Resume question

[twinkletoes]

Not technically etiquette-related, but I was wondering what you all thought of this:

In light of the thread I started last week about my coworker, a few things have come to light, and I really want to get out of my job.  It's not just him (although he is a big factor), but a few other things, and honestly, I'm ready to move on out. 

Anyway, about the resume - I'm running a marathon in the fall (my first one!), and I'm doing fund-raising for a particular well-known charity.  Should I include this in my resume at all?  I was thinking of spinning the marathon bit as "it requires focus, dedication, and time-management on my part" and raising funds as "creative ways to earn money for the charity."  What do you all think? 

[ShadesOfGrey]

It is totally situational depending on the job you are applying for and the amount of experience you already have. 

Very general rule - fundraising ok to include, marathon not so much. 

Both are extra activities and with enough work experience, you shouldnt need to list them.  If you dont have a lot of experience, the fundraising can double as work experience, but the marathon cannot (even if it takes the same qualities to run a marathon as it would to accomplish a work-related task).  Just because you have demonstrated certain qualities elsewhere does not mean they should be listed on your resume.  However, if running the marathon is somehow relevant to the future position, definitely include it.

I personally come from a business industry perspective, so if your industry isnt quite as cut-and-dry, it may be ok to include it.  Also, if it comes up in the interview (as in, you notice a picture of FutureBoss crossing the finish line - I wouldnt try to work it in), it will make a good conversation piece and demonstrate those qualities as an extra bonus. 

[Shoo]

Anyone who can train for and run a marathon has my utmost respect.  It's something you should be very proud of and I think you should absolutely include that on your resume, under general interests and/or personal accomplishments/achievements.  What you wrote above sounds very good to me.  Congratulations!

[Lisbeth]

Anyway, about the resume - I'm running a marathon in the fall (my first one!), and I'm doing fund-raising for a particular well-known charity.  Should I include this in my resume at all?  I was thinking of spinning the marathon bit as "it requires focus, dedication, and time-management on my part" and raising funds as "creative ways to earn money for the charity."  What do you all think? 

I'd include it if you are applying for a fund-raising job at a non-profit or another job that would make use of those skills.

If not, I don't think it would be relevant information to include on your resume.  Also, I think you need to be careful about how you use "spin" and "buzzwords" on your resume-too much creativity could raise red flags with employers.

But good luck with your run!  I wish I had the stamina to do that.

[Betsy]

My take. Dont list either of them on the resume but bring them up in the interview when asked to explain why you are good at time-management or money-management. My reasoning: Charities can be a very personal decision and the interviewer might not like the one you work for. Marathon running brought up in talk can show that your passionate about it but writting it down to me elevates it to bragging status which some people might not like.

[Squeaks]

I am personally not a big fan of personal stuff on resumes.

However I think the marathon is an accomplishment, and could be worked into the cover letter (like you said showing dedication hard work etc.)

As for the charity, working on it can very much count as professional experience in many ways.  I think you can list it more as experience/accomplishments then anything else. (it can show organization, customer service, planning, supervising, etc and specific accomplishments).

It is something to be careful of for political reasons.  Some jobs may hold it against  you if they do not like the charity.  Then again, if their views are that different and will hold it against  you, do you really want to work there. Some may hold it against you, but it can also weed out non compatible offices. Though some may not any reference to anything that can be seen as political regardless or agreement or disagreement. In short it is tricky.

[melodrama]

My suggestion is to list the marathon under "Special Skills" if you have such a section of your resume and to not mention the charity at all.  As MrsDroege mentioned, charities are a pretty personal decision and your inclusion of them on a resume may be off putting.  You can bring it up in an interview if you're asked about your community service or outreach activities.

[CalabashCorolla]

I am personally not a big fan of personal stuff on resumes.

However I think the marathon is an accomplishment, and could be worked into the cover letter (like you said showing dedication hard work etc.)

I second this. When putting together my employment materials, I found that I had a lot of "extracurricular activities" - things that I had done relevant to my field but not really in any sort of formal context - that were better generally brought up in my cover letter. A cover letter shouldn't be a point-for-point replay of the resume, but rather a general description of your skills and experience and how this relates to the job you're applying for. If you think that running the marathon impresses well upon your dedication and work ethic, then go ahead and mention it in the letter. "Furthermore, my dedication and work ethic is exemplified by my participation as a runner in (x) Marathon, and I feel that the entire experience was very important and enriching for me." Or something like that, I don't know.

As for the charity work, this is more along the lines of something to include in a resume. With this you are not only showing dedication to a particular cause, but also have the opportunity to include another reference who can speak on your behalf if your interviewer is interested in you.

[Verruca]

What type of work are you looking for, and what's your current job experience look like?  That'll help you decide whether or not to include the info.

My opinions:

If I were looking at your resume as a potential hirer, I wouldn't expect the marathon to be listed unless you needed the "padding" - for instance, if you were right out of college, or if you were applying for your first job to need a resume as opposed to just an application.  "Focus, dedication and time-management" all seem like traits/skills that you'd be able to demonstrate with work experience, so I'd stick to that.

I would include the charity work only if what you did was directly related to the work you're applying for, AND if you had no other work experience in those areas - for instance, you were a team leader/manager of a group of volunteers, and you're applying for a management position without any prior experience at work.  Specifically, I'd include "creative ways to earn money for the charity" only if you're applying for a job that values that type of creativity - event planning or fundraising.

Good luck with the job search!

[Slartibartfast]

I'm a big fan of listing one (and only one) "non-work" item on your resume that says something about your skills or work ethic.  I think "running marathons to raise money for XXX" would work great for that - the point is to give your interviewer an easy intro question, and it lets you highlight how your dedication to training for the marathon or your fundraising skills would make you a good candidate for the job.  I obviously wouldn't suggest listing anything potentially controversial (Volunteer director of the local PETA or LGBT alliance might hurt more than it would help), but there's nothing wrong with listing something that's not "work" if it's a big part of who you are.

On the other hand, if your resume is already jam-packed with applicable work experience and skills and is only at one page by using 8-point font and no margins, leave it off :-P