MBA Résumé
Welcome to Career Development’s MBA résumé guide and template! Here you will find information about how to construct a professional résumé to apply for jobs.
Instructions
You are required to use the résumé template, which has preset tabs, margins, fonts, bullet points, etc. Do not copy/paste from your old résumé. It erases the established format.
- Limit resume to 1 page unless you have 7+ years of professional experience (maximum 2 pages.)
- Create document in Word format but submit in PDF format (Save as [Your Name] Resume.pdf.)
- Do NOT use graphics, photos or borders.
- Margins should be no smaller than 0.5” and should be equal on all sides.
- Font type must be Times New Roman and font size must be between 10.5 and 12.
- Use single line spacing.
- Name, current address, cell phone number, email, and LinkedIn URL should be centered.
- Name should be in bold and in uppercase. You can include a nickname or preferred name in parenthesis i.e. Elizabeth (Ellie) Smith.
- Use a local address unless you have another address in your preferred geographic location.
- Upon graduation, use a non-AU address.
- Maintain consistency throughout your resume by paying attention to the lines that should be in
bold, italics bold, etc.
- Experiences and Education should be listed in reverse chronological order (most recent listed first). Both American University and the Kogod School of Business must be listed as per template. Study abroad experiences go under Education. Make sure to note if you took courses in another language.
- Use Master of Business Administration to describe your degree. Kogod does not offer MBA concentrations/specializations but classes pertinent to the job to which you are applying can be added as “Relevant Coursework”. Do not exceed two lines of listed coursework, and omit this section if you need space.
- Only include GPA of 3.30+ unless required by employer in which case you must include it. List GPA to second decimal place and do not round (3.489 would be 3.48.) GPA, GMAT, GRE, significant academic honors and significant leadership activities are optional under the Education section. List scores only if they meet these requirements:
• GMAT score is 680+
• GRE score is 310+ - Resume needs to be results-oriented and it is very important to quantify your accomplishments and/or results, including the scope of the work and how the work benefited the organization (e.g. cost savings, new business generated, increased sales or profitability, improved efficiency, reduced staffing needs, improved productivity, increased client volume, etc.). Make sure you answer questions like “how did you add value?” and/or “how much did you impact the organization?”
- In the Experience section, only include a brief overview of the company and its primary services/products under your title if it is not well known. (Use italics: A mid-sized auto parts manufacturer sold throughout the US.) Alternatively, you can describe the company and industry at the end of the first bullet (but do not use italics if part of bullet.) You can also re-label Experience to be Finance Experience or Marketing Experience etc. to demonstrate relevant experience, followed by an additional section called Additional Experience under which you can list (in reverse chronological order) your other experiences that demonstrate transferrable skills.
- Provide 2-5 concise, results-oriented accomplishment statements for each work experience. Begin each accomplishment statement with a strong action verb (see Action Verb List). Wherever possible, quantify your accomplishments (e.g. dollars saved, volume of customers, amount of new business generated, increased sales, improved efficiency, reduced staff needs, improved efficiency or productivity), e.g. “Conducted 20+ sales calls weekly on key accounts and potential customers, resulting in 72% positive response rate.”
- For an internship or less significant experience, limit description to 2-3 accomplishment statements. For a significant full-time job or experience, use up to 5 accomplishment statements.
- Do not use periods at the end of bullet points.
- Do not use first person language (“I”, “me”, “my”, “we”, “our”, “us”, etc.)
- Include MBA-related projects (i.e. Graduate Business Consulting project) in the Experience section.
- Include computer skills, languages, affiliations, awards, and interests in the Skills and Interests section. Only include personal interests if they are relevant, unique, high-achieving (i.e. auditioned for American Idol) and you have the space.
- Add a leadership/extracurricular/volunteer section as needed and depending on your background.
- Tailor your resume to the job for which you are applying using key words from the job description.
- If you have difficulty keeping it to one page, connect with Career Development for assistance.
Remember that your sponsored VMock account (VMock.com/Kogod) is aligned to the template and will enable you to receive personalized, AI-powered feedback. View the VMock resource page for additional information on how to access your pre-authorized account.