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Last Updated on March 29, 2025
Securing an MBA can undoubtedly propel your career. Studies indicate that a graduate degree in business can enhance your earnings potential by 50 percent or more. Additionally, many employers exclusively consider candidates who possess an MBA or an equivalent degree.
However, the MBA has emerged as the most prevalent graduate degree, with approximately 200,000 individuals acquiring this credential annually. Therefore, while your business education holds substantial worth, it may not always render you conspicuously unique among a crowd of competitors. Consequently, when crafting your resume, it’s crucial to effectively articulate the true value of your degree and professional experience.
List Your MBA Properly on Your Resume
The initial factor to contemplate is the manner in which you present your business education in your resume. In the education section, typically situated after the skills and experience sections for those possessing a few years of professional experience, it’s essential to mention the degree you’ve attained and the institution from which you’ve earned it. The sequence is contingent upon what you intend to emphasize.
Should you have graduated from a highly-ranked institution, prioritize this by listing it first, followed by the degree earned, for instance: “Esteemed Business School, City, State – Masters of Business Administration.” If your focus is to underscore the degree rather than the institution, invert the order, specifying the degree first, followed by the school. Should your degree have included a specific concentration, incorporate this detail only if it directly relates to the position for which you’re applying.
Focus on Skills
Employers care more about your skills than your degree, so be sure to showcase them in your resume. Highlight the mix of hard and soft skills you developed during your MBA studies, demonstrating problem-solving, analytical thinking, and teamwork – qualities in high demand. Consider your MBA program’s focus, whether it’s on problem-solving, finance, innovation, or leadership, and how it prepared you for new opportunities. Don’t forget to include relevant skills developed through class assignments, case studies, group projects, and presentations.
“Whether you’re just starting out with your career decisions, and you’re not sure what you want to do, or you’re looking at ways to further your current career, or even if you’re hoping to make a career change sometime soon, you may want to look into what education can do for you.” – What Can Education Do For Your Career?
Get Specific
If, during the course of your MBA studies, you took courses or completed projects that are especially relevant to employers in your field, include them on your resume. Keep in mind that the keyword here is relevant; your resume shouldn’t be a copy of your transcript, but rather highlight specific areas where you’ve received education and training.
Graduate projects are a great way to showcase your skills. Include them under your education or academic experience section, and be careful not to imply professional experience if you didn’t have any. List the course name, project title, and a few bullet points describing your role and project outcome. If your project won an award or was featured at a conference, make sure to highlight that on your resume. Showcasing your graduate projects can set you apart from other candidates and demonstrate your ability to tackle real-world challenges.
Streamline Your Achievements
Your resume should make it obvious to an employer why they should hire you. That means you need to focus on what makes you the right candidate. Many people make the mistake of listing all their achievements on their resume, thinking that it will impress employers. However, this can often have the opposite effect, as employers may not know where to focus and may not get a clear idea of who you are and what you can do. For this reason, you need to streamline your achievements, skills, and experience so that only the most relevant and impressive information appears on your resume. Use your MBA experience to highlight your skills and accomplishments, and you will stand out from the competition.
Although the job market has improved in recent years, competition for top positions is still fierce. By highlighting the right experience and aspects of your MBA education on your resume, you will increase your chances of landing your dream job.
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