MBA Application Tip: Preparing Your Resume
The resume is a crucial component of your application. The Georgetown MBA program requires a resume when submitting your Full-time, Flex, or Flex MBA Online application to help the admissions committee assess the quality of your work experience and other successes.
Your resume is an incredibly important application component. It provides you the opportunity to highlight your professional and academic experiences to the admissions committee. However, the thought of crafting your resume can be daunting. Where do I begin? What do I highlight? What considerations could I be missing? Below are some tips as you proceed with your application and develop your resume.
One or Two Page Limit
Resumes exceeding two pages can lead to information overload, which can affect the review of your application. Keep your resume to one or two pages.
Three Line Max
Ensure that the duties, responsibilities, and accomplishments you describe are clear and concise. Try to make sure that each bullet does not exceed three lines.
Acronyms and Industry Language
Avoid using industry-specific language and acronyms. Individuals of various industry backgrounds will have access to your resume during the review process, so you want to ensure it is easy to follow. A recommended exercise is to have a friend or family member who does not work in your particular industry proofread your resume and ask clarifying questions.
Quantify Your Accomplishments
What to quantify will vary depending on your positions, but here are some examples to get you started: total amount of money sold or managed, percentage of costs saved, hours of reduced labor, and number of team members you lead.
PAR Formatting
The Problem, Action, Result (PAR) format is a great way to describe an accomplishment while including only the most important details. It answers the questions: What was the problem? What action did you take to solve the problem? What was the outcome or end result?
Employment Gaps
If you have a gap in employment that exceeds three months, use the optional essay in your application to let us know what led to that gap and how you used your time productively during that period. Including this information in your optional essay gives the admissions committee context when evaluating your professional background.
We hope these tips will guide you in successfully crafting a focused resume that highlights your greatest accomplishments and achievements. Ultimately, we want you to showcase yourself to the best of your ability, and a strong resume can go a long way with that!
For a full list of application requirements, view the MBA Application Components page.
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