You can build a strong résumé byavoiding the following most common errors.

1. Lengthy Résumé: First, resist the temptation of writing alengthy resume. It’s about quality, not quantity, so make sure not to go overone page limit. Most schools want to see only one page résumés. Let your résumébe short and sweet The resume should be the shortest document in yourapplication but the most impactful one that provides an overview of not onlyyour professional career and accomplishments, but also your interest and extra-curricular activities.
Please use 10 or 11 font and do not try tosqueeze in loads of information by using 8 font.

2. Omitting dates: When listing job positions, sometimesapplicants forget to mention employment dates. Without specific dates, the AdCom will not be able to garner your career progression and your promotions.

3. Writing Sentences/ Paragraphs: Please do not write sentences or paragraphseven if you have a lot of information to convey. Instead use bulleted points.Each bullet should be limited to two lines of text, and there should be no morethan five bullets per job position. You may use 2 bullet points for listing jobresponsibilities and 2-3 for job accomplishments.

4. Use of Fancy Fonts: Typical fonts for a resume are Times NewRoman, Verdana, Cambria and Arial, with Times New Roman being the most common.The business résumé is not the place to use fancy fonts. So don’t use crazyfonts or intricate borders.

5. Use of Jargon: One of the most common mistakes applicantsmake is using technical terms of their industry. Do not assume that Ad Com willunderstand your industry jargon. This is not a job resume that you are writingfor your prospective employer. This is your MBA resume that is scanned by theAd Com of business schools for career progression, leadership qualities, team-working skills, initiative and other interests/activities of future businessleaders. So make sure to make your résumé jargon free. The following example isjargon free:
Example:
• Created and implemented new checklists andguidelines, helping reduce the cost of the projects by 10-15%

6. Lack of Strong Verbs: Do not start a bullet point with nouns or adjectives(e.g. ‘responsible for’ or ‘in depth understanding of’). Begin with a strongaction verb. Verbs make you sound like a dynamic individual who is always readyfor action. Also, try to avoid overusing verbs like “led”, “managed” or“developed”, and consider using other verbs such as “accelerated,” “delivered,”“established,” “implemented,” “initiated,” or “spearheaded” etc. Use verbs thatdemonstrate your collaborative attitude e.g ‘assist’, ‘contribute’, ‘support’,‘provide’ etc.
Example:
• Collaborated with multiple stakeholders andbuilt a team of 7 analysts that resulted in revenue growth of $ 400K/ year

7. List of job responsibilities: Another most common mistake some applicantsmake in their MBA résumé is making it a long list of job responsibilities. TheAd Com will not look at your résumé for the number of years you have worked orfor your simple job responsibilities. Instead, they will look for the qualityof professional experience i.e. the skills you have acquired and the impact youhave made on your organization. When listing your professional experience,follow the reverse chronological order so your current professional experiencegets the utmost attention.

8. Lack of Quantifiable Accomplishments: Résumés that do not quantify the outcome ofyour accomplishments fail to make an impression. So please make sure toquantify your impact on your company/organization with measurable results orachievements.
Try to provide specific details such as:

➢ How much or bywhat percentage you reduced expenses?
➢ Howmany people were on the team that you supervised?
➢ Howmuch or by what percentage you increased sales ?

Example:
• Spearheaded a flagship project - “Change InTerms” for the company– built a team of 5 analysts, translating into revenue of$ 100K

9. Details of high school: Sometimes applicants fill precious space withhigh school accomplishments and grades. Please do not discuss your high schoolactivities unless you did something exceptional for your age. You have come along way after high school; and you are applying for graduate school, notcollege.

10. Omitting extracurricular activities/interest: Sometimes theapplicants get so involved in the details of their professional experience thatthey tend to ignore extracurricular activities/community service and other interests/hobbies. Please note that the schools are looking for well-rounded individuals,and not only professionals who have no interests beyond their work. So do nothesitate to include 2-3 hobbies that you feel passionate about and pursue inyour non-work hours. Please do not include too many hobbies or interests. Also,include community service activities you have been involved in.

11. Beginning with Education Section: Beginning with the educations section is oneof the most common mistakes the applicants make. Please place your educationsection after professional career section and keep it short. It should show theschools you have attended,the areas of study, and accomplishments/ranking etc.

12. Additional Information /Skills: If you have some certificates or awards, ifyou have learned some foreign languages, or if you possess advanced computerskills, you may use this section for this information. Also, if you have a longlist of awards/ honors, you may create a separate section of ‘Awards and Honors’to include that information.

13. Providing Personal information: Please do not provide your height, weight,date of birth, and marital status on your résumé. Also, there is no need toprovide your picture on your résumé.

14. List of References: An MBA résumé is not a place for providingreferences. So do not use precious space in providing references or evenmentioning ‘References on request’.

Lastly, and most importantly, edit andproofread your resume multiple times before you submit it. You do not want toruin your first impression by careless spelling, grammar, and style errors. Getit reviewed by a second a pair of eyes to ensure consistency and accuracy.

[attach]13805[/attach]

[attach]13804[/attach]