Students in the M.B.A. program at University of Wisconsin-Madison, many of whom were previously employed as engineers, heard the same thing from two different employers—the students' resumes are too "engineering-focused."
Carol Aspinwall, assistant director of the manufacturing and management technology M.B.A. program at the university, has several tips to help the students she works with make their resumes more attractive to employers seeking M.B.A.s:
- Identify transferable skills from past jobs that could be applicable to a business position, such as work on projects that saved the company time and money, or that led to an increase in customer satisfaction.
- Add projects in business-related classes to the resume either under the "Education" or an "M.B.A. Projects" categories.
- Update resumes after summer internships to include business-related activities and their quantifiable results.
- Make sure the M.B.A. is clearly mentioned, along with "The School of Business."
- Use business buzzwords as often as possible, while keeping technical jargon to a minimum.
- List leadership positions held and teamwork activities participated in through campus or professional organizations, community service, and classes.
- Be sure that any "Objective" included is business-related.