Ask the Expert: Should I put Mensa on my CV?
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I work as an analyst in an M&A boutique after doing several internships in bulge bracket banks. I am considering moving to London and am preparing a resume. Is it too aggressive to insert in the personal information that I am a Mensa member (which implies an IQ above 148) or could it be considered a plus. Once in an interview with a second tier investment bank I was asked if it didn't seem arrogant to show my IQ.
The difference between arrogance, which nobody likes, and confidence, which everybody wants is that the former puts other people down while the latter makes others feel positive as well. An arrogant person breeds resentment; a confident one inspires confidence in others.
So, in determining whether to put Mensa membership on your CV, ask yourself why you want it there - and ask yourself what purpose it serves. Presumably, the salient points of your CV ie achievements, experience and qualifications, already show that you are an intelligent, successful and motivated person. Is there anything to be gained by pointing out that you have an exceptionally high IQ (sub text: probably higher than the person reading your resume?). You see the problem.
So, we think it's safer to leave it off. Possible exception is if you happen to know that the person you are sending your resume to is also a Mensa member, in which case it could make a positive talking point at interview (although even then you run the risk of an awkward conversation about who actually has the higher IQ).
You could perhaps also use it in conjunction with a contrasting interest, to show your versatility - eg. Tango dancing and taking part in Mensa quizzes. But the potential benefit to be gained is marginal and the risk of putting people off, as you have already seen, is very real.
Two readers advise:
Reader 1:
Mentioning Mensa could backfire rather badly in London - particularly coming from an American (I'm American and have lived here 10 years). Not long ago there was an article in a Sunday paper here that tracked the actual fortunes of some Mensa types who previously advertised their youthful brilliance... If I were a Mensa member, I wouldn't mention it. Plenty of City managers aren't terribly bright, and are naturally not keen on that fact being exposed by those they manage. Flaunting your Mensa status would indicate you like bragging about your brains and you aren't politically very savvy. Keep it to yourself. Ditto in interview.
Reader 2:
Speaking as a Mensa member, I'd like to point out that there are many of us in Mensa who are tired of counteracting the idea that people with high intelligence are arrogant and self-absorbed, and that we believe we are better than everyone else just because we scored well on some intelligence test. This negative image of highly intelligent people is promoted by the (false) idea that you are somehow more likely to do well at a job just because you have a high I.Q. As you should know (if you've ever been to a Mensa event), there are many people who score very highly on standardized I.Q. tests, but who nevertheless are (1) completely out of touch with current events, (2) unable to function when given a new task or a task for which they have not received academic training, and (3) completely socially incompetent. Are these the qualities your employer wants in a new hire? Not likely, and if your interviewer is also a Mensa member, he or she will know that I.Q. level and membership in Mensa have no correlation with workplace success.
Do the rest of us in Mensa a favor, and leave it off your CV. Start judging yourself on your success in real-life social relationships and your actual workplace results, rather than a score on a test - and recognize that any good employer will do so as well.
Next week's question: I have given six weeks notice to leave my position as a senior secretary (as mentioned in my contract). However, my boss is now treating me as a traitor and making my life hell. Work is extremely unpleasant. He does not speak to me and generally ignores me. Can I leave earlier in these circumstances or can my employer still sue me?.
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Our experts include: Roger Steare, a career coach at Roger Steare Consulting, Makbool Javaid, an employment partner at the law firm DLA, and Tony Tucker, a recruitment consultant at ERG, talking to careers journalist Hashi Syedain.
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