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undecidedonmba
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Listing technical skills on resume instead of volunteering? 29 Nov 2013, 10:46
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On my MBA application resume, here's what I plan to list under "Additional Information"

- Languages (one line)
- Technical skills (two lines)

I don't think I have room to add another line and will look too crowded if I did that. Is it better to list extracurricular work over technical skills? I want to list technical skills because I think it structures my resume in the way that I want it to be viewed. The technical skills are related to my career goal.

Also, I'm going to be submitting a word document that lists all of my extracurricular work on the application system anyway, so they have all that information. Please let me know what you think.
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Listing technical skills on resume instead of volunteering? 29 Nov 2013, 13:13
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On my MBA application resume, here's what I plan to list under "Additional Information"

- Languages (one line)
- Technical skills (two lines)

I don't think I have room to add another line and will look too crowded if I did that. Is it better to list extracurricular work over technical skills? I want to list technical skills because I think it structures my resume in the way that I want it to be viewed. The technical skills are related to my career goal.

Also, I'm going to be submitting a word document that lists all of my extracurricular work on the application system anyway, so they have all that information. Please let me know what you think.
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[edit] changed my response after reading the title

Do not ignore volunteering or extracurriculars. A lot of schools interview blind meaning the interviewer only look at your resume. If you do not have any extracurriculars on there then that is a negative. Also I imagine most first reads of an application is pretty quick. Having all the information on your resume, including who you are outside of the workplace is important.
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Listing technical skills on resume instead of volunteering? 29 Nov 2013, 13:19
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On my MBA application resume, here's what I plan to list under "Additional Information"

- Languages (one line)
- Technical skills (two lines)

I don't think I have room to add another line and will look too crowded if I did that. Is it better to list extracurricular work over technical skills? I want to list technical skills because I think it structures my resume in the way that I want it to be viewed. The technical skills are related to my career goal.

Also, I'm going to be submitting a word document that lists all of my extracurricular work on the application system anyway, so they have all that information. Please let me know what you think.

[edit] changed my response after reading the title

Do not ignore volunteering or extracurriculars. A lot of schools interview blind meaning the interviewer only look at your resume. If you do not have any extracurriculars on there then that is a negative. Also I imagine most first reads of an application is pretty quick. Having all the information on your resume, including who you are outside of the workplace is important.
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Do you think I should have all three parts - languages, technical skills, and other (ECs)?
As I mentioned, I have certain technical skills already which are relevant to my career goal so I think having those listed help frame my resume better. I can make room for all three parts but it might look crowded at the bottom of my resume.
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Listing technical skills on resume instead of volunteering? 29 Nov 2013, 13:26
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On my MBA application resume, here's what I plan to list under "Additional Information"

- Languages (one line)
- Technical skills (two lines)

I don't think I have room to add another line and will look too crowded if I did that. Is it better to list extracurricular work over technical skills? I want to list technical skills because I think it structures my resume in the way that I want it to be viewed. The technical skills are related to my career goal.

Also, I'm going to be submitting a word document that lists all of my extracurricular work on the application system anyway, so they have all that information. Please let me know what you think.

[edit] changed my response after reading the title

Do not ignore volunteering or extracurriculars. A lot of schools interview blind meaning the interviewer only look at your resume. If you do not have any extracurriculars on there then that is a negative. Also I imagine most first reads of an application is pretty quick. Having all the information on your resume, including who you are outside of the workplace is important.

Do you think I should have all three parts - languages, technical skills, and other (ECs)?
As I mentioned, I have certain technical skills already which are relevant to my career goal so I think having those listed help frame my resume better. I can make room for all three parts but it might look crowded at the bottom of my resume.
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Depends on the technical skill. If it's CFA Level III candidate and you are looking to transition into finance then sure by all means include it. However if it's something like C++, Java and you are looking to transition into tech, I would say not so much. It's not a resume for a job, it's an MBA application resume. Unless you can be slightly more specific it's hard to say one way or the other.

I would say though most admissions teams do want to see well rounded individuals. So spending a couple of lines detailing your EC accomplishments would demonstrate you have an active interest in the community outside of work.
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Listing technical skills on resume instead of volunteering? Updated on: 12 Dec 2013, 12:49
Originally posted by undecidedonmba on 29 Nov 2013, 15:20.
Last edited by undecidedonmba on 12 Dec 2013, 12:49, edited 1 time in total.
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Listing technical skills on resume instead of volunteering? 30 Nov 2013, 04:37
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Quote:

Depends on the technical skill. If it's CFA Level III candidate and you are looking to transition into finance then sure by all means include it. However if it's something like C++, Java and you are looking to transition into tech, I would say not so much. It's not a resume for a job, it's an MBA application resume. Unless you can be slightly more specific it's hard to say one way or the other.

I would say though most admissions teams do want to see well rounded individuals. So spending a couple of lines detailing your EC accomplishments would demonstrate you have an active interest in the community outside of work.

To be specific, I'm looking to transition into finance (not a complete transition, but into a specific area and asset class) and I would like to list software (Bloomberg, Reuters, Factset) that I already have experience using which may not be obvious from my work history, along with a certification for a specific asset class that I mention in my career goal.
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Hmmm personally I would not put those in instead of your ECs. Having experience with a Bloomberg terminals is not a huge plus whereas it would definitely be a negative if you do not include any ECs. For sure I would try and sneak that info somewhere on your application as a whole but, in my opinion, not at the expense of ECs (especially if you state 1 or 2 EC achievements). Start a couple of threads in the ask admissions consultants section, they may be able to chime in and give you a better steer.
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Listing technical skills on resume instead of volunteering? 01 Dec 2013, 05:32
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For an MBA to be honest, the technical skills aren't that useful to have in your resume. It won't help you boost your profile or get you in, no matter how impressive. So much better is to use that space for MBA stuff... if not volunteering, then leadership, teamwork, achievements.... something that WILL help.
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Listing technical skills on resume instead of volunteering? 03 Dec 2013, 09:28
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I whole heartedly agree with Jon. Technical skills are absolutely irrelevant when it comes to an MBA resume. Actually, they're irrelevant when it comes to MOST resumes. Unless you're applying for a very specific job that lists certain skills as necessary, they add very little to a resume.

Additionally, your previous experience with Bloomberg, etc. won't help you get into MBA programs. Most programs have training programs on this anyway. So if you don't have it going in, you'll have it coming out. The time to add those skills is when it comes to RECRUITING for internships and full time offers.

Remove it. Definitely include your volunteering activities. Also, don't discount a truly personal statement to soften up the resume. Do you have a dog that means the world to you? Perhaps you're a proud uncle or aunt? Or maybe you play paintball every week. Whatever it is, allow the reviewer to connect with you as an individual. Your abilities at Bloomberg don't allow for that.

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