Controversial Affiliations and Volunteer Experience
Kent R.
Q. In my spare time, I lead a political advocacy group that many would say is controversial. I think listing it on my resume would show leadership skills, but I am worried that the experience cold also hurt me. What should I do?
A. First, consider your audience. If you are applying for positions where your political views closely align with those of the organization (a lobbying firm, for example), then highlighting your shared political ideologies makes sense.
Having said that – since you want your resume to appeal to a broad audience and you want to be judged on your qualifications – it is generally best to exclude potentially controversial information from the resume.
In all cases, consider your audience and weigh the risk / potential reward.