MENSA

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I hear the local NAMBLA group whipped the local MENSA group's asses at the softball complex last night. But I the NAMBLA guys were putting saliva on balls.

 

Yes and no.

Yes, I was kidding. I would hope as heck that editors wouldn't want that.

No, I wasn't kidding, since I've seen some places only hire sheep. I'm not taking shots at the sheep themselves, I'm calling out the editors that hired them in the first place and only want yes-men around.

 

I'm assuming you're not serious about answer 2. Really, why wouldn't you put it on your resume? It's a fact about you that shows you in a positive light. No, you don't make it the centerpiece of your resume, screaming, ``I'M SO FUCKING SMART! HIRE ME!'' But what's wrong with a line somewhere?

Personally, I lead with my best stuff -- work experience and accomplishments. Then education. Then, just before the references, there's a graf under the heading ``Personal Information'' that notes the names and ages of my kids, my hobbies, the fact that I am an assistant scoutmaster, I play golf and tennis and I love '50s rock and roll ... and, oh yes, a mention that I am a member of Mensa, the international high IQ society. Does anyone really think that will get my resume tossed in the round file without another glance?

 

I see no reason to put "personal information" on a resume. Not that there's anything wrong with it, I guess. But it's not for me.

 

Ditto. Da man's post made me think of Dwight Schrute's three resumes: 1. Professional, 2. Personal, 3. Dwight Schrute trivia.

 

Really? Because I totally copy and paste my Facebook profile onto my resume. I think it tells potential employers a lot about me (for example, since "Lost" is among my favorite TV shows, they know I'm a deep thinker, but since "Anchorman" is among my favorite movies, they know I have a sense of humor.)

I am completely joking, by the way (or maybe it's "yoking," it might be a soft J.) I can't imagine including personal information on my resume.

 

Does "no personal information" extend to education? Because putting "Harvard" or "Yale" on your resume (assuming that's where you went) isn't materally different from putting MENSA on there. It's touting an aspect of your background and capability. The MENSA thing might even be more pure -- mentioning your alma mater might only be touting your parents' bank account.

I find it ironic, too (wait, maybe just coincidental...?) that in a business where we spend so much time glorifying athletic talent and distinguishing between them that got it and them that don't, or to what degree, that we would be so uncomfortable acknowledging degrees of intelligence. That's my gripe with high school sports coverage -- we turn a school's jocks into heroes while the smart kids still get stuck with "nerd" and "wonk" labels. We've got some kids who try to avoid being seen as smart, because it might ostracize them. But no one makes athletes embarrassed about their innate skills.

So . . . if you were captain of a Big Ten team and you're trying to carve out a sportswriting career, would you put that on your resume, to show you were a sports insider, not just a fan-boy with writing ability? Same thing then. Personal information.

 

If you think putting MENSA on your application is the same as listing what college you attended, then I think you don't have any worries about it cluttering up your resume.

 

Talking about the bragging aspect of it that seems to be rattling people here. And how that personal information about your background -- explicitly saying, I was certified as having learned such-and-such at Phuque U. -- isn't much different from saying I know such-and-such or am a quick study because I'm Mensa-smart.

Frankly, knowing that somebody, at 35, is really smart might have more relevance than knowing where someone hung out and went to keggers from 18-22.

But then, in case of your alma mater, Ace, it hardly would be bragging.