[hackerspaces] hackerspaces on resumes

[strages]

Do you list your hackerspace(s) on your resume? If so, in what way(s)?

Raymond
Makers Local 256
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[Curbob]

I have on mine.. (not alot of info, but if they ask I go further into details)

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS & INTEREST GROUPS:

 

CarolinaCon – Board of Directors for non-profit organization sponsoring annual technology forum and social networking for providing technology updates and trends regarding security, hacking and support. 

 

Freeside Atlanta – social networking outlet and involvement with creation of “maker space” for 50+ members in a volunteer capacity

[Sam Ley]

I don't put it on my paper resume, but my Linked In profile does list me as a "Founder" of the Phoenix Asylum co-op. We don't really self describe as a hackerspace (though we are very similar), so my description doesn't mention the word "hackerspace". Here is what I wrote:

"Founding Member of the Phoenix Asylum, a not-for-profit artist cooperative in Boulder, CO. Phoenix Asylum rents studio space to local artists, hosts gallery openings, and serves as a hub for the local underground art community."

While I think you can debate endlessly about using the word Hackerspace or not, personally I would not use that term, but describe it in more "familiar" terminology. Once I engage someone in individual communication I get a lot more open about terminology though, since I can detect and head-off any misunderstandings that might arise.

One of the most important aspects of business involves finding opportunities that are new and unique (like hackerspaces), building teams (like hackerspaces do), raising money and budgeting operations (like in a hackerspace) and being confident in your decisions even if they may seem odd or unpopular to some (like running a hackerspace). I think the managerial experience is great, and worth touting publicly - and my current employers were excited to hear about my experiences and skills related to the Asylum.

This is a new career world - people are often expected to have "non-career careers" and many businesses have learned the adage, "If you want something done - ask a busy person." People with many interests and non-work activities tend to be the smartest and most driven people around (even if you have to let them off early every so often because of a water leak at their workshop).

-Sam

[Al Jigong Billings]

Funny, as a member of the board of directors and president of Ace
Monster Toys, I list it on my linkedin profile and my resume and call it
a "hackerspace." It seems dishonest otherwise since that's what it is.

Al

_______________________________________________

[Pete Prodoehl]

I'm listed as a "Member" of Milwaukee Makerspace on my LinkedIn profile...

I don't really have an up-to-date resume anymore...

Pete

[Curbob]

During my interview for my current job I told my soon to be boss that I put on a hacker convention each year and I'm a member of a hacker space, just so he knew before he hired me. That way if he had a problem later, I could say I told you about this. He still hired me.

[Al Jigong Billings]

On 1/24/12 1:31 PM, Curbob wrote:
> During my interview for my current job I told my soon to be boss that
> I put on a hacker convention each year and I'm a member of a hacker
> space, just so he knew before he hired me. That way if he had a
> problem later, I could say I told you about this. He still hired me.

I'm missing something between you and Sam. Why would it be a problem
that you need to warn people about? Do you warn them about all of your
hobbies, like using sailboats on the weekends?

I've got to wonder where some people work where they need to give
disclaimers to hiring managers and why you would want to work in such a
place.

Al

[Matt Joyce]

I list hackerspace membership as I would HAM radio licensing. It's an
amateur club affiliation effectively. But relevant to the type of
person I am and the sort of work that I do.

[Rubin Abdi]

Once overheard some folks with a hack space that'll remain nameless chat
about how the board elections are nothing more than fights for titles
that'll eventually end up on resumes.

My resume lists out that I've been part of a community driven hacker
space known as Noisebridge, which is a 501c3 nonprofit. I list off
focuses, neat things that have happened in the space, and what I've
learned through helping to make Noisebridge be what it is today. I
really don't specify any titles I hold, or even that I'm a member.

I feel that hacker spaces are about the robots that'll eventually kill
the humans, not the board that'll eventually kill the the hack space.

--
Rubin
ru...@starset.net

[Martin Ling]

On Tue, Jan 24, 2012 at 03:10:36PM -0600, strages wrote:
>
> Do you list your hackerspace(s) on your resume? If so, in what way(s)?

Mine says:

"I am a founding member and major contributor to the Edinburgh Hacklab,
a member-run workshop which provides advanced tools and facilities for
local electronics & technology enthusiasts including laser cutting, CNC
milling and 3D printing facilities. I work and collaborate there on a
number of projects in my spare time."

Interviewers seem to see that as a pretty positive thing.

Martin

[Sam Ley]

Al,

No need to turn this into another "why are you ashamed of what you do" debate - the question is very personal and up to each person to choose how they answer. No right and wrong, here. I do a lot of things that could be considered "objectionable" to certain employers, such as being very active in the Burning Man community, helping to run an "edgy" art cooperative, having a huge mohawk, etc. I don't hide any of it, and I answer all questions about it honestly.

I am a very social person, and I've never had any issues professionally with any of my interests or activities, but it is a fact that some people misunderstand things when they are written, particularly if they are written in a very brief manner that will be read very briefly (as in a Linked In profile or resume). I prefer to discuss details in person where I can ensure that there will be no misunderstandings. I would never work for someone who thought poorly of my busy non-work life, but I also want to make sure that people understand what I do before coming to that decision.

Secondly, the Phoenix Asylum doesn't self-describe as a hackerspace, because really, we aren't. We are very close, but our members are more focused on structural art and kinetic art, and less on electronics and software (though we do have a CNC router and a Makerbot). It isn't because we don't want to be associated with mean 'ole hackers, just that it isn't the most accurate description of our daily activity. We face all the same issues that a more "traditional" hackerspace does (if there is such a thing), which is why we are here on the list with everyone else.

I do advocate being proud of what you work on, and being honest about what it is and how it works. How an individual chooses to initiate that conversation with people, and which words they use, has no universal answer.

-Sam

[Tim Miller]

I list LVL1 on my resume, but under that I list skills I have learned and applied to things that the business can relate too. If you are ashamed of something you are did/are doing why are you doing it.

[David Powell]

Here is mine minus the formatting.

More:

Harford Hackerspace, Founder

www.harfordhackerspace.org

In January of 2009 I started a Non-Profit community organization to

create a place where like-minded individuals can gather to learn and

improve their knowledge of Science and Technology. The organization

quickly expanded to 10+ members. We have participated in events such as

Robot Fest and Electronica Fest at the National Electronics Museum. At

these events we demonstrated several of our projects including a CNC

Router, which has been our most ambitious and rewarding project.

[Al Jigong Billings]

I wasn't aware that we have had conversations on this list about people
being ashamed of what you do. If we have, that seems unfortunate.

[Matt Joyce]

Having helped start any small group, hackerspace or not is resume
worthy material... especially if that thing shows some positive
results on google... such as news reports and the like.

It says you are driven, capable, and you have brought projects to
completion with success. Just as with any major "what did you do
there?" question is answered. But there is something extra special
about someone when you see that their professionalism transcends the
work day and allows them to be successful in their own pursuits as
well.

-Matt

[Sam Ley]

I agree, it is unfortunate. ;)

It seems like everyone is proud of what they do, but disagree on how "public" they should be about it, which leads into philosophical debates about how much "what other people think" really matters, and whether "practical concerns" should sometimes override your desire to be open, and if you hide what you do so you can work for a big company with security clearances are you really just "part of the problem" and so on. I'm sure you could play out the entire thing in your mind, arguing both sides, until you finally got the urge to make something or get drunk.

Or both. ;)

-Sam

[Al Jigong Billings]

On 1/24/12 2:01 PM, Sam Ley wrote:

> I agree, it is unfortunate. ;)
>
> It seems like everyone is proud of what they do, but disagree on how
> "public" they should be about it, which leads into philosophical
> debates about how much "what other people think" really matters, and
> whether "practical concerns" should sometimes override your desire to
> be open, and if you hide what you do so you can work for a big company
> with security clearances are you really just "part of the problem" and
> so on. I'm sure you could play out the entire thing in your mind,
> arguing both sides, until you finally got the urge to make something
> or get drunk.
>
> Or both. ;)

I already have these urges right now!

[strages]

I'm thinking about listing it under both Education (STEM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STEM_fields ) and Work Experience (all be
it voluntary).

Raymond

[William Macfarlane]

Some people don't like the word 'hacker'. The people may or may not
be assholes and may or may not be worthy of our respect or
consideration.

Some of the people who don't like the word 'hacker' might be people
who are looking at your resume. The people who do the first-pass look
at your resume might be totally different from the people who
interview you, who might be totally different from your coworkers.

If you have reason to imagine that the company you're applying to has
sufficient division of labor that an uninformed HR person who you
won't be working with once you actually have the job (who could
certainly be a thoughtless asshole) might read "hackerspace" and think
"nefarious criminal enterprise", you might want to avoid putting
"hackerspace" on your resume. Might consider, also, calling it a
"community workshop" on your resume and then calling it a hackerspace
when you get to your interview where you are presumably talking to at
least some of the people who you might work with every day.

Or you might not.

shrug.

--
-Will
www.partsandcrafts.org

[strages]

Not to be rude, but I'm not looking to hear people's opinions on the
use of the term "hacker*" in a resume. I'm looking to see where
people list it in there resume. I'm reworking mine for a career
change, my fist since starting down the road to a hackerspace back in
2006, and I feel my local hackerspace has become an important part of
my life beyond just a hobby and feel it deserves treatment as such on
my resume.

Raymond
Makers Local 256

[Al Jigong Billings]

Sure.

I think the answer is that a lot of us do who are active in the founding
or governance of a hackerspace. I'm not sure beyond that.

[Sam Ley]

Sorry for the distraction - it is an inevitable issue, though.

As for your specific question, I list it as a job, because it practically is. I'm not paid, but I spend a significant amount of time managing the organization, patching the roof, registering members, etc. If I were just a member, I'd probably list it under Professional Activities or Community Interaction, or something like that.

-Sam

[Far McKon]

> Some of the people who don't like the word 'hacker' might be people
> who are looking at your resume. The people who do the first-pass look
> at your resume might be totally different from the people who
> interview you, who might be totally different from your coworkers.

I think (sadly) in a some cases the above advice is good. If you want
a simple 'keep your head down, mind your own business, pay the bills'
job, avoiding the word 'hacker' might be the right thing to do though.

If you want to be a 'maker' or a 'tinkerer' or a 'community workshop'
that is awesome too! If a company see the word 'hacker' and throws
your resume in the trash because of it, they are going to be so
incompetent they will drive you mad as an employee. You make consider
'hackerspace' or 'hacker' as a reverse-filter. It may be a way to
filter out the places that are so inane or thoughtless that you would
not want to work there anyway.

However Some people* like the word 'Hacker.' Some people* reading
your resume may have asked HR to put hacker-resume's at the top of the
inbox.* Some people* work at places** where not only the founders, but
most department heads, are members of hackerspace(s)

<Blatant self-promotion. cover your eyes! >
Some places** send their hackers to things like MakerFaire, CCC, or
DIY events for fun, education, and recruiting
Some people* are hiring Linux dev's, EE's, C/C++/QT hackers, network
devs, and other classes of awesome smart people that get things done
Some people* can accept resume's via the 'yet-unposted position' link
of http://www.makerbot.com/jobs/
Some Places** love github, sourceforge, hack-a-day or bitbucket links
to be impressed with!
</ blatant self-promotion. Apologies to everyone offended. >

Hack on,
- Far McKon

* by 'some people' I mean me.
** By places I mean MakerBot. aka 'that 3d printer place under
NYCResistor hackerspace in Brooklyn'

http://www.FarMcKon.net "Creatively Maladjusted"

[tetsu yatsu]

I list my hackerspace on my resume. I include it as Volunteer Work under Work Experience. 

Depending on the company, I may send a copy that says 'makerspace' or one that says 'hackerspace'. If it's a company that works with open source softwares the term usually leads to questions which I have good business-y answers for.

My current job I got primarily because they spotted the word 'hackerspace', so I would definitely use it. 

- T 

[Will Bradley]

I think the golden rule of resumes is relevance. If the relevant bit is that it's an organization you learned a lot about leadership in, then any organizational word should be find. But if the relevant bit is the hardware/software/tech/engineering, those industries do/should know about hackerspaces. Intel and Microchip are just down the road and their teams have approached us before, so hackerspace is probably a great keyword for those industries especially if you have a few words tying it back to their industry.

[Mel Shamanka]

Agreeing with Will. Hackerspaces in resumes should be treated the same way one treats anything else when putting one together. I recently got hired by a group with a small R&D section for teachers - and now I get to give the people and companies close to the hackers movement I already knew some visibility as part of that job. Win-win relationship !

Mel.

2012/1/25 Will Bradley <bradle...@gmail.com>

--
"We do it because we are compelled."
TomMaillioux.fr
Twitter : @Bookmore

[The Doctor]

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On 01/24/2012 04:10 PM, strages wrote:
> Do you list your hackerspace(s) on your resume? If so, in what
> way(s)?

No. I don't want to have to go through the "Hackers aren't bad,
m'kay?" discussion during an interview, that could torpedo the whole
thing because I don't expect HR (excuse me... "HC") to know about it.
However, I've mentioned being associated with a hackerspace in the
second and third interviews, and I'm fairly certain that it's gotten
me a couple of jobs as a result (namely, working on a RepRap and
building synthesizers). At $job{'current'} a few of my cow-orkers
even started hanging out at hackerspaces and seem to have fallen in
love with the notion.

The most annoying thing is avoiding the non-compete, actually.

- --
The Doctor [412/724/301/703]

PGP: 0x807B17C1 / 7960 1CDC 85C9 0B63 8D9F DD89 3BD8 FF2B 807B 17C1
WWW: https://drwho.virtadpt.net/

"Last one to become a monolith is a lump of protoplasm!" --Anders Sandberg

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[The Doctor]

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On 01/24/2012 04:33 PM, Al Jigong Billings wrote:

> I've got to wonder where some people work where they need to give
> disclaimers to hiring managers and why you would want to work in
> such a place.

Engineering contracting and IT firms are sometimes like that. And to
answer your second question, they're the only places that are hiring
where you can make a decent wage in some places. Sometimes it's not
where you're moving to, but where you're moving from...

- --
The Doctor [412/724/301/703]

PGP: 0x807B17C1 / 7960 1CDC 85C9 0B63 8D9F DD89 3BD8 FF2B 807B 17C1
WWW: https://drwho.virtadpt.net/

"Trust the techie." --Orbstar, _Indefensible Positions_

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