Professional Affiliations Resume: How to Write One

Resume affiliations are optional, but they are gaining popularity among reputable employers in the context of high competition.

Active people with solid experience in the professional or civic spheres want to share this experience. And our resume professional writers will teach you to do it right.

So, resume affiliations: what are they, how and when to write them?

Affiliations on Resume: What Are They?

Affiliations resume are two sections in the application document that contain information about participation in multiple communities, volunteering activities, organizations, and groups. While they might not refer to the professional sphere, they still include important information about the job seeker.

Affiliations are especially valuable for the management sphere. You can check the HR manager resume guide to make sure your resume is appropriate. Still, affiliations only carry value when are relevant to the vacancy.

Types of the Resume Affiliations

There are two main types of affiliations: professional and civic. Professional affiliations on the resume are about the participation in organizations or groups that refer to the professional industry.

If you don’t participate in any, you should consider joining one of them, as it’s a sign of your professional involvement and growth.

If you can’t find a job, you should at least join a professional group where you will improve your skills. Furthermore, it will be easier to explain the employment gap. “Skills development” or “Improvement of professional skills” is a good explanation for the resume.

The second type of affiliation is a civic one. Those are nonprofit and community groups. Too hard to start? Think about any volunteering or fundraising events you participated in.

If anything comes to your mind, you can mention events that you organized (even if you only booked tickets for a large group of international students to the raucous workshop of the popular designer).

RELEVANT information about the extra-curricular activity in your community will only add you to a couple of points. These strategies can also help you gather enough information for your professional entertainment resume too.

Working Tips on Affiliations Writing

Mentioning your credits isn’t enough. The employer doesn’t want to read between the lines about how awesome you are (even if you are). He wants to know what exactly you can offer, and what skills will help you to contribute to the company’s success.

Therefore, you should mention what skills you managed to develop during the affiliation. You can mention organizational, research, communicative skills, etc.

Furthermore, you should always provide references from the representatives of the events, groups, and organizations. If you can’t provide references from the head of the organization, you can ask its member to write something about you. This will significantly improve your chances to land a job with a solid salary.

Don’t provide detailed information. It’s okay to mention the organization/event, your role in it, and the skills you gained. For instance:

Participation in the Women’s Rights Organization in Minnesota. Occupied leadership positions in helping jobless women after maternity leave to get back to their previous places of work. “Developed leadership qualities, abilities to act fast in stressful situations and find working solutions.”

Just because you have to provide too much information supporting the affiliation, you shouldn’t write about all your achievements. It’s better to pick up to 3 affiliations that truly matter a lot and will help you to present the relevant skills.

If you are no longer a member of the group or organization but want to include this information, you should mention if the affiliation is past or present. Just add a word after the name of every affiliation.

Also, check how to write social work resume if you plan to develop your social work career.

The Bottom Line

The attractive information might not look as appealing as you think if you present it in the wrong way. Speaking of the affiliations on the resume, you should be careful. Firstly, you should analyze your experience in professional or civic affiliations.

Secondly, you should reread the job ad and highlight the skills and qualities that are important to the employer. Then, draw a parallel between the job ad and your experience and pick up a pair of the most influential and impressive facts.

If you can’t figure out what information is relevant, you can turn to our specialists and they will help you to write a powerful resume!