Guest Post: Business School Resumes Explained!

Igor Khayet

This post comes to us from Igor Khayet, President and Founder of My Resume Shop (www.myresumeshop.com).

One of the most important components of the business school application is a professional resume. What exactly is a business school application resume, and how is it different from a resume used in applying for internships and full-time jobs, you might ask?

The business school resume is neither a history of your work experience, nor a summary of your skills.  This type of resume should be thought of as a marketing tool or advertisement that is consistent with the rest of your application package.  Keep these three points in mind when creating your business school application resume:

Think Achievements- Your resume should be filled with achievements, not responsibilities. The admissions committee is interested in the impact you had on organizations. Don’t waste precious space listing your job duties. Use action verbs to show what you did, and quantify your impact with descriptions and numbers whenever possible.

Frame the Interview- Your interview for admission into business school revolves around the content of your resume. What does that mean? In most cases, the interviewer will not see your application, so you have an opportunity to frame the conversation before the interview even begins. Expand the experiences on your resume that you would like to talk about in the interview, and condense those experiences that have less relevance.

Tell a Story- People love stories, and your resume is your personal story. Why are you going to business school, and what are your future career goals? These aspects of your personal story should be evident to the interviewer just by looking at your resume. If you are interested in marketing, highlight your past experiences that are applicable to a marketing profession. This will create a consistent story, and help answer the question of why you are interested in a particular industry.

Throughout the resume writing process, remember the importance of maintaining your integrity. You should sell yourself and your achievements, but never lie or exaggerate information. If you worked on a team, do not take credit individually. If you mention that you increased efficiency by 50%, make sure you can effectively explain it. Finally, relax and remember that the resume is only one component of the application process. Study for the GMATs, get great recommendations, write strong essays, and practice for the interview.

Igor Khayet is a former Admissions Interviewer for the Yale School of Manageme nt and a current member of the Professional Association of Resume Writers & Career Coaches. Connect with him on Facebook at facebook.com/myresumeshop and on Twitter @myresumeshop.

  • Guest

    stellar advice. do you think a two page resume is appropriate if i have over 5 years experience?

    • Igor Khayet

      This is one of the most common questions about resumes. I have so much experience, can I have a two page resume? In my experience with admission interviewing for Yale I have only seen one resume longer than a page. There’s a reason for this.

      The resume is an advertisement of your relevant experience for a position (or in this case, admission into business school). Succinct is powerful and persuasive. Remember that the resume is also a way to frame the interview, so the more pages you have the less control you have over the interview. Finally, 5 years is not that much experience. Even if you have had several jobs during that time period, there are two or three things you accomplished on each job that are really important. Highlight those.

  • Guest

    stellar advice. do you think a two page resume is appropriate if i have over 5 years experience?

  • Guest

    Do business schools look for more depth or breadth of experience? How do I avoid seeming inconsistent if I’ve only focused on my career direction in my last job?

    • Igor Khayet

      Business schools don’t look for one over the other, but for a consistent, and impressive story.

      If you have worked for one organization for five years before business school that is not a strike against you. However, you should show progression within your job, increasing levels of responsibility, and hopefully promotions. Similarly, if you have worked in different industries or switched jobs a lot that’s also not necessarily a strike against you. You should, however, be able to explain your transitions well. For example, you may have served as manager in one industry but then took an entry level job in another industry because you wanted that experience for business school. This is perfectly OK if it makes sense within the broader context of your career goals.

  • Igor Khayet

    This is one of the most common questions about resumes. I have so much experience, can I have a two page resume? In my experience with admission interviewing for Yale I have only seen one resume longer than a page. There's a reason for this.

    The resume is an advertisement of your relevant experience for a position (or in this case, admission into business school). Succinct is powerful and persuasive. Remember that the resume is also a way to frame the interview, so the more pages you have the less control you have over the interview. Finally, 5 years is not that much experience. Even if you have had several jobs during that time period, there are two or three things you accomplished on each job that are really important. Highlight those.

  • Guest

    Do business schools look for more depth or breadth of experience? How do I avoid seeming inconsistent if I've only focused on my career direction in my last job?

  • JLat

    When you say not to take credit individually, I thought they were interested in what I did, not the whole team because I am the one applying for BSchool. How do I make suer I give people the appropriate credit for their work but also highlight my achievements?

    • Igor Khayet

      In short, tell the truth. If you were the leader of a team that achieved something, say that (Led a team that….). If you were a member of a 4 person team, then say that (Worked on a team to create marketing strategy…). If you don’t mention anyone else or a team, the admissions committee will assume you did everything on your own (which is fine as long as that is the truth).

      My post should not misinterpreted as saying don’t highlight your achievements. You should definitely highlight them as much as you can, but you should also give credit when it is due.

  • JLat

    When you say not to take credit individually, I thought they were interested in what I did, not the whole team because I am the one applying for BSchool. How do I make suer I give people the appropriate credit for their work but also highlight my achievements?

  • Igor Khayet

    Business schools don't look for one over the other, but for a consistent, and impressive story.

    If you have worked for one organization for five years before business school that is not a strike against you. However, you should show progression within your job, increasing levels of responsibility, and hopefully promotions. Similarly, if you have worked in different industries or switched jobs a lot that's also not necessarily a strike against you. You should, however, be able to explain your transitions well. For example, you may have served as manager in one industry but then took an entry level job in another industry because you wanted that experience for business school. This is perfectly OK if it makes sense within the broader context of your career goals.

  • Igor Khayet

    In short, tell the truth. If you were the leader of a team that achieved something, say that (Led a team that….). If you were a member of a 4 person team, then say that (Worked on a team to create marketing strategy…). If you don't mention anyone else or a team, the admissions committee will assume you did everything on your own (which is fine as long as that is the truth).

    My post should not misinterpreted as saying don't highlight your achievements. You should definitely highlight them as much as you can, but you should also give credit when it is due.