Put Together The Perfect Resume For MBA Application

Amid all the hassles of filling up application forms for business schools, trying to put together the perfect admission essay or aiming for excellent test scores, MBA aspirants often neglect the resume.

The resume has an important role in providing all the necessary details of the candidate to allow the admission committee to judge whether he or she is the right fit for the program.

Thus, your resume should ideally showcase, besides your academic achievements, extra-curricular activities, passions and interests in a short, crisp, clear format. Let us take a look at the elements that go into making a perfect resume.

Keep It Short  

Ideally, the resume should be just one-page, favoured by most schools in the US. Admission Committees, dealing with hundreds of application forms, do not have the time or energy to go through two or three pages filled with every tiny detail of your achievements. Even if the school does not specify the length, it is best to keep it short and to the point.

Do not Reuse Your Work Resume

You may think of reusing the resume you had used while applying for a job with minor tweaks to save time.  However, the elements that go into a business school resume would be different from those used for other purposes.

The MBA application resume is all about your personal brand and the story about your career so far.

You need not go into details of every position you held. Try and restrict it to significant achievements/learnings that can be fitted in four bullet points.

Highlight specific instances of career growth, additional responsibilities you took on, promotions or awards received and impressive milestones you achieved.

Show US the Proof

Admissions committees are not impressed by vaguely worded claims of excelling in your position. They demand concrete proof.

You could adopt a problem-action-outcome format to specify your achievements. It could be something like being entrusted with a project that was not meeting its deadlines and going over budget.  Following actions A, B, and C initiated by you, the project was delivered on time and within the budgeted amount.

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Use concrete numbers wherever possible and emphasize any leadership roles like supervising employees or managing large projects. Also highlight instances, if any, of coordinating with team members in other countries to indicate cross-cultural awareness.

No Use for Technical Jargon

Your resume should be drafted in simple, easy to understand language free of jargon and complicated technical terms. The Admission Committee members may not be that familiar with your particular sector and would not be able to understand your achievements.

Let Your Personality Come Through

Everything about an MBA application need not be strictly professional. You could provide even quirky details and extracurricular accomplishments.

Here also, it is best to be specific. If you are an accomplished mountaineer who had scaled nine peaks in the Alps, state so instead of just putting in “Mountain sports (climbing and skiing).”