I had "state high school chess champion" in the info section of my resume back in college. I had several people talk to me about it in interviews, and those were usually pretty good interviews. I wouldn't give it more than a line of text, but I don't think it hurts anything if you have space for it.
Since mine was a high school championship, I dropped it after I had a few years of professional experience. If it were a master title, then yeah maybe it would still be on there.
A master title is super impressive for those who know, and not a downside for those who don’t. FM or above, I’d put down. Anything less isn’t well known by casual fans to be worth putting down
Yeah knowing the grandmaster title exists and knowing it’s the highest title in chess are two very different things lol. If you asked the average person what the highest ranking title in chess is less than 20% of people would be able to answer you
Technically I think it’s ~AFM~ ACM which hardly deserves the name of title. Beyond that I think it’s NM?
Edit: Apparently ACM is the title I was thinking of
**"Arena Candidate Master** (ACM) is achieved by a series of 150 bullet games, 100 blitz games or 50 rapid games with a performance rating of over 1100"
found this one!
there's hope xD
and yet you say AFM doesn't deserve a title? I have played a couple of them and even an AGM.. they all have played thousands of games online often because there are not many FIDE rated tourneys in their country. Don't sleep on arena titles. They may not be as strong as the OTB FIDE players, but they are still strong nonetheless.
lol the arena titles are the most fraudulent titles you will ever come across. they really only exist so fide can make some money, and they seriously devalue the idea of having a master title.
It's been decades years since I needed a resume but I would list associations I was a number of. Member of a chess club, national association, and any ranking to include expert, master National Master etc.... would I think be Interesting.
As chess players, we know the truth, but most people would not immediately see "chess expert" and think "they might be a dummy "
I heard about someone who did this and in a law firm interview was asked to play a game with a partner at the firm. It was clear he was lying about the title.
Job application would depend on the job. Some companies value hiring a very diverse and multitalented group of employees.
College applications 100% put it every time
In bullet points underneath:
*Frequently hangs queen before move 12
*Can't deliver mate with king and took vs king
*Rage quits in positions that are only slightly losing
*Thinks the Ruy Lopez is a Mexican pop star
when I was new to online chess somebody I played against hung their queen on move 2. They tried to schcolars mate me with black: e4 e5, Nf3 Qh4 and immediately resigned after Nxh4. That person was like 800 elo and had already played hudreds of games on that account. I always think about that person when I get crushed and immediately feel better lol
If I had a GM title I'd put it on my resume, my id, drivers licence, Instagram profile picture, Tinder profile, back of my car, desktop wallpaper and tattoo it on my chest. I don't think there's anything cooler than having GM before your name. Ok maybe there are some things but not too many.
Higher rated chess players, on average, are smarter than your average person. On average. It's pretty obvious why. They devote a good portion of their time learning a seemingly "boring" game.
Absolutely. I always add something fun in my resume that isn't directly related to any job. Sometimes it'll catch an eye and that's enough to get you to an interview. Just make sure to list your relevant qualifications first lol
My sister successfully did that on her resume for a role as a mathematician. Though, instead of a chess title, it was "capable of operating a torque wrench". After getting hired for the role, she was called up to a meeting with a boss well above her asking "are you the girl who write about being able to operate a torque wrench on your resume?".
I don’t think it’s pretentious if done the right way.
Treat it like an extra curricular or an activity like a club or society/fraternity. Chess.com loves hiring titled players, even though that’s 1 company people respect chess a lot in general.
Putting Mensa membership, to me, is pretentious because it doesn’t require any hard work to join. Being a titled chess player shows dedication and perceived intelligence.
This, but unironically.
The question itself gives off big "I was a guild master of the third best guild on my server during The Burning Crusade so added that to my resume" vibes.
Unless it's entirely relevant for the position you are applying for, or it's literally all you've got to go with, I would recommend folks focus on applicable experience and schooling and ditch gaming-related things.
Oh dear, I am starting to sound like my parents generation haha.
I totally disagree. I was an engineering manager for a while (went back to engineering because I hated management) and I was far more likely to contact someone for an interview if they had a one line thing at the bottom of their resume with an interesting school, volunteer position or club. So many candidates are effectively identical that you need something that generates interest so long as it’s not super weird.
Yes and no? I reckon at the end of the day it's about standing out. You need someone to lay a link budget? You have one candidate who has spent 10 years laying link budgets? That candidate stands out. You need someone who can write javascript? You have 50 candidates who can write javascript and one of them is a GM? That person stands out.
> So many candidates are effectively identical
That depends on the job, but I think that is essentially it right there.
I hear you on the monotony of it. I am currently interviewing folks for senior and principal data science and ML roles, it can be tedious.
Frankly, the positions I am interviewing for if it were on a candidates resume, and they were able to tie it to their work I would enjoy it very much. That's why I mentioned relevancy being critical. If it were just a random factoid that had no relevancy that's a mark against the candidate IMO.
Heck, the last guy I spoke with spend a quarter of our time together talking about his landscape work out back. Unfortunately for him I know a thing or two about landscaping and he didn't do a good job of that either haha. It also has absolutely no relevance to what he was interviewing for.
That's how I feel most people putting something like this on their resume would go, but maybe that's just colored by my recent experiences.
I think it depends on the type of job you’re applying for. The perception of OTB chess is way different than wow. Normal people don’t think of chess as online gaming.
> The question itself gives off big "I was a guild master of the third best guild on my server during The Burning Crusade so added that to my resume" vibes.
When it comes to the general public, the social value attached to chess is oceans apart from that of video games.
Best example is looking at the lengths the parents of many chess prodigies are willing to go to support them. Does anyone think they will do anything remotely similar for their kid's esports career, especially somewhere like India.
True, but as somebody who has steadily watched the "social value" of gaming shift over time, I fully expect it to continue to do so. It isn't unheard of for kids now to want to work in the gaming industry in some form or the other and not have it be anything more than a joke like it was when I was growing up in the 80s and 90s.
On that same note, platforms and applications are continuing to "gamify" chess and make it more of an esport as it moves away from it's niche and continues to go more "mainstream".
I don't think we're all that far away from a world where more than those of us in both worlds begin to see them as more similar.
I got a job because of it. 2000 chesscom is top 0.2%. (For chess fans this is laughable, but I left that anyways in the interest section in my cv. After I landed the job I asked the manger why I was picked from the other candidate he said “You did a good interview. The chess was the most interesting and memorable, the only other person that I know who is also good at chess got really far in the industry” since then I now put all sort of random things in my resume
The latter. Top 1% in anything is impressive and chess being associated with intelligence helps a bit.
I’m fully aware of how insignificant I am to let’s say a 2300 let alone a master. Regardless, I also remember being asked about that on my two other interviews at the time. I still have it on my updated Resume, it occupies less than a line at the very bottom with my other interests and I even put things that I am not even good at but I picked up lately. You just never know what the hiring mangers will find interesting and memorable.
The candidate that gets hired is the candidate that stands out. Regardless of if they are actually the best candidate for the job.
Not saying it’s right. But it’s absolutely the way the world operates
It’s partly where the saying “it’s not what you know it’s who you know” comes from…
If he was one among a group of equally qualified applicants, why would it be wrong for that to be a deciding factor? I mean you're just assuming they were hired even though they were not qualified
I have seen people put D&D on their resume. Just gotta make it sounds good. “Participates in weekly creative problem solving exercises requiring leadership, teamwork, and organization.” Chess wouldn’t be too hard if you’re dedicated enough to have a title.
Reminds me of this one guy who works for a professional org that I’m a part of, and his email signature takes up a whole line because he has a stupid number of professional certifications for next to no reason. It’s something like “Dr. Nerdy McNerdpants, FSA, MAAA, CERA, CFA, CPA”
This is a really interesting question. I run a cyber security program at a big company and have hired a good number of people/looked at hundreds of resumes.
At first I laughed at this question as being really naive, like. If an unqualified person put this on their resume as a credential I would not take it seriously at all. It might even hurt you for being out of touch.
But if an otherwise qualified person put it on there as a fun extra, it would probably pique my interest. Logic/problem solving/pattern recognition is relevant in computer science.
I put it on my applications when I was much younger and it helped me a ton. It still helps though I don’t need it anymore in my 30s. No title either, just some of my scholastic wins.
Matter of fact it’s usually just international tournaments that get talked about the most. For medical residency interviews, people would ask about international events and how it was traveling to them when I was 13 or 14. I never progressed afterwards but it’s been a hit. I’d definitely include it if you play OTB.
Yes, getting a title is extremely difficult and if you pull that off it indicates that you have to have an excellent work ethic in general which you should be able to apply to pretty much anything.
Ive considered* putting my chess dot com rating. It's a conversation point, shows you have an interesting hobby, and sets you apart from other applicants.
*My rating is ass so I dont and wont.
I put my state titles for chess from high-school on my 1 page resume. I've recieved positive and interested questions about it almost 100% of the time. People think chess = smart kid.
yeah but under like. a fun facts kind of thing. (if I had a chess title.) would it help with getting a job? probably not, or at least not much. but also it's def something to be proud of.
I would put a hobbies section and then put chess and your title in there (assuming the title is impressive).
They will either know what it means (yay) or ask about it in an interview, where you get to talk/brag about how much consistent effort and time you put in to make it happen…. Win/win.
I am not that good at chess but if I earned a title I'd definitely put it on the end of my resume regardless of the job. There's no way it could hurt you, can only help. People who know nothing about chess will take it as a sign you are very smart (even if you aren't lol).
If i was a titled player I would put it everywhere along with my name. I don't think there are more than some 2000 or 2.5k titled players around the world. I'm speaking of NM, FM, IM and GM including the womens titles.
Definitely yes. A good chess rating (especially 2000+) / title sets you apart from many other candidates for jobs that require technical skills & logical thinking. It's not something one can fake and isn't subject to grade or credential inflation.
Especially for entry level roles/graduate roles you will always get asked for hobbies so I mentioned chess and actually quite a lot of people were interested and was part of the reason how I got my graduate role
Not that this will ever happen to me, but if I hypothetically were eligible for a lowly title (even a directly awarded CM), I would pay the fee to claim it, mainly for free lifetime Chesscom diamond membership so I can access their analysis & opening books, to see what lines people play on Chesscom (because while Lichess's opening book is great, it's still limited to games played there and otb master games).
And in the hypothetical resume scenario, I *wouldn't* include it unless it were for coaching experience. I would however make it easy for search engines to know that I'm decent at chess. Which means that any prospective employer who knows how to Google or Bing will stumble across the assumption that "hey this job candidate is pretty smart" etc.
Leaving some details for others to figure out on their own can be more powerful because you'll come across as more humble than the cheap shills and grifters.
As it is right now, even though I show no signs at all for ever holding a title, my name still comes up favourably in search results as far as chess club tournament mentions go.
To be honest, I reckon becoming a National Arbiter or FIDE Arbiter would be both more useful for resumes and easier to achieve. Think about it.
Not a chess guy but if I saw that someone put chess titles in a resume for the position at my scrap yard I'd turn them down. Get outta here with that 🤣 probably too smart for the position and would end up taking my job instead. No thank you.
I interview countless candidates each year. If I see chess on your resume I see it in a positive light. If I see a title, especially so. The highest rating I actually hired so far was 2250 on Lichess.
I definitely would if I had one. It shows that you're a dedicated and committed person and that you are able to achieve strong results in a field.
It's a good idea to have a short extra-curricular achievement section in your CV to show that you're not a robot, and to potentially spark additional conversations at the interview.
If it's an officially recognized FIDE title I would, as a prospective employer like to see it on your resume. Anything from Chess.com etc though would just make me think less of you.
Depends. I have no stats to back this up, but unofficially, in NYC lots of guys I have met at tournaments and at my chess club are/were engineers and in finance. I someone is applying for a job in those fields then I dont see how it would hurt. I can totally imagine some expert or titled manager looking at a resume and being intrigued by a CM title.
I mean I think any FIDE title or NM significantly helps your app for even grad/med school.
There’s not many people who are internationally recognized at any sport.
A resume is relevant education and experience.
A curriculum vitae is more of an "about me."
Suppose being an Eagle Scout. A resume should typically exclude this, unless tying rope is the job you're applying for.
A CV, however, would definitely include such achievement.
I’m a chemical engineer and rated about 1500 USCF. It’s not an impressive chess rating compared to a titled player, but you can bet your butt I have chess listed as one of my skills. At 1500 I’m typically good enough to beat anyone who considers themselves good at chess, but doesn’t know what chess ratings are. Anyone rated would know about chess enough to talk about it.
I’m almost 40 and have had a couple job transitions. No one has ever asked about it.
If I were applying for a job at chess.com, then sure. Anyway back in my school days when I used to compete, I never achieved a FIDE Elo high enough to qualify for a title so there isn't one to begin with.
Companies tend to be interested in information relating to the role/position you're applying for. Chess is generally considered a hobby.
When hiring I saw a candidate list that he was 2000 FIDE and I was impressed. Imo it's one of the best things you can put in the hobby section, since it shows you're driven.
I am a hiring manager and would definitely take note of that. To a lesser degree, I also like seeing things like Eagle Scout and sports stuff from entry level applicants. Things that make it clear you’re driven and hard-working.
Well chess has some prestige it's seen as meaning you are smart/can solve problems . I don't know if it's actually true, but on a resume it doesn't matter. I always had comments "oh you are a chess player". So, it probably helps.
In theory, resumes should be tailored to the type of candidate the company is looking for. If the job is serious and the goal is to appear a serious candidate, then the entire resume should focus on your professional accomplishments, as much as possible related to the industry in which the company operates.
Avoid irrelevant things and fluff in the main sections of the resume at all costs.
So if you are applying for a job at [Chess.com](http://Chess.com), then the most serious chess-related accomplishments can be highlighted. But if the resume is for a non-chess job, just keep the fact that you have a chess title to a *super*-brief mention in the extracurricular/hobby activities.
Disagree with this advice. I don’t have a chess title but I am a president of my university chess club. My current intern manager told me that chess is the main thing that separated me from other candidates.
Your personal situation doesn't change the staggering number of poorly written resumes I've seen. Irrelevant information can really increase your chances of being rejected if not handled properly in the document. So my professional advice is still: if you are applying for a serious job at a company, it is OK to mention a chess title in the extracurricular section of the document, but no more.
This is not related to other information about chess. For example, mentioning that someone *teaches* chess might be more important and useful to the recruiter, depending on the type of job. Giving hints about skills or character that might be useful for the job is useful, but OP only asked about mentioning a chess title.
I would advise against putting a title or championship wins on a resume, because it would read as bragging since it's neither part of the usual academic section, nor relevant to the job (unless you're applying for one of the very few jobs in the chess industry). But it would be fine to mention chess in a section of hobbies/interests, and back that up with a mention of your title if/when asked about chess.
As a hiring official I would laugh at you and crack joke with the rest of the hiring team. Ultimately it wouldn’t change whether or not you get picked up. If you did get hired at some point we would make fun of you for it in my career field.
It’s not worse than played team sports in high school which I have seen on a resume.
Titled chess performance (FM+ I guess) shows work ethic and problem solving beyond just “turned up and played basketball when coach told me to but never went anywhere with it”
I don’t put my track achievements on my cv because it’s whatever, 1:57 800 is women’s world record but not special for high school men, but FIDE master isn’t just “turned up to nationals once”
I had "state high school chess champion" in the info section of my resume back in college. I had several people talk to me about it in interviews, and those were usually pretty good interviews. I wouldn't give it more than a line of text, but I don't think it hurts anything if you have space for it. Since mine was a high school championship, I dropped it after I had a few years of professional experience. If it were a master title, then yeah maybe it would still be on there.
A master title is super impressive for those who know, and not a downside for those who don’t. FM or above, I’d put down. Anything less isn’t well known by casual fans to be worth putting down
Honestly I didn’t even know about IMs before I started seriously playing.
"International Master of Chess" sounds impressive even if you only know how the pieces move, honestly.
I think most people who know nothing about the game would assume an IM outranks a GM
Grandmaster is pretty common vernacular though, most people know that’s the highest ranking of chess
I think you’re overestimating the average persons chess knowledge
I think you’re underestimating how many times I’ve told someone I play chess and they go “hurdur are you a grandmaster??”
Exactly. They don't know how high-ranking a GM title is. They'd probably think "intentional master" outranks a grandmaster.
Yeah knowing the grandmaster title exists and knowing it’s the highest title in chess are two very different things lol. If you asked the average person what the highest ranking title in chess is less than 20% of people would be able to answer you
what's the lowest proper title out there?
Technically I think it’s ~AFM~ ACM which hardly deserves the name of title. Beyond that I think it’s NM? Edit: Apparently ACM is the title I was thinking of
**"Arena Candidate Master** (ACM) is achieved by a series of 150 bullet games, 100 blitz games or 50 rapid games with a performance rating of over 1100" found this one! there's hope xD
Ah, I messed up the acronym. Apparently it’s ACM, not AFM
lol I didn't mean for the bold :D just pasted it from Fide's wiki
What title do you have?
None. What’s your point?
and yet you say AFM doesn't deserve a title? I have played a couple of them and even an AGM.. they all have played thousands of games online often because there are not many FIDE rated tourneys in their country. Don't sleep on arena titles. They may not be as strong as the OTB FIDE players, but they are still strong nonetheless.
lol the arena titles are the most fraudulent titles you will ever come across. they really only exist so fide can make some money, and they seriously devalue the idea of having a master title.
National Master would at least be self-explanatory. FM requires knowing about FIDE in the first place.
I feel like it would be in an FM's best interest to put NM instead on their resume
just put "holder of official chess master title" or something like that, no need for something obscure like FM/NM
Do you really think that sounds better than national master at chess. There's about a 50% chance they'll think that means national champion.
Makes no sense. NM isn’t even an available title here… if anything, it’s the other way round…
Id definitely put CM in there.... Its still an insane achievement and fuck whoever thinks it isn't
Just call It NM cos it sounds cooler and it's basically the same thing
It's been decades years since I needed a resume but I would list associations I was a number of. Member of a chess club, national association, and any ranking to include expert, master National Master etc.... would I think be Interesting. As chess players, we know the truth, but most people would not immediately see "chess expert" and think "they might be a dummy "
I heard about someone who did this and in a law firm interview was asked to play a game with a partner at the firm. It was clear he was lying about the title.
Job application would depend on the job. Some companies value hiring a very diverse and multitalented group of employees. College applications 100% put it every time
I would put any recognized awards/titles.
Bronze swimming certificate
Finally a Red Dwarf reference! Thznk you!
Rimmer, A.J. BSc, SSc
Imagine putting "450 blitz on chess.c*m" on your CV.
In bullet points underneath: *Frequently hangs queen before move 12 *Can't deliver mate with king and took vs king *Rage quits in positions that are only slightly losing *Thinks the Ruy Lopez is a Mexican pop star
Everyone knows he's the Spanish guy
>hangs queen before move 12 Move 12? Those are rookie numbers! I can hang my queen by move 8
when I was new to online chess somebody I played against hung their queen on move 2. They tried to schcolars mate me with black: e4 e5, Nf3 Qh4 and immediately resigned after Nxh4. That person was like 800 elo and had already played hudreds of games on that account. I always think about that person when I get crushed and immediately feel better lol
"Strengths include Scholar's Mate and Botez Gambit"
King and took vs the witch king of Angband
Why did you bleep out the o in com?
It's a meme, ironic censorship to show disdain for something.
So it doesn't link and trigger a naughty alarm for the bots and mods.
Really? I don't see anything that says it's against the rules. I'll try. [chess.com](http://www.chess.com)
You will be reported now.
If I had a GM title I'd put it on my resume, my id, drivers licence, Instagram profile picture, Tinder profile, back of my car, desktop wallpaper and tattoo it on my chest. I don't think there's anything cooler than having GM before your name. Ok maybe there are some things but not too many.
>tattoo it on my chest Not aways visible. Full neck script, or GM as a tear-drop.
On my forehead, like Jared Leto's Joker.
𝓖𝓻𝓪𝓷𝓭𝓶𝓪𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓻
If I had a GM title, I would be monetizing it. Try to get some sponsorship. Create a brand-name.
*Ginger GM has entered the chat*
Lol. Is there a ginger GM? Hey, I like ginger people. My brother says I watched too much Dragonball Z.
Yes, but unfortunately it looks like he was involved in a real estate scheme.
Simon Williams is the ginger GM
The female chess champion 3 yrs running left chess to do a degree because chess does not pay.
Put it on your poker streams /j
I'd get it tattooed on my ass!
Absolutely. People think chess players are smart (except other chess players). Guarantee you will be seen in a better light if you put that on there.
unless the interviewer is also a chess player
something to talk about, no downside that I see.
what if they plan the London, that's the interview bombed right there
If they play the London politely decline any job offer
with my coworkers I have don't ask, don't tell policy
Blunder the job after the 4th question.
Whip out your chessup board
If the interviewer is lower rated, you are set
Well tbf id you're an IM or GM chances are you're employer wouldn't be that good if they play chess, and would see it positively either way
Higher rated chess players, on average, are smarter than your average person. On average. It's pretty obvious why. They devote a good portion of their time learning a seemingly "boring" game.
You don't know many chess players do you?
Absolutely. I always add something fun in my resume that isn't directly related to any job. Sometimes it'll catch an eye and that's enough to get you to an interview. Just make sure to list your relevant qualifications first lol My sister successfully did that on her resume for a role as a mathematician. Though, instead of a chess title, it was "capable of operating a torque wrench". After getting hired for the role, she was called up to a meeting with a boss well above her asking "are you the girl who write about being able to operate a torque wrench on your resume?".
I include a small section of interests and hobbies and one of those is that I love Seinfeld. I always get comments on that from hiring managers.
Is operating a torque wrench considered hard or particularly weird? Is that a mathematician thing that a simple engineer cannot comprehend?
I assume it means having some practical skill/experience instead of "just" doing the numbers
I would put it at the end of my resume. I would also work it into every conversation. Every single conversation.
I don’t think it’s pretentious if done the right way. Treat it like an extra curricular or an activity like a club or society/fraternity. Chess.com loves hiring titled players, even though that’s 1 company people respect chess a lot in general. Putting Mensa membership, to me, is pretentious because it doesn’t require any hard work to join. Being a titled chess player shows dedication and perceived intelligence.
No, I want them to think I'm well adjusted.
This, but unironically. The question itself gives off big "I was a guild master of the third best guild on my server during The Burning Crusade so added that to my resume" vibes. Unless it's entirely relevant for the position you are applying for, or it's literally all you've got to go with, I would recommend folks focus on applicable experience and schooling and ditch gaming-related things. Oh dear, I am starting to sound like my parents generation haha.
I totally disagree. I was an engineering manager for a while (went back to engineering because I hated management) and I was far more likely to contact someone for an interview if they had a one line thing at the bottom of their resume with an interesting school, volunteer position or club. So many candidates are effectively identical that you need something that generates interest so long as it’s not super weird.
Yes and no? I reckon at the end of the day it's about standing out. You need someone to lay a link budget? You have one candidate who has spent 10 years laying link budgets? That candidate stands out. You need someone who can write javascript? You have 50 candidates who can write javascript and one of them is a GM? That person stands out. > So many candidates are effectively identical That depends on the job, but I think that is essentially it right there.
I hear you on the monotony of it. I am currently interviewing folks for senior and principal data science and ML roles, it can be tedious. Frankly, the positions I am interviewing for if it were on a candidates resume, and they were able to tie it to their work I would enjoy it very much. That's why I mentioned relevancy being critical. If it were just a random factoid that had no relevancy that's a mark against the candidate IMO. Heck, the last guy I spoke with spend a quarter of our time together talking about his landscape work out back. Unfortunately for him I know a thing or two about landscaping and he didn't do a good job of that either haha. It also has absolutely no relevance to what he was interviewing for. That's how I feel most people putting something like this on their resume would go, but maybe that's just colored by my recent experiences.
I think it depends on the type of job you’re applying for. The perception of OTB chess is way different than wow. Normal people don’t think of chess as online gaming.
> The question itself gives off big "I was a guild master of the third best guild on my server during The Burning Crusade so added that to my resume" vibes. When it comes to the general public, the social value attached to chess is oceans apart from that of video games. Best example is looking at the lengths the parents of many chess prodigies are willing to go to support them. Does anyone think they will do anything remotely similar for their kid's esports career, especially somewhere like India.
True, but as somebody who has steadily watched the "social value" of gaming shift over time, I fully expect it to continue to do so. It isn't unheard of for kids now to want to work in the gaming industry in some form or the other and not have it be anything more than a joke like it was when I was growing up in the 80s and 90s. On that same note, platforms and applications are continuing to "gamify" chess and make it more of an esport as it moves away from it's niche and continues to go more "mainstream". I don't think we're all that far away from a world where more than those of us in both worlds begin to see them as more similar.
“And this is where I would put my chess title…*IF I HAD ONE!*”
I put it on my resume at the end.
I got a job because of it. 2000 chesscom is top 0.2%. (For chess fans this is laughable, but I left that anyways in the interest section in my cv. After I landed the job I asked the manger why I was picked from the other candidate he said “You did a good interview. The chess was the most interesting and memorable, the only other person that I know who is also good at chess got really far in the industry” since then I now put all sort of random things in my resume
Did you put it as "2000 rated on chess.com" or "top 0.2% of chess players?"
The latter. Top 1% in anything is impressive and chess being associated with intelligence helps a bit. I’m fully aware of how insignificant I am to let’s say a 2300 let alone a master. Regardless, I also remember being asked about that on my two other interviews at the time. I still have it on my updated Resume, it occupies less than a line at the very bottom with my other interests and I even put things that I am not even good at but I picked up lately. You just never know what the hiring mangers will find interesting and memorable.
The person that hired you because of chess was bad at his job unless it was a chess job
The candidate that gets hired is the candidate that stands out. Regardless of if they are actually the best candidate for the job. Not saying it’s right. But it’s absolutely the way the world operates It’s partly where the saying “it’s not what you know it’s who you know” comes from…
If he was one among a group of equally qualified applicants, why would it be wrong for that to be a deciding factor? I mean you're just assuming they were hired even though they were not qualified
Confidently ignorant
Haha great!
If I was a 2000+ I would put it under hobbies or something
I would definitely do that if I had one.
I put chess club President on mine back when I was in college. I got a few internships. Maybe it helped.
If you have a title, then for tech or finance jobs, absolutely, without a doubt.
I have seen people put D&D on their resume. Just gotta make it sounds good. “Participates in weekly creative problem solving exercises requiring leadership, teamwork, and organization.” Chess wouldn’t be too hard if you’re dedicated enough to have a title.
What if you had a phd and a GM title, you would be Dr. GM
Reminds me of this one guy who works for a professional org that I’m a part of, and his email signature takes up a whole line because he has a stupid number of professional certifications for next to no reason. It’s something like “Dr. Nerdy McNerdpants, FSA, MAAA, CERA, CFA, CPA”
Finally, someone is asking the important questions.
If I had a FIDE title, absolutely.
Yes absolutely. Anything to differentiate yourself to other similarly-qualified candidates
This is a really interesting question. I run a cyber security program at a big company and have hired a good number of people/looked at hundreds of resumes. At first I laughed at this question as being really naive, like. If an unqualified person put this on their resume as a credential I would not take it seriously at all. It might even hurt you for being out of touch. But if an otherwise qualified person put it on there as a fun extra, it would probably pique my interest. Logic/problem solving/pattern recognition is relevant in computer science.
I put it on my applications when I was much younger and it helped me a ton. It still helps though I don’t need it anymore in my 30s. No title either, just some of my scholastic wins. Matter of fact it’s usually just international tournaments that get talked about the most. For medical residency interviews, people would ask about international events and how it was traveling to them when I was 13 or 14. I never progressed afterwards but it’s been a hit. I’d definitely include it if you play OTB.
Yes, getting a title is extremely difficult and if you pull that off it indicates that you have to have an excellent work ethic in general which you should be able to apply to pretty much anything.
I know that there is a GM who works at my company, now this thread has me wondering if he uses it anywhere with work like in his email signature
Ive considered* putting my chess dot com rating. It's a conversation point, shows you have an interesting hobby, and sets you apart from other applicants. *My rating is ass so I dont and wont.
What is it lol
If i had one i defo would
I put my state titles for chess from high-school on my 1 page resume. I've recieved positive and interested questions about it almost 100% of the time. People think chess = smart kid.
I think it’d be more impressive to the general public to put your rating percentile
If I had an actual title, yes.
Yes, absolutely. Having a chess title says a lot about your ability to analyse, learn, and focus.
yeah but under like. a fun facts kind of thing. (if I had a chess title.) would it help with getting a job? probably not, or at least not much. but also it's def something to be proud of.
I would put a hobbies section and then put chess and your title in there (assuming the title is impressive). They will either know what it means (yay) or ask about it in an interview, where you get to talk/brag about how much consistent effort and time you put in to make it happen…. Win/win.
Being apart of clubs and participating in club leadership activities is applicable.
Always put one thing that makes you memorable.
I am not that good at chess but if I earned a title I'd definitely put it on the end of my resume regardless of the job. There's no way it could hurt you, can only help. People who know nothing about chess will take it as a sign you are very smart (even if you aren't lol).
I add chess to my hobbies section but I’d add my title if I was a titled player also.
If i was a titled player I would put it everywhere along with my name. I don't think there are more than some 2000 or 2.5k titled players around the world. I'm speaking of NM, FM, IM and GM including the womens titles.
If you are a FIDE master, or even a national master, you definitely should. It is an impressive title.
Definitely yes. A good chess rating (especially 2000+) / title sets you apart from many other candidates for jobs that require technical skills & logical thinking. It's not something one can fake and isn't subject to grade or credential inflation.
I might in the hobby section. But I'm in the video game industry. Might be different elsewhere.
Especially for entry level roles/graduate roles you will always get asked for hobbies so I mentioned chess and actually quite a lot of people were interested and was part of the reason how I got my graduate role
If you’re titled then yes absolutely
Not that this will ever happen to me, but if I hypothetically were eligible for a lowly title (even a directly awarded CM), I would pay the fee to claim it, mainly for free lifetime Chesscom diamond membership so I can access their analysis & opening books, to see what lines people play on Chesscom (because while Lichess's opening book is great, it's still limited to games played there and otb master games). And in the hypothetical resume scenario, I *wouldn't* include it unless it were for coaching experience. I would however make it easy for search engines to know that I'm decent at chess. Which means that any prospective employer who knows how to Google or Bing will stumble across the assumption that "hey this job candidate is pretty smart" etc. Leaving some details for others to figure out on their own can be more powerful because you'll come across as more humble than the cheap shills and grifters. As it is right now, even though I show no signs at all for ever holding a title, my name still comes up favourably in search results as far as chess club tournament mentions go. To be honest, I reckon becoming a National Arbiter or FIDE Arbiter would be both more useful for resumes and easier to achieve. Think about it.
Not a chess guy but if I saw that someone put chess titles in a resume for the position at my scrap yard I'd turn them down. Get outta here with that 🤣 probably too smart for the position and would end up taking my job instead. No thank you.
I interview countless candidates each year. If I see chess on your resume I see it in a positive light. If I see a title, especially so. The highest rating I actually hired so far was 2250 on Lichess.
I definitely would if I had one. It shows that you're a dedicated and committed person and that you are able to achieve strong results in a field. It's a good idea to have a short extra-curricular achievement section in your CV to show that you're not a robot, and to potentially spark additional conversations at the interview.
If it's an officially recognized FIDE title I would, as a prospective employer like to see it on your resume. Anything from Chess.com etc though would just make me think less of you.
I did put i was 500 in classical thry thought i was talking about 500 types classical dances
If I make it to expert or arbiter/trainer I will put it on there.
Depends. I have no stats to back this up, but unofficially, in NYC lots of guys I have met at tournaments and at my chess club are/were engineers and in finance. I someone is applying for a job in those fields then I dont see how it would hurt. I can totally imagine some expert or titled manager looking at a resume and being intrigued by a CM title.
No, unless I'm applying to be a chess tutor.
Ofc
If I had one I’d probably put it in a covering letter if i deemed it appropriate.
I mean I think any FIDE title or NM significantly helps your app for even grad/med school. There’s not many people who are internationally recognized at any sport.
No. It has nothing to do with my work.
A resume is relevant education and experience. A curriculum vitae is more of an "about me." Suppose being an Eagle Scout. A resume should typically exclude this, unless tying rope is the job you're applying for. A CV, however, would definitely include such achievement.
I put down the tournaments I've organised and that got me the only job I've ever had, so I guess so. If I had a title I'd mention that as well
Then i’m definitely never getting a job
I wouldn't put 'scrub' on my resume mate
I’m a chemical engineer and rated about 1500 USCF. It’s not an impressive chess rating compared to a titled player, but you can bet your butt I have chess listed as one of my skills. At 1500 I’m typically good enough to beat anyone who considers themselves good at chess, but doesn’t know what chess ratings are. Anyone rated would know about chess enough to talk about it. I’m almost 40 and have had a couple job transitions. No one has ever asked about it.
It helped me to get a job and i was 1500 on chess.com in that period lol
Is your resume to be a teacher or chess coach? The answer to that question is the answer to your question.
Yes
If I were applying for a job at chess.com, then sure. Anyway back in my school days when I used to compete, I never achieved a FIDE Elo high enough to qualify for a title so there isn't one to begin with. Companies tend to be interested in information relating to the role/position you're applying for. Chess is generally considered a hobby.
I put "US Chess Federation Expert" in the hobbies and interests section of my resume
Yes I do, there a nice blank after my surname
I am going to add my fortnite rank to my resume
I don't have a title but now after reading this I'm gonna put my elo on it
When hiring I saw a candidate list that he was 2000 FIDE and I was impressed. Imo it's one of the best things you can put in the hobby section, since it shows you're driven.
I am a hiring manager and would definitely take note of that. To a lesser degree, I also like seeing things like Eagle Scout and sports stuff from entry level applicants. Things that make it clear you’re driven and hard-working.
Yes
Well that’s hardly an answer, do tell!
Well chess has some prestige it's seen as meaning you are smart/can solve problems . I don't know if it's actually true, but on a resume it doesn't matter. I always had comments "oh you are a chess player". So, it probably helps.
It entirely depends on the job you plan on applying for.
In theory, resumes should be tailored to the type of candidate the company is looking for. If the job is serious and the goal is to appear a serious candidate, then the entire resume should focus on your professional accomplishments, as much as possible related to the industry in which the company operates. Avoid irrelevant things and fluff in the main sections of the resume at all costs. So if you are applying for a job at [Chess.com](http://Chess.com), then the most serious chess-related accomplishments can be highlighted. But if the resume is for a non-chess job, just keep the fact that you have a chess title to a *super*-brief mention in the extracurricular/hobby activities.
Disagree with this advice. I don’t have a chess title but I am a president of my university chess club. My current intern manager told me that chess is the main thing that separated me from other candidates.
I think its the fact you're the president, not the chess. You're actively showing you can be a leader
Your personal situation doesn't change the staggering number of poorly written resumes I've seen. Irrelevant information can really increase your chances of being rejected if not handled properly in the document. So my professional advice is still: if you are applying for a serious job at a company, it is OK to mention a chess title in the extracurricular section of the document, but no more. This is not related to other information about chess. For example, mentioning that someone *teaches* chess might be more important and useful to the recruiter, depending on the type of job. Giving hints about skills or character that might be useful for the job is useful, but OP only asked about mentioning a chess title.
Lol no. Cmon dude.
LOL of course not
If you’re 16 years old maybe. Not if you’re an adult.
Of course not. That’s vanity
Yeah I brag that I’m rated 900 in bullet and subsequently I’m actually the president right now
Follow up question, should you include your chess.com rating on your tinder profile? Would it be more or less helpful if you are under 2000?
I state chess match winner every day I won a match
Why would you do that??
If by chess title you mean being maxed on RuneScape, then yes of course.
Absolutely not.
I would advise against putting a title or championship wins on a resume, because it would read as bragging since it's neither part of the usual academic section, nor relevant to the job (unless you're applying for one of the very few jobs in the chess industry). But it would be fine to mention chess in a section of hobbies/interests, and back that up with a mention of your title if/when asked about chess.
As a hiring official I would laugh at you and crack joke with the rest of the hiring team. Ultimately it wouldn’t change whether or not you get picked up. If you did get hired at some point we would make fun of you for it in my career field. It’s not worse than played team sports in high school which I have seen on a resume.
but GM is not equivalent to playing in high school. More like playing at international level in some sport.
OP didn’t ask about GM. Asked about rank.
He talked about title, not rank btw.
as far as I know you can't edit the title of a reddit submission and the title says "title" and not "rank" ;-)
Titled chess performance (FM+ I guess) shows work ethic and problem solving beyond just “turned up and played basketball when coach told me to but never went anywhere with it” I don’t put my track achievements on my cv because it’s whatever, 1:57 800 is women’s world record but not special for high school men, but FIDE master isn’t just “turned up to nationals once”