Last visit was: 23 Apr 2024, 16:00 It is currently 23 Apr 2024, 16:00

Close
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
SORT BY:
Date
User avatar
SVP
SVP
Joined: 17 May 2007
Posts: 2437
Own Kudos [?]: 1682 [3]
Given Kudos: 210
Send PM
User avatar
Manager
Manager
Joined: 27 Oct 2005
Posts: 182
Own Kudos [?]: 7 [5]
Given Kudos: 0
Send PM
User avatar
SVP
SVP
Joined: 17 May 2007
Posts: 2437
Own Kudos [?]: 1682 [0]
Given Kudos: 210
Send PM
User avatar
SVP
SVP
Joined: 01 Nov 2006
Posts: 1854
Own Kudos [?]: 233 [0]
Given Kudos: 2
Concentration: Social Enterprise
Schools:The Duke MBA, Class of 2009
Send PM
[#permalink]
bsd_lover wrote:
Thanks GMATCram. This is extremely useful. I follow the above format, since I have work experience with several companies, the resume will easily run over 1 page as is required.

Any suggestions?


i had the same issue. It's not easy, but you've just got to find a way to shorten it up. (BTW - some schools do allow 2 pages, and I don't care what anyone says -- If they accepted a 2-pager, I sent it to them.)

As far as ways to shorten it, it really depends on what you've got. First, take a giant step back and try to objectively look at your history. What really matters? I found that while I had several bullets under each job, many of them truly weren't vital. Or I could combine two points into one, etc.

I hope this helps.
User avatar
Current Student
Joined: 24 Apr 2007
Posts: 588
Own Kudos [?]: 17 [0]
Given Kudos: 0
 Q50  V44
Send PM
[#permalink]
I'm in the same boat. First thing I did was junk all of the technical skills stuff on my resume related to being a network engineer. Adcoms certainly dont care that I can use sniffers to analyze tcp conversations to find application problems or that I can configure BGP (heck, most people here dont either). So that freed up some space. I then removed almost everything except the job title info for my last two positions. I also took out the "technical" bullet points from my recent positions, and replaced them with leadership actions and work that has a measurable financial impact (which is tough at times in IT).

Still, my resume is just over a page, and it doesnt have any EC or community stuff on it yet. I think I will have to rework the entire format in order to conserve space while avoiding making it look cluttered. I've been interviewing alot of people over the last two years, and I have certainly learned to see the difference between a good resume and an ugly one.
User avatar
SVP
SVP
Joined: 17 May 2007
Posts: 2437
Own Kudos [?]: 1682 [0]
Given Kudos: 210
Send PM
[#permalink]
They provide a separate section in the application where you can list out extra curricular activities and community work (or at least the columbia application does), hence putting it on the resume seems like a terribly redundant exercise to me. Especially since I am running into space issues.

I HAVE chopped out all the technical lingo. I am *still* running into space issues. Ah well ... might have to learn to be more succinct.


bherronp wrote:
I'm in the same boat. First thing I did was junk all of the technical skills stuff on my resume related to being a network engineer. Adcoms certainly dont care that I can use sniffers to analyze tcp conversations to find application problems or that I can configure BGP (heck, most people here dont either). So that freed up some space. I then removed almost everything except the job title info for my last two positions. I also took out the "technical" bullet points from my recent positions, and replaced them with leadership actions and work that has a measurable financial impact (which is tough at times in IT).

Still, my resume is just over a page, and it doesnt have any EC or community stuff on it yet. I think I will have to rework the entire format in order to conserve space while avoiding making it look cluttered. I've been interviewing alot of people over the last two years, and I have certainly learned to see the difference between a good resume and an ugly one.
avatar
Manager
Manager
Joined: 04 Aug 2005
Posts: 192
Own Kudos [?]: 10 [0]
Given Kudos: 0
Send PM
[#permalink]
Since the school I'm applying to has a huge emphasis on leadership experience, I also decided to include a section in my resume that specifically points out leadership experiences I've had both in jobs and ECs.

Luckily, the school I'm applying to doesn't have length limit, but I was wondering if schools generally want to see every single job you've ever had. I mean, will they care that I worked in the gift shops at Sea World for a summer? I've taken jobs like this off of my regular resume, but I could swear that I read/heard somewhere that for a Bschool application resume you should list every job you've ever had. Any suggestions?
User avatar
SVP
SVP
Joined: 01 Nov 2006
Posts: 1854
Own Kudos [?]: 233 [0]
Given Kudos: 2
Concentration: Social Enterprise
Schools:The Duke MBA, Class of 2009
Send PM
[#permalink]
ishcabibble wrote:
Since the school I'm applying to has a huge emphasis on leadership experience, I also decided to include a section in my resume that specifically points out leadership experiences I've had both in jobs and ECs.

Luckily, the school I'm applying to doesn't have length limit, but I was wondering if schools generally want to see every single job you've ever had. I mean, will they care that I worked in the gift shops at Sea World for a summer? I've taken jobs like this off of my regular resume, but I could swear that I read/heard somewhere that for a Bschool application resume you should list every job you've ever had. Any suggestions?


Think about the space you have to use - do you want to use those inches for your stint as a gift shop lackey or do you want to use it to show your leadership acumen? I've never heard any rule about listing everything you've ever done - remember, resume comes from the French word for summarize.

The run-of-the-mill summer job doesn't belong on your resume, unless it somehow helps you to tell your story. Many of the applications have data sections that ask you for your work history, and some of them specifically want those short-term jobs. If that's the case, include it. If not, you probably don't want to.

As you put info in your application, think, "Does this further my cause? Is it part of my positioning strategy?" and finally, "Am I ethically obligated to include this?" (This last one comes up less often, but if they ask you if you've got a conviction, don't lie.)

That's my take.
User avatar
Manager
Manager
Joined: 17 Jul 2007
Posts: 230
Own Kudos [?]: 7 [0]
Given Kudos: 0
Location: The 408
Send PM
[#permalink]
IMO, the technical side when you're job hunting helps. On the B-School resume, you need to write it for them.

C++, Flash, Mcirosoft-whathaveyou (can you tell I'm not in tech!) will mean very little. Focus on leadership, accomplishments, promotions and other weird stuff. Did you get shipped to the UK to oversee a big client and supervise a team? I would spend words on that over a jargon filled sentence on what you're knowledge base is.

I’m not saying that those things are no important, but just not what I would be looking for in a B-School resume.
User avatar
VP
VP
Joined: 24 Sep 2006
Posts: 1359
Own Kudos [?]: 208 [0]
Given Kudos: 0
Send PM
[#permalink]
bsd_lover wrote:
Thanks GMATCram. This is extremely useful. I follow the above format, since I have work experience with several companies, the resume will easily run over 1 page as is required.

Any suggestions?


Only 1 suggestion: don't go over 1 page unless you are 50+ years old. Specially if you are under 30, 1 page ought to do it just fine, while 2 would sound either arrogant or boring.

L.
User avatar
GMAT Club Legend
GMAT Club Legend
Joined: 04 Jun 2007
Status:Um... what do you want to know?
Posts: 5456
Own Kudos [?]: 698 [0]
Given Kudos: 14
Location: SF, CA, USA
Concentration: Technology, Entrepreneurship, Digital Media & Entertainment
Schools:UC Berkeley Haas School of Business MBA 2010
 Q51  V41
GPA: 3.9 - undergrad 3.6 - grad-EE
WE 1: Social Gaming
Send PM
[#permalink]
Also remember, for those of you who might leave your extracurricular stuff off the resume, that some interviews are blind to your application, so all they know about you and all their questions are from your resume. Keep that in mind when you work your resume for the different schools.

I know Haas interviewers are blind to your app.
User avatar
Current Student
Joined: 22 Apr 2007
Posts: 1036
Own Kudos [?]: 30 [0]
Given Kudos: 0
Send PM
[#permalink]
But isn't it absolutely impossible to fit in the work-experience and extracurriculars in 1 page?
User avatar
GMAT Club Legend
GMAT Club Legend
Joined: 04 Jun 2007
Status:Um... what do you want to know?
Posts: 5456
Own Kudos [?]: 698 [0]
Given Kudos: 14
Location: SF, CA, USA
Concentration: Technology, Entrepreneurship, Digital Media & Entertainment
Schools:UC Berkeley Haas School of Business MBA 2010
 Q51  V41
GPA: 3.9 - undergrad 3.6 - grad-EE
WE 1: Social Gaming
Send PM
[#permalink]
My resume is still one page, and I have all the RELEVANT work experinece on there with quite a bit of detail. I usually just list my extracurriculars, unless I'm the founder or president of those activities.
User avatar
Current Student
Joined: 22 Apr 2007
Posts: 1036
Own Kudos [?]: 30 [0]
Given Kudos: 0
Send PM
[#permalink]
Well, I take it back. I was using new-lines too often in the resume. By getting rid of new-lines and using other modes of separation, I am very close to fitting the resume in one page. Various sections are still clearly differentiated and the resume is still readable. Now I just need to simplify the wording and chuck / merge some pieces .. and I can see the resume fitting in one page.
User avatar
GMAT Club Legend
GMAT Club Legend
Joined: 05 Apr 2006
Affiliations: HHonors Diamond, BGS Honor Society
Posts: 5916
Own Kudos [?]: 3083 [0]
Given Kudos: 7
Schools: Chicago (Booth) - Class of 2009
GMAT 1: 730 Q45 V45
WE:Business Development (Consumer Products)
Send PM
[#permalink]
mNeo wrote:
Well, I take it back. I was using new-lines too often in the resume. By getting rid of new-lines and using other modes of separation, I am very close to fitting the resume in one page. Various sections are still clearly differentiated and the resume is still readable. Now I just need to simplify the wording and chuck / merge some pieces .. and I can see the resume fitting in one page.


1 page is a good idea for jobs, but I don't think you need to stick to it so dearly for MBA applications (unless you are told to do so). Understand that no school is going to deny you because you handed in a 2 page resume. By the same token, no school is going to admit you because you squeezed it into 1 page. That said, if you can get it down to 1, I would. If however getting it down to 1 means butchering it to the point of meaningless drivel, don't.
User avatar
GMAT Club Legend
GMAT Club Legend
Joined: 05 Apr 2006
Affiliations: HHonors Diamond, BGS Honor Society
Posts: 5916
Own Kudos [?]: 3083 [0]
Given Kudos: 7
Schools: Chicago (Booth) - Class of 2009
GMAT 1: 730 Q45 V45
WE:Business Development (Consumer Products)
Send PM
[#permalink]
zakk wrote:
C++, Flash, Mcirosoft-whathaveyou (can you tell I'm not in tech!) will mean very little.


Good point, 08ers take heed. Reading about "java code obfuscation" makes for really boring or worse - confusing - reading.
User avatar
SVP
SVP
Joined: 17 May 2007
Posts: 2437
Own Kudos [?]: 1682 [0]
Given Kudos: 210
Send PM
[#permalink]
I understand what most people are saying about leaving out the technical jargon and that since I am under 30 I should be able to fit everything in one page. But consider this, since I was working in consulting, I was involved in several projects and post that, I have been self employed doing surprise, surprise, more consulting. Which means I have some roles that are as short as six months.

Over 7 years of work experience means, these roles have accumulated and fill up the resume. Even with ZERO technical jargon, and no extra curriculars, space seems to run out. Now Adcoms specifically look for gaps in the resume for holes so its not like I can omit certain roles and only include "relevant" work experience. If I omit then I would require to explain these gaps in the "optional" essay.

Its tough work getting it ALL in. At the moment I am experimenting with a landscape layout with two columns...
User avatar
SVP
SVP
Joined: 01 Nov 2006
Posts: 1854
Own Kudos [?]: 233 [1]
Given Kudos: 2
Concentration: Social Enterprise
Schools:The Duke MBA, Class of 2009
Send PM
[#permalink]
1
Kudos
Ok, I think I can help.

You've been a self-employed consultant. This is really ONE JOB. This ain't pretty, but imagine it like this:

Self-Employed Consultant
2002-Present
Key Projects:
* Acted as Steve Jobs' muse for I-Phone creation
* Led strategy for Martha Stewarts' comeback

They'll get the idea of what you've done, and they'll know that you can't describe every project you worked on.
User avatar
SVP
SVP
Joined: 17 May 2007
Posts: 2437
Own Kudos [?]: 1682 [0]
Given Kudos: 210
Send PM
[#permalink]
Excellent suggestion !!!!!

Why didn't I think of that *scratches his head* ..


aaudetat wrote:
Ok, I think I can help.

You've been a self-employed consultant. This is really ONE JOB. This ain't pretty, but imagine it like this:

Self-Employed Consultant
2002-Present
Key Projects:
* Acted as Steve Jobs' muse for I-Phone creation
* Led strategy for Martha Stewarts' comeback

They'll get the idea of what you've done, and they'll know that you can't describe every project you worked on.
User avatar
SVP
SVP
Joined: 01 Nov 2006
Posts: 1854
Own Kudos [?]: 233 [1]
Given Kudos: 2
Concentration: Social Enterprise
Schools:The Duke MBA, Class of 2009
Send PM
[#permalink]
1
Kudos
[quote="bsd_lover"]Excellent suggestion !!!!!

Why didn't I think of that *scratches his head* ..

[quote/]

You didn't think of it because you're entering the application zone - and this ain't a good place to be. In the application zone, you lose your ability to rationally think about your profile. You can't analyze, you can't be objective. You second guess everything. It's not fun. But the good news is that the folks on this board, who have also lost their ability to think objectively about their applications, can still help you with yours. It's a group effort.
GMAT Club Bot
[#permalink]
 1   2   

Powered by phpBB © phpBB Group | Emoji artwork provided by EmojiOne