How to Write a Better MBA Resume to Attend an MBA Program

MBA Resume Structure

Your resume template will at least partially have to do with the resume layout you choose. The chronological resume is typically going to be perfect for an MBA resume, especially because most MBA resumes require a lot of experience. The headings you use will be the same regardless of your MBA resume template, however.

Resume header

Your resume header is where you put personal information like your contact information, your name, phone number, location, email address and your job networking profile links, including your LinkedIn. This provides your contact information at the very top of your resume so the reader can easily refer to it when it comes time to contact you.

Resume summary or objective

This section is where you’ll feature your resume summary or resume objective. This would be a two to three sentence paragraph at the very top of your resume that gives an overview of your professional experience and particular skills. If you’re writing a resume objective, then you’ll also include an objective for the resume, a career goal like “Seeking to become an MBA graduate to improve job prospects and work more effectively with my company.”

Skills

Skills on an MBA resume should center around the types of skills that will benefit you in the business world. For example, here’s a list of bullet points you might see:

• Communication skills
• Leadership skills
• Teamwork
• Time management skills
• Critical thinking

Most skills on an MBA resume will be soft skills. You may still include hard skills and technical skills on an MBA resume but soft skills play a bigger role. This is primarily because the resume writing process is all about showing why you’re a benefit to the recruiter, and soft skills will usually be most beneficial for an MBA.

Work history

In your work experience section,  include up to ten years of experience. List your job titles that are related to the reason you’re getting your MBA. Additionally, list them in reverse-chronological order, with the most recent jobs first.

Education

The last section of your resume is typically your education section. If you have existing college experience, list all degrees that you have attained. You may also want to include extracurricular activities, especially if you don’t have a lot of work experience. This is also one of the few resume types where a GPA is actually critical, so list previous GPAs upon graduation. Also, list any honors such as Dean’s list and summa cum laude.