 05:24 PM
#1
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Posts: 453
Associations/Organizations on a resume
I've read a handful of my friends resumes over the past few weeks, and I see some that list 'Associations and Organizations' on them and some that don't. To me this takes up valuable resume space and I'm not too sure if its needed.
1) Do you recommend listing or not listing certain associations? (Obviously I'm not talking about the KKK or anything, but do employers care that I am a member of SABR or FONZ?)
2) Is there an association I can join that would help stand out? I'm planning on taking the MENSA test in a few months, would that be a good one or would that be too corny?
I know it may be a simple topic, but these days I just want something that may stand out a bit and something that won't put my resume in a landfill.
1) Do you recommend listing or not listing certain associations? (Obviously I'm not talking about the KKK or anything, but do employers care that I am a member of SABR or FONZ?)
2) Is there an association I can join that would help stand out? I'm planning on taking the MENSA test in a few months, would that be a good one or would that be too corny?
I know it may be a simple topic, but these days I just want something that may stand out a bit and something that won't put my resume in a landfill.
03-15-2011, 06:12 PM
#2
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Joined APC: Dec 2009
Position: 127.0.0.1
Posts: 2,115
Generally Speaking
**Not just for aviation, but applying for any job**
If you put an association/organization on your resume, make sure you're active. I got "called out" in an interview once for listing a professional org, but had to admit that basically I was just a due payer to get it on the paper.
Anything on the resume if fair game for questions.
I think MENSA would be good, provided you won't be stereotyping yourself - i.e. brains and no personality.
If you put an association/organization on your resume, make sure you're active. I got "called out" in an interview once for listing a professional org, but had to admit that basically I was just a due payer to get it on the paper.
Anything on the resume if fair game for questions.
I think MENSA would be good, provided you won't be stereotyping yourself - i.e. brains and no personality.
03-15-2011, 06:41 PM
#3
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Posts: 453
Originally Posted by N9373M
**Not just for aviation, but applying for any job**
If you put an association/organization on your resume, make sure you're active. I got "called out" in an interview once for listing a professional org, but had to admit that basically I was just a due payer to get it on the paper.
Anything on the resume if fair game for questions.
I think MENSA would be good, provided you won't be stereotyping yourself - i.e. brains and no personality.
If you put an association/organization on your resume, make sure you're active. I got "called out" in an interview once for listing a professional org, but had to admit that basically I was just a due payer to get it on the paper.
Anything on the resume if fair game for questions.
I think MENSA would be good, provided you won't be stereotyping yourself - i.e. brains and no personality.
03-15-2011, 07:05 PM
#4
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As a lawyer, it is mandatory to pay dues and be a member of my state Bar Association. I am also a member of several smaller bar associations (county bar and minority bar). All of these memberships are listed on my resume. Would it not be possible to have something similar in aviation and list those?
My resume/CV also has "Awards" and "Volunteer Activities." Under the latter, I list all the years I have judged Moot Court and Negotiations competitions at the local law school. Listing these things might give HR a better picture of the kind of person you are. Like my old friend, Skyhigh, is fond of saying - anybody can fly a plane. So you need to distinguish yourself in the other things that you find important and meaningful.
Before I closed my coffee shop, I had occasion to hire kitchen help and baristas. It was standard practice for me to ask each candidate his proudest achievement and what he enjoyed doing in his personal time. Sad to say that the most popular answer was "well, uh, I graduated from Stadium High School! (Stadium HS is more, uh, affectionately known as Stay Dumb and High School). For personal time activities, the most popular answer was "hanging out with my buddies." Apparently, these dumb and high kids don't even have friends, they only have buddies.
Ah, but I digress. My apologies.
The point is to list those things that mean something to you and that will make you different from the thousands of others with 4000 TT.
My resume/CV also has "Awards" and "Volunteer Activities." Under the latter, I list all the years I have judged Moot Court and Negotiations competitions at the local law school. Listing these things might give HR a better picture of the kind of person you are. Like my old friend, Skyhigh, is fond of saying - anybody can fly a plane. So you need to distinguish yourself in the other things that you find important and meaningful.
Before I closed my coffee shop, I had occasion to hire kitchen help and baristas. It was standard practice for me to ask each candidate his proudest achievement and what he enjoyed doing in his personal time. Sad to say that the most popular answer was "well, uh, I graduated from Stadium High School! (Stadium HS is more, uh, affectionately known as Stay Dumb and High School). For personal time activities, the most popular answer was "hanging out with my buddies." Apparently, these dumb and high kids don't even have friends, they only have buddies.
Ah, but I digress. My apologies.
The point is to list those things that mean something to you and that will make you different from the thousands of others with 4000 TT.
03-15-2011, 09:17 PM
#5
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Joined APC: Apr 2010
Posts: 453
Originally Posted by vagabond
As a lawyer, it is mandatory to pay dues and be a member of my state Bar Association. I am also a member of several smaller bar associations (county bar and minority bar). All of these memberships are listed on my resume. Would it not be possible to have something similar in aviation and list those?
My resume/CV also has "Awards" and "Volunteer Activities." Under the latter, I list all the years I have judged Moot Court and Negotiations competitions at the local law school. Listing these things might give HR a better picture of the kind of person you are. Like my old friend, Skyhigh, is fond of saying - anybody can fly a plane. So you need to distinguish yourself in the other things that you find important and meaningful.
Before I closed my coffee shop, I had occasion to hire kitchen help and baristas. It was standard practice for me to ask each candidate his proudest achievement and what he enjoyed doing in his personal time. Sad to say that the most popular answer was "well, uh, I graduated from Stadium High School! (Stadium HS is more, uh, affectionately known as Stay Dumb and High School). For personal time activities, the most popular answer was "hanging out with my buddies." Apparently, these dumb and high kids don't even have friends, they only have buddies.
Ah, but I digress. My apologies.
The point is to list those things that mean something to you and that will make you different from the thousands of others with 4000 TT.
My resume/CV also has "Awards" and "Volunteer Activities." Under the latter, I list all the years I have judged Moot Court and Negotiations competitions at the local law school. Listing these things might give HR a better picture of the kind of person you are. Like my old friend, Skyhigh, is fond of saying - anybody can fly a plane. So you need to distinguish yourself in the other things that you find important and meaningful.
Before I closed my coffee shop, I had occasion to hire kitchen help and baristas. It was standard practice for me to ask each candidate his proudest achievement and what he enjoyed doing in his personal time. Sad to say that the most popular answer was "well, uh, I graduated from Stadium High School! (Stadium HS is more, uh, affectionately known as Stay Dumb and High School). For personal time activities, the most popular answer was "hanging out with my buddies." Apparently, these dumb and high kids don't even have friends, they only have buddies.
Ah, but I digress. My apologies.
The point is to list those things that mean something to you and that will make you different from the thousands of others with 4000 TT.
For example: I am a member of SABR (dues paying club), wrote for a Yankees blog (Until the site shut down), working on my Real Estate license, may work on my ASE Certified Technician towards the end of the year (if I can find time), working on a patent (invention my wife and I came up with) and volunteer with a group that trains seeing eye dogs.
So in the 8 square inch space I may have towards the end of the resume, does my employer really care that I know a lot about Major League Baseball? Or that I can discuss trends in the housing market? I've restored a '67 Mustang and a '70 Corvette - Does anyone care?
See - In an interview I can discuss these things for hours with no problems. Hobbies/interests? Interested to see what the state of the Baby Bombers are and the future in the Bronx? That's an hour. Wanna know how much of a pain a drum brake assembly can be? Boy, lemme tell you......
But for a resume, specifically for a two or three line "Association/Organization" standpoint, I can't really think of too many plausible ones. I also see a place like FDX wanting you to be a "FAR/AIM machine" and not wavering too much from the typical mold of what HR thinks is a pilot.
03-19-2017, 03:57 PM
#8
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Joined APC: Jan 2006
Position: Engines Turn Or People Swim
Posts: 39,275
Things like AOPA are probably useless since so many pilots have the subscription. Also AOPA advocacy is not always aligned with the interests of the airlines.
But membership and activities which show that you have outside interests and involvement other than aviation probably work in your favor, if nothing else than interview conversation points.
Don't get too carried away though. You don't want to give the impression that you're too busy to bother coming to work...
But membership and activities which show that you have outside interests and involvement other than aviation probably work in your favor, if nothing else than interview conversation points.
Don't get too carried away though. You don't want to give the impression that you're too busy to bother coming to work...
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