

Ask HN:  Should I list Mensa on my resume? - thumbtackthief

I&#x27;m a non-active member of Mensa.  I passed the test when I was in high school (almost 20 years ago) and the extent of my involvement ended was paying my dues and receiving the newsletter for a while.  My membership has lapsed, but I could reactivate it at any time.<p>Should I list it on a resume?  It&#x27;s all the way at the bottom among some other &#x27;extracurricular&#x27; activities.  Is it pretentious or impressive or neither or both?<p>(Edit:  Mensa is the international high-IQ society.  Membership means I&#x27;m in the top 2% of IQ, for whatever small thing that is worth)
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Liesmith
No one gives a shit about mensa. It will just make you look like a jerk.
Definitely leave it off unless you want people who receive your resume to yell
"hey check this guy out" and pass your resume around the office for laughs.

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chatmasta
When someone tells me they're in Mensa (which thankfully never happens, except
on the Internet), I wonder what they're trying to compensate for. It's a
completely meaningless society, and presumably if you have such a high IQ, you
should have applied it by now and have some results to show for it.

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curiousHacker
Only if you know for a fact that the hiring manager is also a member of Mensa.

[http://greencomplianceplus.markenglisharchitects.com.s3.amaz...](http://greencomplianceplus.markenglisharchitects.com.s3.amazonaws.com/wpb/wp-
content/uploads/2011/05/mensa-dilbert.jpg)

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ttronicm
Why not just bring up the supporting evidence that was required for you to
join Mensa? With 2 out of every 100 people qualifying for membership, you
could swing a dead cat in a crowd and be pretty likely to hit someone who is
qualified. OTOH, how many of them would choose to join an organization that
celebrates exclusion and superiority? Being a member says something about your
disposition and personality.

Among the most important adaptive techniques for exceptionally smart people in
a crowd of averageness is inclusiveness. With the current emphasis on team
building during the hiring process, listing Mensa risks making you look like
an exclusive arrogant ass unless you know the hiring manager is also a member.
If that's the case, I would specifically mention that you included your
membership in Mensa on your resume for that very reason.

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lmm
I'd leave it off. The stereotype of Mensa members is rather negative.

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sp332
It's probably fine if you throw it in that category. Although it's kinda
meaningless for most people, it could help with networking if you ever run
into another member.

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DanBC
No. Mensa is a joke. If you have had a real, psychologist applied, IQ test you
might want to mention that but some people would see it as a worrying flag.

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thumbtackthief
It's been a long time, but I believe it was a real IQ test.

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dennybritz
I would leave it off. Taken over all the position you may apply to, my guess
is that it will have more negative than positive effects.

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fencepost
While it's a little old, the commentary on this Ask A Manager post is
responsive to the question: [http://www.askamanager.org/2009/04/dont-mention-
your-mensa-m...](http://www.askamanager.org/2009/04/dont-mention-your-mensa-
membership.html)

Notably, the readership of that site leans towards management and HR types.

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JSeymourATL
Here's an amusing article on Mensa> The first thing you need to know is that
no one has a good reason for joining Mensa...
[http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/people/talk-nerdy-
to-m...](http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/people/talk-nerdy-to-me-my-
year-in-mensa/)

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FlyingAvatar
What kind of job are you applying for?

If you were applying for a software development job, I would not. It's likely
to be seen as a sign of an unhealthy ego.

Also if you're applying anywhere with a good reputation, most people that
you're working with could also probably be in Mensa if they wanted to.

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billpg
I would also recommend not mentioning if you're a diagnosed psychopath or not.

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dennybritz
I think the sentiment of the comments gives you the answer.

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bmelton
I'm in the exact same boat. Non-active, former member. In my experience, while
I've never listed it on my resume, the few times it's ever come up, from
interviews to casual conversation, it's only served to bias folks against me.

This experience is only anecdotal, and there may be a case where such
membership is valued (e.g., Google, maybe?), but it's never been a positive
benefit for me.

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Joyfield
Id you are so smart you should be able to figure it out for yourself. ;)

