The resume is probably the most underrated component of your MBA application. With essays, scores, uploads and interviews buzzing around the applicants' head, it is easy to forget that the unglamorous resume is often the most referred document in the application process. Though an average MBA application resume might receive less than 30 seconds per viewing it is referenced by almost every application evaluator. So crafting an effective MBA application resume is as important as developing any other application component.
MBA resume fulfills two important objectives:
The first is informative – where it provides a very concise one-page description of your professional, academics, and extracurriculars. So the MBA admissions team gets a quick snapshot of your profile as they start reviewing your MBA application.
Second is sales – as part of your MBA application, the MBA resume too must sell your candidature. You must come across as an impressive and accomplished applicant who has made significant contributions to their organization and communities. You must also demonstrate qualities sought out by top MBA programs such as leadership, teamwork, initiative, courage, motivation, problem-solving, and determination.
You MBA resume will be browsed within 30-60 seconds and the admissions team can make a very quick idea of the possible caliber of the candidate.
Before we get into how to make a good resume, let’s understand what our target audience, the MBA admissions team is looking for. A couple of things – your company brands, scale and scope of your impact, promotions and awards, educational experience, and nature and impact of extracurriculars.
Let’s discuss each in detail.
Company brands: if you have worked with the world’s best brands, great. This work experience gives you instant recognition and reassures the admissions team about your capabilities and potential. If you have not had experience with top companies or your companies might not be known to American readers, you must add a brief about the significance of the company, its nature of work, and its size.
Scale and scope of your impact: You will be evaluated based on your impact on an organization. As much as possible it has to be quantifiable and significant. So talk specifically about revenues generated, cost savings, size of teams led, and efficiency improvements implemented. If you think don't really know the exact numbers, make an intelligent guess, make an estimate and you can say estimated revenue of $2 million or estimated savings of 1 million per year, or an estimated project value of 500 million. The more quantifiable the impact – the more credible it becomes. In case you are struggling with quantitative impact, include qualitative impacts such as the company’s first-ever project, an appreciation letter from the CEO, or the signing of new client contracts.
Promotions and awards: Promotions convey that you are valued by your company for the impact you have made. It reflects your good performance and strong career progression. So it is important that students show that they have progressed well in their careers. Even moving from one company to another in a higher designation could also convey good career progression. Awards and recognitions are also great ways to show your superior performance.
Educational experience: In addition to finding your degree details, schools also look for instances of leadership in clubs and your engagement with the college community through various activities. You must also highlight academic achievements, scholarships, and any awards received.
Nature and impact of extracurriculars: All business schools seek students with strong interests and passions outside of work. These activities add dimensions to your profile, build your leadership skills and add to the diversity of the class. In this section too, try your best to show impact and qualities of leadership, teamwork, initiative, and drive.
A few important tips for MBA resume writing:
The career-oriented resume that you have been editing and updating throughout your professional life will prove inadequate while attempting to portray the varied, differing, and additional areas of focused interest and achievements in your MBA application resume. Use 20%-40% of the resume space for your academics, community activities, and extracurriculars, and give the professional section just 50%-80% of the space (unlike the 90%-95% you would in a job-oriented resume).
Your entire application should tell one unified story with a few chosen themes. So, in your resume, reemphasize the specific strengths, qualities, and achievements that you want the MBA admissions committee to notice. Your resume should support and accentuate the particular qualities and achievements highlighted in your application, especially in the MBA essays.
Eliminate technical or industry-specific jargon from your MBA resume. Even in a job-oriented resume or CV, a preponderance of industry jargon is unwelcome; but in an MBA resume (as in the essays) your content must be presented to a layman audience. Your readers will not be experts from your industries and if you are not able to convey your work and achievements in simple words – you will be doing yourself a disservice. So always keep it layman directed.
Be truthful. At all times. Apart from the moral implications, the main issue in not being truthful during the application process is that the candidate's sincere lack of confidence in his/her own application will show through. This MBA resume will be used by your MBA interviewer, and you can be asked and challenged on any of the bullet points, numbers, or outcomes. So always stick with the truth.
