Well, since I've left the church I've been wondering if I should keep my mission on my resume or take it out. As I see it, it can be good and it can be bad. It'll look very good on my resume, it's actually the most outstanding thing on my resume, without it my resume looks kind of weak. But it shows the employer that I have good communication and good people skills, etc. But then there is also the side, especially living in Utah where most people are Mormon, or at least a lot of them are, where the employer sees that I went on a mission, but when or if he finds out that I left the church, especially if he's Mormon, it could become very awkward. What do you guys think? Should I leave the mission on my resume or take it out? I'd like to hear answer from both sides and also why or why not to help me come up with a decision. Thanks.
Happier as an Atheist:
Well, since I've left the church I've been wondering if I should keep my mission on my resume or take it out. As I see it, it can be good and it can be bad. It'll look very good on my resume, it's actually the most outstanding thing on my resume, without it my resume looks kind of weak. But it shows the employer that I have good communication and good people skills, etc. But then there is also the side, especially living in Utah where most people are Mormon, or at least a lot of them are, where the employer sees that I went on a mission, but when or if he finds out that I left the church, especially if he's Mormon, it could become very awkward. What do you guys think? Should I leave the mission on my resume or take it out? I'd like to hear answer from both sides and also why or why not to help me come up with a decision. Thanks.
1. How does it show the employer that you have good communication and people skills?
2. Did you go overseas on your mission?
3. Do you have any work experience at all, or are you looking for your first job? (Why do you consider your mission 'the most outstanding thing on my resume- outstanding why?)
Why is going on your mission such an outstanding thing? How does it tell the reader you have good communication skills?
Most missionaries really were only able to get inside a door. Many missionaries didn't even have ONE let alone a dozen sales, so for a salesman job, it would be a fiasco. Can't even sell a product you believe in!
It does show that you are, um, committed. You spent two years away from home, for free, trying to sell something that the world doesn't really want.
In Mormonville, it may be a good thing. It may even help land you the job. But, like you pointed out, how awkward will it be when your Mormon employer realizes or finds out that you no longer believe nor participate in Mormonism? Would it change had that NOT been on your resume?
If you're a guy... did you do much with scouting? Many employers outside of Mormonism like to see those accomplishments (but after being a foster of an Eagle Scout, I wouldn't put much gold into those experiences... another whole different thread).
Personally, if you did any service while on your mission, I would turn your "service" into the headline for your resume. Not your mission. But, that's just me.
I would say I was a volunteer service assignment in the Phillippines for 2 years. If they probe more, I would say I was a Mormon convert at the time and wanted to serve a mission.
People know missionaries knock on doors, but they don't know that's all they do. I have heard nonmembers speak very highly of Mormons' dedication and work ethic. Why wouldn't they want that on their team?
I had a sales trainer once comment on how passionate those mormons on the bicycles are, and that's the kind of commitment we needed on the job. Granted, the wellspring of said commitment is mind control, but they don't have to know that. Long story short, people do notice the positives and respect them.
The reality is that missions and church membership HAVE many positives and benefits, much as I dislike to admit it.
What I learned/developed on my mission (granted it wasn't THE MOST effective way to learn these things but I did develop some nonetheless):
Management
Self-Starting
Discipline
Service
Loving people
Presentations
Speaking
Planning
Goal-Setting
Reporting
Sales skills like finding out and resolving concerns
Cold-contacting
Building rapport and empathy
So make it clear you dropped the negative and retained the positive (as they define it). I am not interested in covering up my past. It is what it is. If an employer can't handle my life history, then F&%K 'em...they can't handle my future.
I recently had my first opportunity as a non-believer to include my mission on my resume. It only involved a few changes, namely, omitting the name of the church and referring to it only as a religious organization to which I am not affiliated.
But I definitely see the problem with that in Utah (where I do not live). Even as a believer, I tried to make my mission experience as subtle as possible. I mean, I didn't include "Testified of the restored gospel truth to God's children" as part of the job description.
I don't really have much in the way of advice, per se. I do want to respond to some of the other commenters regarding the skills one learns as a missionary. It's true that not all missionaries acquire good communication skills, but that's true for any job. There are things that one can learn from an experience, and a resume lists what one did learn.
I still regard my mission as one of the best experiences of my life (though that might also speak to the quality of my post-mission life). It was an interesting time of learning about a different culture and language. It was a fraternal bonding experience (something that I do not take to very easily). I did learn to communicate better. I learned to be much more outgoing and learned to relate to people more.
There is plenty about my mission that I now regret, but that's no reason to throw away the benefits. And I've had the same phenomenon with most of the jobs I've had.
I never included it for several reasons. The first is that I never wanted employers to see me as a religious zealot. The second is that although it may have developed certain skills it was always awkward to separate the discussion of those skills from the religious zealotry. When I interview now I can see a Mormon coming from a hundred miles away and when they start to discuss all they did on their missions in depth it becomes painfully obvious that they are stretching to include things that make themselves look better than they are, or did more than they could have done. (I know because I was one of them. They don't know that though when they are being interviewed.)
My short answer then, from someone who does a lot of interviewing, is to leave it off and then if they ask about that two year time span discuss the opportunity you took to do service work for two years focusing on the actual service you might have performed rather than the doors you knocked on. Good luck to you!
Happier as an Atheist:
Well, since I've left the church I've been wondering if I should keep my mission on my resume or take it out. As I see it, it can be good and it can be bad. It'll look very good on my resume, it's actually the most outstanding thing on my resume, without it my resume looks kind of weak. But it shows the employer that I have good communication and good people skills, etc. But then there is also the side, especially living in Utah where most people are Mormon, or at least a lot of them are, where the employer sees that I went on a mission, but when or if he finds out that I left the church, especially if he's Mormon, it could become very awkward. What do you guys think? Should I leave the mission on my resume or take it out? I'd like to hear answer from both sides and also why or why not to help me come up with a decision. Thanks.
This is just me. I would be embarrassed to have that two year period on my resume.
Happier as an Atheist:
Well, since I've left the church I've been wondering if I should keep my mission on my resume or take it out. As I see it, it can be good and it can be bad. It'll look very good on my resume, it's actually the most outstanding thing on my resume, without it my resume looks kind of weak. But it shows the employer that I have good communication and good people skills, etc. But then there is also the side, especially living in Utah where most people are Mormon, or at least a lot of them are, where the employer sees that I went on a mission, but when or if he finds out that I left the church, especially if he's Mormon, it could become very awkward. What do you guys think? Should I leave the mission on my resume or take it out? I'd like to hear answer from both sides and also why or why not to help me come up with a decision. Thanks.
This is just me. I would be embarrassed to have that two year period on my resume.
As someone who has done some hiring. Even if you are a tbm you shouldn't put it on your resume - if religion is brought up in the hiring process most companies Ive worked for run away very fast.
For the simple reason they don't want discrimination to be brought up.
As someone who has done some hiring. Even if you are a tbm you shouldn't put it on your resume - if religion is brought up in the hiring process most companies Ive worked for run away very fast.
For the simple reason they don't want discrimination to be brought up.
To all of you who have done hiring:
What if our mission is the backdrop for experience or a skill that directly applies to the job we seek? Two years in a foreign country, with regular interaction with the public, could be a key asset in some jobs that I consider.
I am careful now to refer to the church not by name but as an "unaffiliated religious organization," or something to that effect. As long as I keep the description relevant to the technical, rather than spiritual, aspects of my mission experience, I feel like this wouldn't be a huge problem. A company can't fear accusations of discrimination if there is nothing specific to discriminate against... right?
I mean, even if I simply mention two years of living abroad, the interviewer is bound to ask about it.
I've hired lots of people, including some who've gone on missions.
That said, I think it's in bad taste to list a mission on a resume, unless there is some very specific job requirement that can't be met unless the mission experience is included in the application. Short of applying for a job as a missionary, I can't imagine what kind of job that might be.
When I see a resume that includes an applicant's church work, I have to wonder if the applicant knows the difference between the work world and their personal religious life.
I've had coworkers who transformed their offices to mini LDS visitors centers, but I've yet to see any evidence that the person with temple photos on their walls, BoM's on their desks and statuettes of JS on their bookshelves are in any way better workers than the person who decorates their office with Star Trek action figures.
hmm, I'm hearing good sides on this and hearing from people that have hired people before, I'm getting more convinced to take it off.
BTW, what does "TBN" stand for, I keep seeing it on here, but have no idea what it means
When I see a resume that includes an applicant's church work, I have to wonder if the applicant knows the difference between the work world and their personal religious life.
Then why do we mention any volunteer work when applying for college? My mom was pretty adamant about this and made me go do some real volunteer work at the hospital when I was 16 for this purpose.
If life experience and showing you're well-rounded is important when preparing for employment I think the same principle applies when seeking employment after college. If someone I was interviewing served in the Peace Corp for 2 years, I would want to know that because it says a lot about their character--something applicable to both work and personal life. And yes, I have hired people, too.
I don't understand the previous comment from someone that seemed to imply if religion is brought up in an interview then you won't hire that person. That doesn't seem right. What if they worked as a pastor previously, for example? What if it's brought up on accident? I would hope an interviewer would be professional enough to separate religion from skills and character in their mind.
It is one thing to ask illegal questions like "What is your religion?" It's totally another thing to ask, "Tell me about [however you worded your service mission.]"
I have hired a lot of people. I do professional resume editing.
My advice: Tailor the resume to the job. I advise clients to make the resume fit the job you are applying for.
I'd suggest you try to get a feel for the particular business/organization you are applying to beforehand and add the mission if you think they would like it, but omit it in those cases where it might be questionable.
If you meant TBM, then Left4Good has it right; if you meant TBN, then I don't know. Like any group we unfortunately have our own vernacular so if you get confused, just click on the link at the top of the page that says Glossary Post-mormon Terms(it is in the bullet pointed section on the top middle of the page). You can also always click here.
It came up naturally when I was interviewing for my first job out of law school. As I left early, I didn't include it on my resume. But there was a one-year hole in my resume, and interviewers naturally asked me about it. I never had a negative reaction.
