Sunday, July 6, 2014

Another instance of the wrong question

There is definitely a better and potentially more revealing question than the rhetorical device used by a recent CNN Belief blog post, "Why you should leave religion off your resume." Why would you ever put your religious affiliation or, for that matter, your non-religion on a resume? What type of job is it that an individual's religious views should matter at all? I also take issue with some of the conclusions that the researchers involved in the study referenced seem to have made.

"'People have a fear of the unknown,' said Michael Wallace, a co-author of the study and a sociology professor at the University of Connecticut. The study 'implies that when people don't know much about a religion, they have an instinctive fear of that group.'"
This does have some merit but the implication that it is a major reason employers don't accept an applicant is a bit premature. Personally, I would be hesitant to consider an applicant who goes out of their way to identify their own faith for a very different reason. I would immediately wonder why they found the need to point out such personal information. Are they looking for special treatment? Does this imply they are not competent enough to do the job without such special treatment? Are they more interested in evangelizing than working? Are they going to pester me or other employees?

I just don't see any reason to include that type of information on a resume. It has no real bearing on any job I can think of other than clergy. Adding it automatically makes me suspicious and uneasy in regard to the individuals motivation for including it.

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