The Executive MBA Series - A Quick Look at the DO's and DON'Ts for the Executive MBA Resume

I can’t tell you how many times over the course of my professional career that I’ve had to update my resume, and I’m certain that many prospective students to Executive MBA programs share my grief. However, almost every Executive MBA program will require you to submit a resume to substantiate your experience and demonstrate the caliber of the contributions you will make to your class. From my experience and in talking with fellow applicants over the past year, the resume truly is the centerpiece to your application.

Recently, I had the chance to chat with Erica Ofenleger, Assistant Director for Executive MBA Admissions at the Goizueta Business School at Emory University about this topic. As part of the Admissions Committee at Goizueta, she’s reviewed countless resumes and has gleaned some of the most important lessons learned for being successful with crafting your resume.

In short, what do you think are the three most important elements of a resume for an Executive MBA applicant?

1. Clear representation of responsibilities and accomplishments
2. Professional progression that highlights the breadth and depth of responsibilities
3. A clear timeline with an explanation of any long periods between positions
   

What should an Executive MBA applicant do when crafting their resume?

DO: Highlight responsibilities and accomplishments in a way that allows the reader to clearly understand your background and experience.

DO: Be specific and quantify your accomplishments where applicable.

DO: Include your extracurricular activities. Let the reader know of any community involvement, affiliations, etc you may have aside from your professional achievements. Be sure to include board positions that you’ve held or other volunteer leadership roles that have impacted your community.

Conversely, what should an Executive MBA applicant avoid when crafting their resume?

DON’T: Assume all readers are familiar with acronyms or terms that are common within your industry. Be sure to list the full name of the certification, organization, product, etc. at least once. (i.e. Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Business Manager (CBM)).

DON’T: Leave out prior roles if you have worked in several positions in the same company. Including them in your resume helps give the reader a sense of your progression.

DON’T: Include pages of information that might not be relevant outside of your industry. Try to limit your resume to a few pages. When I asked Erica if it’s acceptable for an executive resume to be longer than two pages, she replied, “It is acceptable when unavoidable.”

Jhaymee's Helpful Resources for Crafting Your Executive MBA Resume:

CareerPerfect- A leading resume service with dedicated expertise for executive-level resumes

Getting Ahead with a Skills-Based Resume - A great blog article from the Wall Street Journal on a different approach to the traditional resume

Avoiding the Resume “Black Hole” - An article from Fast Company with helpful tips on making your resume stand out.

Quintessential Careers - A website that provides sample resume layouts, including templates for MBA-level professionals

Top Notch Executive Resumes: Creating Flawless Resumes for Managers, Executives and CEOs- A great book available on Amazon.com that focus on branded resumes to highlight a candidate’s unique value proposition. Available in paperback and Kindle editions

Jhaymee S. Wilson is a candidate for the W. Clifford Oxford Executive MBA at the Goizueta Business School at Emory University. She recently completed her Master’s Degree in Project Management from the George Washington University in 2009, and is an author of The Green PM, a site devoted to presenting fresh perspectives on project leadership. She received the 2010 Women in Technology’s Rising Star Award, was named a 2009 Technology Rising Star by Women of Color Magazine and IBM, and was a finalist for the 2010 Hot Mommas Project Case Competition. Jhaymee is also a Investor member and blogger of 85 Broads. Connect with Jhaymee on LinkedIn and Twitter.