how to build a strong resume for mba

How to Write a Strong MBA Resume

Show your value and keep it brief to create a business school resume that impresses admissions officers, experts say.

Getty Images | iStockphoto

There is a variety of ways to boost your MBA application but a solid strategy is key.

Applying to business schools for an MBA program can be a daunting task and includes presenting a resume that aims to capture the attention of the admissions committee. The best MBA resume tells the story of applicants' accomplishments, work experience and what makes them a valuable addition to an MBA class, experts say.

“The normal process is someone applies to the school, the admissions representative reads their profile, which consists of resume, transcripts, essays,” says Jason Rife, senior assistant dean of the Career Management Center and Graduate Admissions for Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University in Texas. “They are making a determination: Am I going to interview this person? Is this person strong enough and does this person have a reasonable enough chance that they are worth an interview?”

That admissions representative may want to recommend acceptance, Rife says, “but now they have to convince the rest of the committee. So, the more easily digestible that resume is, the easier it is for someone else to sell you and advocate for you.” 

Here are 10 tips from experts to help you craft a stellar MBA resume. 

Be Informed Before Applying

“It’s important to remember that not only are you looking to see if a school is the right fit for you, the school is also looking to see if you are the right fit for them,” Lily Bi, president and CEO of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, also known as AACSB International, wrote in an email.

“Doing your research on the AACSB-accredited institution of your choice and providing examples of how their specific programs and extracurricular offerings will help you reach your goals will show admissions officers that you are invested in the school – and invested in yourself,” Bi says.

Natalie Grinblatt, a senior admissions consultant at Accepted.com – a company that helps prospective students gain admission to MBA and other higher ed programs – agrees. “Tailoring the resume to the school can be helpful in connecting with the committee,” she wrote in an email.

Use Numbers to Show Your Value

The best way for MBA applicants to add value to their resume is to quantify their impact. An MBA application resume should be oriented around achievements more than responsibilities, so the applicant needs to measure and describe their impact on revenue, costs, market share, efficiency, stakeholder value, customer satisfaction and the other ways business success is measured, Grinblatt says.

“Don’t just say you were in charge of a new platform,” she advises. “Instead, indicate that you lead a team that created a new platform, increasing efficiency by 50%.” 

When experts advise you to provide clear, measurable results in your resume, what they’re really asking is for you to explain your impact on your teams, your projects and your company, says Maya Parikh Gandhi, a senior admissions consultant at Menlo Coaching, an admissions and test prep company in California.

“In the early stages of your career, it’s tempting to overstate your involvement," she says. "Chances are you aren’t leading many client engagements, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have an important role. Point out if you led research, interacted with senior leadership or met regularly with important stakeholders.” 

And remember that your impact won’t always be external. Creating an onboarding program, taking the lead on training initiatives or developing ways to improve company culture are examples of internal impact that will work well on your resume, Gandhi says. 

Numbers jump off the page, Rife adds. “Giving a sense of scope and scale is tremendously useful. It helps the committee understand what you’ve done.” 

Limit Resume Length

It’s best to keep general MBA resumes to one page, and resumes for an executive MBA to no more than two pages, Grinblatt says.

She recommends choosing career highlights rather than listing everything that has transpired throughout your career, keeping in mind that admissions officers often have no more than a minute to look at your resume and may not get beyond one page.

“There is such a thing as diminishing returns,” Rife says. “We’ve got GRE, SAT, GMAT , ACT scores and some of them are good. We don’t need five or six and we don’t need every club you’ve been a part of, just the ones where you were president, vice president or treasurer, and describe the impact you’ve had.”

Remember that leadership and analytical abilities are foremost, but don’t be repetitive, experts say.

Show Leadership

Leadership is an important quality for MBA programs, so your leadership experience should be easily detectable on the resume, Gandhi says.

Even if you don’t lead a team, she says, it’s possible that you’ve overseen the development of a recruit or an intern. Maybe you’ve been in a leadership position in an extracurricular activity, led the fundraising efforts for a charity you’re passionate about or proposed a small change in a process that saved the company time or money. 

Hard leadership experience is a bonus, but think widely about where you’ve taken the reins.

Demonstrated leadership is important to business schools that are paving the way in innovation and societal impact and pride themselves on helping the next generation of leaders learn how to “lead boldly,” Bi says. 

“Business school students are the future leaders of tomorrow, so I suggest sharing the way you plan to impact the world, and why a degree from the school you’re applying to is necessary to help you achieve that.” 

Avoid Jargon

“Be careful on acronyms, titles and word choice that may be in your everyday vernacular,” Rife says. “Explain your job as you would to a grandparent. All too often, people want to sound sophisticated. It’s much better to use plain, clear language.”

It’s also important to not just list job titles, but also describe the work, he says, so that employers don’t have to guess.

“If you’re transitioning out of a role, such as the military , with nomenclature that may not be well known within the business world, it’s important to provide context,” Rife says.  “Instead of saying, ‘Briefed the brigade commander on the unit’s operational readiness scores,’ you could provide a little more background with, ‘Presented operational performance metrics to the commander of the 800-person organization.’”

Tailor Your Resume to the School

“Try to use your target school’s template,” Rife says. “A lot of times, careers centers will post their templates on the website. There are a lot of examples out there on the web. Make sure it’s current.”

He also suggests looking at resumes on LinkedIn, where you can filter and search MBA programs to see resumes of current students and recent graduates.

“I would also say use your own network,” Rife says. “If you are targeting a top school, you should be trying to find people currently there, who went to your undergrad school or who currently or previously worked at your company.”

Highlight Career Advancement

“If you have been at a company and you had three different roles, you ought to make that very clear,” Rife says. “That allows a reader to see this person has been promoted since they’ve been with the organization."

It's important to be accurate about a current title, but be sure to include other significant roles, he adds. "Sometimes the applicants have done more than their resume indicates.”

Show Your Potential

To demonstrate potential, think of your achievements compared with your peers, Gandhi adds. If you have outperformed others at your level of seniority, highlight that on your resume, as it distinguishes you from other candidates with similar work experience . 

Rife says extra responsibilities or rapid promotion indicate potential.

Gandhi recommends emphasizing on any instances where you took initiative, came up with an innovative solution, dealt closely with senior management or took on a fundamental role in a high-profile project.

Showcase Soft Skills

Grinblatt says leadership, teamwork, creativity and problem-solving skills are critical. She suggests applicants review the GMAC common letter of recommendation to see what skills are most important to admissions directors.

Sometimes people don’t consider themselves a true leader if they don’t have direct reports.

“But you actually are a leader because you have to get people to do things, and it’s even more challenging if you don’t have authority over them,” Rife says. “Being able to influence and persuade others is a soft skill.”

Tell the Truth

It's critical that information in your resume is truthful, experts stress, since dishonesty or a serious inaccuracy can result in a rejection letter.

Gandhi says it’s important, for example, to use accurate verbs that demonstrate your contributions in a clear, honest way. 

“If your resume claims that you ‘created’ a product that you were heavily involved in, consider whether terms like ‘co-created’ would be more appropriate,” she advises. 

How to Find Money to Pay for an MBA

Tags: MBAs , business school , graduate schools , education , students

2024 Best Colleges

Search for your perfect fit with the U.S. News rankings of colleges and universities.

• Exam Prep >
• Prepare for Business School >
• Business School & Careers >
• Explore Programs >
• Connect with Schools >
• How to Apply >
• Help Center >

Every journey needs a plan. Use our Career Guide to get where you want to be. 

Creating an account on mba.com will give you resources to take control of your graduate business degree journey and guide you through the steps needed to get into the best program for you.

• About the Exam
• Register for the Exam
• Plan for Exam Day
• Prep for the Exam
• About the Executive Assessment
• Register for the Executive Assessment
• Plan for Assessment Day
• Prepare for the Assessment
• NMAT by GMAC
• Shop GMAT Focus Official Prep
• About GMAT Focus Official Prep
• Prep Strategies
• Personalized Prep Plan
• GMAT Focus Mini Quiz
• Executive Assessment Exam Prep
• NMAT by GMAC Exam Prep

Prepare For Business School

• Business Fundamentals
• Skills Insight

Business School & Careers

• Why Business School
• Student Experience
• Business Internships
• B-School Go
• Quiz: Are You Leadership Material?
• MBA Return on Investment (ROI) Calculator
• Estimate Your Salary
• Success Stories
• Diversity and Inclusion
• Women in Business

Explore Programs

• Top Business School Programs
• Quiz: Which Post Graduate Program is Right for You?
• Quiz: Find the Best Program for Your Personality
• Business School Rankings
• Business Master's Programs
• MBA Programs
• Study Destinations
• Find Programs Near Me
• Find MBA Programs
• Find Master's Programs
• Find Executive Programs
• Find Online Programs

Connect with Schools

• About GradSelect
• Create a GradSelect Profile
• Prep Yourself for B-School
• Quiz: Can You Network Like An MBA?
• Events Calendar
• School Events
• GMAC Tours Events
• In-Person Events
• Online Events

How to Apply

• Apply to Programs
• The Value of Assessments
• Admissions Essays
• Letters of Recommendation
• Admissions Interviews
• Scholarships and Financing
• Quiz: What's Your Ideal Learning Style?

Help Center

• Create Account
• How To Apply

Your 2023 Guide: How to Write an MBA Resume That Stands Out

Writing a winning MBA application resume is your ticket to getting accepted to your dream MBA program.

Your resume is a chance to showcase your business acumen, education, and professional experience, as well as your soft skills.

One thing’s for sure: Putting in the time and effort to craft a strong MBA resume will stand you in good stead for competitive programs at top business schools like Harvard and Stanford.

But figuring out what to include in your MBA resume can sometimes feel overwhelming.

You’re probably wondering how long your resume should be, what you should include, and/or whether you need a different resume than the kind you’ve used for a job application.

This article will explain how to showcase your skills and create a competitive advantage that sets you apart from your peers and gives you the best chance of becoming a successful MBA applicant.

Read on to learn about the best MBA resume format and how to make your MBA application resume stand out, including:

• What to include in your MBA application resume
• How to structure your MBA resume
• How to craft an MBA resume objective
• How to best highlight your work experience, education, and skills
• Real MBA resume example

How an MBA resume differs from a job resume

The first thing you might be wondering is if a resume for an MBA application is the same resume that you use to apply for a job.

The short answer is no.

While a career resume seeks to inform how you can meet a job description or fulfill certain roles and responsibilities, an MBA resume should communicate your value and impact on the business world, today and in the future.

An admissions committee wants to see that you’re a way-shower. They want to see your capacity for leadership and innovation, that you can work well with teams, and that you can use critical-thinking skills to achieve success.

Understanding this goal will not only help inform how you will structure your resume but also what to include and how much time to spend on it.

Why spend time on your MBA resume

Among MBA programs from across the globe, the MBA resume is second only to academic transcripts and entrance exams when it comes to the MBA interview process.

What to include in your MBA resume

When it comes to your MBA application, the MBA resume is your time to shine. You’ll want to focus on including the most relevant information about your past education and professional experience.

Xavier Arola Perez, head of career services and entrepreneurship at GBSB Global Business School, recommends including six basic components in your MBA resume:

1. Contact information

2. Objective/summary

3. Work experience

4. Education

5. Technical skills

6. Achievement/awards

Although you may have worked in a variety of jobs and volunteering roles before applying for your MBA degree, in this short document you’ll want to only select examples that highlight your business leadership, impact, and skills.

“Include specific accomplishments and achievements that set you apart and that are transferrable to the MBA program for which you are applying,” says Jerry Wang, associate director of career and leadership for MBA programs at the University of North Carolina (UNC) Kenan-Flagler Business School.

Concentrate on examples where you can demonstrate business leadership and growth to help admissions committees see the value you offer their MBA program and easily determine your aptitude for business school.

Register for the GMAT Now! Register

How to structure your MBA application resume

You want your MBA resume to be clear, simple, and easy to read for admissions committees.

It’s best to structure your MBA resume with your contact information and objective at the top, followed by your education and most recent work experiences, and concluding with a desirable skills and accolades section.

List your education and work experience in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent accomplishments first.

Use bullet points, lines, and headers to clearly identify the different sections and articulate your applicable experience.

You can use lines and headers to break up your resume and bullet points can be used to summarize key points and stress important information as well as increase readability.

For example, you may use a bullet point for each of the schools in your education section, or a list of bullet points to highlight business achievements or technical skills.

How to write an eye-catching MBA resume objective

Think of your resume objective as your elevator pitch.

It’s a succinct paragraph (2-4 sentences) at the top of your resume that briefly describes your career history and what differentiates you from your peers.

Essentially a resume summary, your objective should describe the value you bring to an MBA cohort and how your experience will best serve the programs you’re applying for.

Consider adapting your objective for each application you’re submitting and be sure to use any applicable keywords that align with the program.

Overall, see this section as a way to differentiate yourself from the masses and stand out during the application process.

MBA candidate and driven finance professional with over six years of experience designing successful investment portfolios for top-tier clients. Honored as top account executive for last three years based on an average return of 17 percent and a 100 percent client retention rate. Team lead, member of the negotiations committee, and founded sustainability initiative aimed at reducing waste and offsetting carbon footprint.

How to describe work experience on an MBA resume

The bulk of your MBA resume should be reserved to showcase your work experience and the growth of your career.

Start by listing the name of the organization, your job title, and how long you worked there.

Then, for each position, create a bullet point (2-6 bullet points) for each of your achievements in that role. Avoid making your list sound like a job description­—this is your chance to tell your story about the impact you’ve made and share important moments in your career.

“It's not your life story, but a summary of the key, relevant achievements,” notes Margaret O’Neill, head of careers at Cambridge Judge Business School.

Use key metrics and numbers that quantify what you’ve accomplished with the company, voluntary organization, or college society.

Focus on leadership, business administration, and how you contributed to the overall growth and success of the organization and use positive, action-oriented language to describe your outcomes.

“Try to clearly state the action you took, and the results achieved. Begin each bullet point with a strong action verb and be sure to highlight transferable skills and feature relevant keywords,” advises Beth Briggs, associate dean of career services at New York University (NYU) Stern School of Business.

A tried and tested MBA resume strategy is the PAR method , which involves stating the ‘Project’, ‘Action’, and ‘Result’ of each example you include as this can help to quantify your accomplishments.

Try to avoid these common MBA resume mistakes  like including vague descriptions of your experiences that don’t present your talents in the best light.

Oracle – Austin, TX | Product Marketing Manager | January 2018-Present

Increased annual product sales by 10% by designing, executing, and measuring integrated, multichannel marketing strategies that increase awareness, generate new leads, and nurture existing relationships.

How to write an education section of an MBA resume

If you feel that your work experience is less robust than you want, be sure to put your education section at the forefront of your MBA application resume. To start, include the following details:

• Major/concentration
• Any minors (if applicable)
• Graduation date
• Awards/honors (if applicable)

In addition, share any extracurricular activities, college societies, or study abroad opportunities that demonstrate your interests and business leaderships skills.

Discuss your studies and how your experience has prepared you for leadership in the business world.

University of Virginia | Charlottesville, VA | Graduated May 2015

B.A. Economics, GPA: 4.0, summa cum laude

Study abroad: London, United Kingdom, January-May 2014

How to showcase your skills and awards

The final piece of your MBA resume is your opportunity to share the special skills and accolades that make you a desirable MBA applicant.

Discuss any awards you’ve received and how you earned this recognition.

List out any relevant certifications and your mastery level of the systems you utilize.

Make note of any publications that have published your work or quoted you for expertise.

This section can include highlights from either your education or work experience.

Use this section as a place to share the skills and accomplishments that make you unique and help distinguish your application from the pack.

Finally, make sure this section includes details that you’ll want to discuss more during your MBA interview.

• Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
• Fluent in English, Spanish, and French
• Certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher

How to best format your MBA resume

Once you’ve added your information, it’s time to format your resume.

Since the average hiring manager spends just 7.4 seconds reviewing a resume, MBA admissions committees with stacks of MBA resumes to review are likely to take a similar approach.

The best way to ensure whoever is reviewing your MBA resume catches the most important details about you is to limit your resume to 1-2 pages.

Applicants with less than 10 years of professional experience may opt for a one-page resume, and two pages if you have more than this.

When considering your MBA resume format, remember that clean and concise is always best.

• Font : Choose a legible font like Times New Roman, Calibri, or Arial in 11 or 12 point size
• Margins : One-inch margins
• Line height : Approximately 1.0 line spacing
• Details : Avoid complex charts or graphics that divert attention

This approach will stand you in good stead if the business school you’re applying for uses Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) systems or other software tools.

“You don't want the recruiter to spend time trying to orient themselves to your formatting. Boring is generally better unless you're applying for something in design or art,” says Jerry from UNC Kenan-Flagler.

If you want to add a pop of color at the top of your MBA application resume, then choose something that allows for a good level of contrast between the text and the page. Otherwise, a black and white MBA resume works perfectly well.

Differentiating your MBA resume for each business school

An MBA resume should always be specific and tailored to the program you’re applying for, so avoid handing in the same one you’ve used for jobs or other MBA applications.

Every business school has different values and specialties, so weave these elements into each resume to stand a good chance of impressing the MBA admissions committee.

For instance, if you’re applying for a business school that’s known for its strength in marketing, you might want to outline the targeted advertising projects you’ve worked on during your professional career as a marketing manager or how you oversaw a college society’s annual marketing budget.

Meanwhile, if you’re applying for one of the best MBA programs renowned for entrepreneurship, you’d want to focus more on the ways you’ve engaged with entrepreneurship or worked on a business idea with a colleague or classmate.

Tailor your resume to each application and highlight the experience and skills that prove that you’re one of the talented professionals that deserves a seat in this specific MBA program.

To get more top MBA resume tips and access MBA resume examples and templates, download the free BusinessBecause Resume Guide: 10 Steps To A Winning Resume .

Your MBA resume is a key component of the admissions process and is an opportunity to set yourself apart from the crowd.

See this as a chance to convince admissions committees that you’re the best candidate for their program by carefully crafting a story that shares your exceptional skills and experiences.

Ready to dive into the other components of your MBA application? Use this interactive tool  to find out which aspects of your application carry the most weight when it comes to admissions decisions so you can focus your time and attention on the sections that matter most.

• MBA Admissions
• ISB Admissions
• MBA Application Tips
• MBA Essay Tips
• Business Schools

MBA resume – 11 Expert Tips, Mistakes to Avoid, Sample Template

Admit expert.

• October 27, 2023

Crafting an impactful resume is a pivotal step in your MBA application journey. Your resume serves as a window into your professional life, showcasing your achievements, skills, and potential to the admissions committee. In this comprehensive article, we delve into the core elements that make MBA resumes indispensable. From understanding the crucial reasons behind their significance to providing expert tips on impressing the MBA admissions committee, we also highlight common mistakes to steer clear of during the creation process. Dive into our MBA resume template, learn the key differentiators between good and bad resumes, and explore a sample tailored for MBA applications, equipping you with the tools to present your best self to top-tier business schools.

4 reasons why MBA resumes are so important

11 resume tips to impress the mba admissions committee, mistakes to avoid while creating an mba resume, mba resume template, what makes a resume good or bad, sample resume for mba applications you can copy and use.

MBA programs are highly competitive, and the admissions process is designed to identify the most promising candidates. One of the key components of any MBA application is the resume. Here are four reasons why your resume is so important in the business school admissions process:

• It provides a snapshot of your professional accomplishments. The MBA admissions committee wants to see what you have accomplished in your career thus far. This includes your job titles, responsibilities, and any significant achievements.
• It showcases your communication skills. Your resume is often one of the first things that an MBA admissions committee will read, so it’s important to make a good impression. This means communicating your accomplishments clearly and concisely.
• It can help demonstrate an applicant’s leadership potential. Many MBA programs are looking for candidates with strong leadership qualities, and a resume is an ideal way to showcase these skills.
• It can help illustrate an applicant’s ability to think strategically. Admissions committees want to see evidence that applicants can think critically and make sound business decisions. A well-written MBA resume can demonstrate these qualities.

Looking for expert help to polish your MBA resume?

At Admit Expert, we have helped hundreds of students get into top MBA programs around the world. We would be happy to help you too. Schedule a free call with us today to learn more about our services and how we can help you achieve your goals.

Schedule a free call

There is no one-size-fits-all MBA resume, but there are some key elements that every great MBA resume should include.  

Here are 11 tips to help you create an outstanding resume for your business school application:

• Your resume should be one page long. You can go up to two pages if you have enough business experience that qualifies the need for longer resumes, but this liberty should only be taken if your work experience is more than 8-10 years.
• List your professional experience in reverse chronological order. Start with your most recent job and work backward. Give more space to the most relevant and recent positions. 
• Focus more on your achievements and don’t spend too much space on responsibilities etc., which would be captured in the achievements themselves.
• Use action verbs and specific numbers and percentages to quantify your accomplishments. This will make your resume more impactful and help the admissions committee see what kind of value you would add to their program.
• Choose a simple, clean format that is easy to scan. You want the admissions committee to be able to quickly see your qualifications and why you stand out from other candidates. 
• Times New Roman

Use the following font sizes to improve the readability of your resume:

• Name: 18-24 points
• Heading: 14-16 points
• Body: 11-12 points
• Highlight your academic achievements, if any. Strong academic credentials are one of the factors  B-schools look for in a candidate, so be sure to prominently feature your GPA, test scores, and other academic accomplishments.
• Highlight leadership experience. Business schools are looking for leaders, so be sure to highlight any leadership experiences and positions of responsibility that you have held in your previous jobs.
• Demonstrate your interpersonal skills. Describe situations where you have effectively worked with others, such as in team projects or customer service roles.
• Showcase your problem-solving skills. Give examples of times when you have identified and addressed problems in the workplace.
• Include extracurricular activities: With so many qualified candidates applying to MBA programs, it is important to find ways to make your application stand out. A strong resume with good extracurricular activities can help you do just that.

MBA programs are highly competitive, and your resume is one of the key factors that admissions committees will consider when evaluating your application. Therefore, it is important to take the time to craft a well-written and effective MBA resume. However, there are a few common mistakes that applicants often make that can hurt their chances of being admitted to their dream school.

One mistake is including too much information. Your resume should be no more than one page, and it should focus on your most recent and relevant experiences. Admissions committees don’t want to read about your high school internship or your part-time job from college; they want to see what you’ve been doing since you graduated. 

Another mistake is using technical jargon or acronyms that the committee might not be familiar with. Always assume that the reader knows nothing about your industry or job, and use clear and concise language throughout your resume. 

Finally, avoid using generic phrases like “team player” or “hard worker.” These statements are empty clichés that don’t tell the reader anything specific about you. Instead, focus on highlighting your unique accomplishments and skills, and personality traits that make you stand out from other MBA applicants.

By avoiding these common resume pitfalls, you’ll give yourself a much better chance of being considered a strong candidate.

Follow this MBA resume template to make sure your resume remains crisp, concise, and readable:

• One-page resume
• Leave some white space for reading comfort
• Pick a readable resume font
• Lock in your margins at one inch
• Write resume sections for Education, Experience, and “Extra-Curriculars”.
• Put jobs in reverse-chronological resume order
• Save your resume in PDF format

According to Zety , an organization that specializes in crafting resumes, choose a template based on the number of years of experience that you have:

Sample MBA Resume Template (Experienced Candidates)

• Contact Information

Work Experience

• Extra-curriculars

Sample MBA Resume Template (Less Than 2 Years Experience)

• Resume Objective (or a Career Goal)
• Academic Experience
• Awards and Honors

In each section, list your experience in reverse chronological order, starting with your current or most recent activities.

A resume is a combination of your goals, skills, and achievements. How well you write these sections makes all the difference.

Here are a few examples of good and bad resumes.

Highlight and quantify your achievements to add value to your dream business school:

Good example:

Results-driven marketing manager and MBA applicant with 2+ years of experience and solid leadership skills, seeking to add value to Kellogg School of Management’s class. As marketing manager at XYZ company presided over 20% average revenue gain for 17 clients.

Bad example:

MBA school applicant with strong skills in leadership, marketing, digital marketing, and strategy and planning. Have worked in the real world as a marketing manager. A hard worker and a strong student, driven to excel.

Quantify the impact you made in your work experience. Highlight your most outstanding achievements here.

Good Example:

Marketing Manager

XYZ, Inc Bengaluru, India                                                                                        2017–Present

• Led a marketing team of 10 employees to create and implement cross-platform campaigns for 17 corporate clients, including digital and print.
• Used email marketing best practices to increase the open rate by 30%.
• Raised conversion rates by 18% by using targeted campaigns.

Key Achievement

• Presided over an average of 20% in revenue gains for 17 clients, raising revenue by $1.3M per year for one client.

Bad Example

• Responsible for marketing team leadership.
• Handled the creation of marketing strategies and plans.
• Tasked with creating and implementing marketing campaigns.
• Managed email marketing campaigns.
• Assigned to raise conversion rates.

 Forename SURNAME

e-mail: professional email address tel: landline or mobile

Education and Qualifications

2000-2003               University/Universities                         Degree and Subject Location; City and Country applicable additional info

Sep-07 – Aug-10      Official Company Name                              City, Country

·   Please use 3-4 bullets maximum to describe your job function & responsibilities

·   Concentrate on your achievements, and what you have distinctly contributed to in each role, using quantitative examples where possible

·   Examples that may assist you –

·   “Advised client’s Digital Media division on £3M international expansion, coordinating a team of 8 analysts during initial research phase”

·   “Structured and negotiated equipment deal financing including credit purchases, rentals, and 31 lease contracts worth $745k”

Jun-05 – Sep-07       Official Company Name                              City, Country

·   Make sure your work experience comes to life, consider what someone reading your CV would be most interested in

·   Avoid any negativity or shortcomings on your CV that may raise the wrong questions

·   Try to avoid having your CV read like a job description

Mar-04 – Jun-05       Official Company Name                              City, Country

·   Try to ensure your CV is easy to scan, start bullet points with relevant action verbs

·   You can also include significant relevant voluntary experience in your work experience if it is applicable

·   Try to avoid industry jargon that may not be understood

Aug-03 – Mar-04      Official Company Name                              City, Country Job title

·   Use past tense for roles you have completed

·   Please set dates using the abbreviated month and two digits for the year, you must include months as well as years

·   Make sure your CV is an accurate reflection of you and what you want to highlight about your experience

·   Stick to facts you can easily discuss. Avoid subjective comments

Additional Information

Interests:                  Concentrate on activities you participate in and are willing to talk about. You should highlight achievements in those activities. Eg. rather than just listing ‘running’ say ‘running – participated in several marathons, President of the Oxford Runners Club’

Achievements:         List academic or other achievements here, for example

First Class Honours, Previous University

Study abroad scholarship (selected 3 out of 600 students) Principal Cellist of London Youth Orchestra

Nationality:               your nationality, dual nationality, and any additional work authorization if applicable

Languages:              languages other than English and ability level eg. German (fluent)

By following these tips, you can create a strong resume that will help you get into the business school of your choice. Good luck!

Do you have any other tips for creating a strong resume? Share them in the comments below! 

Still, have questions about resumes for business school applications? Ask in the comments below and we’ll do our best to answer them!

The resume is just one part of the application process though. Make sure you check out our other blog posts on the application process, such as how to write a great business school essay and how to ace your MBA interviews. Please also check out our process, consultants, and plans & pricing on our website. All the best for your journey to your dream business school! 

Drop us a comment below or shoot us an email at [email protected] if you want to explore taking our MBA admission consulting services.

Do you want to get into your dream business school?

Take the first step towards your MBA dream and schedule a free 1 on 1 application strategy call with us.

Related Posts

Stanford MBA Class profile 2025, Employment reports 2023, Fees, Scholarships, Admissions

Stanford Business School is one of the most widely known business schools in California and across the globe. It has a long history of giving its students a world-class business education and empowering them with a unique set of skills that further enable them to flourish in the corporate world.

Wharton MBA Class Profile 2025, Employment Reports 2023, Fees, Scholarships, Admissions

The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is a well-known business school in Philadelphia. It has a long history of imparting world-class business education to its students which makes them highly skilled and ready for the job market which is an impressive track record. If you’re wondering if Wharton’s

Round 3 MBA Admissions: Apply or Wait?

Contemplating whether to apply for MBA Round 3 undoubtedly presents a unique dilemma for candidates. Although uncertainty surrounds the decision, a definitive “no” is rarely the conclusion. It’s true that as the rounds progress, the chance of getting an admit also goes down. This means that acceptance rates at R3

Best Business Schools for Marketing Careers

Embarking on a career in marketing requires not only passion and creativity but also a solid foundation in business fundamentals. Choosing the right business school can make all the difference in shaping your trajectory towards a successful marketing career. In this article, we delve into the realm of business education

• How to create an impressive MBA resume
• MBA Admissions

The key to getting into your preferred MBA school is to craft a resume that stands out from the crowd. Your resume is an opportunity to highlight the hard and soft skills that you picked up from the corporate world and how you will benefit yourselves and your peers in the business school.

One thing is certain: putting in the time and effort to make a strong MBA resume will help you get into top business schools like Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, and more, because of their highly competitive MBA application process.

But sometimes it can be hard to figure out what to put on your MBA resume.

You might be wondering how long your resume should be, what you should put on it, or if you need a different resume than the ones you’ve used before.

This blog post will teach you how to make yourself stand out as an MBA applicant by highlighting your strengths and developing a competitive edge.

What is an MBA resume and how is it different from a job resume?

What makes the mba resume important, mba resume format, work experience, volunteer experience / extracurricular activities , other sections (optional), top mba resume mistakes to avoid, final thoughts.

The difference between an MBA resume and a typical employment resume is that it emphasizes your business acumen, the potential for leadership, and teamwork abilities rather than functional skills or specialized credentials. An MBA resume conveys your accomplishments and experiences, which helps to demonstrate your aptitude for business and explains why you’ve chosen to apply to an MBA program.

In a resume for a job application, recruiters usually want to see that you have technical skills and work qualifications that show you can do a certain type of job. For example, for data analytics jobs, they may be looking for Python and other similar skills. In that case, you’re up against other applicants who have backgrounds like yours. When it comes to MBA applications, you’re competing with people from a wide range of professional and academic backgrounds, so there aren’t any keywords you need to emphasize. This makes it even harder to figure out what to include.

MBA resumes being considered for admissions to business schools aren’t read by machines, but by people on the admissions committee. They look at your resume as an introduction to you – the applicant. So, your MBA resume needs to depict a complete picture of your life since college, including your accomplishments in both personal and professional realms. When we speak of personal realm, it could be things like activities or community initiatives in which you have excelled and made contributions. 

An MBA resume should be short and crisp, and it shouldn’t be more than one page. It’s hard to make a one-page resume that stands out and shows how unique you are and why you should go to business school. You have to be able to put enough information on that one page to show how valuable you are to future employers you may be applying to.

Your resume is the keystone of your MBA application. It’s like an introduction to your life, experiences, achievements, and skills. 

It is an important part of the application process in two ways. 

• It gives a quick overview of your professional achievements. The people who decide if you get an MBA want to know what you have done in your career so far. This includes your job titles, career progression, and achievements you’ve had.
• It shows how well you can articulate. An MBA admissions committee will often read your resume before anything else, so it’s important to make a good impression. This means telling people what you’ve done in a clear and concise way.
• It can show that a person has leadership potential. Many MBA programs look for strong leaders, and a resume is a great way to show that you have these skills.
• If your application gets to the interview stage , the interviewers will use the resume you sent as a guide. This is because a resume is like a plan for an MBA application, and most MBA interview questions are based on the resume. Basically, an MBA interview is often based on what’s on the resume, which is especially true since many MBA admissions interviews use a blind interview format. In this way, the interviewer can only see your resume and not anything else about your application.

Now that you know what an MBA resume is and how important it is in getting an admit, let’s talk about how to format and create one.

Length – Your MBA resume should be one page long. Consider using the second page only if you have more than ten years of work experience. For most applicants, their experience is under ten years so a one-pager will suffice.

Font type and size – Choose a readable font and use it consistently throughout your resume. A few good fonts are Arial, Times New Roman, Verdana, Tahoma, and Helvetica. Use a font size of 10-11px for normal text and 12-14px for headings and keep spacing of 1.0 or 1.15.

Margins – keep your margins at least 0.5” or more across all four dimensions. 

Color scheme – Don’t use a bright color scheme for the resume.

File type – Save your MBA resume as a PDF when uploading it as part of your application or sharing it with other people.

Do you want to create an impressive MBA resume?

At Crack The MBA, we have helped hundreds of students get into top MBA programs around the world. We would be happy to help you too. Schedule a consultation with us today to learn more about how we can help you get into your dream school.

Schedule a Consultation

MBA Resume Layout

Divide your MBA resume into 3 sections

• Volunteer Experience / Extracurriculars / Additional Information

This is a key section that may make up about two-thirds of your MBA resume if you have a few years of work experience or multiple employers. The best way to list your professional experience is in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent employer and role.

Remember that this section should show how your career is growing and you are acquiring new skill sets in different roles. You would start by listing the company name, position, location, and period of employment in each role at each company. You would want to list out the different titles you’ve held at each employer so a reader has a sense of your progression.

For each job, make a list of two to six bullet points that describe what results you produced in that job. Don’t make your list sound like a job description. This is your chance to tell your story about the difference you’ve made and share important moments in your career. Focus on concrete accomplishments that show your leadership and impact on business to show that you are a good candidate for an MBA program. While there can be multiple different representations, one possible representation could be as follows:

ABC Corp – New Delhi | Marketing Manager | Oct 2020 – Present

• Managed a group of ten people to create and run successful social media campaigns that led to a 35% increase in client sales.
• Implemented a successful multi-platform SEO campaign that increased organic hits by 40% and landed 20,000 new subscribers in one year.
• Improved conversions by 30% by analyzing user behavior as part of the CRO (Conversions Rate Optimisation) campaign.

This section will be more detailed for applicants with less work experience, but even applicants with a lot of work experience should include the most important parts of their education. These should have information about every degree you have held since college, from college to postgraduate education.

Here is the information you should put in this section of your MBA resume:

• Date of Graduation
• Awards/honors (if applicable)
• Involvement in activities

Share any extracurricular activities, college clubs, or opportunities to study abroad that highlight your business interests and leadership skills. Talk about what you’ve learned in school and how that has prepared you to be a leader in the business world. For example, you led the college debate team and won the nationals, or you campaigned for an NGO and added new volunteers from your college that improved the overall operations of the NGO.

The thing to remember here is that admissions officers care about your impact, not how many things you’ve done. Therefore, do not include a lot of activities without describing your impact. Admissions officers may think you’re padding your resume or spreading yourself too thin.

University of Delhi | Delhi, India | Graduated March 2016

• B. Com (Hons), GPA: 3.95 | Gold Medalist
• Study abroad: Summer school at LSE (Summer 2017) | Grade: A
• President, Entrepreneurship Club: raised $20,000 and organized 5+ events with 500+ students in attendance 

In a business school resume, we do not need to list out education prior to your undergrad degree. Details about your life in high school are irrelevant from an MBA admissions standpoint. If you want to talk about any big things you did during this time, you can do so in your personal statement or essay.

MBA admissions committees are seeking candidates with enthusiasm and leadership skills, and volunteer experience is a great way to demonstrate both.

Use this part to show the reader what you’re really interested in. The point is to show what you care about when you’re not getting paid for it. How do you spend your time when you’re not at work?

Don’t just list any extracurricular activities; instead, focus on adding high-stakes accomplishments that show your ability to focus, work hard, have a strong work ethic, be a leader, and work well with others. Every point you add here should be unique and interesting. These entries should also be things that you can have corroborated through background checks and should be in tune with what you communicate in your personal statement, essays, and other parts of your application.

Now, how do you know if an extracurricular activity is worth including in your resume? For example, running a marathon is a very impressive activity on its own. However, running a marathon to raise money for a cause is an even more impressive activity and should be highlighted in your resume. It shows how you can be a contributing member of the school’s community. An activity like going to the gym, while it shows discipline, may not give the readers as good a sense of your teamwork and leadership skills. On the other hand, if you have participated in martial arts and competed professionally, that could certainly be worth including.

Awards and Achievements (Optional)

If you have a long list of awards and certificates that stand out, like the dean’s list, college sports awards or subject-related awards, volunteer certificates, industry awards, and so on, you may consider listing these in a separate section. Having said that, our recommendation is to list work-related achievements in the employment section and college-related awards and achievements in the awards section. This allows the reader to absorb this information more easily.

Do you want to create a resume that impresses the MBA adcom?

I want a Consultation

Not mentioning results or outcomes

A common mistake we see on MBA resumes is that they don’t list results or outcomes. The most important thing to convey through your business school resume is the quantifiable impact you created on your organization, clients or industry. In conveying your results, you absolutely want to list your actions that led to the specified impact. Include results, outcomes, or lessons you’ve learned from your experience that show how you’ve grown over time and how you’ve helped the business. Make actions and results your best friends in this process. This is how you will prove that you not only did these things but that you did them well.

Using too much jargon

MBA admissions officers are not specialists in all fields. Don’t assume that the person reading your resume knows everything there is to know about your industry. Most of the time, candidates who try to impress the reader by using complicated words or dropping names can fail to create the desired impact on the admissions reader. So, make your bullet points easy to follow so that anyone from any industry can easily understand the situation, the actions you took, and the results and their importance.

Lacking a clear career advancement

This may be the MAIN point of a resume: to show that you are growing as a professional. Have you ever gotten a promotion? Make it clear. This is the most critical component you must demonstrate. Even if you haven’t been promoted, show that your new positions involve more responsibility.

Be mindful to check if your target school restricts applicants to use pre-defined resume templates. Business schools might also have specific rules about how to name your resume file, how to format it, how long it needs to be, and so on. Check the school’s website for admissions requirements.

As part of our resume service, we give you expert advice on how to craft a resume that highlights your academic and professional accomplishments, leadership experiences, and the impact you created in your organization(s) or community. Fill out this form to get started.

Related Posts:

Recent Posts

• Stanford MBA Essay Analysis 2023
• MBA Application Timeline for Applying in 2023-24 (Fall 2024 Intake)
• How to get into Wharton
• How to get into Stanford GSB MBA program
• How to get into Harvard Business School

MBA, MBA Preparation

How To Write an MBA Resume

Applying for a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree isn’t actually that much like applying for a job, even though your success with both rests in part on the quality of your resume.

The thing is, the resume you use for an MBA application is a pretty different animal from the type of professional resume you’d use to apply for a job or gig. MBA resumes have to show off your candidacy, providing the admissions committee with an engaging snapshot of your career and life since the time you enrolled in college.

What, exactly, does that look like? And how should you go about transforming your professional resume into something that will work for MBA admissions success? At The MBA Exchange, we know a thing or two about that! Here are our top tips on how to write an MBA resume that will really knock their socks off.

What is an MBA resume?

To start by defining terms an MBA resume, sometimes called a CV (curriculum vitae) is a document that’s usually 1-2 pages in length. Your resume needs to impress MBA admissions committee members at a glance, while still providing enough in terms of depth and detail.

Importance of an MBA resume in a business school application

Your MBA admissions resume serves as a preview of your candidacy, the first glimpse of you that B-school gatekeepers such as admissions professionals, student, and alumni volunteers get. In fact, resume screens are often used to decide whether or not to read an entire application. Learn more about MBA admissions facts before you apply!

Without a top-notch MBA resume, your other application materials might not even make it in front of adcoms. And, if you make it to the coveted in-person MBA admissions interview stage, your MBA resume might be all your interviewer actually sees.

How MBA resumes are different from professional resumes

MBA admissions resumes are used in different ways than professional ones. Your MBA resume must stand on its own in showcasing your candidacy as impressively as possible.

The sad reality is that some MBA applicants misunderstand or even misuse the resume in ways that reduce their chances for admission. To help our clients make the most of this important opportunity. The MBA Exchange advises them to consider these key points when presenting themselves via a resume.

Once you’ve selected the right MBA programs for you to target, it’s time to turn your eyes to your resume, and start making some changes!

What is the best MBA resume format?

Start by conceptualizing your MBA resume as an at-a-glance document. Graphic design is gonna matter. You can browse MBA resume examples to get an idea of what to do and what not to do.

The best MBA resume format is clear, without clutter, and with strong headings that quickly guide the eye to the most important info. And, your MBA resume should tell a clear story that shows your ongoing progress toward concrete goals.

Make sure you’ve got sufficient margins and spacing, or you risk readers bouncing off an inaccessible wall of text! Bullet points are a great way to condense and consolidate information that can otherwise clutter up your resume with repetitive text.

Choose a proper MBA resume template

Start with a clean, clear design concept for your MBA resume template. You want to maximize readability, with separate sections for your education, work experience and other skills or affiliations.

Unless the school’s application instructions specify a 1-page limit, don’t go wild with deleting core content that puts your candidacy in a positive light. But, conversely, don’t just fill the space with extraneous details. Reading a 2-page resume that should have been a 1-pager is not going to endear you to an overworked admissions staffer with a stack of apps sitting on his or her desk, and you don’t want to annoy the adcom . So, make every word count.

What to include in your MBA resume?

Your resume for MBA application needs to give the basics of your education, career, and skills. Include graduation dates and other key time markers, and stack your promotions and advancements to demonstrate growth.

We encourage our clients to minimize the use of articles a, an, the as they add little value. We also suggest that you ditch your “career objective” header, as many MBA adcoms consider this to be a waste of space. Besides, you’ll most likely be asked to discuss your career goals elsewhere in the application.

Contact information

A good example of an MBA resume template might begin with your personal data (name, address, etc.).

Then, list your education, major, and GPA. Even if you’re not sure you have the GPA you need for MBA admissions success, you need to include this info. The MBA Exchange team has other techniques that can still help you succeed with a low GPA .

A resume for an MBA application typically devotes more space to job-related topics than education and activities. This makes sense since your career is probably going to be more unique than the other aspects of your profile.

But, the objective for MBA resumes is to help the reader feel like he or she knows you before you even meet. So, be sure to include enough description of your college and personal background to paint a complete picture.

Work experience

Next, you want to present your current work experience followed by your previous work history. Include details of your position, specific quantifications of your contributions, and active statements of your accomplishments for each position you’ve held.

Avoid unexplained gaps in your documented employment history. Regardless of the reason, if more than 60 days passed between jobs, explain that gap. Don’t try to avoid the issue by stating only years of employment.

MBA applications usually ask for work history with specific start and end dates for each position. So, the resume must be consistent. Otherwise, the adcom may conclude that you’re trying to fool them and that’s never a good thing to do.

Responsibilities

In addition to presenting facts and figures, you want your resume to tell a story about how each item listed has contributed to this robust, high-potential MBA candidacy. This can be difficult if job titles don’t reveal an obvious progression or expansion of responsibility.

Describe your current position with evidence that you’ve earned advancement from previous roles and are achieving things that leverage the skills, experience, and success that define your past.

Lose the laundry list of cases you worked on, deals you closed, or research you published. Instead, choose a few items that showcase a range of skills from leadership to teamwork to analytic horsepower. Make each example impactful use action verbs, quantify results, and relate it to a relevant business application.

Achievements

Business schools like applicants who make a measurable difference. This can be a particular challenge to individuals who hold support positions or analytical roles. However, regardless of your job, it’s likely that you are adding some value to a process that eventually has a quantified result and/or tangible outcome.

While you shouldn’t take sole credit for an accomplishment that reflects the inputs of others, likewise, don’t shy away from describing a specific deliverable that benefitted from your contributions.

If you’re relatively new to your current job, it’s fine to include estimated, projected, or expected results and outcomes for the work you’re currently doing. But be sure to minimize the use of jargon or nomenclature that most adcoms will not understand or take the time to research!

Skills and certifications

Close with active statements of your relevant skills, affiliations, and certifications. Make it personal!

Instead of trying to wow the adcoms with your technical prowess and amazing computer skills, reveal your personality. List a quirky hobby, intriguing affiliation and/or challenging volunteer project that gives the b-school reader a sense of who you are outside of work.

How to create a strong MBA resume

Selectively self-promote! If you earned a faster-than-average promotion or are being sponsored for your MBA, say so. If you received an exclusive academic scholarship, were accepted by a prestigious organization or were appointed to a leadership position over many other qualified candidates, write it down.

The same goes for very high GPAs and test scores. Be succinct, but definitely include such achievements, honors and awards in your MBA applicant resume.

Finally, leave them wanting more. You can’t cover your entire life story in this document, but you can give the adcom just enough to get them excited about reading your essays and wanting to meet you in-person. Make sure you have your MBA resume polished up and strong by MBA decision dates !

Eliminate or at least minimize industry jargon in your MBA resume. The deep expertise and specific technical knowledge that impressed your current company will only irritate an MBA adcom. Your priority now is to explain what you do in layman’s terms, which is the exact opposite of what you were trying to demonstrate in a professional resume.

Given the constraint of length limits, the style and tone of your MBA resume should be telegraphic. Emphasize what you’ve actually accomplished by starting each statement with an action verb: led, planned, drove, directed, produced. That conveys the kind of impact and confidence that truly resonates with an adcom.

How to improve your resume for MBA success

Need some additional guidance and support to make your resume as powerful as it possibly can be? Then let one of the top admissions consultants here at The MBA Exchange assist you. As a first step, we invite you to request a free, expert evaluation of your MBA candidacy. (And, yes, be sure to upload your current resume!)

Related news & insights

How To Study for the GMAT: The Best GMAT Prep Guide

Preparing For The New GMAT™ Focus Edition

Benefits of an MBA for Entrepreneurs

When is the “right” time to write MBA essays?

Which Waitlisted MBA Applicant Would You Admit?

Identify goal. help sharpen goal. determine plan to achieve goal. execute. any questions, let ’s start with a conversation ..

We can speak with you and see if your needs and our services line up.

Let us help you pick the right path .

Answer a few questions and we’ll find the right package for you.

Great. We look forward to connecting soon.

Inspira Advantage

How To Write MBA Resume: Examples + The Complete Guide

Your resume has the potential to be the single most important page of your application. Do you want to know why?

It is the only document that comprehensively reflects your professional and academic background. This snapshot is important for giving the Admissions Committee (AdCom) an idea of who you are before they dive deep into your story.

Most schools have ‘blind’ interviews. This means your interviewer would have only read your resume before they meet you (‘non-blind interviews are ones in which the interviewer has seen your entire application. HBS and MIT have non-blind interviews).

Most candidates applying to business school haven’t had to make a resume for at least three or four years. Also, they last made a resume when looking for a job. Here is what you need to look at to ensure your resume is business-school-ready.

MBA Resume Examples

Here are some examples of MBA resumes to help give you an idea of what to write.

Here is the first MBA resume template.

MBA Professional

787-987-0987

linkedin.com/

Experienced marketing executive with a proven track record, boasting over 5 years of expertise in spearheading digital product launches. Successfully devised and executed seven online campaigns for Deluxe products, contributing to a 30% surge in revenue. Demonstrated a keen ability to elevate customer retention rates by an impressive 60%. Eager to harness the knowledge framework offered by Harvard to pioneer innovative marketing solutions tailored for the dynamic digital landscape.

Marketing Manager

Zyna Deluxe, Dallas, TX

April 2018-Present 

• Managed a team of ten to develop and execute successful social media campaigns resulting in client revenue gains of 40% 
• Implemented a successful multi-platform SEO campaign that improved organic hits by 50% and brought 10,000 new subscribers in 1 year 
• Increased conversion rates by 30% by innovating targeted campaigns based on qualitative data analysis models 

Marketing Analyst

January 2016-August 2019

• Created TV and print campaigns for the perfume division that resulted in revenue increase by 30%
• Published a white paper in the Content Marketeers Associate Quarterly on “Qualitative Data Analysis and Targeted Advertising in the Digital Age”

BA in English Literature, Minor in Business – UCLA, CA

September 2013-April 2017

• GPA 3.8, high honors
• Winner of Dean’s Award for collaborative research paper “Evolution of Privacy in Advertisements and the Impact on Social Media Business Practices”
• Selected for the Adam Wright Business Leadership Program

Additional Achievements

• Presented at the AMA Annual Conference 2019 on the topic of Growing Cross-Platform Social Media Engagement via Quantitative Data Analysis
• Led the UCLA Sparks Collegiate Gymnastics team to victory at the 2016 NCAA tournaments
• Affiliate marketing
• Ideation leadership

Accomplished marketing strategist with over 7 years of experience driving digital product launches. Successfully conceptualized and executed ten online campaigns for Premier Solutions, resulting in a 25% revenue surge. Demonstrated expertise in elevating customer retention by 50%. Excited to apply Harvard's knowledge framework to revolutionize marketing strategies for the rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Experience 

Digital Marketing Manager

Premier Solutions, San Francisco, CA

August 2017-Present

• Led a dynamic team of fifteen, executing impactful social media campaigns that contributed to a 30% increase in client revenue.
• Spearheaded a comprehensive SEO initiative, resulting in a 45% boost in organic hits and the acquisition of 20,000 new subscribers within a year.
• Achieved a 40% increase in conversion rates through innovative targeted campaigns grounded in qualitative data analysis models.

Senior Marketing Analyst

June 2015-July 2017

• Pioneered TV and print campaigns for the electronics division, contributing to a 25% increase in revenue.
• Published a white paper in the Marketing Insights Journal on "Revolutionizing Digital Advertising through Advanced Qualitative Data Analysis."

BA in Communications, Minor in Business – UC Berkeley, CA

September 2010-May 2014

• Graduated with a GPA of 3.9, earning highest honors.
• Received the Berkeley Excellence in Business Research Award for outstanding contributions to collaborative research on "Consumer Behavior in the Digital Era."
• Selected for the Berkeley Leadership Development Program.
• Presented at the AIMA Digital Summit 2019 on "Strategies for Enhancing Brand Visibility in a Crowded Digital Landscape."
• Coached the UC Berkeley Rowing Team to victory at the 2013 Collegiate Rowing Championships.
• SEO research
• Google analytics

Accomplished finance professional with over 8 years of experience excelling in investment management. Proven track record of driving portfolio growth and delivering exceptional returns. Led strategic initiatives resulting in a 20% increase in assets under management. Eager to leverage Harvard's comprehensive knowledge framework to pioneer innovative investment strategies for a dynamic financial landscape.

Portfolio Manager

Quantum Investments, New York, NY

September 2016-Present

• Successfully managed a diverse portfolio, achieving a consistent 15% annual return on investment.
• Spearheaded strategic partnerships and new investment initiatives, contributing to a 20% increase in assets under management.
• Implemented data-driven investment strategies resulting in improved risk-adjusted returns and client satisfaction.

Financial Analyst

BlueStar Capital, Chicago, IL

June 2012-August 2016

• Conducted in-depth financial analysis, leading to the identification of profitable investment opportunities and risk mitigation strategies.
• Collaborated with cross-functional teams to develop and implement innovative financial models, resulting in a 25% reduction in portfolio risk.
• Published research reports on emerging market trends and investment opportunities, contributing to the firm's thought leadership in the industry.

BSc in Finance, Minor in Economics – University of Chicago, IL

September 2008-May 2012

• Graduated with honors and a GPA of 3.7.
• Recipient of the Finance Excellence Award for outstanding performance in investment analysis and portfolio management.
• Engaged in the Chicago Financial Leaders Program.
• Presented at the CFA Institute Annual Conference 2018 on "Navigating Volatility: Innovative Approaches to Portfolio Management."
• Co-founded the University of Chicago Investment Club, fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing among finance enthusiasts.
• Strategic investment management
• Analytical risk assessment
• Innovative financial modeling and analysis

Now that you’ve seen these MBA resume samples, make sure that yours looks similar to this format. It’s important that you use these MBA CV templates as inspiration, and not copy directly from them! 

Format and Layout for an MBA Resume

Before you start your MBA admission resume, you should look at the format and layout of one. Here is what you should expect your resume to look like. 

MBA Resume Formatting

Ensure your resume is one page long. The admission committee has little time to read a lengthy two-page resume. You might have something interesting and impactful buried away on the second page. It’ll be a shame if the AdCom never gets to it.

Don’t focus on internships and college experiences unless you apply for deferred admission.

Unless there is an extremely impactful college experience, don’t mention it in your resume. There is a premium on real estate when you are drafting your resume. You are already listing the name of your institution and degree. Beyond this, make sure the college experiences you list are extraordinary. 

This does not hold for college seniors or graduate students applying to deferred MBA programs. Don’t worry about focusing on college experiences if you are a college senior or graduate student – you will be evaluated on a different set of criteria.

Font and Spacing

Choose a simple template that is easy to read, has enough space between lines, and uses a clean font. You should choose Times New Roman, Calibri, or Arial font style and size in 11 or 12-point size. Also, don’t use elaborate or over-designed templates that might be appropriate for marketing or design professions.

For an MBA program resume, opt for a professional and understated color palette. Use classic neutral tones such as black for text and headings and shades of gray for depth. Maintain a clean and readable look with a white or light background. 

Consider sparingly adding deep, rich colors like burgundy or navy for elegance. Consistency in the color scheme is vital for a polished appearance. Avoid overly bright or distracting colors, focusing on presenting qualifications and achievements clearly and cohesively.

It's recommended to use the PDF file type. PDFs maintain formatting consistency across devices and are universally accepted. They are secure and less prone to alterations, providing a professional, standardized presentation for print and digital submissions.

Cover Letter Format

For an MBA cover letter, use a professional format. Begin with a formal greeting and a brief introduction. Explain your motivation for pursuing an MBA, linking it to your career goals and the specific program. Highlight relevant experiences and skills in the body paragraphs. Close with a strong conclusion expressing gratitude. 

Keep the letter well-formatted, error-free, and tailored to the program or job requirements. Maintain a professional tone and aim for a concise, one-page length.

MBA Resume Layout and Sections

Depending on how many years of experience, your resume may look different, but not by a lot. Here are the resume layout and sections for experienced applicants and applicants with less than two years of experience. 

Experienced Applicants

For experienced MBA applicants, a well-structured resume begins with a clear header and a concise summary stating career goals. Prioritize the professional experience section, detailing roles in reverse chronological order, focusing on achievements. Include a skills section showcasing key competencies, followed by education details and relevant honors. 

Optionally, incorporate sections for certifications, affiliations, and community involvement. Maintain a clean and organized design, tailoring the resume to align with the specific MBA program's criteria.

Applicants With Less Than 2 Years of Experience

For MBA applicants with less than two years of experience, the resume layout should prioritize academic achievements and potential. Begin with a clear header and an impactful objective statement outlining career goals within the MBA context. Emphasize the education section detailing degrees and honors. 

Include internships, part-time roles, or relevant projects under the experience section, focusing on skills gained. Highlight key competencies in a skills section and showcase extracurricular activities, certifications, or volunteer work. Maintain a clean design, using bullet points for readability, and tailor the resume to connect with the specific criteria of the MBA program.

MBA Resume Writing Style 

For an MBA resume, adopt a clear, concise writing style focused on achievements and skills. Start with a strong summary statement. Use action verbs to emphasize accomplishments and quantify achievements in professional experience. Clearly articulate transferable skills relevant to an MBA program, maintaining a formal and professional tone. 

Organize information logically with bullet points for readability and tailor the content to align with program or industry requirements. Proofread diligently for accuracy and coherence.

Language to Incorporate in Your MBA Resume

Here are what you should incorporate in your resume. 

Punchy and Accessible

Your resume should be direct. Don’t over explain or provide unnecessary detail about your background and experiences. For example, if you are listing language skills in your resume, English doesn’t need to be there.

Your entire application is in English, so the AdCom knows that you speak the language. However, it’s worth adding a language skills section if you have extraordinary language skills and are fluent in say six different languages.

Use Metrics‍

Quantify the impact of your work as much as possible. Numbers speak louder than just words. For example, saying that you ‘grew the revenue of a business line’ is not as impactful as saying your ‘strategy led to a $15M increase in revenue in 6 months’.

Don’t Use Industry Jargon ‍

You never know what the background of your AdCom member will be. They might not be familiar with your industry. It is always good practice to write a resume that anyone with a general business background can understand.

Content to Include in Your MBA Resume

Here is what you should include in your resume. 

Contact Information 

Include your full name, phone number, email address, and, if relevant, a link to your LinkedIn profile. This section is essential for prospective admissions committees to reach you.

Resume Summary or Profile

Begin your resume with a concise summary or profile discussing your career goals and key strengths. This section provides a quick overview of what you bring to the table.

Work Experience 

Outline your professional journey in the work experience section. Emphasize achievements, responsibilities, and quantifiable results from each role, showcasing your practical skills and contributions.

Present details about your academic background, including degrees earned, institutions attended, graduation dates, and any academic honors or awards. This section helps establish your educational qualifications.

Additional Information and Achievements 

Use this section to highlight additional relevant information, such as certifications, languages spoken, or any notable accomplishments that contribute to your overall profile.

Conclude your resume with a dedicated skills section. Highlight key competencies that align with the MBA program or industry requirements. This provides a quick reference to your abilities and strengths.

Additional Tips and Tricks

Substance, not shine.

Use adjectives where necessary, but don’t overdo it. Words such as ‘Led’, ‘Founded’, or ‘Created’ can create a lot of impact. However, you should avoid using adverbs as they rarely add value to a resume. Also, don’t just focus on your tactical day-to-day responsibilities when writing your resume.

Instead, focus on the impact that you had. When writing your resume, entire sentences are not necessary and words such as ‘a’, ‘an’, ‘the’ aren’t always needed.

Reflect Growth

The AdCom is interested in seeing your career and leadership progression. This is especially true for applicants from industries that have non-traditional job titles. Engineering is one such industry. Be sure to highlight moments in your career when you assumed a leadership role and delivered results that were not expected from someone with your tenure.

Complement Your Essays

Your resume should not feel disjointed from your essays. For example, if one of your essays focuses on the impact that you had during a particular project at your job, make sure that project is mentioned in your resume. Another example is when none of your essays focus on extra-curricular experiences. In such cases, you don’t want the AdCom to think you don’t have any extra-curricular experience so be sure to write about some in your resume.

If you still have questions, check out these frequently asked questions. 

1. How Do You List an MBA on a Resume?

You should list your MBA on a resume by including the name of the university or business school alongside the dates of study or date of graduation. Then, include the official name of the course. 

2. What Makes a Good MBA Resume?

A good MBA resume is concise and emphasizes achievements in a compelling summary. It includes relevant work experience and clear education details while highlighting additional information and skills aligned with program or industry requirements. 

3. How Do I Write a CV for an MBA Graduate?

Creating a CV for an MBA graduate involves presenting academic achievements, skills, and professional experience. Start with a summary outlining career goals. Highlight academic successes, emphasizing relevant coursework and projects. Focus on achievements in the work experience section, showcasing leadership and strategic thinking. 

Tailor the CV to the specific industry, ensuring a professional and consistent format. Conclude with a strong summary that underscores your eagerness to contribute effectively and professionally.

4. How Many Pages Should an MBA Resume Be?

Your MBA resume should be one page. Admission committees are busy and don't have the time to read much unnecessary information. Be concise and include a detailed summary of your achievements. 

Final Conclusion

Now that you better understand how to write an MBA resume, ensure you implement the tips we’ve provided. You must create an impactful resume because admission committees will reference this when deciding whether you’ll get accepted. 

About Inspira Futures

Schedule a free consultation, you may also like.

How To Write A Statement Of Purpose For MBA + Examples

Ross MBA Employment Report (2024) - A Detailed Look

We can improve your MBA profile and boost your candidacy. Gain insight into the review process and eliminate weaknesses from your MBA application.

Note: You must have javascript enabled to submit the form.

How to Format a Winning MBA Resume

This may come as a surprise, but your resume is perhaps the most critical piece of your entire MBA application package. You have one precious page to summarize your academic, professional, and extracurricular accomplishments while differentiating yourself from the competition. That’s why we’re going to go deep into how to format a winning MBA resume, so you don’t miss out on a golden opportunity to shine before the admissions committee.

When the time comes to review your application materials, the AdCom starts off with your resume. This will give the reader an immediate, knee-jerk impression of you. Next, your essays, recommendation letters, and extra details from the data form will either serve to further your case—or hurt it. In short, your resume plays the crucial role of establishing the baseline impression of you, so you don’t want to mess it up.

Stacy Blackman Consulting offers multiple services to meet your MBA application needs, from our  All-In Partnership to hourly help reviewing your MBA resume. Contact us today for a free 15-minute advising session  to talk strategy with a Principal SBC consultant.

The Difference Between a Ho-Hum and Winning MBA Resume

Please don’t be that applicant who thinks they can tweak their existing resume and call it a day. Most clients we work with need to spend a lot of time on a complete overhaul for their MBA applications. That’s because your typical job resume likely focuses on things that hiring managers in your industry will understand and care about. They’ll want to know if you have relevant skills or experience with specific software programs or analytical tools. But MBA admissions committees don’t care about that kind of stuff.

Instead, they are interested in how much you’ve grown throughout your career. The AdCom is curious to find out what kind of stories you’ll share with classmates. What lessons have you learned from work or extracurricular experiences that will benefit your B-school peers? With this single page, you need to convince the AdCom that you’d be an asset to their program.

Treat the MBA resume as if it’s the only thing the admissions committee is going to read about your candidacy.

What Does the AdCom Want to See?

If you work in a common pre-MBA position, don’t waste prime resume space listing your general, high-level responsibilities that the AdCom will already know. There’s usually a field for your duties for each role in the data form. No matter what industry you come from (but especially applicants from banking or consulting ), the admissions committee cares about these three things:

• What you contributed
• Who you interacted with
• What results were you directly or partially responsible for?

You can achieve this by reworking your resume to function as a progressive narrative about your career and outside interests. So, keep your resume focused on things you’ve worked on or achieved that are unique to you—not things that every other analyst or consultant could say on their resumes.

Action verbs are your friend.

A way to force yourself to do this is to start every bullet with an action verb and use ones that convey leadership whenever possible. Think words like led, managed, spearheaded, oversaw, and oversee. In particular, you want to ensure you have words like that for the section describing your current role.

The AdCom understands that you probably weren’t leading work teams or spearheading significant initiatives in your first job right out of college. Like most people, you likely had to work up to your most impressive achievements. Accordingly, your action verbs throughout your resume should reflect that.

Often, applicants may have gotten a promotion or title change, but their roles actually weren’t that different from each other. Even so, you need to break out those different roles on your resume because promotions are always a differentiator. You want the admissions committee to be aware of your progression in the form of a formal title change.

If you’re claiming you didn’t do a heck of a lot differently when you were a senior consultant versus a consultant, we would challenge you to find a way to show growth between the two roles. And then, use action verbs at the outset of every bullet that can convey that progression.

Don’t forget these differentiators. 

Another thing MBA applicants frequently forget to do is to quantify everything whenever possible. In episode six of SBC’s B-Schooled podcast, host and Harvard MBA Erika Olson shared this advice for people needing to strengthen their quant profile.

 Every applicant should try and quantify the results of their work and use numbers to help the AdCom understand the scope of what you were involved with. —SBC consultant Erika Olson

For some people, that might be a deal size or the revenue size of a company you consulted with. It might be the number of work streams you managed or the annual cost savings that stemmed from one of your strategic recommendations. It might be listing the exact percentage you helped speed up a particular process. Think deeply about how to turn your efforts into quantifiable results.

Management experience is always a plus.

People often don’t think to include situations where they informally managed someone or oversaw someone else’s work. And yes, interns count, too! Even if it wasn’t directly managing somebody or being responsible for their salary or raises, it’s still management experience.

So you might have a line that says, “Informally managed junior associate: determined responsibilities: checked work for quality: provided feedback for annual review.” Or something like “Trained and mentored three summer interns.” This type of oversight is a differentiator in the AdCom’s eyes.

A winning MBA resume will have an icebreaker.

Applicants should remember that interviewers will see their resumes beforehand, and people always look for conversation icebreakers. That’s why we encourage clients to add a fun fact or unusual interest in the bottom section or even just a final line, depending on available space. (Stacy Blackman included a note about her Pez dispenser collection in her MBA resume.)

In another episode of B-Schooled on resumes, host Erika recalled the attention-grabbing mention of one former client. “On the last line of his resume, he put ‘Fun fact: I have been struck by lightning.’ He got interviews at all six programs he applied to, and every single interviewer asked him about that line,” Erika said. Even if you don’t have something as crazy as that to include, it’s easy to find a way to inject a little personality into the last section, and that can include your interests.

For example, Erika had another client list in her interest section that she was on a personal quest to find the best cookie in all of New York. “Like the guy who was struck by lightning and lived to tell the tale, every one of the ‘best cookie’ applicant’s interviewers asked her where her favorite cookie place was. So it’s just something to break the ice with interviews or show a little personality,” Erika explained.

When it comes to naming this section on the MBA resume, it varies depending on what you’re going to include. But some ideas for the heading of that last section are Personal, Other Interests, Activities, Extracurricular Interests, or Leadership and Interests.

A note of caution: be strategic about the interests you list. 

Remember, this is your chance to set yourself apart. Think long and hard about whether the things you list will differentiate you. That means mentioning generic interests such as golf, skiing, traveling, football, or the New York Yankees will not make you stand out. Specificity matters.

So, instead of listing running as a hobby, it better be something cool, like “Ran six marathons, including one in the Arctic Circle.” Maybe you love the great outdoors and can say something like, “Visited 300 U.S. National Parks and have 124 to go.” If you love to travel, highlight the most offbeat locales you’ve visited and leave Western Europe off the list.

Here’s Stacy Blackman’s rundown of the ten things to avoid on your MBA resume:

@stacyblackmanconsulting Ten common mistakes applicants make on sn MBA resume #resumetips #applicationadvice #bschooladmissions #mbaapplications #icangetyouin #achieveyourdreamskin ? Hip Hop with impressive piano sound(793766) – Dusty Sky

Items You Won’t Find Listed on a Winning MBA Resume

• Anything from high school (Unless you’re in college and applying to a 2+2 program )
• Your GMAT or GRE score
• Industry-specific jargon and acronyms
• Your knowledge of standard industry tools and software, such as Microsoft Office
• Tiny font (Use at least 10-point font)
• A personal statement (Your goal is to show your accomplishments throughout the document, not tell upfront)

By now, you should be fully prepared to MBA your resume and wow the AdCom at your dream business school. So, we’ll leave you with a cheesy inspirational quote related to everything we’ve covered. In fact, this is so cheesy it was actually used as a slogan on an 80’s dandruff shampoo commercial.

Nonetheless, it’s still 100% relevant when drafting a winning MBA resume. And that is:

You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Request a free MBA advising session  with  Stacy Blackman Consulting to learn how we can help with your complete MBA applications. Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our SBC team.

SBC’s star-studded consultant team is unparalleled. Our clients benefit from current intelligence that we receive from the former MBA Admissions Officers from Wharton, Columbia CBS and every elite business program in the US and Europe.  These MBA Admissions Officers have chosen to work exclusively with SBC.

Just two of the many superstars on the SBC team: Meet Anthony , who served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise.

Meet Erin , who has over seven years of experience working across major institutions, including University of Pennsylvania, Columbia Business School, and NYU’s Stern School of Business.

Tap into this inside knowledge for your MBA applications by requesting a consultation .

You May Also Like

The Best Way to Sell Yourself With an MBA Resume

Write a Killer Resume for Business School

Making the Most of the MBA Data Form

The Benefits of Working with an MBA Admissions Consultant

Learn about our all-in service, meet the sbc consulting team.

(323) 934-3936 info@StacyBlackman.com

Latest Blog Post

Us news mba rankings best business schools in 2024.

After two years perched at the top of the heap, the Chicago Booth School of Business slipped slightly in the latest US News MBA rankings of the best business schools in 2024. This year, ... →

• Career Blog

MBA Application Resume: Examples and Pro Tips for Writing

As an MBA applicant, one of the most critical components of your application package is your resume. Your MBA application resume is an opportunity to showcase your achievements, skills, and experiences to admissions committees, giving them a glimpse of your potential as a graduate business student.

In this article, we will discuss the essential elements to include in your MBA application resume, share practical tips on how to write an impactful resume, and provide successful resume examples. The objectives of this article are to help you craft a well-written MBA application resume that effectively communicates your unique value proposition to admission committees, and ultimately increases your chances of getting accepted to your dream MBA program.

This article is structured to provide an overview of the MBA application resume, its importance, and its objectives. We will then delve into tips and examples of how to write an effective MBA application resume. In the first section, we will look at the critical components of an MBA application resume. We will also provide insight into guidelines on format, length, and writing style.

In the following section, we will provide concrete examples of well-written MBA application resumes. Examining successful examples will help you understand best practices in terms of presentation, organization, and clarity. You will learn how to highlight essential profile features that are relevant to your particular MBA program, such as leadership ability, teamwork, and analytical reasoning, among others.

Finally, we will share pro-tips from admissions committees and career service centers that will help you optimize your MBA application resume. The tips will range from tips on how to tailor your MBA application resume to specific MBA programs, to how to make your resume stand out from other applicants.

All in all, writing an excellent MBA application resume takes a combination of strategy, creativity, and attention to detail. Our goal is to equip you with the necessary tools to make this process seamless and successful, so that you can create a winning MBA application resume that will take your application to the next level.

Understanding the MBA Application Resume

When it comes to applying for MBA programs, the application resume plays a crucial role in showcasing your skills, experiences, and accomplishments. In this section, we will discuss the general characteristics of MBA application resumes, how it differs from regular resumes, and the length and structure of an MBA application resume.

General characteristics of MBA application resumes

MBA application resumes are not significantly different from regular resumes in terms of format and content. However, they have a specific focus on demonstrating your leadership potential, teamwork skills, problem-solving abilities, and achievements in the business world.

In general, MBA application resumes should highlight your most important accomplishments and experiences, and illustrate how they have prepared you for business school. It is imperative to be concise but also provide enough detail to make a compelling case for your candidacy.

How it differs from regular resumes

One of the key differences between MBA application resumes and regular resumes is the focus on leadership and teamwork experience. Business schools prefer candidates who have demonstrated leadership experience and can be effective in a team environment.

Another difference is the inclusion of specific accomplishments and results that demonstrate your ability to add value to a business. MBA application resumes should highlight quantifiable results rather than job duties and responsibilities.

Length and structure of an MBA application resume

The length of an MBA application resume should generally be one to two pages. It is essential to focus on the most significant experiences and accomplishments that relate to your MBA candidacy.

The structure of an MBA application resume should emphasize professionalism, legibility, and easy scanning. Make good use of white space, and use bullet points to clearly present your accomplishments and experiences. Use a font that is easy to read and stick to a classic resume format.

MBA application resumes require careful consideration and attention to detail. They should be tailored to the specific program you are applying to and highlight your key strengths and accomplishments. Remember always to be concise, clear, and confident in presenting yourself as a top candidate for the program.

Key Components of a Comprehensive MBA Application Resume

A comprehensive MBA application resume includes several key components that help the admissions committee get a clear understanding of the applicant’s background, experiences, and achievements. In this section, we will discuss each component in detail.

Personal Information

The personal information component helps the admissions committee get a sense of the applicant’s identity and background. This section should include the applicant’s full name, contact information, and other relevant personal details, such as nationality or citizenship status.

Academic Background

The academic background component should include all relevant educational experiences, including degrees earned, academic honors, and relevant coursework. It should also note any research or academic projects the applicant has been a part of.

Work Experience

Work experience is a critical component of an MBA application resume, as it shows the admissions committee how the applicant has gained industry experience and applied their knowledge in a real-world setting. This section should include information about the applicant’s professional history, including the duration and nature of each position held, key responsibilities and achievements, and any promotions or awards earned. It should also include relevant certifications, licenses, or professional development courses completed.

Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular activities can help to demonstrate an applicant’s leadership skills, teamwork abilities, and community engagement. This section should include details about any clubs, organizations, or volunteer projects the applicant has been a part of, as well as any leadership positions held.

Volunteer Work and Community Involvement

Volunteer work and community involvement demonstrate an applicant’s commitment to giving back and can provide insight into their values and priorities. This section should include any volunteer experiences, community service projects, or charitable work the applicant has participated in.

Skills and Certifications

Skills and certifications demonstrate an applicant’s technical abilities and expertise. This section should include any relevant skills the applicant has developed through their education or work experience, as well as any relevant certifications or licenses earned.

Awards and Accolades

Finally, awards and accolades can help to showcase the applicant’s achievements and recognitions. This section should include any notable awards or honors received, such as academic scholarships, professional recognitions or awards, or other achievements.

A comprehensive MBA application resume should include personal information, academic background, work experience, extracurricular activities, volunteer work and community involvement, skills and certifications, and awards and accolades. By including these components and highlighting key achievements and experiences, applicants can create a strong impression on the admissions committee and increase their chances of being accepted into their desired MBA program.

Pro Tips for Crafting a Strong MBA Application Resume

As you craft your MBA application resume, there are certain key factors you should consider in order to make it stand out from the rest of the pack.

Tailor Your Resume for the Target Program

One of the most important things you can do is to tailor your resume specifically for the MBA program you are applying to. This means taking a close look at the program’s curriculum, culture, and mission, and highlighting the experiences and skills that align with those values.

Highlight Your Accomplishments and Results

When it comes to your MBA application resume, it’s not enough to simply list your job duties and responsibilities. Instead, focus on quantifiable accomplishments and results that demonstrate the impact you’ve had in your previous roles. This might include sales figures, project outcomes, or key performance indicators.

Quantify Your Achievements

To make your accomplishments even more impressive, be sure to quantify them wherever possible. This means using specific numbers, percentages, or other metrics to demonstrate the scope and impact of your work.

Emphasize Leadership Roles and Teamwork

Leadership and teamwork are two essential qualities that most MBA programs are looking for in their applicants. As such, be sure to highlight any experiences you’ve had leading teams or working collaboratively with others.

Use Clear and Concise Language

Your MBA application resume is not the place for complicated buzzwords or jargon. Instead, focus on using clear, concise language that effectively communicates your achievements and experiences.

Proofread and Edit Your Resume Thoroughly

Finally, be sure to thoroughly proofread and edit your MBA application resume to ensure that there are no errors or typos. This is a critical step that can make the difference between getting an interview and being rejected.

By following these pro tips, you can craft a strong MBA application resume that showcases your unique qualities and experiences, and positions you as a top candidate for the program.

Example MBA Application Resumes

As a way to showcase your skills and accomplishments to potential MBA programs, submitting a strong resume as part of your MBA application is crucial. In this section, we will provide examples of resumes for professionals in finance, marketing, and healthcare fields, and analyze and critique them.

Sample resume for a finance professional

John Anderson

Finance Professional

Email: [email protected] | Phone: (123) 456-7890 | LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnanderson

Results-driven finance professional with 7+ years of experience in financial analysis, investment management, and risk assessment. Strong analytical skills combined with a strategic mindset to drive business growth and optimize financial performance. Seeking admission to an MBA program to expand knowledge, develop leadership skills, and drive career progression.

Professional Experience

Senior Financial Analyst ABC Corporation, Anytown June 20XX – Present

• Conduct financial analysis and modeling to support strategic decision-making, resulting in a 15% increase in revenue and a 10% improvement in profitability.
• Prepare and present comprehensive financial reports and presentations to executive leadership, providing insights and recommendations for improving financial performance.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop annual budgets, financial forecasts, and variance analyses, ensuring alignment with organizational goals.
• Manage investment portfolios, analyzing market trends, and assessing risk to optimize returns and ensure compliance with investment policies.

Financial Analyst XYZ Bank, Anytown May 20XX – June 20XX

• Conducted thorough financial statement analysis and risk assessments for corporate clients, supporting credit decisions and loan underwriting processes.
• Prepared detailed financial models and projections, assessing the viability and profitability of potential business opportunities.
• Assisted in the development of credit risk management strategies, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and internal policies.
• Collaborated with relationship managers to provide financial insights and recommendations to clients, enhancing customer satisfaction and retention.

Master of Business Administration (MBA) University of XYZ, Anytown Expected Graduation: May 20XX

Bachelor of Science in Finance University of XYZ, Anytown May 20XX

• Financial analysis and modeling
• Investment management
• Risk assessment and management
• Strategic decision-making
• Budgeting and forecasting
• Financial reporting and presentations
• Market research and analysis
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills

Achievements

• Recognized as “Top Performer” for two consecutive years for exceptional financial analysis and strategic insights at ABC Corporation.
• Led the successful implementation of an automated financial modeling tool, resulting in a 20% reduction in time spent on financial analysis and improved accuracy.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in MBA Application Resumes

When it comes to crafting your MBA application resume, it’s essential to avoid certain mistakes to stand out from the competition. Here are some common mistakes to avoid:

Including irrelevant information

Your MBA application resume is not the place to showcase everything you’ve ever done; it should only highlight relevant experiences related to the program you’re applying to. Avoid adding irrelevant accomplishments like your high school debate awards or online courses unrelated to your MBA program. Instead, focus on your academic achievements, professional experience, and extracurricular activities that align with the MBA program’s goals.

Exaggerating or lying about your qualifications

While it may be tempting to overstate your accomplishments and qualifications on your resume, lying or exaggerating is a surefire way to ruin your chances of being accepted into an MBA program. Admissions committees have seen it all and can quickly sniff out dishonesty. Stick to the truth, and focus on highlighting your strengths, skills, and accomplishments genuinely.

Poor formatting and design choices

Your MBA application resume should be easy to read and visually appealing. Poor formatting and design choices can distract the reader and make it harder for them to understand your qualifications. Choose a clear and clean layout, select an appropriate font size and type, and use formatting consistently throughout. Consider using bullet points to make information more digestible and focus on making the most relevant information stand out.

Disorganized or confusing information

A disorganized or confusing MBA application resume can make it harder for admissions committees to understand your achievements truly. Make sure your resume is well-organized, with your most recent experiences at the top of each section. Use clear and concise language, avoid jargon or acronyms, and quantify your achievements wherever possible.

By avoiding these common mistakes, you’ll have a clean, concise, and compelling MBA application resume that stands out to admissions committees. With the right approach, you can demonstrate your qualifications and showcase why you’d make a valuable addition to any MBA program.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about MBA Application Resumes

How long should my mba application resume be.

Your MBA application resume should typically be one page long, but you can expand it to two pages if you have extensive work experience or have done notable projects in your field. Remember, the admissions committee will be reviewing hundreds of applications, and they will appreciate a resume that is clear, concise, and easy to navigate.

Can I use bullet points in my resume?

Yes, using bullet points in your MBA application resume is an excellent way of presenting your achievements and experiences. It creates a more organized and structured look for the reader and makes it easier for them to skim the content. However, make sure you use bullet points sparingly and ensure that each point is relevant to the degree program you are applying for.

Should I include my GPA in my resume?

It depends on what you’re trying to convey about yourself. Including your GPA is necessary if you’re highlighting academic achievements or just starting your career. MBA applicants who have gained work experience for several years generally offer less importance to academic marks or grades. Moreover, poor academics may lead to a ‘red flag’ effect in your application.

Do I need to list my personal interests on my resume?

Including personal interests on a resume is optional but can provide insight to the school’s admission committee about who you are outside of work. Your hobbies and interests can reflect a multimodal personality that can get along with other people or give an insight into your professional skills, such as leadership and teamwork.

How important is the resume in the MBA application process?

Your MBA application resume is just one part of your application package, but it is an essential one that can differentiate you from other candidates. The admissions committee will use your resume to understand your professional and academic background, along with any extracurricular activities or volunteer work. A well-crafted resume may be your chance to create a positive impression that may lead to an interview invitation or a successful admission.

Related Articles

• Consulting Interview Success: Insider’s Guide for 2023
• Attorney Resume Writing Tips and Examples for 2023
• Energy Manager Job Description, Duties, & Opportunities
• Hospitality Manager Resume: Examples and Best Practices
• Scrum Master Resume Samples & Template: Complete Guide

Rate this article

0 / 5. Reviews: 0

More from ResumeHead

MBA Resources

How to create a Strong Resume for Your MBA Application?

MBA & Beyond Team

17/12/2023 | 3:57 pm

A resume is one of the most important components of your entire MBA application. It is the first thing adcoms see when evaluating your professional experience and overall career trajectory. And, articulating a strong impact in your professional journey through your resume is very important. 

Generally, we know it should be 1-2 pages and contain all the details about your past experiences. However, reading all the technical information about someone’s professional experience can be very daunting. Hence our experts suggest that to stand out, your resume should-

1.  Reflects you as a very strong leader who has a huge impact on the organizations s/he has worked for

2. Strong alignment with what each of your target schools is looking for in your professional journey

3. Bring strong coherence to the narrative you are building in your essays.

The above 3 require a good brainstorming phase on your entire application and a strong understanding of your target schools. Then, if you’d like, you can schedule a free profile evaluation session with us, where we’ll hear your story and help you build a unique MBA pitch for your target schools.

This article will help you create a strong resume for your MBA application, which is a major factor and an opportunity to impress the admission committee. 

Before diving into the article, remember, “An MBA resume is not the same as a job resume.” 

Tips to Follow

Less is more

Break into sections

Present to Past Flow

Elaborate on your Professional Background

Spend time in the Extracurricular Section

Highlight Soft Skills

Mention your Achievements 

Tell the Truth

Avoid technical Jargons

Double-check to make an error-free resume

1) Less is more

We suggest your MBA resume should not exceed two pages (ideally contained in just 1 page). Include only the relevant and impactful information from your professional and Non-professional history, avoid explaining the same thing in two ways and keep it concise.

2) Break into Sections

Generally, Adcoms spend a max of 10-15 mins on your application. These will decide whether you will move to the next stage or not. So, create separate sections for education, experience, and skills. Use proper fonts, margins, and spacing between bullet points to make reading soothing. 

3) Present to Past Flow

The best practice is to format your resume from present to past. Then, mention those things at the top that you feel are the most important in your background. E.g., If you have three work experiences, note your recent one, then so on. 

4) Elaborate on your Professional Background

Your professional experience must relate to the real business world. Elaborate more about your roles and responsibilities, projects you contributed to, and their importance to the organizations, offer stats and figures relevant to the experience you describe, etc. 

5) Spend time in the Extracurricular Section

Adcoms don’t look at quantity but quality. So highlight your volunteer work and extra-curricular activities. But restrict yourself to listing 2-3 maximum. They don’t want to know how many activities you participated in.

6) Highlight Soft Skills

Sometimes highlighting your soft skills is a bigger task than you expected when you have a very technical role. First, ponder your leadership stories, teamwork, empathy, eagerness to learn, etc. And then, try to find common evidence of 2-3 qualities across your work experience, extracurriculars, achievements, etc. These 2-3 qualities will become your USPs and should come across your entire application, not just your resume. 

7) ‘IMPACT’ from your Achievements 

How you have impacted organizations and communities will matter the most in your application. And most applications, when talking about their achievements, fail to bring impact to their MBA resume. 

This article will help you understand how you can bring impact to your resume and entire application.

8) Be authentic

The committee evaluating your profile evaluated thousands of applicants for tens of years. Hence, giving out 100% authentic information in your resume and the entire application is important. It’s better to have only a few things than to exaggerate things. 

9) Avoid technical Jargons

We understand that you come from engineering, medical, or art backgrounds. Still, adcoms might not have experience in your field or cannot understand technical terms, so avoid technical jargon to ease the process. In addition, they only have a few minutes to go through your entire application; ease of understanding of your resume is very critical for holding their interest. 

10) Double-check to make an error-free resume

Just the rookie mistake! Oo, make a habit of proofreading before submitting documents, not only a resume. It is a good way to submit an error-free resume.

In the end, we suggest you mention those things that are creating impact, and you are confident to answer when asked in an interview (hence should be very collinear).

 If you think you need some expert advice on your resume or any other component of your application, book a 1:1 Profile Evaluation with our experts and get in-depth feedback on your strengths and weaknesses and honest chances to your target schools.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Articles You Might Like

Should an International Candidate go for an INSEAD R3 MBA?

Top MBA programs starting in January 2024

Upcoming Events

Free Coffee Webinar to Unlock Success at Top Business Schools including M7!

April 18, 2024 | 9:00 pm – 10:00 pm

UPCOMING EVENT: Free Coffee Webinar to Unlock Success at Top Business Schools including M7!. Register now

How to Build the Ideal Resume for Your MBA Application

March 15, 2024

Erika Väätäinen

Present Both Responsibilities and Results

In your MBA resume, be sure to showcase your  accomplishments , rather than merely stating the  responsibilities  of your position. When your responsibilities are presented with no accompanying results, the reader has no understanding of whether you were effective in the role you are describing. For example, consider the following entry, in which only responsibilities are offered:

2022–Present Household Products Group, Flocter & Gramble  Cincinnati, Ohio

Brand Manager

• Responsible for managing a $10M media campaign, supervising a staff of five junior brand managers, monitoring daily sales volumes, and ensuring the consistent supply of product from five production facilities in three countries.

The reader is left wondering, “Was the media campaign successful? Did the staff of five progress? Did sales volumes increase? Did the supply of products reach its destination?” When this one long bullet point is instead broken down into individual bulleted entries that elaborate on each task and show clear results, the reader learns not just about the candidate’s responsibilities but also about that person’s ultimate effectiveness and successes.

2022–Present Flocter & Gramble  Cincinnati, Ohio

• Initiated $10M television/Internet “Island Vacation” promotion introducing new Shine brand detergent, surpassing first-year sales targets within three months.
• Mentored and supervised five junior brand managers, each of whom was promoted to brand manager (company traditionally promotes 25%).
• Analyzed daily sales volumes and identified opportunity to increase price point in Midwest, resulting in 26% margin improvement and $35M in new profits.
• Secured “safety supply” of vital chemicals from alternate suppliers, ensuring 99% order fulfillment.

By comparing the first entry with the second, you can see how much more effective an accomplishment-driven resume is than one that simply lists responsibilities.

Demonstrate Nonquantifiable Results

Presenting quantifiable results in your resume is preferred because such results clearly convey your success in the actions you undertook. However, in some instances, you simply cannot quantify your success. In such cases, you can instead demonstrate nonquantifiable or even potential results. Consider the following examples:

• Persuaded management to review existing operations; currently leading Manufacturing Review Committee, which will table its final report in June 2024.
• Established divisional continuing education series, noted on review as “crucial” and “game changing.”
• Initiated biweekly “Tuesday at Five” team social event, resulting in enhanced workplace morale.

In each of these bullet points, the results of the writer’s actions are not measurable, but they are nonetheless important. The accomplishments, while “soft,” are conveyed as clearly positive.

Keep It Concise

Ideally, your resume should be only one page long; admissions committees generally expect and appreciate the conciseness of this format. If you choose to submit a resume consisting of two pages or more, your reader may have difficulty scanning it and identifying (and remembering) important facts. With these space constraints in mind, we offer two fairly straightforward “space saver” ideas:

• Do not include a mission statement at the beginning of your resume.  Your mission in this case is to get into the MBA program to which you are applying—and, of course, the admissions committee already knows this! A mission statement will take up precious space that can be used more effectively for other purposes.
• Your address should take up no more than one line of your resume.  Many applicants will “stack” their address, using four, five, or even six lines, as if they were writing an address on an envelope. Consider how much space an address occupies when presented in the following format:

Ms. X 123 Y Street 1st Floor City, State 10001 646-111-2222 [email protected]

You just wasted five lines of real estate! To help whittle your resume down to one page, try putting your address on just one line so you can save five others for valuable bullets.

And, while we are discussing the document’s length, resist the urge to shrink your font or margins to make your resume fit on one page. Your font should be no smaller than ten-point type, and your margins should be no smaller than 1″ on either side and 0.75″ at the top and bottom. Rather than trying to squeeze too much information onto the page, commit yourself to showcasing only your most important accomplishments that tell your story best.

Application Tips Resumes

Tags: resume

Upcoming Events

• Apr 25, 2024 Assessing Your MBA Profile (Online)
• May 19, 2024 Admissions Q&A with Booth, Fuqua, Sloan, Tuck & Yale (Online)

Upcoming Deadlines

• Apr 12, 2024 UCLA Anderson (Round 3)
• Apr 15, 2024 USC Marshall (Round 3)
• Apr 29, 2024 Toronto Rotman (Round 4)
• Apr 29, 2024 UNC Kenan-Flagler (Round 4)
• Apr 30, 2024 Georgetown McDonough (Round 4)

Click here to see the complete deadlines

2023–2024 MBA Essay Tips

• Berkeley Haas School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• BU Questrom School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Cambridge Judge Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Chicago Booth School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Columbia Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management Essay and Examples
• Dartmouth Tuck School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Duke Fuqua School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Emory Goizueta Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• Esade Essay Tips and Examples
• Georgetown McDonough School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Harvard Business School 2+2 Deferred MBA Program Essay Analysis 2024
• Harvard Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• HEC Paris Essay Tips and Examples
• HKUST Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• IE Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• IESE Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• INSEAD Essay Tips and Examples
• International Institute for Management Development (IMD) Essay Tips and Examples
• Ivey Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• London Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• Michigan Ross School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• MIT Sloan School of Management Essay Tips and Examples
• Northwestern Kellogg School of Management Essay Tips and Examples
• Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• NYU Stern School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Ohio Fisher College of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Oxford Saïd Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• SMU Cox School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Stanford Graduate School of Business Application Essay Tips and Examples
• Texas McCombs School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management Essay Tips and Examples
• The Wharton School Essay Tips and Examples
• Toronto Rotman School of Management Essay Tips and Examples
• UCLA Anderson School of Management Essay Tips and Examples
• UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• USC Marshall School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• UVA Darden School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• UW Foster School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management Essay Analysis, 2023–2024
• Villanova School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Yale School of Management Essay Tips and Examples

Click here for the 2022–2023 MBA Essay Tips

MBA Program Updates

• Berkeley-Haas
• Boston University (Questrom)
• Cambridge Judge Business School
• Carnegie Mellon University (Tepper)
• Columbia University (Columbia Business School)
• Consortium for Graduate Study in Management
• Cornell University (Johnson)
• Dartmouth College (Tuck)
• Duke University (Fuqua)
• Emory University (Goizueta)
• George Washington University (GWSB)
• Georgetown University (McDonough)
• Harvard University (Harvard Business School)
• IE Business School
• IESE Business School
• Indian School of Business
• Indiana University (Kelley)
• Ivey Business School
• London Business School
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan)
• New York University (Stern)
• Northwestern University (Kellogg)
• Notre Dame (Mendoza)
• Ohio State University (Fisher College)
• Oxford University (Saïd Business School)
• Penn State Smeal College of Business
• Rotman School of Management
• Saïd Business School
• Southern Methodist University (Cox School of Business)
• Stanford University (Stanford Graduate School of Business)
• University of California Los Angeles (Anderson)
• University of Cambridge (Judge)
• University of Chicago (Booth)
• University of London (London Business School)
• University of Michigan (Ross)
• University of North Carolina (Kenan-Flagler)
• University of Pennsylvania (Wharton)
• University of Southern California (Marshall)
• University of Texas at Austin (McCombs)
• University of Virginia (Darden)
• Vanderbilt University (Owen)
• Villanova School of Business
• Yale University (School of Management)

What Makes a Strong MBA Resume

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share on LinkedIn
• Share on WhatsApp
• Share on Reddit

If you’re set on attending a top business school, you’ll need to find ways to stick out from the competition.

That’s why your MBA resume is of particular importance. An MBA resume gives admissions officers a quick overview of your professional accomplishments and shows what talent and experience you can bring to the table. US News recently spoke to experts on what a strong MBA resume consists of and what you should do if you want to catch admissions officers’ attention.

Fit is one of the top considerations that admissions officers are looking for when reviewing an MBA application.

“It’s important to remember that not only are you looking to see if a school is the right fit for you, the school is also looking to see if you are the right fit for them,” Lily Bi, president and CEO of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (also known as AACSB International), tells US News .

That’s why, Bi says, it’s important to do thorough research prior to crafting your resume.

“Doing your research on the AACSB-accredited institution of your choice and providing examples of how their specific programs and extracurricular offerings will help you reach your goals will show admissions officers that you are invested in the school – and invested in yourself.”

QUANTIFIABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Rather than simply listing your roles and responsibilities on your resume, experts recommend quantifying your results whenever possible.

“Things such as the number of people involved, budget amounts, number of visitors to your website, monetary value to the firm of your client – these types of metrics strengthen your resume by demonstrating impact,” Jody Keating, an admissions coach at Fortuna Admissions , says.

Measurable results don’t have to be grand numbers either. Highlighting your impact in a role and organization can be helpful, even if you don’t have many results to show.

“In the early stages of your career, it’s tempting to overstate your involvement,” Maya Parikh Gandhi, a senior admissions consultant at Menlo Coaching , an admissions and test prep company in California, says. “Chances are you aren’t leading many client engagements, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have an important role. Point out if you led research, interacted with senior leadership or met regularly with important stakeholders.”

Experts recommend keeping your resume to one page. Admissions officers will only have a few minutes to review your resume, so it’s important to only include the most important highlights.

“There is such a thing as diminishing returns,” says Jason Rife, senior assistant dean of the Career Management Center and Graduate Admissions for Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University in Texas. “We’ve got GRE, SAT, GMAT, ACT scores and some of them are good. We don’t need five or six and we don’t need every club you’ve been a part of, just the ones where you were president, vice president or treasurer, and describe the impact you’ve had.”

Sources: US News , Fortuna Admissions

Questions about this article? Email us or leave a comment below.

• Stay Informed. Sign Up! Login Logout Search for:
• What Matters? And What More? 50 Successful Essays To The GSB & HBS
• Specialized Masters Program Directory Business Analytics Hub MBA Admissions Consultant Directory Online MBA Hub Home Assess My MBA Odds
• Stanford & Wharton Tie For First In U.S. News 2024 MBA Ranking (75,289 views)
• 10 Biggest Surprises In The 2024-2025 U.S. News MBA Ranking (43,721 views)
• Poets&Quants 2023-2024 MBA Ranking: Stanford’s Triumphant Return To The Top (7,327 views)
• How U.S. News Ranks The Top U.S. B-Schools By MBA Specialization (6,070 views)
• Poets&Quants’ Best Undergraduate Business Schools Of 2024 (5,672 views)

Our Partner Sites: Poets&Quants for Execs | Poets&Quants for Undergrads | Tipping the Scales | We See Genius

• MBA Admission Predictor
• MBA ROI Calculator
• CAT College Predictor
• MBA Strength Finder
• Program Finder
• Career Calculator

Articles For MBA Students | MBAROI

How to write a Strong Resume for MBA Application.

What is an mba resume.

An MBA resume is a synopsis of your educational qualifications and work experiences. It is also a long and short of your volunteer activities, skills and accomplishments. MBA resume is your first preface with the MBA admissions committee, so it is always worthwhile to devote an introspective mind to create a lasting, impression with a Resume.

Everyone has different experiences, and a resume highlights your personality and distinctiveness.  MBA resume has to be a strong proponent of your demonstrated expertise, leadership and it must be able to sell your future potential.MBA resumes typically demand leadership qualities to attract committee members’ attention. 

What Purpose Does an MBA Resume Serve?

MBA Colleges are in search for such candidates who have the potential to contribute markedly to the world of business. They keep looking for students who can innovate and bring transitions.  Being able to think critically, working well in teams, leading the followers and cracking profitable business deals are few qualities that place you above others in this race.

More than the job skills much is emphasized about your leadership capabilities.  So, watch a few things before you sit down to write your resume and considerately compile a plan to get success in your MBA admissions.

• Find out about your personal and professional goals in detail.
• Explore more colleges and identify the college that match your objectives.
• Work towards capitalizing on what outstanding professional performances you have had.
• Think about the leadership opportunities you got and any volunteered engagements you had in past.
• Try to reach the targeted college students and alumni.

How to Write a Strong MBA Resume

Remember, that the admissions to top colleges do not just happen but one has to make it happen. So leave no stone unturned to get your chance. Your MBA resume is your gateway to the college of your choice. The first questions that will be asked in the interview will sizably be based on your essay in the resume.

The resume is consulted by the committee to frame the questions for you during the admission process. A strong resume gives an account of a story from your past to future career route. So what story you should tell? Here is an outline of how your MBA resume can be a substantial tool to admission in an MBA program .

Also Read: Here is the list of Top MBA Exams you must take in India

Some points to remember while writing a strong MBA Resume

• Professional Objective

A strong career objective statement is the one that is able to catch the attention of the selector immediately. The sentence should contain only information that is vital and is relevant. One short sentence must be able to explain what are your strengths and what are you aiming at.

• Size and Structure

An ideal MBA resume is about 1-2 pages. This should be a rapid glimpse of your professional/academic journey and personality. A highlight of your achievements in the resume is the embodiment of your potentials as well. The resume must be brief, yet it must contain everything that is relevant about your education and profession.

Points you should mention in your Resume

• Key dates of employment
• Key dates of graduation
• Have a different section to list your skills.

List all of the dates chronologically. Build a proficient CV Structure and remember that business schools have different expectations. Start with:

• Contact information,
• Add work experience,
• Education and
• Additional Information

Place the information in resume, in the above order.

It is good to design your work experience section in bullet form.  Express your accomplishments in each job. Emphasize a bit more than the others show significant achievements, so that the busiest of admission committee is also able to read through essential points. While writing about your job role, mention:

• ‘Job Title’,
• ‘Company’, ‘
• Responsible for’,
• ‘Achievements ’ in a proper arrangement

Resume should focus on what were your contributions to various projects and how you can differentiate yourself. Volunteer works have a special focus point in MBA resumes, it reflects on what your interests are and how much readiness and willingness you have to work hard.

What have you been doing apart from your work, what is its impact on you, helps selectors understand a few more things about you? They are always looking to build a set of diverse people and who can be real leaders. Many successful applicants pursue different types of activities with various purposes, which often times bring a positive impact on candidates.

• Demonstrate Leadership And Teamwork 

Cite examples of some leadership qualities and express how this benefitted your company.  Know what your differentiators are and how you are different from other qualified applicants.

Also, establish that you are good around teams. Since most managers need to be good team players the committee easily approves of those who complete the majority of their work in team settings.

• Action Verbs

Use verbs that represent action e.g. assist, support, provide, or contribute etc.  These action verbs are crucial as they demonstrate skills.  Words like managed, innovated, collaborated, strategized, achieved, negotiated to tell a story about your strengths. Imagine reading only first word of the bullet points.  With these kinds of words, it will sound like a leader already.

So the verbs in the resume play a vital role to bring out your personality distinction. Achievements and goals are different, while the first is about what better you can do but goals are about where you want to go. Use your resume to clear the hurdles between both. The words ‘resulting in’ can be used to fill this gap. Do not be ambiguous about the accomplishments.

Do not waste the resume space to write unimportant subjects and focus more on conveying your brand themes. The typographic errors, wrong spellings and unequal formatting styles will disqualify the resume upfront.

• Proofread and edit the resume well. Grammatical mistakes and spelling mistakes can be punishing.
• Use at least 10 points font size. 
• Use simple and professional font style.
• Keep the margins reasonable (not extremely small or large).
• Keep the resume easy to read and do not distract from the information.

Related Topics: 10 Business and Leadership Books that help MBA Students Succeed

A resume written with a little carefulness and acumen will serve as a foundation and building block to your MBA. The tips will help you craft a resume to set the tone of your application. The resume is promoting you to the committee members. It should summarize careful information about you, importantly outlining professional, educational material along with your interests and activities.

This has to be tailored in a way that the interview based on this resume drives the conversation in your favor. The interview questions stem from the material in resume. As the members will always have lesser time to scrutinize so many applications, try to be as explicit as possible.

Finally, always remember the words by Jodi Keating Wharton, “There is probably someone applying to your target college with the exact same job title as you. Your resume needs to show exactly why you are better at that job.”

Here are some Articles Topics For a MBA Students:

• The Rush for MBA is really a rush for big money?
• What if your CAT Score is low?
• How An MBA Should Prepare For An Interview?

You may also like...

Now ChatGPT can do what MBAs were doing in Business Analytics

Top MBA Entrance Exams 2023-24

How an MBA Leads Startup Towards Success?

Login to mbaroi.

Enquire Now

How to get into an MBA program: Our top tips

Key takeaways.

• Applying for an MBA program can be a long and difficult process.
• Focus your energy on optimizing the key application components to create a standout application.
• Know your application deadlines and plan in advance to complete each part of your MBA application on time.

Getting into a Master of Business Administration (MBA) program is certainly a challenge. The average acceptance rate for the top MBA programs in 2022 was 22.2 percent. But the odds are getting better over time. This acceptance rate used to be under one in five.

Even with improved odds, getting into an MBA program can seem daunting. However, with the right preparation, persistence and a little guidance from an expert, you can increase your likelihood of getting accepted.

What you’ll need to get into an MBA program

Each school has its own application process, and you’ll need different information for each one. However, there are a few common requirements for your MBA application.

Stand-out standardized test scores

MBA applications require test scores from the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or Graduate Record Examination (GRE) to compare applicant ability.

The GMAT evaluates an applicant’s quantitative, analytical, writing, reading and verbal skills. Students should take this test several months before the application deadline to give themselves enough time to retake it if needed.

Applicants can prepare for the test through in-person or online prep courses. You can find a lot of free or low-cost resources online. The makers of the GMAT have provided several of their own resources to help test-takers prepare, including a mini quiz and a free eight-week study planner.

Business schools often accept scores in the 650 to 690 range but prefer 700 or higher.

While the GMAT is often the first choice for MBA students and schools, you can also consider the GRE. This standardized test measures academic readiness for graduate programs of many types. More than 1,000 business schools accept GRE scores.

The costs for the two different tests vary. You can take the GMAT at a test center for $275 or online for $300. Taking the GRE costs $220.

A strong undergraduate transcript

Undergraduate transcripts showcase the applicants’ academic ability. MBA admissions officers look at your cumulative GPA but also consider factors like the undergraduate institution’s academic reputation and the types of courses you’ve taken.

These factors help admissions officers compare and rank students by their GPAs.

Many top business schools do not set a minimum requirement for undergraduate GPAs, but you’ll have the best chance of being accepted to top MBA programs with a GPA above 3.5.

A tailored resume

Your resume should focus on grabbing the attention of the MBA admissions counselor. A traditional resume highlights your job skills and experiences. With an MBA resume, you want to highlight your accomplishments and help the reader understand why they matter.

“I always ask this question: ‘So what?’ after reading each bullet on a resume,” says Barbara Coward, founder and principal of MBA 360° Admissions Consulting. “Make the reader care. Show the significance of your work. Also, establish an emotional connection with the reader. Tie all of your experiences and education together through a single narrative.”

The resume should tell the story of why you are a good fit for the program. To craft a stellar resume, familiarize yourself with the MBA program and what they look for in candidates. Highlight experiences and skills that show you fit the mold.

Well-written essays

Many business schools require between one and three personal essays from applicants.

MBA admissions officers use personal essays to get to know the candidates. A well-written essay may be the deciding factor among applicants with similar academic backgrounds. Admissions officers look for clear, concise and persuasive essays with no grammatical errors.

Students should expect essay prompts like:

• How will this MBA program help you meet your career goals?
• What will you contribute to the business school/MBA program?
• What makes you a good candidate for this MBA program?

There are a few keys to writing a good essay for your MBA application. One of the common mistakes applicants make is not answering the question, according to Coward Ensure that your essay actually addresses the prompt. She also advises that you focus on clarity over complexity.

“Make it easy for the reader to understand what you are saying,” says Coward. “Simple sentences and concise messaging make it easy for a reader to get to know you better. You’re not trying to impress. Your job is to educate the reader so they can make an informed decision.”

Letters of recommendation

MBA programs typically require one to three letters of recommendation from people who know the applicant in a professional capacity, such as an employer or college coach. Students should avoid asking for letters from family members or friends.

Letters of recommendation must emphasize professional accomplishments and desirable qualities and should explain why the applicant would be a good candidate for the program.

Interview skills

Many MBA programs require applicants to interview. This can be a sign that you’ve moved on to the next stage in the admissions process. You may interview with an admissions officer or an program alumnus alumnus. In all scenarios, the MBA interview is a chance to stand out and fill in any gaps in your application.

Preparing effectively for the interview can give you a leg up on other applicants. Here are a few things to remember as you prepare:

• Practice (but not too much). Research common interview questions and rehearse your answers. You may want to practice adding more details than you normally would if you don’t like to talk about yourself. However, don’t practice so much that it feels like you are reciting a script. Instead, memorize your main talking points for each answer and vary your delivery.
• Review your application materials. Look over your resume, personal essays and other application materials before the interview. The interviewer may ask you questions about what you wrote, so you’ll want to have a fresh memory. Make sure your written application and interview answers are consistent.
• Be yourself. You’re looking for a program that wants you, so let your personality and interests shine. Talk about how you want to use your MBA . Discuss your passions and interests and don’t try to be a different person. Showing your personality can help your application be unique.

What MBA admissions officers want to see

While you want to show your personality, it’s important to understand what MBA admissions officers are looking for. You don’t want to be fake, but you also want to show desirable qualities.

Emotional intelligence, ability to work with others, empathy, curiosity and kindness are some of the key traits that MBA admissions officers search for in MBA candidates, according to Coward.

“I say that the admissions process is like the TSA at the airport. You don’t want that alarm to go off when you walk through security,” she adds. “Show that you will be a positive contributor to the cohort and that you are a nice person, not a jerk.”

Look at your own experiences and resume and think about how you can highlight examples of these traits in your own life. You can also show that you have these key traits through your interview process.

When to start prepping

Many business schools have several rounds of deadlines for admissions throughout the year. Students typically apply during the fall, winter or spring and receive an admissions decision within two to three months.

You’ll want to give yourself plenty of time to prepare each of the components of your MBA application. Think about how long each part of the application may take you and build a timeline accordingly. You’ll also need to consider when you can take the GMAT or GRE in order to get the scores by the application deadline. As you prepare, try to give yourself extra time so you don’t feel overly stressed.

If you find yourself on a tight turnaround to complete an application, remain calm. It’s best to focus your energy on the components you find most difficult first. You can get those out of the way and complete the easier application components closer to the deadline.

The bottom line

Getting accepted into an MBA program is a competitive process, particularly at the most prestigious schools. As you embark on this effort, be sure to do your research. Track application deadlines and lay the groundwork for a compelling application. Plan on gaining relevant work experience, building relationships with potential references and preparing for the GMAT or GRE.

Once your application is locked in, explore MBA loans and other funding options to ensure you can cover the cost of attendance.

• New! Member Benefit New! Member Benefit
• Featured Analytics Hub
• Resources Resources
• Member Directory
• Networking Communities
• Advertise, Exhibit, Sponsor
• Find or Post Jobs

• Learn and Engage Learn and Engage
• Bridge Program

• Compare AACSB-Accredited Schools
• Explore Programs

• Advocacy Advocacy
• Featured AACSB Announces 2024 Class of Influential Leaders
• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
• Influential Leaders
• Innovations That Inspire
• Connect With Us Connect With Us
• Accredited School Search
• Accreditation
• Learning and Events
• Advertise, Sponsor, Exhibit
• Tips and Advice
• Is Business School Right for Me?

Should MBAs Rethink Their Idea of Entrepreneurship?

• Interest in entrepreneurship among MBA students remains comparatively low—both as a standalone skill and as a career path.
• But an MBA gives students a unique blend of tools that make MBA-founded startups more successful than the average business.
• Recognizing entrepreneurship as a life skill as well as a career path can become a prime reason to study an MBA.

  There’s a disparity between the ambitions and outcomes of MBA students.

While around one-third of MBA students go to business school to develop their entrepreneurial skills, less than 5 percent of MBA graduates go on to start a business.

Such a big drop-off is understandable. After all, while between 60 and 90 percent of startups fail, post-MBA career paths such as finance or consulting offer high starting salaries and a rapid return on investment, making them consistently attractive fields—especially for business school graduates with debt to repay.

But that may be overlooking the fact that, in many ways, an MBA is the perfect launchpad for a business. Further, entrepreneurship teaches you vital skills that will benefit you in your future career, whatever you pursue. Let’s take a closer look.

Entrepreneurship Rates Among MBA Graduates Remain Low…

Developing entrepreneurial skills remains a low priority for prospective MBA students. In the most recent GMAC Alumni Perspectives Survey , it was the eighth most popular motivation out of the 10 cited by students. Factors like salary, international employment, and accelerated career progression led students’ reasons for pursuing graduate business education.

It’s also hard to dispel the strong association that MBA programs have with consulting and finance. They are overwhelmingly the industries of choice for graduates, and that has been the case for many years.

Yet in a climate where consulting firms are delaying the hiring of MBAs and freezing starting salaries , the industry doesn’t offer the guarantees for MBA graduates that it once did. And for those who do choose the path of entrepreneurship, MBA-founded startups actually have a better chance of success than most others.

…But MBA Startups Tend to Be More Successful Than Most

Despite its relatively low popularity as a career path, entrepreneurship can be a fruitful venture for MBA graduates.

Research from the Financial Times in 2016 found that 86 percent of MBA startups were still in existence three years after launching. That’s significantly higher than the average survival rate, which is typically placed anywhere between 10 and 40 percent.

And that’s not all. In 2023, MBA alumni raised more startup capital than ever before . The expedited grocery delivery company Gorillas was founded by alumni of INSEAD Business School and raised more than 1.3 billion USD in 2023. Along with fintech company SoFi, founded by alumni from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business , it is one of two MBA-founded startups to have reached the fabled “unicorn” status in recent years.

So what exactly makes an MBA program such fertile ground for startups?

How an MBA Supports Entrepreneurship

It represents a safety net for entrepreneurs.

Perhaps one of the biggest reasons that entrepreneurial ambitions are rarely followed through after graduation is the lack of a safety net. Launching a startup instead of getting a full-time job is always going to be a big risk for students.

However, according to Doug Villhard, academic director for entrepreneurship at Washington University's Olin Business School , your time at b-school is the perfect time to pursue a business idea. “It's much, much easier to workshop a business in school than it is while working a 40-hour job,” he says.

“Statistically, 90 percent of startups fail. Working on one while earning an MBA gives you a great fallback plan, if nothing else. Much better, in my opinion, than just quitting your job and going for broke. You can test the idea while earning your MBA and hedge your bets.”

It Provides Unique Access to Thriving Ecosystems

But an MBA is more than just a fallback option for aspiring entrepreneurs. The program itself offers benefits for entrepreneurs that you simply couldn’t access otherwise. One of an MBA’s key differentials is the network, which Villhard says goes way beyond the four walls of business school.

“At Olin (and most schools), we have five ecosystems,” he explains. “One within your course, within your classmates, within the campus, within the city, and within our alumni network on the coasts and around the world. Students need all five.”

The question of where you choose to study your MBA is especially important when it comes to entrepreneurship. Olin Business School, among AACSB’s 1,019 accredited schools , is based in St. Louis, which PitchBook recently ranked as one of the top 20 startup cities in the world. This means the city is able to attract more guest speakers, organize more events, and offer more internships to students. And the value of that kind of ecosystem for the business school? “It certainly helps,” smiles Villhard.

An MBA is more than just a fallback option for aspiring entrepreneurs. The program itself offers benefits for entrepreneurs that you simply couldn’t access otherwise.

Another city to feature on that ranking was Berlin. The Germany capital has long been known as a startup hotspot, and the city’s chief business school is taking full advantage of that reputation.

“As Berlin’s startup ecosystem is one of the largest in Europe, it offers great access to resources and opportunities for entrepreneurs,” says Rebecca Loades, who is the director of MBA programs at ESMT Berlin . “It’s crucial for entrepreneurs to have access to investors, partners, and top-notch talent.”

Students at ESMT Berlin get unique access to Berlin’s startup ecosystem. The school’s in-house incubator, Vali Berlin, brings together investors and founders with MBA students. Meanwhile, the school’s Summer Entrepreneurship Program “helps participants develop their own startup ideas by helping them find co-founders, identify trends and problems, find and build solutions, and pitch to Venture Capitalists and business angels,” according to Loades.

“All of this benefits your career as an entrepreneur,” she says.

It Teaches Skills That Organizations Highly Value

Yet perhaps we’re overlooking something here; studying entrepreneurship doesn’t necessarily mean you have to start a business. In truth, entrepreneurship is a life skill—and one that would be valuable to any organization. 

Loades says that the significance of entrepreneurship “transcends immediate financial gains.” Through entrepreneurship, students also learn how to innovate, how to adopt new business models, and how to respond quickly to market challenges.

Entrepreneurship is a life skill—and one that would be valuable to any organization.

Given the range of skills you can gain through entrepreneurship, Villhard believes it may be time to rethink our idea of what it actually entails, as well as its value to businesses. At Olin, students often apply the entrepreneurial skills they gained during their program to roles within larger organizations.

“Society tends to think of entrepreneurship just as starting companies, but it is really a mindset that teaches one to continually look for innovation and promote change within any organization,” says Villhard.

Which perhaps illustrates the true value of entrepreneurship. It is no longer just a niche career path, but a core component of every MBA program. It may be time to make entrepreneurship a core component of your skill set, too.

• career prep
• entrepreneurship