Resume

Overview

As an MBA student your resume needs to meet standards expected by firms recruiting for MBA level talent. Experience shows that every student will, without exception, need to overhaul their current resume extensively. You may want to have at least two versions of your resume: 1) There is a required format for use in applications for jobs with firms that recruit directly through BYU; and, 2) You may want to use a more customized version for use with firms that do not recruit directly and for conferences, job fairs, etc. You are NOT required to have multiple resume versions, and should only do so if there is a tangible and value added reason for multiple versions.

The purpose of your resume is to GET YOU AN INTERVIEW. It is not to ensure that everything about you is communicated on one page. Your resume should communicate your education and career focus and the capabilities, skills, attributes and results that will cause an employer to want to interview you. You own your resume. You should gather input and feedback, and then translate this into your resume. You will get many opinions on specific points, including some opposing views. You need to figure out what is relevant and what is not. In this resource section we have tried to communicate and provide examples of what experience has shown to be most effective with MBA level recruiting. If you’re willing to listen and do the work your resume will do at least three things:

Addresses the needs of the employer
Highlights your skills & accomplishments with measured results
Makes you memorable

Timeline

Your primary resume work should be completed with your MENTOR during the summer prior to arrival on campus. Your resume will likely continue to evolve and change during the job search process, but you should focus this work in the month of June and then move on to networking and informational interviewing with target companies as soon as possible. Experience shows that working on your resume is “safe” and many students work on their resume endlessly rather than move on to the next workstreams of your target company list and informational interviews. You can revisit your resume work once you are on campus with your MENTOR, other students and MENTORS, your track advisors and Career Management Professionals. Many of you will begin job and internship applications in September so you should think of mid-September as the final “due date” for a high quality resume.

Checklist

Put your resume into BYU format. Make sure to spell check!
Review your resume with your MENTOR. Make edits as necessary.
Optional – review your resume with one or two other MENTORS or individuals you trust.
Upload your ‘GENERAL’ resume to Handshake.
MOVE ON to creating your company list. Spending too much time on your resume yields diminishing returns.
Use your resume to apply for jobs. NOTE – if you are applying for roles through Expedition you are required to use THIS format.
Re-evaluate your resume once you’ve applied for jobs. IF YOU AREN’T GETTING ANY INTERVIEWS YOUR RESUME ISN’T WORKING. Reach out to your MENTOR, track MENTORS and/or anyone on the Career Services Team for help.

Resume Best Practices

Resume should be limited to one page, regardless of years of experience or number of previous jobs/employers.
You must use the BYU MBA required format for job applications through Expedition. This format can vary for any applications off campus, at conferences, etc.
Supporting bullets for each job listed:
1. brief and clear (one line bullet is the goal)
2. provide specific data where possible (x.x% increase; $xxxx in cost savings; xx new customers, etc.)
3. provide evidence of scope or complexity
4. focus on results that you delivered, changes you led, personal capabilities and attributes that you developed – not just a list of job duties
5. If you have been promoted to a new job or level or increased responsibilities tangibly within a job, make this clear
If the firm where you worked is well-known, there is no need to describe the firm; if the firm is not known well to others it is suggested to give a very brief overview of the firm. If public, provide trading symbol and exchange.

Resume Examples