There are many things about the MBA application process that can feel out of your control. You can’t control who you’re competing against for a spot in an elite MBA program. You can’t control the current mood or unconscious bias of an MBA admission officer reading your application. And you can’t control what questions or prompts you’ll be asked to answer in your MBA applications.
However, there are many things we can control. At the top of that list is controlling how you present yourself as a qualified and ready MBA candidate through your resume. Beyond the obvious need to make the 1-page MBA resume concise, error-free, easy-to-read, and honest, there is one key additional step you can take to make yourself stand out from the pack: focus on accomplishments that reveal transferable skills like leadership, teamwork, and innovation.
To do this, there’s a simple formula you should follow:
Accomplished [X] by doing [Y], resulting in [Z]
In other words, start with an active verb (click HERE to review a great list of action verbs provided by MIT), detail what you did to achieve your goal, and numerically measure what you accomplished. Take a look at two bullets of the same work/accomplishment. Then ask yourself which would look better on your resume:
1. Trained internal team and clients on the use of a Workforce Management software to establish a new specialty team.
2. Created and led specialty team responsible for adding clients onto a new Workforce Management (WM) platform by documenting procedures and delivering training program, resulting in the training of approximately 15,000 clients on the WM platform within 4 months
The addition of the “15,000 clients” makes the statement much more powerful. And adding “within 4 months” shows the MBA admissions officer that this was accomplished in a short and impressive timeline. Finally, sharing how you accomplished this adds credibility and gives insight into your transferable skills.
Overall, your MBA resume is a sales document and by using the formula “accomplished [X] by doing [Y] resulting in [Z]” and MBA Admissions officers will take notice. It not only tells the admissions officer in a snapshot who you are, but it also tells them that you have this vital business/recruiting skill down cold.
If you’re interested in learning more or discussing your own resume, please CLICK HERE to schedule an initial consultation with one of our MBA admissions consultants.