Does Mensa help getting internships?

While being a member of Mensa does reflect a high IQ and intellectual capability, keep in mind that most recruiters and companies are looking for a range of qualities beyond just intellectual prowess. These often include communication skills, problem-solving abilities, teamwork, leadership, and the ability to apply your knowledge in real-world situations.

Mensa membership might be an interesting talking point in an interview or a minor differentiator in a pile of resumes, but it is unlikely to significantly increase your chances of getting an internship, especially compared to other factors like relevant experience, strong academic performance, networking, and interview performance.

Instead, you might want to invest that money and effort into other areas that could more directly impact your employability - such as developing specific skills relevant to your target industry, gaining practical work experience through part-time jobs or volunteering, attending networking events, or even taking additional courses that complement your current studies.

That being said, if you're interested in joining Mensa for personal reasons, like meeting like-minded people or enjoying intellectual challenges, it might still be worth it. But solely as a means to improve your internship prospects, it probably won't give you as much return on investment as other actions you could take.

Hope this helps, and good luck with your internship applications!

Hi Manuel,

A high IQ score and/or Mensa membership is not going to improve your chances of getting a job - it is just not a metric consulting companies care about or evaluate seriously. You might be able to make connections with other Mensa members and there might be some networking opportunities there, however there are plenty of ways to network without paying a yearly fee.

Hi Manuel,

Alas, not only could your time be better spent elsewhere, but this will literally have 0 impact.

Re-focus your attention on building up other skills (Tableau, PowerBI, Alteryx, SAS, etc.) and getting real world experience (joining an experiential/pro bono consulting group, start your own thing, become a president of a club, etc.)

Irrelevant to negative. Intellectual ability should be reflected in your other achievements:

• If it is already reflected, it adds nothing. 
• If it is not reflected, you will be perceived as lazy (i.e. you have the intellectual ability, but you don't put in the effort).

I understand an IQ test score may seem to be similar to GMAT, which is moderately valued by consulting firms. But there's a critical difference: GMAT reflects the result of intellectual ability + effort.

Hi there, 

I honestly don't think it makes any difference. 

What makes a difference instead is reflecting a bit on what you're genuinely interested in and joining a club or organisation that does that. It could be volunteer work or anything else. Then show your commitment to that particular organisation and gradually taking on more responsibility. Recruiters will appreciate you growing in seniority in that particular role and having a clear impact. That weighs significantly heavier. 

Best,
Cristian