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 for recruiting-related activities, so updating and polishing it now, prior to orientation and before other new responsibilities pile on, will position you to hit the ground running and ensure that your resume is as effective as it can be.
Here are three tips 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. To impress recruiters, your resume needs to be forward focused and 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?
Research your target companies and positions to understand what the most important skills and knowledge areas are so you can craft your resume in a way that emphasizes them. To do this research, you can read our mbaMission Career Guides, review target job descriptions, and speak with friends and other contacts in your intended role.
Action Items: Read 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.) Review the list, and evaluate whether your resume shows that you can meet the needs of your target employer. Remove any jargon that is overly industry specific.
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 track record of success. Without conveying the scope of your responsibility and the level of complexity in your work, you will not capture the recruiters’ attention.
Action Items: Reread your resume’s bullet points, and for each one, ask yourself, “So what? Why did I do this task? Whom did it help? How did it help them?” Each bullet point should somehow 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 the impact, look for qualitative metrics of success instead.
Try this framework for bullet writing:
- Verb (e.g., “led,” “created,” “collaborated,” “implemented”)
- What (i.e., the subject of your project or activity)
- How (e.g., analyzing, negotiating, cold calling)
- Impact (e.g., improved efficiency, reduced downtime, achieved an amount of cost savings, increased revenue)
Here are some examples of how you can transform 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 throughout to be aesthetically pleasing, and it 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, make sure that a native speaker reviews your resume for any word use or phrasings that might sound awkward or unclear. Look for typos or inconsistent spacing. Make sure that each bullet point begins with a skill-based action verb. Limit bullet points to no more than three lines, and avoid having more than six bullet points in a row. Remove vague language (such as “multiple,” “responsible for,” and “successful”).
Finally, do not forget to update your document to adhere to your MBA program’s resume requirements. You can access your school’s template—along with its resume-writing resources and (potentially free) resume reviews—through its career management website.
