10 Elements of a Great Executive MBA Resume’

You’re a professional so, of course, you have a resume’.

But…

That is a resume’ you used to get a job. It’s not a resume’ you use to apply to an EMBA program.

The purpose of an Executive MBA resume’ is to demonstrate that you are a “good fit” for the program. (Remember “fit” from the last lesson?) Your current job-focused resume’ will not showcase that you are match nearly as well as the one you are about to build.

Moreover, your resume’ will be the first written impression an admissions officer or recruiter has of you. It is best to prepare this great Executive MBA resume’ BEFORE you make contact, so that you will seem organized and ambitious. Expect admissions officers to use your resume’ as a preliminary judge of your “fit” for the program. Some EMBA programs even offer a resume’ assessment before you apply or require it prior to offering you an interview. You need to rebuild your resume’.

10 Elements of a Great Executive MBA Resume’

Here are 10 elements that should be perfect to make your Executive MBA resume’ great:

Page Length

Almost all EMBA programs require that your resume’ is only 1 page. It does not matter how good your experience it, you should be able to get it on 1 page.

Formatting

10+ point font for body text, 0.5+ page margins, and acceptable font styles (times new roman, arial, or calibri). I know you want to include everything possible in your resume’, but appropriate font size and white space in the margins are important for readability.

Header

Include your name, email, and phone number. You do not need a street address. You also do not need a summary; just get right to your experience.

Experience

Work experience should include employer names, titles, locations, and dates, starting with your most recent position. Use bold font to highlight either your company or your title, whichever is more impressive.

Content

Each job should have 3 to 5 bullet points of no more than 2 lines each (1 is ideal). Bullets should start with strong action verbs in present tense for the current job (lead, manage, etc.) and past tense for previous jobs (led, managed, etc). Bullets also should focus on results and measurable impacts you’ve had, as well as unique contribution..

Quant-ent

Yes we made up this term. Quant-ent is quantitative content. Each job should include as much quantitative information (i.e. numbers) as possible. For example, revenue growth, money saved, market share growth, size and scope, and revenue or budget managed. Numbers are good!

Leadership

The first bullet point on each job should mention the exact number of people you managed (as line manager responsible for their development) or led (as part of a team or project). It is ESSENTIAL that your leadership experience is evident from your job description, not just your title.

Education

Education should include institutions, dates, and degrees earned. Don’t add special classes or any extras unless absolutely unique (e.g., you were a National Merit Scholarship winner). At your professional level, education is less important than experience.

Personal Information

Highlights languages, relevant skills, volunteer work, and/or interests. This section should only be 2 to 3 lines. The function of this section is to mention your personality and differentiate you so make it succinct yet impactful.

Readability

Eliminate all jargon, industry-specific vocabulary that requires explanation, and “buzz words.” A person outside your industry should be able to read your resume’ and understand what you do.

Before You Begin

Image: Unsplash

Be sure to confirm the resume’ requirements on the website for your chosen program. For example, MIT allows two page resumes. Know the specifics before your start chopping up or reformatting your current resume’.

And…

You absolutely must do a separate resume’ for each EMBA application. The goal of your resume’ is to demonstrate that you are a “good fit” for the program, so you can’t use the same one for the different programs.

100+ Executive MBA Resume’ Examples

If you’re struggling with where to start on your resume’ or just want to see how you match up to other Executive MBA resumes, look for an Executive MBA resume’ book.

EMBA programs publish resume’ books to showcase alumni to potential employers. Looking at a few resumes from these books will give you ideas for how to strongly present yourself to programs. Each resume’ has dozens of examples of how to focus on results and measurable impacts, while including quantitative information in your work experience.

Click here to download an EMBA resume’ book with more than 100 examples.

A few caveats:

• These resumes are meant for employers so they may not fit the exact formatting requirements of your chosen EMBA program.
• There are subtle differences in international CV and American resume’ conventions. Follow the guidance we provided and of your chosen program first.
• Do not copy from someone else’s resume’, no matter what.
• Beautiful, balanced formatting is important. Not as important as content, but it is still important.

Get Expert Resume’ Help

If you do not have time to completely overhaul your resume’, you should let Prep Executive do it for you.

As part of our Complete Plan, we offer everything you need for 1 Executive MBA application including a 23-Point Resume’ Inspection and Resume’ Rebuild. During the rebuild, we compare your resume’ to your chosen EMBA program for fit AND hold a resume’ strategy call.

Rather than debating whether your resume’ is good enough, you let us rebuild it for you!

Should You Schedule an EMBA Resume’ Assessment?

Some EMBA programs offer a complimentary resume’ assessment or pre-application to determine if you will be a “good fit” for the program. We do recommend you send your rebuilt resume’ in for assessment but only AFTER you go to an information session to establish direct, in-person contact with the admissions officer.

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