One of the most difficult processes in applying for jobs and internships is selecting which opportunities from your running resume to include. Even more difficult, some students face the challenge of whether or not to include political and religious activities. If you are one of these people, this post is for you!
USA Today’s Patrick O’Brien and Susan Davis-Ali, career experts, weighed in on this issue. They agreed that it isn’t a black and white answer—instead, it requires a certain amount of careful thought and consideration on your part. Here are some questions to help you weigh the pros and cons of including political and religious affiliations on your resume.
Did you hold a leadership role in the political or religious organization?
If you held a position on the executive board of an organization, then it is most likely a good thing to include on your resume. If you had significant quantifiable contributions, such as recruiting a certain number of people to the group or raising a large sum of money for the benefit of the organization, it might be a positive addition to your transferrable and leadership skills.
On the other hand, if you are looking for resume space filler and have only attended one or two meetings throughout an entire semester, it would probably be a detriment to include. Whether or not we do it consciously, everyone has unique opinions and these can get in the way of making unbiased judgments. Avoid any possible undue prejudice by leaving insignificant controversial organizations off your resume.
Do your beliefs differ significantly from those of the company?
Be aware of the atmosphere of the job to which you are applying. If you know for sure that the company is rooted in beliefs that oppose your own, don’t include your involvement. Or, if the website states that the employer is not affiliated with any party or religion, it’s probably in your best interest to skip it.
Would you want to talk about the organization and your involvement during an interview?
Anything you include on a resume is fair game for an interviewer to inquire about. If you wouldn’t be willing to talk about the experiences you’ve had in the organization, your involvement, and your contributions to the group then it might be best to leave it off. For example, if your only connection with a particular political or religious group has been at social events or sporadic attendance, talking about the organization is probably not worthy of a potential employer’s time.
Ultimately, the most important part is to keep your resume honest and stay true to your own values. Don’t violate your beliefs in the job process; but at the same time, make sure the pros of including these experiences outweigh the possible cons. Remember that any two-sided issue has the potential to sway an interviewer or recruiter in the wrong direction, so don’t include your religious and political beliefs unless they provide a significant insight into who you are and a large benefit to your resume.