RESUME submission

Question

What is the general idea on resumes these day? Most B-schools want to know what type of experience you can bring to the table as well as your academic achievements....is the rule still one page for your resume? I have worked since I was 16 years old (now i'm 26) and I have had 5 different jobs/titles. Just alone those 5 jobs can easily take up a page. I'm trying to get into an MBA program with an HR concentration...do I want to touch on all basis of business or do I want to focus my resume towards HR since that will be my concentration...

Thoughts????

Thoughts????

CobraKai · Answer

Yes - one page. That will be the standard for recruiting as well. Honestly, what kind of work experience did you have when you were 16? It's probably irrelevant. Stick with major internships in college and post college work. The key is not to list every little thing you did but to highlight achievements and quantifiable results in hard-hitting bullets. Clear and concise - one page.

I've got ten years in the military and I was able to get my resume to be one page, so you can too.

lclausen0108 · Answer

I worked for a retail store but was a manager in training once I turned 18 they wanted me to be the assistant manage, though I ended up leaving for college after that. All the other jobs I had were assistant jobs to governmental agencies. I guess I will keep working on cutting it down.

CobraKai · Answer

So it looks like you worked retail from 16-18...that's farily irrelevant for an MBA resume. Reserve that space for more relevant work experience.

Electrichazard · Answer

I agree with CobraKai. I don't believe that job would count as "professional" work experience. I worked quite a few jobs before joining the Navy but the Navy is what I considered to be the beginning of my professional work experience even though I did not receive my degree until after. I have 16 years of work experience including the Navy but I managed to get it down to one page as well. A lot of different sites said that my years of experience would allow for a two page resume. However, the one page just looks nicer, clearer and more professional.

How many of those internships/jobs have you held during/after graduation?

lclausen0108 · Answer

Straight out of high school I worked as a summer intern for a local governmental agency, I went away for one year and then returned there in summer to work yet again in which I did not go back to university instead I went into a trade school for 18 months which still allowed me in the summer to intern for them. I then started my job with my current employer and I've been with them for 5 years, I started doing part-time at a local community college where I got my associates degree and then in 2010 I transferred into a university to finish my degree in which I attended school full time while working full time.

ManhattanReview · Answer

Simply put -- one page is the limit.

When you write your resume, you need to make sure that the most recent and pertinent information is emphasized and showcased the most. While your work history is important, the person you were when you were 16 does not really reflect the person you are today. Also, most business schools do not care about the jobs you held so long ago. Additionally, there are other places on the application where you can get these experiences showcased and the resume may not be the proper place.

Good luck.

Kimberly Plaga
Senior Admissions Consultant 
Manhattan Review

RESUME submission

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