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How To Write Your Resume For Business School
There are a lot of elements related to your resume submission during the business school application season.
Most business schools have an online system where you upload your essays, questionnaires, and yes—your resume.Before we get to the actual resume, let’s talk about what you should name your resume. Usually, you can upload your word (*.doc) document to the online system. Occasionally, you may need to convert your DOC file to a PDF and upload the PDF instead.
What should the filename of my resume be?
Good question. This is often overlooked, but it does make a difference!
Most candidates will give the following filenames to their resume:- “John Doe – 091009.doc”
- “Resume – bschool.doc”
- “resume for harvard Fall 2010.doc”
This is NOT what you should do. Sure, having the “091009″ system is good for your own personal tracking system to keep track of which dated version you saved on–091009 –September 10, 2009. However, business schools do NOT want to see this.
Let’s look at what is good from the above. The John Doe part is good. Why? Putting your name in the filename immediately brands you as a unique candidate. One thing you should know about the entire MBA application process is that branding is everything. If you do not brand yourself, you will be just like the thousands of other generic guys who give their resume the name: “resume091009.doc”
Brand yourself! Put your name there and attach the name of the company you worked at for 4 years. You can even put the name of the school you are applying to–it gives a slight impression that this particular resume was specially customized for the school–rather than just being your generic resume that you hand out everywhere.
For example, use the following formats:- “John Doe Resume – Goldman IB – Harvard R1 2010.doc”
or if the online system does not allow [spaces] in the title, then use underscores like this:
- “John_Doe_Resume_Goldman_IB_Harvard_R1_2010.pdf”
- Notice the name “John Doe” is in the beginning. You can also put the word resume in the beginning like this: “Resume – John Doe – Goldman IB – Harvard R1 2010.doc”
- Notice “Goldman IB” utilizes the recognized brand name in the title.
- Notice “Harvard R1 2010″ indicates this resume was customized for Harvard. And R1 signifies that the resume was submitted as part of Round 1 in the application process (as opposed to Round 2 or Round 3).
- Without even opening your document, the admissions director will already know who you are and what your general trajectory is. They know your name. They know the name of the firm that you probably spent a good portion of your career at and they also know which application round you belong to.
Should I use an Objective in my resume?
Objectives are useful only when you have a clear career path or field of interest. Since your intention is pretty clear for business school (to get into the school you are applying to), the objective is not necessary. So save yourself some room and leave out the objective for business school resumes.
How should I write the body of the resume?
This is the most important part. We can only cover a little bit here.
To start off, use effective verbs phrases, not generic ones like:
“responsible for”
“worked with”
“Handled”Rather, you should use action verb like:
“Managed, Oversaw”
“Analyzed”
“Contacted”Be specific as possible and quantify where possible.
So instead of saying
“Responsible for public relations activities of largest client account.”
you should say
“Developed and implemented a 6-month nation-wide public relations campaign for ABC Company, the agency’s largest client account, representing 65% of annual billings in the consumer products division.”Much better.
What verb tense should I use?
Verb tenses are very important. A rule of thumb: If you have already done it, the verb should end in “ed”. If you are currently working on something the verb should end in the present tense. Do not lead your sentences with verbs that end in “ing”.
The pronoun “I”
The pronoun “I” does not belong on your resume.How big should my margins be?
Your margins should be no smaller than .5 inch and no larger than 1 inch on all sides.
Do I list dates on my resume?
Yes, remember to list the dates of your employment, involvement in activities, as well as honors or special recognition.
How long should my resume be?
Your resume should be no longer than 1 page. If your resume is more than 1 page, it is very likely you are listing a lot of irrelevant or redundant information. Remember, business school admissions officers have thousands of resumes to go through. They won’t be spending all that much time analyzing your resume when they have piles of essays and apps to go through. They just want the quick scoop. They also want to know that you understand how to succinctly communicate what you did on one piece of paper.
WHAT size font do I use?
Size 11 is ideal, but anything smaller than size 10 is too small.
Help Me With My ResumeStep 1: Make your payment above.
Step 2: Send an email to zeke@gmatpill.com attaching your necessary materials (resume and cover letter).
Step 3: We will respond confirming receipt of your documents via email and then work together with you. -
Interview with Kellogg MBA Admit
Today I’m really excited to talk with my friend Jennifer Tang, a Kellogg MBA just entering her first year. She tells us about how life has been after taking the GMATs and before entering one of the nations’ top MBA programs.
Jennifer is perhaps one of the younger members of her class but her drive to succeed and background as a nationally ranked chess player speak volumes. We weren’t able to get in an audio clip of our conversation, but here’s the transcript:
1)How does it feel to be going to business school? Do you think your emotions are any different from what they were when you were about to enter Stanford?
I am both excited and anxious to be going to business school. With just a couple weeks left, I’m definitely feeling the enormity of it all– the tremendous opportunities that this experience will offer. After signing my considerable loans, there’s also a tiny voice at the back of mind reminding me, “don’t mess up this once in a lifetime experience!” As a caveat– I deferred a year of business school so most of the heart-pounding excitement has dissipated to a more practical frame of mind. Both Stanford and Kellogg inspire an overwhelming sense of opportunity.. and humblness. I am very lucky! I’d be willing to bet that my Kellogg experience will be very similar to my Stanford experience just because of the collaborative, friendly culture that the two schools share in common.2)How are you spending your summer before you begin your adventurous ride at Kellogg Business School?
I spent this summer traveling in Alaska and Asia, spending time at home with my family and gearing back up for Kellogg.3)From the day you decided to do the MBA til now, there must’ve been some moments that made you second guess yourself and question what you’re doing. Perhaps you were stuck on application essays or frustrated with GMAT studying. Tell us about it.
For me, the process was difficult at two points: 1) writing the application essays 2) deferring. The applications are incredibly long and require a great deal of personal reflection and thought, not to mention great writing skills. I really couldn’t have finished them without the help of several truly great friends who not only were good sounding boards and critics, but also a source of much-needed encouragement and inspiration. The process of writing helped me clearly identify not only why business school but also what I truly wanted to do with my life, both short-term and long-term. But after meeting other accepted students, I knew that I would stand to gain even more from the business school experience with a third year of work experience. An exciting opportunity to work for a tech startup came up and after much deliberation, I put in a request for a deferral.4)One good reason people pursue the MBA is for a change in lifestyle and career prospects. What kind of lifestyle changes and career prospects were you looking for when you took the GMAT and filled out your application essays?
I started this MBA process to gain essential business and quantitative skills to prepare me for a career change to marketing. Given that I’m in an early career stage with a liberal arts degree, I thought that the business school would be the right next step for me. Also, from my experience at Stanford and the working world, I know that I learn the most from my peers. So two fun years of learning from some of the best and brightest without the constraints of the work world sound pretty great to me!5)Are there any specific events or programs you are looking forward to as you return to school? Classes? Trips?
I’m looking forward to going on a KWEST trip in August– Kellogg 2Ys organize about 30 pre-term trips to destinations around the world, from the Galapagos to Japan. Everyone I’ve talked to have said that their Kellogg experience was the two best years of their lives. I don’t think it can get better than that!6)Lastly, do you have any comments for our students regarding GMAT prep? Perhaps on mental preparation or coming into the test with the right mindest?
In my GMAT prep, I used two books: 1) The Official Guide for GMAT Review 2) Kaplan GMAT 800. My recommendation is to isolate your weaknesses and focus on strengthening them. Lastly, I’d recommend to go into the test with a relaxed and calm frame of mind. Don’t overwork on the night before and the day of the test. Do something relaxing! For me, this meant watching adrenaline-pumping Kill Bill the night before and doing some casual shopping the morning of… You can never underestimate the psychological factor of test taking. Good luck! -
Post-GMAT/Pre-MBA Interview Blog Series: Marquis (Stanford)
Post-GMAT/Pre-MBA Interview Blog Series – Part 2: Marquis (Stanford)
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http://marquisweblog.blogspot.comListen to my interview with Marquis, a Stanford MBA about life from GMAT to Post-MBA. Today I let him take the stage and really give all with regards to career advice. The information here is invaluable.
General outline:
0:00 Introduction
1:06 Marquis majored in CS started off in software engineering.
He got into Stanford GSB and transitioned to management consulting
at McKinsey. He now resides in Chicago doing strategic advisory.5:00 Emotional states throughout the GMAT and MBA application process. Fluctations between fear, excitement, and triumph.
11:50 Summer internship in the context of Bschool
13:45 Obstacles along the way, second guessing the MBA career route. Keeping the big picture in mind gets you through.
17:00 GMAT in the application process. It’s not impossible, just high school concepts.
20:35 Telling your boss you are applying for Bschool
23:00 Lifestyle and career prospect changes. Did Marquis end up
where he envisioned himself Pre-MBA?26:00 General bschool advice, application preparation, budgeting time
32:15 GMAT Advice: Come in with a study plan early on.
Do not study for GMAT while working on application essays!38:00 Conclusion
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Post-GMAT/Pre-MBA Lifestyle HBS Interview
GMAT Pill Interview Blog Series – Part 1: Jeffrey
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[Click Audio]
Transcript BelowIntroduction
Zeke [GMAT Pill]: Hey guys, Zeke here. Welcome to our first GMAT Pill Interview Blog Series on Post-GMAT and Pre-MBA Lifestyle. Today we’re really excited to have my friend Jeffrey join us literally from the other side of the world–right now he’s in China. I’ve known Jeffrey since we met at Stanford where we were both involved in a US-China Exchange Conference and after graduation, I was actually able to travel a little bit with him in Tokyo, Japan…
For the complete interview, log in to the member’s area.Transcript
Zeke [GMAT Pill]: Jeffrey, welcome here to the GMAT Pill Blog. It’s great to have you here today for our Post-GMAT and Pre-MBA Lifestyle Blog Series. Before we begin talking about what it’s like to be in your shoes..getting ready for Harvard Business School, can you just give some info on your background, where you’re coming from? You’re actually calling us from a trip to China isn’t that right?
Jeffrey [HBS]: That’s correct. It’s actually great to be here. Just a little bit about my background so I actually did my undergrad at Stanford. I graduated in..I was class of 2006. I graduated about 2 quarters earlier at the end of 2005. I took a 3 month break after graduation and I started at Bain & Company in Hong Kong in spring of 2006. After working at Bain for about a year and a half, I switched jobs and jumped into real estate. I went to a retail group that basically did work in both retail operation and also retail real estate – commercial real estate, development, as well as investment. So I have been doing that for about a year and 8 months until now. I actually quit about 2 months ago.
Zeke [GMAT Pill]: And 2 months ago meaning around…May?
Jeffrey [HBS]:End of May. Correct.
Zeke [GMAT Pill]: That’s great. I mean, how does it feel right now to be going to business school? Do you think your emotions are any different from what they were when you were about to enter Stanford?
Jeffrey [HBS]: Business school in general feels very exciting and it’s one of the reasons why I applied and it feels great to be taking a break from work but I think more importantly, to know that for the next 2 years, at least career-wise, I will be free to explore exactly what I am truly interested in. Of course there is also a little bit of pressure in terms of given the intensity of the program and the things I want to get out of it I want to make sure one, I get exactly what I want to get out of it, but second that I also get a variety of experiences and to basically explore areas that I may not have experience in before.
In terms of emotions, I think Stanford…going to Stanford was very exciting, but for me also pretty apprehensive. Your vision of the world in high school was a lot more confined I think. You lived in, at least me..I lived in much more of a bubble before college. The closest I’ve ever gone to actually going to University or experiencing university life was probably either from summer classes at a nearby community college or college visits that I did during the application process. I didn’t exactly know what to expect in high school. And plus I think college itself is more of those things that you do out of ..it’s kind of a social expectation right..you go to college because everyone else goes to college so you focus during the application process you focus much more on learning how to apply how to get in..rather than the actual college experience. The experience itself matters less in terms of why I wanted to go to college. It’s not because of the experience but because you know..i had to go. So having gone through 4 years of undergraduate and also a few years working I think business school is very different. Business school is as I said very exciting but for me it’s less apprehensive. I feel a lot more in control. Because first I have a much better idea of what I’m getting myself into from interacting with people who have gone to business school and also learning a lot about school during the application process and the school itself..the class is also smaller than undergraduate and you know having worked for a number of years and studied undergraduate I’ve also gotten more mature of the years. I have a pretty clear idea of what I want to get out of it. So I’m definitely much more focused going into business school than ..compared to the time when I entered Stanford.
Zeke [GMAT Pill]: Right. Yea, those two components you were talking about—how it was really exciting for undergraduate and going into business school it’s also exciting—but there’s also that pressure component to get what you want out of the program since you are investing 2 years of your life as opposed to generating salary from a job.
Going forward, how are you spending your summer right now before your adventurous to Harvard Business School?
Jeffrey [HBS]: So I actually quit my job around 2 months ago. I really wanted to leave myself some time to enjoy the summer and knowing that this is break that you will have in life. First half of my summer was pretty much spent in Beijing, that’s where my last job was. So doing things like signing up for a private Japanese class, I was helping a friend working on her business plan to open frozen yogurt shops. So all those things I actually wanted to do during the time that I was working but never had the time to so quitting my job early was actually very beneficial in giving me the opportunity to actually do things that either you know are educational for myself or experience that I wouldn’t get otherwise, for example my friend’s frozen yogurt chain that she’s trying to open.
Second half of my summer is pretty much spent traveling. I went to Japan about a couple weeks ago, planning to go to Cambodia, Malaysia over the next couple of weeks. So not as exotic as for example backpacking through Europe or anything but traveling around Asia is still exciting..
Zeke [GMAT Pill]:Japan, Malaysia, Cambodia..Opening a yogurt shop.that sounds really….
Jeffrey [HBS]:It’s very fulfilling and pretty full summer actually. Never actually imagined life not working could be as busy as it is.
Zeke [GMAT Pill]: Yea, absolutely. From the day you decided to do the MBA all the way til today I guess, there must’ve been some moments where you kind of second guessed or questioned what you’re doing through laborious process. Maybe you were stuck on application essays or you were frustrated with GMAT studying. Tell us about that.
Jeffrey [HBS]: Yea. I think throughout the process there have been moments..I never doubted the process per se..Given the laborious process I doubted why I needed an MBA, or whether I really want an MBA at this point or this year. MBA as an idea definitely came to me during college. I was actively involved in these Pre-Business Associations on campus and you hear so much about consulting, investment banking, MBA, GMAT during college years that you think that 2 or 3 years out of college is something you have to do. So the idea of getting an MBA was definitely out there pretty early on. But after working for a few years..actually during the application process you start to think…whether…do I need an MBA for my future career, especially my last job was for a retail group that also did commercial real estate which is pretty unconventional track compared to my previous job at Bain in consulting. In consulting everyone gets an MBA after a couple of years and then you come back and you become an Associate and you go up the traditional path. Whereas in my new job, it wasn’t as expected or necessary to get an MBA. So that’s when I actually had doubts about whether I wanted to sacrifice 2 years of working and 2 years of salary for it. So I think there was a lot of soul searching during that process and I’m glad I’ve gone through that process and really exactly know what I’m spending the next 2 years for. More specifically I think some of the basic finance knowledge that I was never strong in and more importantly to be back in the school environment and to learn more about not necessarily even through business school but through the various other schools in the entire university, meeting individuals outside of your area of study.
Zeke [GMAT Pill]: You mentioned some really good stuff there including soul searching—that’s really a large part of the MBA application process. One of the reasons..one good reason people pursue the MBA is for a change in lifestyle and career prospects. What kind of lifestyle changes or career prospects were you looking for when you were taking your GMAT and filling out your applications?
Jeffrey [HBS]: Yea. For me, it was more of a career advancement rather than a complete career change. I think..I’ve always been pretty clear and consistent about what I wanted to do when I grew up. Actually when I was little I wanted to become an architect. But upon realizing I don’t have much artistic talent I wanted to take it from a different angle. I was always interested in buildings…building a city or changing the way a city looks. So then I got really interested in real estate. High school and then college..real estate wasn’t one of those things that you just jump into with an undergraduate degree because there weren’t many opportunities and it wasn’t as widely publicized as say management consulting or investment banking.
Jeffrey [HBS]: So I did consulting for a few years and upon realizing..i think it was good to get the exposure to different industries but when the opportunity came across I saw it was real estate and it was commercial real estate so I jumped into it directly. The company I work for is called PCD and as I said it was in retail operations it was in real estate, operation, investment, development—basically spanning all 3 aspects of real estate so I think my pre-MBA work experience both in consulting and at PCD was more about exposure and figuring out what I wanted to do and for me ..going forward—that’s real estate and development. The MBA is exactly how I want to get there. So through the MBA I was more looking for a couple of things as I mentioned just now. There’s definitely the finance aspect…there’s the general management aspect….[CUT]
Zeke [GMAT Pill]:
So we’re actually going to take a break now and jump towards the end of the interview. There’s actually a lot of useful info that Jeffrey talks about—and some of the questions I ask are no different from the ones that Harvard asked during his interview. But we’re keeping the good stuff for members of the GMAT Pill. To get access to the full interview, just log in to the member’s area—it’s FREE for all members.OK, let’s get jump to the end of Jeffrey’s interview.
Zeke [GMAT Pill]: Lastly, do you have any comments for our students regarding GMAT prep perhaps you can comment on some mental preparation or coming into the test with the right mindest?
Jeffrey [HBS]: Yea definitely. I think..I am no expert when it comes to test taking, but I think given that the test itself is computer adaptive, having the confidence and also relaxing before the test is very important to having the right mindset to go in so that you know take your time on the first few questions because those are the ones that determine the range of scores that you end up with and I think a lot of people get overly nervous about the GMAT. I think my advice is even though you definitely should have a lot of confidence going into the test but you also have the mindset that it’s OK to retake it later on and I think in terms of timing, my advice would be take the GMAT as early as possible. Do not wait until July or August of the year you are applying for to the GMAT because then you don’t leave enough time to either retake the test or focus on the application process itself.
Zeke [GMAT Pill]: And when did you take your exam?
Jeffrey [HBS]:So I actually took my test June of 2007 and I applied in the fall of 2008.
My advice is really plan early. It’s definitely hard to have that much time to study for the GMAT especially when you’re working, but as long as you plan early there’s definitely time at work when you won’t be as busy and you can use to study for the test.
Zeke [GMAT Pill]: I realize right now China is blocking a lot of sites including the GMAT Pill. But based on what you’ve seen of it previously do you think the theory and the delivery of the study method is helpful for students?
Jeffrey [HBS]: Yea definitely. When I was studying for the GMAT I used a lot of books. Given the fact that China does block sites, it was actually a pretty dry process for me you know..coming home from work at 9 or 10 pm and having to sit down and read through a pretty thick Kaplan book. I actually think an interactive process like the GMAT Pill would be really helpful to be both engaging after a long day at work. And also I think it’s just more..the knowledge that you learn is more fresh in your mind.
Zeke [GMAT Pill]: Yea, especially for someone who’s juggling a job. How was it juggling..you were …was it at Bain when you took the test?
Jeffrey [HBS]: I was at Bain..actually on a project. It was actually pretty difficult. I was traveling as well. I would bring my book everywhere I was traveling—you know at the airport, on the plane…so it was a pretty grueling process I thought. I wish there were something more attractive or something helpful to keep me engaged during the process.
Zeke [GMAT Pill]: Right, if you had the chance to log on to some teaching videos while you’re at the airport in between client projects that would be of great beneficial help for someone like you.
Jeffrey [HBS]: Exactly.
Zeke [GMAT Pill]: OK well that’s all the time we have today. Jeffrey, as always, it’s a great pleasure to have here. I hope you enjoy the rest of your trips as you get ready for an exciting 2 years at HBS.
Look forward to it having you next time.
Jeffrey [HBS]: Great. Thanks.
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