Your resume is one of the most powerful tools you have when applying for an MBA program. Schools want to know what you have done in the past so that they have an idea of what you will bring to the table in the future. If you haven’t updated your resume in a few years—or even a few months—it’s time to sit down, seriously take a look at your work experience, and create a resume that best reflects who you are and what you offer.
If your resume seems a little weak, and you’re struggling to fill the page or expand on your skills, take a deep breath and follow the tips below. Writing a resume may not be easy or quick, but it’s possible to write a resume that will knock the MBA admissions’ committee out of the park if you know what to do.
Tips to Improve Your Resume
Consider All Your Experience
Did you decide to skip talking about your job from five years ago because it doesn’t seem to fit your current work experience? Well, it’s time to reassess and add it back in if necessary. Even short-term or off-topic jobs can be a blessing in disguise. For example, assume that you took a sales job to help make the rent. Well, if you think about it, that sales job provided you with relevant and transferable skills. How many sales did you make? What did you learn? How did it help you improve your current work situation? Even if the sales position only taught you how to be incredibly organized, pitch an idea quickly, and be persistent, those are excellent traits.
Focus on Results
Every MBA admissions’ committee is looking for applicants who will make a difference—in the classroom and out in the world. Your résumé should demonstrate the measurable impact you have already had in each of your positions and beyond. To focus on results, instead of listing bullet point descriptions of what you did, write powerful statements of what you achieved. For example, for the sales job above, don’t write, “Made 50 calls a day,” write, “Established 10 new clients daily through cold-calling and previously generated leads.” Language such as created, directed, developed, spearheaded, and implemented can make a world of difference. The key to providing results, for each job is to ask yourself, “what was the end goal of my work and how did I contribute to reaching it?”
David D. Schein, the Director of Graduate Programs for the Cameron School of Business at the University of St. Thomas, recommends adding volunteer work. However, not all volunteer work is equal. For example, if you just want to volunteer at the SPCA so you can play with puppies all day, that’s not going to help your resume or your application. Instead, find “responsible positions that deliver a lot of bang for the time commitment,” Schein says. Find a position that will allow you to spend time organizing a major fund-raising activity or event. It should be something that has a demonstrative impact on the organization and illustrates your leadership potential.
Pursue Hobbies
Not everything that makes you interesting and demonstrates that you are a viable candidate has to do with work. In fact, unique and interesting hobbies can be a fun and different way to demonstrate your skills. David Schein recommends that you choose hobbies that “demonstrate drive and ambition. Some examples might include white water rafting or learning a difficult foreign language like Chinese or Farsi.” An impressive resume is one that sets you apart as an MBA applicant. If you can show that you’re not like the hundreds of other applicants, it’s a good thing.
Make It Clear and Concise
Admissions’ committees only have a brief period to review your application, and your resume is only a small piece of your application. If you create a five-page opus in place of a resume, it might be skipped over, and then, no matter how great it was, it doesn’t do you any good. Instead, it’s critical to highlight your accomplishments clearly and concisely. A few recommendations for keeping you rrésumé reader-friendly:
- Keep it to one page. You can widen the margins and use a slightly smaller font, but try to keep your work history to a single page. Your interview, essay, and recommendation letters are all chances to expound on your resume.
- Don’t use jargon. Industry specific stories and language might make sense to you, but an admissions’ officer is not going to know what you mean.
- Find beta readers. It’s always a good idea to have someone on the outside review your résumé before you submit it. Choose a friend or family member that can objectively review your résumé and make sure it’s understandable.
Your resume may only be a small piece of your entire application, but it’s vital to demonstrate your skills, experience, and work ethic. Take the time to ensure that your resume best represents who you are and what you’ve accomplished. If you do it right, it should help you with the rest of your application.