Should I mention my genius IQ on a resume?

maybe get a big tatoo of "Mensa Member" emblazoned on your forehead

You can be as smart as Einstein but if you're the wrong fit for the job, you will probably do poorly and you probably won't like it.

"Blessed with a genius IQ?" You've got to be kidding me. I'd label you as a religious nut and throw your resume in the trash as soon as I saw that.

I'm in Mensa. I list that I'm a member in a club and membership section that I have on the resume. Over the years, I'd say that most don't know what Mensa is and most of the rest are turned off by it but I list it anyway. And I'd never put an IQ score on the resume. If you really are a genius, you should know by now that being one is considered a negative attribute by most of our society.

Mensa guy wrote:

Thanks for the replies. I see that most of the junior high posters are in class so I got some good, quick responses.

BTW my resume is written by a thrid party and refers to me by name and says "_____ is blessed with a genius IQ" and takes some of the pretense away, or so I think.

Why would a resume be written by a third party? That alone sounds pretty goofy.

Fat Boy ... you have a sentence run-on (fused sentence) AND a third subject/predicate in the same sentence! Are you sure you are not lying too?

If this is not a troll, then I must say that this thread confirms everything I've always instinctively felt about MENSA members.

The OP should definitely list his IQ on his resume. In fact, it should be the one of the first things listed after contact information. Use bold or a different font color to add emphasis.

Mensa guy wrote:

I was wondering if mentioning my high IQ OR having it on the resume might be a boost to me.

IQ has no correlation to networking and fraternizing skills. Those are what bosses look for. If you don't have those skills then you have to be "likable". Mentioning your IQ will make you unlikable so steer clear.

Flagpole wrote:

1) Not easily verifiable.

Maybe you missed his name? I'm fairly certain it's easy enough to verify Mensa membership.

Mensa guy wrote:

I'm in my late-30s and needing employment. Was self-employed but this economy and a recent breach of contract has hit the home finances very hard. I was offered a top-level job while still in college and took it, so I never finished my degree. To compensate I was wondering if mentioning my high IQ OR having it on the resume might be a boost to me.

Any employers out there to give an idea on this. Too much pretense? Arrogance? Your thoughts.

Probably just not that useful. I might mention it in the "Clubs and Organizations" section of your resume, if you have one (many don't). IQ, by itself, doesn't really mean that much. I'm more interested in what you know, how well you communicate, do you have a high AP (Asshole Potential), domain knowledge, etc.

It might help for your first job (just as college GPA is relevant right out of college and irrelevant after), but you are long past that.

Earnest T. Bass wrote:

No way you are mensa. If you were you would not be dumb enough to be having financial problems,

And you have no idea what you're talking about. I have an IQ of 144 and I've had my share of financial problems before. Good friend of mine is in Mensa and he's had his share as well. Shit happens. At least we're not arrogant pricks.

This is what makes me LOL about people who lean on their "high IQ"... 9 times out of 10 they can't make a street-smart on-the-spot decision and over-analyze things that come easily to a street-smart individual.

In my company, my "high IQ" guys stay in the back pushing paper while my street-smart guys are out there drumming up business and bringing the heat.

Not saying that a high IQ is a bad thing, it just makes me laugh when the "geniuses" get tripped up on their own legs.

I agree with most of the responses suggesting leave out the IQ and if anything, just list Mensa as an organization you belong to.

IQ is nothing but an estimate of potential for success in a variety of problem-solving processes. While IQ has been correlated with academic success in high school or college settings, the correlation with more general professional success long term is not strong. Too many different psycho-social factors and life experiences play into who makes a strong candidate for employment in a particular job. I would think that consistently strong work performance related to the job you're applying for is much more impressive than IQ.

Also, you mentioned that you never finished your degree. This is unfortunate, as it may indicate to potential employers that you can't stick with a program or task long term. If you have time on your hands now, try to finish the degree online or through a night school program. An undergrad degree is just a basic piece of education. If you are bragging about IQ, and couldn't buckle down long enough to earn an undergrad degree, that may be a red flag to employers that you're not someone who will be able to get the job done.

I'm going to have to agree with the sentiment that you should be careful mentioning your IQ. Considering the fact that you haven't graduated from college there are going to be a lot of middle-managers who will red flag you as inneffectual. Not that you are, but there's a stereotype out there that being too smart is a bad thing.

Watch out for that.

More practical to list your 5k time. Everyone we hire is a Menses member.

HR Dept. wrote:

More practical to list your 5k time. Everyone we hire is a Menses member.

All female office?

Fleche-Wallone wrote:

Former Analyst wrote:

General congnitive ability, as measured by IQ, is the single best predictor of job performance. .

Categorically false.

General Mental Ability in the World of Work: Occupational Attainment

and Job Performance

Abstract:

The psychological construct of general mental ability (GMA), introduced by C. Spearman (1904) nearly

100 years ago, has enjoyed a resurgence of interest and attention in recent decades. This article presents

the research evidence that GMA predicts both occupational level attained and performance within one’s

chosen occupation and does so better than any other ability, trait, or disposition and better than job

experience. The sizes of these relationships with GMA are also larger than most found in psychological

research. Evidence is presented that weighted combinations of specific aptitudes tailored to individual

jobs do not predict job performance better than GMA alone, disconfirming specific aptitude theory. A

theory of job performance is described that explicates the central role of GMA in the world of work.

These findings support Spearman’s proposition that GMA is of critical importance in human affairs.

Referenced:

(2004).pdf

Become a cop or a firefighter. Or get another public sector job. You are too old for the private sector. The private sector won't care if you get a college degree. You are too old and people will think you won't work as hard as a younger person.

Longer Unemployment for Those 45 and Older

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/13/us/13age.html?hp

um hey wrote:

Earnest T. Bass wrote:

No way you are mensa. If you were you would not be dumb enough to be having financial problems,

I have an IQ of 144 and I've had my share of financial problems before. Good friend of mine is in Mensa and he's had his share as well. Shit happens.

I wouldn't readily admit that. It's hilarious that the worlds economic problems were caused by the supposedly smartest people with the best degrees from the top Universities doing things that the average person was just not "smart enough" to understand. In other words, they are being taught how to steal the money in the easiest way from the masses so they can put it in their pockets.

At some point, the masses run out of money for the thieves to steal and we end up with a huge recession. The thieves weren't even smart enough to save some of that money and they are worse off than the masses because they got used to living way above their means. That probably descibes you.