Resume advice

[willlliamo]

Hey all...

I guess this sort of counts as coming out professionally, even though I'm out to the whole damn world.

I'm 22 years old and about to graduate in december with a bachelors degree in chemical engineering. I interviewed with 5 campus recruiters from large corporations in the oil/chemical industries. The interviews went amazing, and my qualifications are much stronger than some of my fellow candidates. For instance, i have about triple the work experience in my field that most undergraduates do, and my grades are very good.

However, my classmates who I feel are not nearly as qualified as I am have received multiple callbacks for second interviews, and I have received none. I feel a bit odd playing the gay card, but my resume shows the fact that i volunteer about 25 hours a month at two different LGBT organizations in my city. I'm worried that this is the reason I haven't been getting any callbacks.

Do you think that's a legitimate concern? I do...and it's tearing me up trying to decide whether or not to remove it from my resume. I have a friend who was having trouble finding a job, but as soon as he removed his Rainbow Alliance volunteer work form his resume he found a job pretty quickly.

Any advice is appreciated.

 

[IllgetyouHackman]

I've been told to keep religious stuff, and other controversial stuff off my resume, do you have other activities you can place on there? Even though sexual orientation isn't a protected class you should treat it the same as if you were black, married, or had kids this avoids a predetermined view of you, its just how it is. It is the same thing is how interviewers cannot ask you certain questions in an interview this way there is no bias. Just sayin'

 

[stargayzer]

Most companies have to make themselves seem diverse, and I would think a good way for them to do that would be to hire LGBT individuals. I'm still in school (also for engineering), so I can't say for sure, but I was thinking of ADDING some rainbow activities to my resume in order to stand out.

It might be a good idea to ask these interviewers if they have any constructive feedback for you in your future endeavors, and see if they don't make some good points. Also, if it features prominently on your resume, you may want to reference it proudly in your interview and connect it to the position in question, instead of letting it sit there like an elephant in the room.

The HRC has a list of their "Best Places to Work" on their website. If you really think an interview went well but your gayness may have put you at a disadvantage, you may want to think about contacting the people from that company listed there and mention who you interviewed with and for what position and ask their advice/feedback. Who knows, it might increase your visibility in the company and get you a job! I think the fact that you volunteer regularly is a great thing to have on your resume, and I'd definitely try to keep it in there.

 

[Seasoned]

I would stick to work related stuff only on a resume, especially for your first professional job after graduation. During a resession employers want employees dedicated to them.

 

[KaraBulut]

At the professional level, volunteer activities on a resume should be pertinent to your employer's interests, not yours.

For example, if you were applying for a position as a nurse or doctor, your volunteer work with Doctors Without Borders or the Red Cross might be of interest. If you were an attorney, your volunteer work with the local Legal Aid society would be of interest.

In an interview, an employer should not ask you about your marital status, sexual orientation or any information that might be construed to influence their decision. Nor should you volunteer it.

 

[LilLightning]

Hey williamo, as someone whose currently in the oil industry (one of the big six), I can say that based on your qualifications, you are definitely qualified. Chemical engineers are extremely sought after. However, the oil industry is notoriously conservative. I can't tell you many times I've heard that California is a liberal cesspool and other right wing stuff. Also, if you got to the interview stage, it probably means that your application was reviewed by older management personel who on average are not as tolerant towards gays.

I'm only 24 and can understand your frustration trying to land that first gig. The recession caused me to lose my first job and I was very lucky to join big oil (even though I hate how we are addicted to oil) With the economy in such bad shape, I've seen colleagues who review resumes receive tons of applications from soon-to-be grads and rejecting nearly all of them for minor issues: anything less than a 3.8 GPA, slightly racy facebook photo, no relevant experience, typos, etc. Additionally, we are simply not hiring as much as we have in the last five years so it makes everything so competitive. And while excluding people based on race, ethnicity, etc. is illegal and immoral, it does happen.

Remember that your resume should cater to the interests to ur employers. You should be proud of your volunteer work, but there are people who will not see it the same way. I wish you the best of luck. I believe my company is already decided on their new hires but I'd be happy help you review your resume and possibly forward it to some influential people.

 

[DarkHelios]

Are there any job-related skills that you developed through your volunteer work? If not, you might want to consider removing it.

Another possibility is describing it as volunteer work with a community group without specifying what the group is for. Virtually every resume advisor/workshop I've been to says to avoid specifying ethnicity, orientation and religion on a resume. It comes across as unprofessional.

With the large number of resumes received and interviews conducted, companies are willing to remove people from their short lists for minor reasons just to keep numbers manageable.

 

[texan_slant]

As much as I'd like to say that we live in a perfect world with no bias ---- unfortunately, we don't.

Keep yuor resume strictly professional and non-personal; unless your volunteer work is associated with your industry, I would either leave the org name or specifics out of it, or leave it out entirely.

At this point, it's more important to get yourself a job than to call attention to something that a percentage of this society still has an issue with.