Creating Your MBA Résumé

If I can brag a bit - MBA Career Services love my résumés. "Don't you dare change a single word!" were the words spoken to my client who started at Stanford GSB last fall.

There are a lot of important points to what I end up telling people the most often:

Your resume should not look like a job description or a list of things you are responsible for doing.

It should describe your job well enough (possibly company well enough) to give the reader context to appreciate your personal and specific achievements.

The Mantra: Succinct, but Complete

• Every single word has a purpose (pare it down - hence the image!) 
• It uses universal language instead of industry jargon, to the extent possible. Break out of acronym jail.
• 1 page only; 2 for EMBA. Maximize the use of space horizontally.
• Give context: provide a one-line company description if needed.
• Give context: provide a job scope statement under your role. Number of reports, budget, role in the organization.
• Each bullet under that shows how you did the job well – not a list of responsibilities. CAR (challenge action result).
• Results: ideally, making money, saving money, or saving time. Or, how you indirectly led to those outcomes (IT system allowing bandwidth for more clients). Think about how to show the value you added. Ask people affected by your work.
• Anyone from any industry would be able to step into your resume and comprehend the value of what you have done. Use simple, direct language.
• There is space to breathe on the page. It has white space, and feels inviting.
• Include community leadership section ideally.
• Additional information section includes "fun facts" or 10-word stories about you that show humor and well-roundedness.