10 Steps to Adapt Your Work Resume for MBA (With Video Walkthrough)

We’ve said it hundreds of times at our Roast my Resume in-person sessions, and we’ll say it again: your job resume is not the same as your MBA resume. 

Recruiters scan job resumes for technical skills and the right qualifications for the role in question, while MBA AdComs look for evidence of leadership, strategic thinking, communication, and other skills that show business acumen. These are also the skills you’ll need in the MBA classroom. 

That being said, we see resumes in need of major TLC come across our desk everyday. So we made a walkthrough. Watch to see the before and after of an example MBA resume. 

Here are 10 ways to fix your resume for your MBA applications.

1. Keep it to one page

   
   

   Aim to limit your resume to a single page. Some schools recommend one page per decade of experience. Like most MBA candidates, you probably have anywhere between 3-8 years of work experience, which means that you should keep your resume relevant and concise by sticking to the one page limit.

   
   

2. Avoid including a photo

   
   

   MBA resumes typically exclude photos or any other potentially discriminatory personal details like age, race, or sexual orientation. Some schools may ask you to attach a picture separately with your application, but it’s generally discouraged to include one on your resume. 

   
   

3. Use a professional email address

   
   

   Use a professional email address. If you are currently unemployed, or if you want to use caution with your employer, use a formal personal email id. Avoid informal or 'fun' email addresses.

   
   

4. Use a standard MBA format

   
   

   Use the Sam Weeks Consulting resume format unless your target school provides a specific template. Schools that have their own MBA resume templates include Oxford and INSEAD. Keep the layout clean:

   
   

   • Font size 12 for section titles, 10/10.5/11 for the body.

   • Use bold for section titles, organizations, and schools, and italics for job and degree titles.

   • Set 0.5-inch margins on each side to maximize space.

     
     

5. Add dates and details wherever possible

   
   

   List your graduation dates and include any honors or scholarships. Including your GPA is optional (especially if your GPA is low), although you will have to enter it in your application separately even if you choose to leave it out of your resume. You may also want to add any course electives, certifications, projects, or extracurriculars that are relevant to your narrative. 

   
   

6. Flesh out your work experience

   
   

   This section should make up the bulk of your resume. List each position held separately, with dates, titles, and bullet points, even if you held multiple positions at the same company. This highlights your career progression and demonstrates increasing responsibility. Some applicants also add internships if they think these strengthen their profile and narrative.

   
   

7. Write your bullet points in the ACE structure

   
   

   Write 2-6 bullet points for each role. Craft bullet points with the Action-Context-End Result method:

   
   

   A - Start with a strong Action verb (e.g., "Managed," "Redesigned", “Spearheaded”, “Administrated”).

   C - Provide Context for this action - why and where did you do this?

   E - What was the End Result of your action? Quantify these by including percentages, currencies, and figures to highlight impact (e.g., revenue growth, cost savings).

   
   

8. Avoid fluff

   
   

   MBA resumes value clarity and precision over flowery language. Replace vague terms like "significant" and “successful” with measurable outcomes (e.g., "Increased sales by 25%").

   
   

9. Include leadership positions in a separate section

   
   

   Some candidates who have consistently held leadership roles in extracurricular activities, workplace initiatives, or volunteering efforts may choose to add these in a separate section. Again, quantify your contributions where possible! 

   
   

10. Use your Additional Information section wisely

    
    

    This section includes extracurriculars, interests, skills, languages, hobbies, and community work. Prioritize those extracurriculars and community engagements where you have tangible impact or have held leadership positions. You may also choose to include languages, classifying these according to proficiency. Finally, in your Interests field, instead of a generic list of hobbies (e.g., "Gym, Cooking"), choose 2-3 interests and elaborate. For example, write "Completed five cross-city marathons, achieving a personal best of 03:03:45." If you mention language skills, classify them (e.g., Fluent, Intermediate, Beginner).

Here's the before and after of the example MBA resume we created in our video walkthrough above:

Want to create a polished and impactful resume that strengthens your MBA application? Book a free chat today.