Your MBA application resume is the first part of your application that the admission committee will check out. This is what they will look out for to evaluate your status as a candidate for their MBA program. That’s why your resume needs to provide a context concerning your professional achievement. It will also serve as a combining thread in your MBA application. Therefore, your MBA application resume needs to reflect your professional experience and skills. That’s why this article will provide you with 7 tips for creating a strong MBA application resume to help you along. Here’s what we’ll cover:
- Importance of your MBA Application Resume
- Purpose of the MBA Application Resume
- Top Tips for Creating a Strong MBA Application Resume
- Final Thoughts
Now that you’re aware of what we will discuss let’s begin.
Importance of your MBA Application Resume
You may be wondering what the fuss is all about and why you have to pay so much attention to your MBA application resume. A survey has shown that your application resume makes up 15% of the criterion departments use. This means that it significantly affects your chances of gaining admission to that MBA program. It doesn’t matter if you’re an older MBA applicant or not; you must be conscious of its importance. The best part is that your MBA resume isn’t limited to the application process. It will also come in handy for your research and outreach. You need to have a strong, easy-to-read, and crisp resume that fits the bill for different purposes.
Purpose of the MBA Application Resume
As we have made clear, your MBA application resume is like the centerpiece of your application. However, you cannot rank it on the same level as your career goal essay and other essays. Each application part is crucial in its way. However, most of the time, the admission committee will first look at your MBA application resume. It will provide them with the framework through which they will read your essay. Your MBA application resume also determines the questions interviewers will ask you during your interview.
To be clear, your application resume will define the basis of your admission process. It answers the what question for your application while the essay answers the why. Your resume allows you to show off your accomplishment. It tells a story of your career pact, and it shows your past achievement. What story should your resume tell? Your story should be one of a leader that always makes an impact. Although there’s little room for elaboration, you can still craft a compelling application resume. To help you with that, let’s check out the 7 tips for creating a strong MBA application resume below.
Top Tips for Creating a Strong MBA Application Resume
Below are some tips that you can utilize when creating your MBA application resume; let’s take a look.
Avoid Technical Jargon
MBA candidates come from different career paths like finance, business administration, medicine, and more. Due to this, the admission committee might have no experience in your field. Chances are that they do not understand the industry-specific terminologies you use. That’s why you need to avoid such words and convert them to something easy to understand. For example, if you’re into the tech industry, instead of saying ‘built a data import API,’ you can say ‘created a new product to automate and scare rich media database.’ The ideal way to impress the admissions committee is to think like them.
Make your MBA Application Resume Easy to Flick Through
Typically, two different readers read your MBA application. On average, these people take 15-20 minutes to read every application they receive. When they finish, they’ll provide a recommendation about your candidacy that the committee will use. The best action to take is to put yourself in their shoes; the work must be boring. That’s why you should make it easy to browse through your resume. Make sure you use the right margins and spacings between bullet points. Doing this will make your application easier to read. If you also have vast experience. Ensure you stack up the job titles; this will portray your career progression.
Put Your Qualification Summary at the Top
The truth is admission committee first checks out your qualification summary. That’s why you need to make a great impression with this section. First, you should put the summary at the top of the resume so it’s easy to find. Secondly, format your qualification summary to be easy to read. Keep it short and to the point. Although there are no set rules on what’s accepted, focus on your skills and core competencies. You can also highlight your achievement and your career history in two or three sentences. In addition, you could include a vital project you have been working on.
Focus on Your Strengths
Ensure your MBA application resume focuses on your strengths. This is one of the leading ways to stand out amongst other MBA applicants. Remember that the admission committee will be reading through for qualities and skills that show you should be excited. Some qualities they will want include interpersonal skills, leadership, and communication skills. You should also include something like time management skills. When pointing out your strengths, ensure you provide them as a bullet list. Make sure they start with an action verb and provides a brief overall. When you list your strength like this, the admission committee will find it easier to browse through. It will also give them an impression of what you will be offering.
Measure Your Achievements
Another top tip to take note of when writing your MBA application resume is measuring your achievements. Although your achievements will still be impressive when you list them, you would lose the impact. To make the right impact, you have to learn how to measure your achievements. You should include numbers to show how you achieve measurable results. An example is if you played a part in reducing company expenses or supervised a team at your workplace. When you include numbers by mentioning the number of employees on the team or the percentage of costs you reduce, it will show how valuable your achievements are. It will also give an accurate representation of how successful you are. The achievement you place on your MBA application resume should show how you took on new responsibilities at work. It should also showcase any new skill you learned at your workplace.
Showcase Your Progression
One thing not to forget when writing your MBA application resume is always to showcase your progress. One of the main reasons you’re writing a resume is to show how far you have gone in your career. The admission committee will be looking to see what you learned on the job. They will also want to know if you experienced any professional growth or not. Instead of simply listing your job responsibilities, highlight your progress. Ensure you list your achievements in consecutive order. This way, it will show how you’ve grown in your career. You could showcase progression in roles or positions you held at work. If you held the same position in different companies, you could showcase your progress through your projects or achievements.
Let Work Experience Come Before Education Background
Although your educational background is essential, your work experience is even more critical. That’s why you should always place them above your educational background. When listing your work experience, you should ensure you set a focus on leadership. When the admission committee browses your MBA application resume, they want to see how you showcased solid leadership skills. You don’t need to hold a management role before you can act as a leader. Whatever situation you had to step up at work, you can include that when elaborating on your work experience.
After this, you can then move to list any higher education institution you attended. Ensure you list the degree you earned while mentioning your concentration. If you’re still in college at the time of application, you should portray this by writing pending degrees. One thing to note is that you don’t need to include any educational information before college. Make sure you place your focus on your degrees and all achievements you got through higher education. Your application committee is looking to see the time and effort you put into studying a particular field. They will also take note of this as it shows your discipline and commitment. It also helps them when deciding if you’re the right fit for the MBA degree program.
Final Thoughts
Your MBA application resume will contain all kinds of information. The idea behind the MBA resume is to make an impression on the admission committee. We have also explained the importance and purpose of an MBA application resume, so you know why it is crucial. The tips provided in this helpful article will ensure that your MBA application resume is stellar and contains all the correct information. Remember to keep things simple and ensure it is easy to read and understand each section. Stay off graphics, and don’t use a fancy font. Remember, visual appeal won’t matter in the admission committee’s decision-making. So keep it crisp, informative, and easy to read. With these tips, your MBA application resume will stand out to the admission committee and give you a better chance of getting in.
