MBA Resume That Got Me into Harvard & Stanford

Summary

In this insightful guide, Abinav, an MBA admittee from Harvard and Stanford, shares five key tips for crafting the perfect resume for business school applications. He emphasizes the importance of leading with impact, showcasing numbers to demonstrate tangible results, displaying diversity in projects to highlight various skills, illustrating career progression, and focusing on professional formatting to avoid typos and enhance readability. Abinav's advice is aimed at helping applicants present their experiences in a clear, concise, and impactful manner, increasing their chances of admission to top business schools.

Takeaways

• 📝 Lead with Impact: Use strong, relevant, and concise words to communicate your impact clearly in your resume.
• 🔢 Show Numbers: Incorporate numbers to indicate the meaningful impact of your projects, whether it's in revenue, cost reduction, or other experiences.
• 🌈 Highlight Diversity: Showcase a variety of projects to demonstrate different skills and make your resume more comprehensive.
• 📈 Demonstrate Career Progression: Clearly outline how your professional journey has evolved over time to show your growth and impact.
• 🎨 Focus on Professional Format: Pay attention to formatting, including typos, bolding, spacing, and other elements to make your resume appear professional.
• 🏆 Tailor for MBA: Customize your resume to highlight the top two or three most impactful projects that are relevant to an MBA program.
• 📚 Filter Projects: Select the most significant projects, ideally no more than three, to focus on in your resume for clarity and impact.
• 🤝 Emphasize Collaboration: Use words that indicate teamwork and collaboration, such as 'collaborated' or 'orchestrated', to show your ability to work with others.
• 🛠️ Highlight Skills: Use the resume to clearly indicate the skills you've gained from your projects and how they align with the MBA program's expectations.
• 📉 Avoid Overloading: Limit the number of projects per role to a maximum of two to prevent overwhelming the reader and maintain focus.
• 🔗 Link to Resources: Provide a link to the resume format and additional resources in the description for those seeking further guidance.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of an MBA resume according to Abinav?

The primary focus of an MBA resume is to lead with impact, showcasing the most significant projects and communicating one's contributions in a concise, comprehensive, and clear manner.

Why is it important to use impactful words in an MBA resume?

Using impactful words like 'orchestrated,' 'staled,' 'conducted,' 'ideated,' 'collaborated,' 'authored,' 'engineered,' 'developed,' etc., helps to clearly communicate one's impact and relevance in past projects.

How can including numbers enhance the impact of a project on an MBA resume?

Numbers indicate meaningful impact, whether it's increasing revenue, cutting costs, or working with a team. They provide a quantifiable measure of one's contributions and experiences.

What does diversity in projects signify on an MBA resume?

Diversity of projects on an MBA resume indicates a range of different skills, showcasing the applicant's versatility and ability to handle various roles and responsibilities.

How should one demonstrate career progression on their MBA resume?

Career progression should be shown by indicating how one's journey has evolved over time within a company, demonstrating growth, impact, and increasing responsibilities.

Why is professional formatting crucial for an MBA resume?

Professional formatting, including typos, bolding, spacing, and other subtle elements, is crucial as it makes the resume look polished and professional, which is essential for a business school application.

What are some examples of impactful words that Abinav suggests using in an MBA resume?

Examples of impactful words suggested by Abinav include 'orchestrated,' 'staled,' 'conducted,' 'ideated,' 'collaborated,' 'authored,' 'engineered,' and 'developed.'

How many projects should one include in their MBA resume according to the transcript?

The transcript suggests focusing on the top two or three impactful projects and having a maximum of two projects under each of the other roles.

What is the significance of showing numbers in the context of an MBA resume?

Showing numbers is significant as it provides concrete evidence of one's impact, such as the number of people worked with, the scale of projects, or the breadth of experiences across different functions.

How can one ensure their MBA resume is concise yet comprehensive?

To ensure a resume is concise yet comprehensive, one should focus on the most impactful projects, use clear and relevant language, and include quantifiable achievements to communicate their experience effectively.

What is the role of typos and formatting in the context of an MBA resume?

Typos and formatting play a critical role in an MBA resume as they affect the professional appearance of the document. Attention to detail in these areas can significantly impact the first impression on the admissions committee.