How to Create a Resume for Your MBA Application

Many candidates don’t realize that their resume for an MBA application differs significantly from one they’d use to apply for a job. While a job resume focuses on functional skills and specific qualifications, an MBA resume highlights your broader business impact and leadership potential. This document should present a holistic picture of your achievements and experiences, compellingly demonstrating why you belong in an MBA program.

Formatting an MBA resume

How you format and write your resume can help the Admissions Committee easily review each section and quickly understand your work history and leadership experience.

• Use action-oriented bullets: Begin each bullet with strong action verbs like “achieved,” “created,” or “increased.”
• Focus on impact: Highlight measurable results and long-term outcomes of your achievements.
• Avoid jargon: Use plain language that anyone can understand.
• Keep things tidy: Ensure that bullet points do not run into a new line, and that formatting is consistent throughout.

What to include in your MBA resume

Organize your resume in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent experiences. Sections should be clearly defined and easy to scan.

Professional experience

Highlight your most recent and relevant professional experiences, focusing on your impact and achievements rather than just job duties. Wherever possible, illustrate with examples, figures, and numbers. The rule to follow here is: “show don’t tell.”

Provide relative context to your impact to your organization by using quantifiable examples. Highlight achievements such as percentage increases, revenue growth, or efficiency improvements.

Education, skills, and awards

After showcasing career progression in the professional experiences section, include your educational background, leadership experiences, and any other relevant activities or skills.

Avoid the common pitfall of listing everything you’ve ever done or achieved. Listing irrelevant activities or those that don’t support your overall story can ultimately distract from the rest of your resume.

Leverage this section to highlight your passions, achievements, or leadership positions outside of your employer. You can also include your involvement in civic organizations and community groups. Be sure to explain how your responsibilities in these roles align with the organization’s mission and showcase your leadership skills.

Additional considerations

Outline the skills you built in each role

Your resume should highlight the skills you’ve developed and how they will benefit your MBA classmates and the program. These strengths can be demonstrated through work responsibilities, volunteering, or other experiences. Focus on the skills that set you apart and align with the values of UNC Kenan-Flagler.

Choose relevant experiences

Each aspect of your resume should serve the purpose of bolstering your professional story and give the Admissions Committee a clear understanding of the experience and knowledge you’ll bring to the MBA classroom. Be sure to ensure all information is accurate and easily verifiable.

Highlight unique contributions

Consider the story you’re telling in your resume – what have you done that is different and impactful? Be sure to quantify these achievements whenever possible and use specific examples to showcase your contributions. Continue to gather these examples as they may be also useful to pull from in your essay responses or admissions interview.