Guest post: to add or not to add?

This is a guest post by Travis Isaacson, who describes himself as the happy father of five, an EMBA student, a fan of European board games, a Director of Organizational Development, and lover of fine chocolates.

By Travis Isaacson

To add or not to add… that is the question.

As a hiring manager in Utah, I’ve noticed that some fellow Latter-day Saints include a line on their resume about their mission and others omit it.

Some of those that include it are very straightforward about what it was and which church they represented. Others are more subtle in their approach. I’ve noticed similar treatments (or non-treatments) on LinkedIn (a social networking site).

Personally, I’m a little torn. I’m not sure that it means very much on a professional resume but can see some value to including my affiliation with the church on my LinkedIn profile.

What are your thoughts?

This entry was posted in Any by Geoff B.. Bookmark the permalink.

About Geoff B.

Geoff B graduated from Stanford University (class of 1985) and worked in journalism for several years until about 1992, when he took up his second career in telecommunications sales. He has held many callings in the Church, but his favorite calling is father and husband. Geoff is active in martial arts and loves hiking and skiing. Geoff has five children and lives in Colorado.

18 thoughts on “Guest post: to add or not to add?

  1. Travis, I don’t know how others would handle this because I did not have my act together at 19 to go on a mission. In my particular area of the executive world (wholesale international telecom), such a reference would be useful, especially if you did an overseas mission and had language proficiency. It would show dedication, interest in international subjects, the ability to get along with other cultures. In my particular field, people generally think positive things about Mormons.

  2. I believe when I was applying for work out of college I had my mission listed under a separate section called “Volunteer Experience” or something like that. I’ve seen it put under the same section as other work experience, which I would not do. By putting it in a separate, smaller, and lower section you are recognizing that it’s probably not relevant but still something that might be of interest if they like people who volunteer or are looking for something that can speak a second language (if that’s applicable depending on the mission).

    If/when I apply for another job I probably wouldn’t list it, just because as I get more experience the less relevant things would get pushed off. I would probably just list some level of proficiency in Spanish.

  3. I have handled this on a case-by-case basis in my career. When I lived in Texas, mentioning my mission and my religion would have been a bad idea. After you get the job, ok. But not on the resume.

    When I moved to Utah I could pretty easily tell who were LDS and who weren’t, because (and this is very unique to Utah) Mormons seem to go out of their way to make sure you know they’re Mormons and non or ex members bend over backwards to make sure you know they aren’t Mormons. Depending on my read of my potential boss, I’ve included the mission or didn’t.

    As a manager in a blue-collar workplace, if I see mission on the resume, I immediately give more consideration to the applicant.

  4. Depends on how old you are. If you’re 25, it’s a big chunk of your recent life, and also an explanation why it took you so long to finish college. If you’re 35, it’s probably not relevant to most jobs, though for a few like Geoff mentions, it would be very relevant. When I lived near Detroit, we had a rather higher than average concentration of former missionaries to Japan.

  5. I took my mission off my resume on the advice of a close friend, but mention my foreign language in the skills section of my resume.

  6. As someone who used to make the first sort of resumes to decide who was interviewed by the law firm for summer internships and who wasn’t, my real world practical advice is: If you include it, make it a simple item in whatever section you list facts to show that you’re a well rounded individual. Do NOT classify it as work experience, and for heaven’s sake do NOT describe your duties or in any way attempt to cast them in the same terms you use to describe your past employment.

    The resumes that described a mission as “representing an international organization in which I rose to the position of District Leader which required extraordinary success in interpersonal relations, constructing and administering individualized educational programs, and the planning, organizing, staffing, and follow-through of community betterment projects, while maintaining a rigorous schedule of study, travel, financial management, and the maintenance of relations with civic, ecclesiastical, business, and government officials” all went straight into the trash.

  7. Thanks for the inside view, Ardis. That’s helpful. I currently have my mission listed on my resume because it’s a recent hole in my work history. (I’ve been home 3 years.) Once I have more professional experience, it’s going to be removed.

  8. I think one should always have it some form or another on their resume.

    If it’s expressed in the right way, it can give indication to the hiring manager that person is probably one of good character.

    My resume simply mentions my experience under volunter experience and I simply put:

    served as an ecclesiastical representative

    It’s short and to the point and does not distract (i think).

    Of course, this is coming from someone who has never applied for a job in Utah.

  9. I included it as it was a big part of my previous life experiences at the time. During the interview process I discussed it with several of the interviewers, even taught a first discussion (just kidding).

    Overall, I think it really helped that the 4 or 5 LDS that worked at the corporate office had a really good reputation.

  10. I’ve heard from multiple different sources that you should leave off anything from your resume that it would be illegal for an employer to ask you in an interview. Obviously, there are ways to place it on there without being too revealing, but its best not to put apotential eployer in the awkward position of having to decide whether they’re only hiring you, or not, just because your Mormon.

    As a manager in a blue-collar workplace, if I see mission on the resume, I immediately give more consideration to the applicant.

    I’m sure the EEOC would love to have a word with you.

  11. Big thanks to everyone for their comments. I especially enjoyed Ardis’s fake resume entry.

    Reference to second-language skills was a also very helpful.

    Additionally, this discussion has reminded me, as a hiring manager, to focus on those items in the resume that relate to the job for which they are applying.

  12. (PART 1 of my reply – M* doesn’t like the length.)

    I respect Ardis immensely, but I gotta say — I disagree 100% with her recommendation. 200% if it that were possible.

  13. (Sorry, I can’t figure out why M* won’t let me post more than 2 paragraphs. I’ll mail my comment to Geoff and he can decide if he wants to post it.)

  14. I recently retired from a civil service position. In my life I worked in a wide variety of jobs, including: potato processing plant worker, retail clerk, restaurant manager, asst mgr newspaper circulation dept, and Marine Corps officer. In my resumes, I always included a short, one line mission entry, as part of my work experience, and it served me well. My mission was hard work, and it was a life changing experience. I can’t imagine someone excluding their mission. I would not want to work for any potential employer, who would not hire me because I served a Mormon mission. We should be proud of our missions. It sets us apart from the world, and I believe most employers consider LDS missions a plus, for a wide variety of reasons.

  15. Queuno, I have been trying to post your comment without luck. I can’t figure out what it is that the software doesn’t like.

    Queuno, can you try again in different words. I am so, so sorry.

  16. As a note to fellow admin types: the software seems to be far more agreeable if you post a tiny bit of the message and let it go through, and then edit the resulting post, inserting the full text.

    I didn’t go on a mission, but on my “this is what I’ve done for the last three years” resume I include the six weeks of line time in Hollywood, and the months of planning leading up to it. Admittedly a charity camp-a-thon isn’t quite as professional as “finance clerk at a bank” but I got sick of being asked where I was in the middle of 2005. I think on my functional resume (which I hate, but some temp agencies like) I have some of my line activities in the media/public relations section. I also put my Primary teaching in the “volunteer activities” section of job applications. Amongst other things, it bolsters the eventually necessary “I can’t work on Sundays, religious prohibition” statement. When I was a teenager I did the same thing with my YW president stuff, though that was also to support my “why I can’t work late on Wednesday afternoons” explanation, really.

    Considering the resumes I’ve seen for interns at my mom’s law firm have included *totally* irrelevant stuff like the level of the candidate’s karate belt, I figure “keep it in.” Especially if it’s recent. But I live in the midwest, other people’s mileage may vary.

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