If you’re like millions of Americans, you’ve been job hunting for awhile. If you’re not job hunting yet, your chances of becoming unemployed in the future are pretty damn good. After reading a forum post on GayWallet.com where a member expressed her job hunting frustrations, it prompted the following question: If you have work experience related to a gay or lesbian business, are you adding that experience to your resume – or are you omitting it because you fear negative responses from hiring managers and human resource personnel?
Some of my Twitter followers replied:
clarekrmiller – Not sure if this is what you mean, but I have my leadership with my college’s GLBTQ club on my resume
Biodana – I don’t hide or lie but the resume/cv is not explicitly lavender either. I would be out during parts of the interview, tho’
RevJArthurRank – Personally, I would include any work on a resume.
not_tonight00 – my resume is all lgbtq-related stuff.. if i omitted the queer things, i wouldnt have much of a resume
AresandEros – I have lots of LGBT items on my resume, instead I say “Pride” or “diversity” and then i open up about the LGBT at the interview
SaRaDestruction – It would depend on what type of job it is wheather or not I hide it or tell
scoutout – I wouldn’t have a resume if I hid the LGBTQ stuff. It’d be my address, degrees, and then a blank page
lexoh – I’ve chosen to include past lgbtq leadership & activism experience. I figure I want to work for a progressive employer anyways
ChanelSaysSo – If i had any gay business related work to include, I would most definitely! I include my lgbt writing in my writing portfolio
jayd – I wouldn’t care if I had any, but I don’t
Matt Skallerud – founder of PinkBananaMedia.com, former owner of GayWired.com, LesbiaNation.com and GaySports.com – believes that in 2009 it’s still a personal choice for job seekers. While he feels it’s a lot safer than it used to be to add gay business related jobs and internships to your resume, he believes we have a long ways to go before it’s completely safe to associate yourself with gay businesses.
I have experience in employment recruiting/talent acquisition. In my experience, it’s safer to add gay business related work experience to your resume in areas like Atlanta, Chicago, New York and DC – but not so safe in other areas of the country. Of course, there are lots of Fortune 500 gay-friendly companies located in some not so favorable parts of the country that wouldn’t mind seeing gay related work experience on your resume. You can see a great list right here.
