As you prepare to start your MBA program, you already have many tasks on your plate, but we recommend that you add one more—updating your recruiting resume. As soon as you get to campus, you will need to submit your resume, so revising it now will position you to hit the ground running.
Here are three tips and associated action items for creating a compelling resume that will help you stand out from your peers.
1. Curate your resume content for your target audience.
You likely spent a significant amount of time updating your resume for your MBA applications, but that version of your resume was tailored for the admissions committees—not hiring managers and recruiters. To impress this new audience, your resume needs to be curated to appeal to them specifically. What skills or experiences do they care about most? What can you highlight that will convince them that you will add value to their organization and/or in the role you are seeking?
Action Items
- Do your research to understand the skills and knowledge areas that are most important to the firm or in the position so you can craft your resume in a way that emphasizes them. Read mbaMission’s Career Guides, review target job descriptions, and speak with friends and other contacts in your intended role.
- Reread each bullet point on your resume. Next to each one, write down the main skill or theme that the bullet point communicates. (Hint: Pay special attention to the action verb at the beginning of the bullet point.) Then, review your list of skills and themes, evaluate whether and how your resume matches the needs of your target employer, and update it accordingly to highlight the most relevant information.
2. Showcase your impact.
If your bullet points read like those in a job description, you are missing a critical opportunity to differentiate your candidacy and demonstrate your ability to make an impact. Without conveying the scope of your responsibility and the level of complexity in your work, you will not capture a recruiter’s attention.
Action Items
- Reread each bullet point on your resume, and ask yourself, “So what? Why did I do this task? Whom did it help? How did it help them? What was the benefit?” Ideally, each bullet point should quantify the impact you had on your department, company, or client (e.g., actual number, forecasted number, year-over-year comparison, scale or scope of work). If you cannot quantify your impact, look for qualitative metrics of success that you can highlight instead.
- Use this framework for bullet writing: Start with a strong skill-based verb (e.g., “led,” “created,” “collaborated,” “implemented”). Then go into what you did (i.e., the subject of your project or activity) and how you did it (e.g., analyzing, negotiating). End with your impact (e.g., improved efficiency, reduced downtime, achieved an amount of cost savings, increased revenue).
Here are some examples of how you can improve your bullet points by showcasing impact:
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| Led communications workstream, ensuring timely communication | Selected by CEO to lead cross-functional communications workstream for company’s acquisition of ABC Stores. Wrote 10+ communications viewed by 1,000 employees. |
| Created market penetration strategy | Initiated and developed market penetration strategy; presented recommendation to SVP. Efforts led to 47% sales increase within 12 months. |
| Responsible for new promotion for Shine detergent to target customer | Surpassed sales targets for $10M brand detergent within three months.Transformed approach to Internet advertising based on analysis of 500+ customer surveys. |
3. Pay attention to the details.
The formatting of your resume must be consistent and should never detract from the content. You also want to ensure that your messages are clear and easily understandable.
Action Items
- Proofread your document multiple times. If you are a non-native English speaker, ask a native speaker to review your resume for any word use or phrasings that might sound awkward or be unclear. Look for typos and inconsistent spacing.
- Limit the length of your bullet points to no more than three lines, and never have more than six bullet points in a row. Avoid unnecessary graphics, charts, and other formatting that would make your resume difficult for an AI-based applicant tracking system to review.
- Remove vague language, such as “multiple,” “responsible for,” and “successful.”
Finally, make sure your document adheres to your MBA program’s resume requirements. You can access your school’s template—along with its resume-writing resources and resume reviews—through its career management website.
