6 ms·

Ask HN: Do you put Mensa membership on your resume?

jcadam 9y ago
Yes. At the very bottom of my resume where I list all of my completed MOOC courses, side projects, and other random stuff. Just checked: actually my Mensa membership is the very last thing on my resume. No idea if it helps or hurts when I'm trying to get hired. I've been a dues-paying member for years but don't go to the meetings (who has the time?) and the monthly magazine/newsletter is terrible. The AG is even in-state this year for me (Florida), but I don't plan on going.
- ajeet_dhaliwal 9y ago
  You don't seem to give it much weight, what motivated you to apply, did you just want to see if you could get in? I am not a Mensa member, I'm just curious about what makes people join.
  - mgkimsal 9y ago
    Not the OP, but I joined partially for the benefit of my in-laws, to give them something to 'brag on' their new son-in-law. Sort of joking, sort of not - they're british, mensa was from the UK, and it felt like a nice thing to do. I already 'knew' I could get in because I had the appropriate test scores, but actually applying and paying the dues... I went through the process. Went to a few meetings, but generally lame (well, the dinners were). You don't have much in-common with folks. I view the IQ stuff as inherently biological - it's sort of like joining a "tall persons" club, or a group of left-handed people. It's a rare biological condition, but not much you can do about it.
  - jcadam 9y ago
    Mostly. I had never taken an IQ test before and they (the local Mensa chapter) were doing membership testing at the local library. I was a bit hungover when I took the test, but I managed to pass (at least when I took the Mensa membership test, you were not told your resulting IQ 'score', you were only told whether or not you achieved the minimum to qualify for membership).
kleer001 9y ago
No, but it's on my linkedin profile.
- mattbgates 9y ago
  I like your thinking. Not direct, but if someone is snooping to learn about you.. they'll discover it.
brainfog 9y ago
No, because it does not take much to become a member, and listing it screams "I think I am very smart look at this badge that I got".
- miguelrochefort 9y ago
  > it does not take much to become a member beside being in the top 2%...
  - mgkimsal 9y ago
    Yep. I don't think the OP really gets what mensa is or what it takes to become a member (whether s/he is a member or not). I don't think it 'screams' anything, although many insecure folks might take it that way. A basketball player would probably list their height on their stats/resume - it's a validated, measurable aspect of their biology. IQ tests are as well, and mensa membership is one signal of that measure. It doesn't mean that you will definitely be a total success at any job requiring brainpower, but it's certainly an indicator. People might read a lot more in to it than you intend, but... you can't anticipate every possible objection anyone might have and just leave parts of your life off. If you put a certain school down, people might think it "screams" that you're some sort of elitist, for example. Do you leave that off? It's harder to get in to mensa that it is to get in to most universities.
    - owebmaster 9y ago
      > IQ tests are as well, and mensa membership is one signal of that measure. Your motivation to go to a small club with alleged higher intelligence might also be a signal and one that a lot of recruiters/companies dislike.
    - paulcole 9y ago
      >I don't think it 'screams' anything, although many insecure folks might take it that way. Then you better not put it on your resume.
    - seanwilson 9y ago
idoh 9y ago
No - show you are smart by what you do. Smart is as smart does.
Rainymood 9y ago
Yes. I put on my resume that I can solve a Rubik's cube in less than 20 seconds. It makes you stand out from the crowd. It literally got me multiple interviews where people asked me if I could solve one for them but of course who the fuck brings a Rubik's cube to an interview ... I should really start brining it.
Abdur91 9y ago
can some one tell me what is Mensa?
- redmaple 9y ago
  a circle jerk
id122015 9y ago
Yes, I write it on the back of my CV using a small font so nobody could see it.
tedmiston 9y ago
I was lucky to qualify for Mensa at a young age through a test given in elementary school but didn't see enough benefit in joining to make it worthwhile. Luckily after you qualify once, I believe you can join anytime in your life without doing the test again. I list that I qualified in the random achievements section on AngelList (https://angel.co/taylor); https://angel.co/taylor); I hadn't previously listed it on my LinkedIn or resume but I just added it for kicks.

Yes. At the very bottom of my resume where I list all of my completed MOOC courses, side projects, and other random stuff. Just checked: actually my Mensa membership is the very last thing on my resume. No idea if it helps or hurts when I'm trying to get hired. I've been a dues-paying member for years but don't go to the meetings (who has the time?) and the monthly magazine/newsletter is terrible. The AG is even in-state this year for me (Florida), but I don't plan on going.

ajeet_dhaliwal 9y ago
You don't seem to give it much weight, what motivated you to apply, did you just want to see if you could get in? I am not a Mensa member, I'm just curious about what makes people join.
- mgkimsal 9y ago
  Not the OP, but I joined partially for the benefit of my in-laws, to give them something to 'brag on' their new son-in-law. Sort of joking, sort of not - they're british, mensa was from the UK, and it felt like a nice thing to do. I already 'knew' I could get in because I had the appropriate test scores, but actually applying and paying the dues... I went through the process. Went to a few meetings, but generally lame (well, the dinners were). You don't have much in-common with folks. I view the IQ stuff as inherently biological - it's sort of like joining a "tall persons" club, or a group of left-handed people. It's a rare biological condition, but not much you can do about it.
- jcadam 9y ago
  Mostly. I had never taken an IQ test before and they (the local Mensa chapter) were doing membership testing at the local library. I was a bit hungover when I took the test, but I managed to pass (at least when I took the Mensa membership test, you were not told your resulting IQ 'score', you were only told whether or not you achieved the minimum to qualify for membership).

kleer001 9y ago

No, but it's on my linkedin profile.

mattbgates 9y ago
I like your thinking. Not direct, but if someone is snooping to learn about you.. they'll discover it.

brainfog 9y ago

No, because it does not take much to become a member, and listing it screams "I think I am very smart look at this badge that I got".

miguelrochefort 9y ago
> it does not take much to become a member beside being in the top 2%...
- mgkimsal 9y ago
  Yep. I don't think the OP really gets what mensa is or what it takes to become a member (whether s/he is a member or not). I don't think it 'screams' anything, although many insecure folks might take it that way. A basketball player would probably list their height on their stats/resume - it's a validated, measurable aspect of their biology. IQ tests are as well, and mensa membership is one signal of that measure. It doesn't mean that you will definitely be a total success at any job requiring brainpower, but it's certainly an indicator. People might read a lot more in to it than you intend, but... you can't anticipate every possible objection anyone might have and just leave parts of your life off. If you put a certain school down, people might think it "screams" that you're some sort of elitist, for example. Do you leave that off? It's harder to get in to mensa that it is to get in to most universities.
  - owebmaster 9y ago
    > IQ tests are as well, and mensa membership is one signal of that measure. Your motivation to go to a small club with alleged higher intelligence might also be a signal and one that a lot of recruiters/companies dislike.
  - paulcole 9y ago
    >I don't think it 'screams' anything, although many insecure folks might take it that way. Then you better not put it on your resume.
  - seanwilson 9y ago

idoh 9y ago

No - show you are smart by what you do. Smart is as smart does.

Rainymood 9y ago

Yes. I put on my resume that I can solve a Rubik's cube in less than 20 seconds. It makes you stand out from the crowd. It literally got me multiple interviews where people asked me if I could solve one for them but of course who the fuck brings a Rubik's cube to an interview ... I should really start brining it.

Abdur91 9y ago

can some one tell me what is Mensa?

redmaple 9y ago
a circle jerk

id122015 9y ago

Yes, I write it on the back of my CV using a small font so nobody could see it.

tedmiston 9y ago

I was lucky to qualify for Mensa at a young age through a test given in elementary school but didn't see enough benefit in joining to make it worthwhile. Luckily after you qualify once, I believe you can join anytime in your life without doing the test again. I list that I qualified in the random achievements section on AngelList (https://angel.co/taylor); https://angel.co/taylor); I hadn't previously listed it on my LinkedIn or resume but I just added it for kicks.