MBA Resume

Question

I am drafting my MBA resume and struggling a little with the 'interests' section.

I have travelled to 25 countries, travelled a lot for work, done exchange programs etc. I have mentioned this as a point in the 'Additional' section. Is it a good idea say something like 'enjoy experiencing new cuusines, cultures..etc' or should it be more factual?

heard mixed opinions about this

bb · Answer

I have seen people put “watching movies” or “reading books” and those are worthless.

In general the interests section is low value add as it is usually travel, photography, and reading books or watching movies. But that’s 5 out of 6 billion people. The other billion knows better than to put such generic stuff.

I would put only things that can spark something. Eg. Collected over 100 starwars legos or Travel: visited every country in Europe. Otherwise visiting 25 countries is a great accomplishment but it also can scream entitlement/privilege and it can be negative.

Ideally your interests would be quantifiable in some way, intriguing, and most important - purposeful. You did not just visit 25 countries but you had some kind of a purpose - eg wanted to visit 25 countries by 25.

Bottom line - it is an opportunity that you can leverage and maybe even tie in with your story but if you don’t have anything amazing, you can be like the rest of us….. 😂

Posted from my mobile device

ExpertsGlobal · Answer

Hello  M12R ,

Hope this finds you well.

You might want to just avoid the point you have mentioned as it will not add much value. Adding points that help differentiate your profile from others or focus on some sort of impact are what deserve mention.

We have a short video on how to create an MBA Resume. It might prove to be helpful.

Here you go:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-dEaxQ_w4U&t=1s

​​​​​​​Good luck!

MBADecoder · Answer

HI, There isn't an "interest section" as such in a resume. Advise you to have an Additional information section, where you put down all your extra curricular activities since graduating from college (College activities can go under the Education section). This section can have 1 or 2 pointers max on "interests". you should also include other activities here such as: 1. volunteering 2. Community initiatives at work and outside of work 3. Any side hustles/ entrepreneurial activity 4. substantial involvement and possibly achievements in hobbies such as dancing, playing a sport, starting an interest club Give achievements and quantify them for each of these activities. As BB pointed out- everyone loves trying new cuisines and cultures- so don't state the generic, as its not gonna tell anything different about you. Watch our video on building a compelling resume: YOU TUBE LINK . We cover info about the additional section at 32:43 minutes, if you just want to see that. Namita Garg, Founder, MBA Decoder Email: contact@mbadecoder.com Reach out to us for a Profile Evaluation Helping applicants achieve their MBA dreams since 2011

admitStreet · Answer

@M12R - You should avoid generic stuff on your resume (or any parts of the applicaation). Always try to answer these questions (at the back of your head) while adding any line (or word) on your resume: - what achievement does it showcase? and what's the (ideally quantified) impact? - what aspect of your personality/ character does it showcase, and how's it linked to what the school looks for? - how does it differentiate yourself from others? Keeping these angles in mind would help build a strong resume. For more guidelines, check out my detailed write-up: https://admitstreet.com/blog/mba-resume/ Regards, Arvind Founder, admitStreet | HEC Paris alum & Former admissions interviewer W: https://admitstreet.com | E: consultingteam@admitstreet.com | Drop me a line

AugustAcademy · Answer

You should absolutely talk about what interests you outside of work - but you need to keep things interesting:

You enjoy A, B, and C -> That tells me something about you, but it doesn't intrigue me.  So what specific aspect of A, B or C do you think will be super-interesting to a lay reader?

You enjoy new cuisines - have you cooked? Any pleasant surprises for me here? (Maybe you won a local Masterchef style competition?  Or you were awarded the best food critic of Omaha, NE?  Of you simply became a much followed foodie on Zomato (India) or some similar hyperlocal platform in your country.

Likewise for your other interests.

Think about how you can grab the reader's interest, while revealing an aspect of your personality.

Best,
Karthik

MiMEssay · Answer

A rule of thumb i use when working on applications would be to showcase yourself as an overachiever whereever possible
With your competition full of people with great scores, its the differentiators that matter

In your case i would definitely mention the number
25 countries is a big deal, and schools love diversity - so can be effectively mentioned
Cultural exchanges can be specifically mentioned with duration to show its all not tourism or short stays
If you had any major pursuits while abroad, like NGOs or social work mention that

Can help build a strong narrative to support your scores and work ex
Schools do love international experience

Cheers!

Abhyank
Founder & CEO 
 BOOK A FREE CALL 
MBA and Masters Admissions Consulting
 https://www.mim-essay.com/images/MiM-Essay-Sticky-Logo-6.png 
 Customer Reviews | Profile Evaluation | School Explorer 
Contact us: +91-8448224865

MBAandBeyond · Answer

Hi,  M12R

Elevate your resume by replacing the standard "Interests" section with a more impactful "Beyond the Office" segment. This new section should paint a vivid picture of your life outside of work since finishing college.

The "Additional Information" section should encompass:
 
 Your community contributions 
 Passion projects or side businesses 
 Significant personal achievements 
 Unique skills developed through hobbies

While you can briefly mention a couple of interests, the real focus should be on tangible accomplishments. For each activity, provide specific details and measurable results to demonstrate your impact.

Steer clear of commonplace interests that don't distinguish you. Instead, showcase the distinctive experiences that truly define who you are. This approach will give potential employers deeper insights into your character, skills, and potential value to their organization.

Remember, your resume should tell your unique story. Make every word count by highlighting what makes you stand out.

If you have any further questions related to your profile or want a 1:1 discussion with our top profile experts,  feel free to schedule a complimentary profile evaluations session with our experts  . We match you with the students and alums of top B-Schools according to your background and target schools.

MBAGuide · Answer

M12R glad I saw this question, albeit a little late but I am happy to pitch in nevertheless. If I may be honest, a reviewer spends no more than 10 seconds on the "Additional Information" section of the resume. And of those 10 seconds, about 5 seconds are spent reading information that can probably be found somewhere else in the application, either in a built-in question or in the applicant's essay. So it should come as no surprise that it is very difficult to WOW the reviewer with the additional information section. So the focus should be on giving the big picture that your extracurricular activities are indeed a good part of the overall experience (about one-third approximately including the education information), and therefore the bullet points need to be nicely worded with a brief overview of the "reason/goal" behind the involvements and the results/impact. I do not mind mentioning singing, cooking or other hobbies, but this must not be done without evidence of a "passion" such as organising cookouts or wine club events or winning prizes in a singing competition. I would say the bottom line is that you should not look foolish if you can not impress. Best wishes Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD MBA alumna, former INSEAD MBA admissions interviewer) Founder, MBAGuideConsulting LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/aanchal-sahni-83b00819/ |WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/ | Message(WA): +91 9971200927| email- mbaguideconsulting@gmail.com

MBA Resume

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards