Writing a solid MBA application CV is your ticket to admission to your desired MBA program.
Your CV is an opportunity to highlight your business knowledge, education, professional experience, and soft talents.
One thing is sure: putting in the time and effort to create a solid MBA CV can help you get into competitive programs at top business schools such as Harvard and Stanford.
However, deciding what to put in your MBA resume is sometimes challenging.
You may wonder how long your resume should be, what you should contain, and if you should use a different outline from the one you used for a job application.
MBA hopefuls frequently disregard their resumes in favour of honing their essays, obtaining letters of reference, and filling out all the boxes on the application. The resume is often the first application component a college admission officer will check. It can affect whether readers read your application out of curiosity or duty. Make sure your resume piques the reader's interest.
This post will explain how to highlight your abilities and establish a competitive edge that will set you apart from your peers and offer you the highest chance of being accepted as an MBA applicant.
Why bother with your MBA resume?
Regarding the value of application materials in the admissions process, the MBA CV ranks second only to academic transcripts and entrance examinations among MBA schools worldwide.
Your CV is an opportunity to brag about your academic and professional achievements.
Your MBA CV may be the first thing admissions committees look at, and it may give critical insights that complement the rest of your application materials.
Furthermore, your CV will become the main focus of your application, and MBA candidates should be prepared to elaborate on their resumes throughout the MBA interview process.
What to Include in an MBA Resume
Admissions officials seek the following attributes in MBA resumes:
- Technical or mathematical abilities
- Leadership and teamwork abilities
- Progression in one's career
- Professional/personal/academic accomplishments
- The ability to handle time and deadlines
- Knowledge of business management Ability to apply business discipline to any work
- Capability to make decisions
- Communication abilities include persuasive and written communication abilities.
10 Fundamentals To Craft A Strong MBA Resume While Applying To A University:
1. Be Authentic
The key to establishing trust is to be genuine. There are several sites to search and copy on the internet today. It is okay to use a template for better presentation; however, copying and pasting word for word from other people's resumes or the information provided by your consultant might cause more harm than good.
Self-reflection is an excellent place to start. Ask yourself pertinent questions that will lead you to answers about yourself, such as:
- What do I want to gain from this MBA program?
- What are my strong points?
- How can this course help you use and grow on your strengths?
- What do I want to gain from my career?
- How would this program assist me in achieving my professional objectives?
2. Avoid General Statements
It is a good practice to seek advice from others. Playing it safe with established rules and procedures while crafting your CV might hurt your chances of generating a favourable impression on the admission committee.
A well-written resume will need much study. If feasible, try to contact alumni, examine prior performance, get to know the professors through research, and read in-depth about any programs the institution may offer linked to your area of interest.
After conducting the extensive study, jot down the key points that tie your particular interests to the program and college you are applying to. Putting in this type of work will demonstrate to the admissions committee that you have a clear vision and understand how you will benefit from the program in the future.
3. Be Specific
For resumes, avoid writing in a narrative approach. Keep things basic and straightforward. Every type of writing has a favoured style; overviews must be concise and to the point. Don't use fancy wording. Because resumes are supposed to promote personal and professional traits, candidates frequently include adjectives. They try to distinguish their resume from others, yet poor language use often yields unfavourable outcomes.
Keep the language basic and specific in providing information substantiated by examples or quantified in figures, percentages, or whatever is appropriate.
4. Highlight your accomplishments rather than your responsibilities.
When you discuss your achievements at work, your CV will be more remarkable and memorable. Ad agencies are well aware that consultants consult and analysts analyse!
5. Leadership Qualities
MBA programs provide students with management skills and assist them in honing their leadership abilities. All reputable MBA programs search for applicants with strong leadership qualities.
One may argue that because I am young or at a specific stage in my career, I haven't yet had any opportunity to exhibit my leadership qualities; how should I portray that in my MBA resume? It is important to note that the admissions committee seeks to analyse your innate leadership characteristics, which may be developed further during the program.
Several leadership skills should be highlighted while writing your MBA resume, and they are as follows:
- Independence in decision-making
- Agility
- Being at ease working in groups
- Observance of deadlines
- Being goal-oriented
Statement of purpose (SOP) for MBA
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Talk to an Expert6. Include Extra-Curricular Activities
Do not dismiss your successes in extracurricular activities. They are a significant factor for the admission committee since they represent your personality and help them understand your interests outside of academics and your degree of commitment to your group's cause or the society at large. Your involvement and experience in such activities assist them in understanding you as an individual and determining what value you will bring to your future college as a community member.
7. Highlight Soft Skills
Soft skills are sometimes overlooked when writing a resume since applicants need to know their significance. However, soft skills are one of the most significant factors that help applicants stand out.
Soft skills include interpersonal, problem-solving, and leadership abilities, as well as the capacity to display characteristics such as being a good listener, a team player, someone with a positive attitude, a strong work ethic, and more.
8. Career Goals
A CV that exhibits clarity of an applicant's professional objectives, which they aim to achieve after finishing the MBA program, has a better chance of being selected. Because the admissions committee or officers are thoroughly aware of the skill sets necessary for various job markets, a CV that fits one's characteristics, educational and professional experiences, and future career objectives will stand out.
9. Make it easier to read.
Make sure that your resume is easy to read. Keep it essential and timeless. Your CV is not the place to show off your uniqueness or personality. The admissions committee would appreciate your usage of a conventional typeface with a font size of 10 points or more significant. Grammatically proper terminology is required. Avoid employing huge terms that aren't relevant to the story. Use jargon only when essential. If you must use them, do not presume the reader knows them. Explain the vocabulary used so that the reader may relate to it.
10. Make careful to check and revise your resume.
You should prevent misspellings and grammatical faults in your resume, just as in your writing. After you've proofread your resume, get it reviewed by a friend, coworker, or professional proofreader. A new pair of eyes will frequently spot errors you should have noticed.
Drafting a CV may appear to be a difficult chore at first, but if done correctly, you will realise the value of it as a branding tool for yourself. It is your initial introduction to the individuals evaluating your suitability for the MBA program you desire to pursue. Your MBA resume serves as a marketing tool for you, assisting you in putting your best foot forward. Following the recommendations mentioned above will help you develop and design an excellent MBA resume to boost your chances of making it through the selection process now that you know your resume must leave a lasting impression on the college admission committee you wish to study at.
