What one needs to keep in mind when submitting a resumé to an MBA program, either as part of an application or for preliminary assessment, is context. A resumé can quickly go from fascinating to frustrating if key information we’re looking for to determine if a prospective applicant meets our minimum criteria and has the qualities we’re looking for in education and experience are missing or buried in too many details.
Here are a few Do’s and Don’ts for putting a resumé together with the goal of applying to an MBA Program.
DO
Include year of graduation from any post-secondary education you have completed
If you have taken courses but not graduated, make sure this is very clear
Focus on the impact/achievements you’ve had and quantify where possible
Use the CAR model (Context, Action, Result) to explain your experience, not tasks from your job description
Include your contact information (email and phone number)
List your experience in reverse chronological order
Save and share your resumé as a .pdf file to make sure your info is conveyed visually just as you’d like it to be
Limit your resumé to two pages if possible
Only include what is relevant to your MBA application; we don’t need to know about your summer jobs through university, for example, unless you feel they are relevant to where you are today and relevant to your post-MBA goals
DON’T
Include an objective; you’re interested in applying to an MBA program, so that aspect is clear!
List too many technical qualifications related to your specific field; if you have an IT role, we’ll assume you have the skills to be there
Include a hobbies/activities section unless you have significant involvement in a sport/charity/club that you feel demonstrates your leadership or teamwork ability
Include a “References available upon request” section
Include your marital status, citizenship, or blood type (yes — we see this regularly!)
Ultimately, think of your resumé as prime real estate: you don’t want to waste precious space with information that is irrelevant. Instead, focus on sharing information that highlights the experiences, activities, and qualities that will make you a strong candidate for an MBA program and the type of person a potential recruiter in your desired field would want to hire!