Most applicants are too modest in their resume because they don\u2019t want to \u201cbrag.\u201d But taking the time to reflect, then succinctly articulate your professional value add is crucial for your business school resume. It\u2019s also important to customize with your new target audience in mind \u2013 the MBA admissions committee at your top schools \u2013 which, as underscored in part one of my two-part series, is distinct from potential employers.<\/p>\n
Too often, MBA applicants reduce a resume to a lackluster roster of dates, places, job titles and qualifications \u2013 what you did, rather than why you\u2019re a rock star. Your resume should be a succinct overview of what you\u2019ve achieved that sets the stage for the rest your application, and \u2013 hopefully \u2013 for your admissions interview in the future. So how can you most powerfully articulate your key strengths and prioritize the experience and attributes that convey to your future potential?<\/p>\n
From my current role at Fortuna Admissions as well as experience as a career coach at Wharton, I\u2019ve narrowed down four key best practices and common pitfalls that every applicant should know.<\/p>\n
#1: TAKE THE TIME TO HONE YOUR PERSONAL INTERESTS SECTION.<\/strong> #2. CITE KEY DIFFERENTIATORS.<\/strong> #3. BE MINDFUL OF FORMATTING.<\/strong> #4. KEEP YOUR LANGUAGE JARGON-FREE AND SIMPLE.<\/strong> #1. VIOLATING CONFIDENTIALITY.<\/strong> #2. EMBELLISHING OR FALSIFYING.<\/strong> #3. GAPS IN YOUR TIMELINE.<\/strong> #4. CARELESS MISTAKES.<\/strong> For more MBA resume tips from Fortuna Admissions<\/a>, including before and after examples, read the first in this two-part series, \u201cCrafting a Stand-out Resume for the MBA Application<\/a>.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n A version of this article was originally published on Poets & Quants on January 3, 2018.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This second article in a two-part series on Crafting a Standout Resume for the MBA Application highlights essential dos and don\u2019ts every applicant should know. Most applicants are too modest…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":160,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"1","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,1831,775,243],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40614","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mba","category-fortuna-admissions","category-admission-consultants","category-blog","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40614","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/160"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40614"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40614\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40614"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40614"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40614"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nMore than your standard resume, your MBA resume should highlight extracurriculars, personal achievements and volunteer work. Know that almost every candidate will list something like \u201ctravel, cooking, running, photography\u201d in this section, but it\u2019s a wasted chance to be memorable to your reviewer or interviewer. How can you illustrate your uniqueness, and show that you achieve goals and work hard outside of the office or classroom? Even one standout accomplishment is better than a list of generic hobbies. For example, a more compelling reframe of interests, is:<\/p>\n\n
\nThis includes specifics around global experience (even if it\u2019s just personal travel), management of people, academic honors or awards or leadership positions based on selectivity. Showcase your career progression by citing all the titles you\u2019ve held within your organization so an admissions reviewer can clearly see when you were promoted. A few examples:<\/p>\n\n
\nAcademic awards or honors: \u201cDean\u2019s List all semesters, GPA 3.75, GMAT: 720\u201d<\/li>\n
\nCreativity isn\u2019t rewarded in this medium, so avoid distracting pictures, colors and graphics. Make your resume easy on the eye by formatting your document with enough white space to be scannable and choose a friendly, size-appropriate font. Include no more than three to five bullet points under each position \u2013 your goal is to be concise, clear and compelling. Know that business schools have a preference for the one page resume. A few tips:<\/p>\n\n
\nAvoid overly complex or long-winded sentences and use concise phrasing. Look for mirroring language similar to that used by the program \u2013 the admissions reviewer will make the connection and be more likely to see you as a \u201cfit\u201d for the school. Having reviewed hundreds (if not thousands) of MBA resumes, admissions knows exactly what a Consultant, Analyst or Associate does on the job, so these types of titles don\u2019t require explanation. In addition:<\/p>\n\n
DON\u2019TS: Four deathly pitfalls to avoid.<\/h3>\n
\nTreat your resume as a public document. This means financial numbers, negativity about your employer, deal values \u2013 all are assumed public information if you cite it in your resume. That said, just because you\u2019ve worked on confidential deals or signed an NDA doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t prove your value with objective evidence. You just need to think creatively.<\/p>\n\n
\nDo NOT lie or exaggerate. Your integrity and ethics should be of highest importance \u2013 these are qualities that matter to business schools. If you get caught in stretching the truth, you\u2019ve forfeited your chance of admission and jeopardized your current job, too. Just don\u2019t go there.<\/p>\n\n
\nIf you have periods of family emergency, unemployment, sickness, or jobs that don\u2019t feel representative, these gaps in your timeline will be noticed. It\u2019s not necessarily a big issue, but you want to be prepared to address them in a straightforward and sincere way. Don\u2019t insult the intelligence of your audience by trying to conceal or sidestep the situation.<\/p>\n\n
\nIt\u2019s painful when sloppy mistakes undermine an impressive resume. It tells the reviewer you don\u2019t care enough to pay attention to the details. Always proofread your resume. Proofread it again. Then, yes, proofread again.<\/p>\n\n