MBA resume writing can be really stressful. 

The following is a guide to effective MBA resume writing.

• A business school application resume should be in a traditional format, bulleted, clean and informative. The mantra is consistency! This applies to font, font size, font styles (bold, italics, all-caps), line breaks, tabs. Times New Roman is the most preferred font in 10 point size. The applicant’s name can be in 12 point size.
• B-School resumes could be read by anyone in the admissions committee. That person could be a learning & development professional, investment banker, engineer, or marketing consultant. You need to be very clear and concise about your role and responsibilities, achievements and some of the important things you accomplished during your stint with the company. Since B-school resumes should not be more than a page, careful content selection, and editing is of exceptional importance!
• Use keywords to project your accomplishments, and optimal mix of skill sets. Are you an effective team player? B-schools have a team learning environment, and it is important for them to figure out your ability to interact and contribute in such an environment. Do you have leadership ability? Have you played the role of mentor or helped others in accomplishing their goals? Are you somebody who does not accept status quo and challenges the existing environment in order to innovate? Do you possess analytical skills and in which manner have you used these skills? How have these skills helped you in decision making? Have you performed market analysis, studied competitors, created frameworks for a new study?
• ‘Education’ and ‘Experience’ subsections should be given precedence as per the applicant’s background. For most resumes, especially for the less experienced, ‘Education’ should come first after the header and contact information. For those with extensive experience, the order can be reversed. Always present information from most recent to least recent.
• Choose details carefully. For example, applicants with an impressive work history should devote minimal space to educational history. Avoid vague, superfluous and clichéd descriptions and stay with specific and to-the-point descriptions. Use executive summary style of writing and business language. Always include quantitative information where possible.
• Company descriptions are important. Most applicants do not give sufficient importance to company description which is a mistake. Except for the large and well-known international firms like Apple, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, most companies require a one line description so that the reader understands the scale, scope, and significance of its activity. The goal is to make the company sound impressive no matter what the size. However, the information should always be accurate and verifiable.
• Jargon and Acronyms. Some acronyms, e.g., IPO, FMCG are universally understood in the business world, whereas industry-specific terms may not to be understood. Business-friendly language should be used but it is important to omit unsuitable jargon and acronyms.
• Begin all the experience bullet points with Active Verbs. These suggest a stronger sense of action and accomplishment, and also help to keep descriptions brief: Accomplished, Achieved, Activated, Administered, Analyzed, Assessed, Augmented, Authored, Built, Coached, Collaborated, Conceived, Conducted, Coordinated, Created, Designed, Developed, Devised, Doubled, Engineered, Established, Executed, Expanded, Expedited, Implemented, Improved, Increased, Initiated, Launched, Led, Managed, Minimized, Modernized, Modified, Monitored, Motivated, Negotiated, Operated, Organized, Overhauled, Oversaw, Performed, Pioneered, Planned, Presented, Prevented, Prioritized, Processed, Produced, Programmed, Published, Recruited, Redesigned, Reduced, Renegotiated, Reorganized, Researched, Reshaped, Resolved, Revitalized, Saved, Simplified, Sold, Solved, Standardized, Streamlined, Strengthened, Structured, Supervised, Supported, Surpassed, Systematized, Trained, Transformed, Tripled, Upgraded.
• Targeting Specific Schools. Target your resume towards specific programs or schools by understanding what kind of applicants the school is looking for. The school website is a good place for your research and must be scrutinized thoroughly. It is seen that most applicants do a shoddy job here and use the one-size-fits-all approach, not realizing that with this approach they have a very small chance of making the cut. Certain schools are known for their ties with certain kinds of industry, for example McCombs in Austin has close ties with the Oil & Gas Industry and applicants wishing to make a career in this field will be well-advised to concentrate their energies in making it to the selection grade here.
• Activities outside the work arena. Have you actively participated in community, adventure or sports? What other activities are you passionate about? What actions of yours have changed the lives of people around you? Do you have any specific achievements from school or college that you would like to mention?