The
purpose of a resume is to disclose your accomplishments and
qualifications to the admissions committee. Think of your resume as a
promotional brochure about you. You need to show the committee what you
have accomplished and where your experience lies. Your strategy should
be to emphasize the experience and skills that a particular school is
looking for. Your resume is also an example of your communication and
organizational skills.
Selecting
the right format
There
are several acceptable formats for a resume. Based on the amount of
your work experience, you can use one of the following formats:
Chronological:
This
is the most common resume style for people with significant work
experience. In the Chronological format, the emphasis is placed on
employment experience. The applicant's job history is presented in
reverse chronological order, with the most recent jobs placed at the
top of the list.
Functional:
In
this non-linear format, your skills and achievements are emphasized.
Your employment history is summarized and linked to your skills and
achievements. Your skills and previous relevant experience (including
educational experience) are presented at the beginning of your resume.
The Functional resume can be particularly effective if you've held a
number of similar positions; it will allow you to highlight your skills
rather than itemize what might be a redundant looking job history.
Combination:
The
Combination resume is simply a Functional resume with a brief
employment history added. Educational qualifications are listed first,
skills and accomplishments are still listed next; the employment
history follows. You need to reveal where you worked, when you worked,
and what your job position was. Emphasize your talents and show how you
used them at the job.
School
Specific:
Some
schools specify the format for the resume. In most cases, you
will be asked to include all part-time and full time work experiences,
research and project activities, extracurricular interests and
community/civil activities.
Resume
writing tips:
Keep
it concise
Resumes
should be one page, if possible, and two if absolutely necessary to
describe relevant work experience.
Make
your words count.
Your
use of language is extremely important; you need to sell yourself to a
committee quickly and efficiently.
-
Avoid
large paragraphs (over six or seven lines).
-
Use
action verbs such as "developed," "managed," and "designed" to
emphasize your accomplishments.
-
Don't
use declarative sentences like "I developed the..." or "I assisted
in..."; leave out the "I."
-
Avoid
passive constructions, such as "was responsible for managing." It's not
only more efficient to say "Managed," it's stronger and more active.
Make
the most of your experience
The
admissions committee is looking for future business managers and
leaders. They need to know what you have accomplished to have
an idea of what you can add to the program.
-
Don't
be vague. Describe things that can be measured objectively. Telling
someone that you "improved warehouse efficiency" doesn't say much.
Telling them that you "cut requisition costs by 20%, saving the company
$3800 for the fiscal year" does. Employers will feel more comfortable
hiring you if they can verify your accomplishments.
-
Be
honest. There is a difference between making the most of your
experience and exaggerating or falsifying it.
Don't
neglect appearance
Your
resume is the first impression you'll make on the committee, and a
successful resume depends on more than what you say; how you say it
counts as well.
-
Check
your resume for proper grammar and correct spelling - evidence of good
communication skills and attention to detail. Nothing can ruin your
chances of getting an admission more than submitting a resume filled
with (easily preventable) mistakes.
-
Make
your resume easy on the eyes. Use normal margins (1" on the top and
bottom, 1.25" on the sides) and don't cram your text onto the page.
Allow for some breathing room between the different sections. Avoid
unusual or exotic font styles; use simple fonts with a professional
look.
Eliminate
superfluous details
Unnecessary
details can take up a lot of valuable space on your resume.
-
Don't
mention personal characteristics such as age, height, and marital
status on your resume. This information is either irrelevant
or is taken care of in other parts of the application. List
your hobbies and interests and extracurricular activities if these are
not covered elsewhere.
Resume
Editing
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