Resume preparation is an art that only some of us get it right. Often, we get confused about what to include and what not to in a resume. For instance, most of us cannot decide whether to include affiliation in resume.
Several doubts haunt us: Is it agreeable to add other organizations to resume? How do recruiters perceive affiliations resume? Which affiliations add worth to my resume? The doubts can be endless.
As you read ahead in this article, you will gain a comprehensive idea about what an affiliations resume is, the weight organizations on resume carry, and how to add affiliation to a resume. Keep reading to know more.
What is affiliation in resume?
As a professional, you must have memberships or licenses related to or outside your industry. For instance, many academic professionals may be a member of research boards, publications, universities as guest faculty, and so on.
On the other hand, they could also be a part of organizations outside their work such as pet rescue, scuba diving, blood donation, etc.
All such memberships are termed affiliations. Based on their nature, affiliations can be of various types as below:
- Professional affiliations: These memberships are related to your profession and career aspirations.
- Civic affiliations: These memberships are outside the scope of your profession and portray your interests beyond work.
Where to include affiliation in resume?
Below are the best locations to include organizations on your resume:
- Summary
- Headline
- Additional Information section
- Create a separate section for affiliations
The location of affiliations on the resume must depend on the affiliation type. Here are some helpful tips to mention organizations on your resume:
- Immediately after the professional summary, if you have multiple professional affiliations.
- At the end and before the references, if you have civic affiliations in considerable count.
- In your career summary, you can concise your affiliations into a sentence or two.
- As a separate section, if your affiliations are many and comprise both professional and civic-related ones.
Best practices to mention professional affiliations
Affiliations can be of varied types. Hence it assumes essential to know the best practices to mention them on your resume. I discussed them below for your understanding:
Weigh the value
Before adding an organization to your resume, assess the worth it imparts to your profile and the job you are applying for. For instance, if you are a teacher, membership in a professional teaching board adds more weight to your profile than a certified pet rescuer affiliation.
Make them crisp
Remember that recruiters are short of time when scanning your resume. Hence, always mention your affiliations in a crisp and easy to comprehend.
Mention duration
Is your affiliation status active? What is the end date of the membership? Mention such details as applicable.
Highlight your achievements
Add your affiliation-related accomplishments to your resume. For instance, if you have received a certificate of appreciation or recognition for your contributions, mention it on the resume because it makes a great addition to your profile.
Affiliations resume example
Below I provided comprehensive examples of how to add affiliations to a resume:
Professional Affiliations:
Example 1:
American Marketing Association (AMA)
“Member of the AMA since 2020, active participant in marketing seminars and networking events held by the AMA, which helps me stay up-to-date with the marketing industry.”
Example 2:
National Association of Accountants (NAA)
“Active member of NAA where I am responsible for collaborating with nation-wide accountants and arrange seminars and events, that helps me hone my subject expertise as well as networking skills.”
Example 3:
International Association of Graphic Designers (IAGD)
“Engaged member of IAGD where I coach budding graphic designers, organize training programs and participate in graphic design contests to sharpen my design skills.”
Example 4:
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
“Research enthusiast and an active member of IEEE, where I published many research papers and also am an active speaker at various IEEE conferences.”
Civic Affiliations:
Example 1:
Rotary Club International
“Active participant in non-profit causes, support local initiatives organized by Rotary club international.”
Example 2:
Canadian Red Cross Youth Council
“Red Cross Member, active blood donor and an organizer of first aid training for school students.”
Example 3:
United Way Community Campaign
Contribute my time to fundraising events and awareness campaigns targeted to vulnerable populations.
Example 4:
City Park Clean-Up Crew
Nature lover and a go-green thought promoter, I spend my weekends actively in City Park Clean Up crew’s activities.
Here’s a bonus tip to add affiliation to resume:
- If your affiliation is active, mention it below:
- “City Park Clean Up Crew (From Jan 2020 – Present)”
- “City Park Clean Up Crew
From Jan 2020 – Present”
- If you had a past affiliation, mention the duration:
- “City Park Clean Up Crew (From Jan 2020 – Jan 2023)”
- “City Park Clean Up Crew
From Jan 2020 – Jan 2023”
Benefits of adding affiliations on resume
With the diversification of work cultures, employers prefer candidates with strong interpersonal, communication, team management, and leadership skills. Participating in affiliate-related tasks imparts all such skills honing an individual into a reliable professional.
Hence, take pride in your affiliations, add them as applicable on your resume, attach an impressive cover letter, and showcase your complete personality to the recruiters.
I’m here to help you master the art of writing a resume
Resume writing is an impressive art. As simple as it appears, many intricate factors come into the picture while writing a resume, including your professional and civic affiliations.
I help professionals realize their career goals through resume preparation, interview success guidance, and LinkedIn branding. Please feel free to shoot an email to my inbox coach@pushpeshsingh.com with your related pain points. My experience working as a Career Guidance expert with Fortune 500 companies will be of help to you. Connect with me on LinkedIn.
