Q: Please withhold my name, as I don't want my bosses to realize that I'm looking for a job. (Strange, though, I think I recognize one of my colleagues in your columns ...)
Should I list my professional memberships on my résumé? I don't want to load my résumé with credentials that anyone can pay for. On the other hand, I don't want to omit information that might boost my chances or catch an editor's eye.
I'm not as active a member as I would like to be because of the remoteness of my current paper. So, I can't list my positions in those associations as, say, "cookie baking coordinator" or something like that. (I hope a move can change that, though I don't think editors care about that sort of thing.) Of course, I know I might be making a big deal out of nothing. Someone will spend maybe two seconds on that section of my résumé.
Active Member
A: It is a turn-ff when people list every organization under the sun, but are active in none. It implies they are fluffing up their résumés or that they will be the same way on the job: a member of everything, but never a contributor.
Yes, try to be active, as you say you'd like to do, and limit your claims to a couple of groups where you do something. I am not impressed when I see 10 associations listed. Two or three are normal and fine.
Even if you are remote from an organization and its chapters, you can contribute on-line or by volunteering to work at regional or national conferences. Sometimes it is even possible to do a little outreach for the national organization at local colleges.
