A career ‘without growth’ doesn’t suffice, neither financially nor emotionally. Everyone wishes for a sustainable career that is dynamic and features continuous learning, income appraisals, and employment security. To build such a sustainable career for staying relevant, valuable, and marketable in the industry, aspirants nowadays are increasingly taking advantage of online courses and upgrading their skills and competencies. For instance, many wish to pursue an Online MBA in Business Analytics to enter the leadership space. 

Online learning platforms allow MBA professionals to learn new analytical skills through real-world projects and assist them with much-needed placement support by providing exposure to relevant job opportunities. An eye-catchy MBA resume is all that is needed to apply and get noticed by top organizations. Crafting the right kind of resume is easy if inspiration is taken from professional MBA resume samples or MBA resume templates. 

How important is your resume? 

If you think that your resume is just the documentation of your educational and professional details, then you have perceived it all wrong. Do you know that approximately 75%* resumes fail to get past the job portals’ hiring bots? These bots are known as applicant tracking systems (ATS), which screen resumes based on format and keywords. Meaning these lots of resumes get rejected even before being seen by human eyes.

Also, Glassdoor** statistics highlights that a corporate job offer, on average, attracts 250 resumes. Out of this, only 4 to 6 applicants get a call for an interview, and only one gets the job. So, while in a job hunt, you are into a big completive pool, where a very small percentage (approx. 5%) of applicants succeed in earning a face-to-face interview.

Further, as per the stats offered by TheLadders**, recruiters scan a resume in an average time of 6 seconds. So, your resume needs to be ATS compatible to get past the hiring bots and should also market your skills strong enough to interest the hiring manager. 

Here are some reasons why a resume is considered very important to create a good long-lasting impression on the minds of recruiters.

• Portrays the benefits that you can provide to the company

Adding any kind of related specialisation in resume is considered to be very important since it tells your employers what you can potentially contribute to the business. This may include any kind of achievement under each instance of work experience since it makes it easiest for employers to get a comprehensive picture of your abilities. 

• Attracts the attention of your employers

Apart from adding your specialisation in resume, it is also important that you provide a brief summary of your capabilities and strengths right at the top itself. It can be accompanied by a headshot photo or a personal logo. Furthermore, it is also recommended to use layouts with suitable colors or images since it helps capture your recruiters’ attention much more effectively. 

• Highlights all your skills and experiences. 

A well-structured resume helps to highlight all your relevant skills and experiences required for the job. You can use colors or suitable margins and designs in your resume that help to display all the relevant work experience in a unique and professional way. 

• Shows professionalism:

A well-crafted MBA resume showcases your commitment to professionalism and attention to detail. This makes recruiters confident about your work ethic and reliability. It serves as a tangible proof of your dedication to presenting yourself in the best possible light.

• Enhances ATS compatibility:

Optimizing your MBA resume format for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) increases the likelihood of passing through automated screening processes, ensuring your application reaches human eyes. This strategic approach emphasizes your tech-savvy nature and understanding of modern recruitment processes.

• Provides a quick overview:

Recruiters often have limited time to review each application. A concise and organized MBA fresher resume allows them to quickly grasp your qualifications, increasing the chances of making a positive impression. Efficiently presenting key information ensures recruiters can assess your suitability swiftly.

• Conveys career progression:

A chronological resume for MBA application highlights your career progression, showing recruiters how your skills and responsibilities have evolved over time, reinforcing your suitability for the role. This chronological depiction provides a narrative of your professional growth and achievements.

• Demonstrates adaptability:

Tailoring your resume for MBA to the specific job and industry demonstrates your adaptability and shows employers that you have taken the time to align your skills with their requirements. This customized approach not only highlights your flexibility but also indicates a proactive effort to meet the company’s needs.

Although there is no guarantee that a good resume will inevitably land you a job, it can definitely increase your chances of landing an interview for the desired position. That is why it is extremely crucial to maintain a strong, well-structured resume, to help you advance in the different stages of a recruitment process. upGrad resume builder focuses on the same points to help you create a compelling resume that highlights your best qualities.

What is the template for a good resume? 

For a job aspirant, it is vital to craft a contemporary resume and of industry’s standard. In what order you have presented your data, what format or layout you have picked up, what is your opening introductory statement, what keywords have you used, the length of your resume, the quality of language- everything in the resume matters. Thereby, while crafting your resume, you should refer to the trending MBA resume templates or MBA resume samples. 

How can a resume template for MBA help?

A proper template serves as a valuable guide while crafting a compelling MBA resume for freshers. These MBA sample resume templates offering several advantages for job seekers:

• Structural guidance: A well-organized MBA fresher resume template ensures clarity and coherence. It places key sections—such as education, work experience, skills, and achievements—in a logical order, making it easy for recruiters to quickly locate essential information.
• Content prioritization: An MBA fresher resume template also guides users on emphasizing critical information. By providing a framework for prioritizing key details, it ensures that recruiters immediately notice the most relevant aspects of your profile.
• Consistent formatting: Maintaining a consistent format throughout the CV for MBA application contributes to a professional appearance. A standardized layout showcases attention to detail and helps recruiters navigate the document seamlessly.
• Industry standards: Adhering to industry standards in the template aligns the resume for MBA students with recruiter expectations for MBA candidates. It creates a familiar and easily digestible format, streamlining the review process.
• Efficiency: Using a resume template for MBA saves time by eliminating the need to start from scratch. This efficiency allows job seekers to invest more time in tailoring the content to match specific job requirements and showcasing their unique qualifications.
• Visual appeal: The visually appealing designs and layouts of an MBA sample resume make the actual CV stand out. While ensuring a clean and organized look, it enhances the overall visual impression, making it more engaging for recruiters.
• Keyword integration: Including sections for industry-specific keywords in the template of an MBA resume for freshers optimizes the resume for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). This strategic integration increases the chances of passing automated screening processes.
• Professional language: A sample MBA resume format provides sample language and wording choices that convey a professional tone. This linguistic guidance enhances the overall quality of the content, ensuring it aligns with business communication standards.
• Adaptability: The adaptability of a sample resume for MBA students allows users to customize it for different roles or industries. This flexibility ensures that the resume remains relevant and effective across various job applications.
• Guidance for entry-level candidates: Tailored for the CV for MBA application, the template offers specific guidance on how to showcase academic achievements, projects, and any relevant internships. This assistance is crucial for those with limited work experience.
• Awareness of trends: A sample resume format for MBA freshers often incorporates current resume trends and best practices. Staying updated with the latest trends ensures that your resume remains modern and aligned with the preferences of contemporary hiring managers.
• Error reduction: By providing a structured framework, a sample MBA fresher resume template minimizes the risk of common resume errors. It acts as a safeguard, reducing the likelihood of overlooking crucial details and enhancing the overall accuracy of the document.

Refer to the image below- many years back; resumes looked like the one on the left. But, in the current times, such a resume will not catch any recruiters’ interest.

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Standard MBA Resume Templates

The Design Layout: The first impression of a resume should invite the reader into the text. A balance of white space and text needs to be maintained to look clean, attractive, and professional. A design layout of the resume must make the resume easy to understand and easy to read. As mentioned above, the recruiter scans a resume in 6 seconds.

Before actually engaging with the text, he/she would casually look at what’s in there. If the resume’s format is not easy on the eyes, meaning if the resume fails to be self-explanatory, then it is less likely that the reader will put extra effort or time to understand the text. 

The two-column resume templates are in trend nowadays. This design layout segregates the resume into two sections, wherein text-heavy detailed information can be put on the bigger column, and quick pointers can be placed on the smaller column. The idea of the smaller column is to cover the resume’s highlights in a crisp format so that the reader can get the gist about the candidature without doing much reading. 

Here, one can put details like:

• Years of experience
• Area of specialization
• Projects
• Education 
• Skillsets
• IT Skills
• Personal skills
• Link to LinkedIn profile 
• Contact details

The detailed information regarding skills, job responsibilities, or project details can be explained in the wider column. However, while giving detailed information also, one must avoid writing paragraphs, and instead use pointers and bullets. 

MBA resume samples also use graphics for the visual presentation of data, and personal photos like these look good on a resume. Still, sometimes, an ATS (hiring bot) may reject such a resume. So, it is advisable to keep these things on your resume only if you are sharing it directly to a recruiter through email, or you can keep it in your LinkedIn resume. If you are applying for a job opening through a job portal, then it is better not to put any image or graphics of your CV. 

Read: How MBA Helps in Business? 8 Reasons To Do MBA To Improve Your Business

Fonts, Margin, and Formatting

Fonts play a significant role in making the text easy-to-read. Avoid using fancy fonts or using italics or underlines. Keep it simple, elegant, and formal to achieve that professional look. Standard font size is 10-12, and a few good picks for the theme fonts are Calibri, Helvetica, Cambria, Bookman Old Style, Serif, and Sans-serif.

Times New Roman has become cliché and outdated. Maintain the same font all through the resume and even write your cover letter using the same font. Use a slightly bigger font for your section headings, and you can also make it bold to enhance the readability of the text. 

Maintain a 1-inch margin space on the sides of the document and also maintain a 1.15 line spacing. To avoid jam-packing of content, put proper white space between each section heading. Justify your text to distribute it evenly between margins. Avoid too much background highlighting of the text, and even if you decide to do that for emphasizing some point, use subtle colors like grey and light blue.

Get best MBA courses from the World’s top Universities. Earn Masters, Executive PGP, or Advanced Certificate Programs to fast-track your career.

Chronology of content 

Taking care of the content of the resume is critical. Every word in your resume should earn its space because your goal is to keep the resume as crisp as possible. A single page or at max double-page for an experienced candidate is the ideal length, so you have to be wise with your content. However, don’t get under the pressure of cutting down crucial details to fit into the one-page format. 

Read each job description carefully and pull out the keywords; you must include these keywords in the content of your resume. 

An ideal resume should cover the following section heads:

• Heading: Example: Name | Location | Business Analyst. This section should provide a quick overview of your identity and professional role.
• Professional Profile Summary: Try to use the keywords here and again keep it crisp. Craft a brief summary highlighting your expertise, achievements, and key skills. Incorporate relevant keywords that align with the job description. Keep it concise, providing a snapshot of your professional identity. Ensure that it is not generalised. For instance, if you are applying for role in finance, tailor a customised CV for MBA finance.
• Career objective: You may require changing this based on the job description. Tailor this section based on the specific job description. Express your career objective for MBA, aspirations, and how your skills align with the organization’s needs.
• Work experience: Follow the standard reverse-chronological resume format, wherein you provide the details of your latest experience on top. Try to incorporate the relevant work experience as per the job description. Include details such as job title, company name, location, dates of employment, and a concise description of your responsibilities and achievements.
• Education: Fill in your school, graduation and (if applicable) post-graduation or extra course details. Provide information on your educational background holistically, including the names of institutions, degrees earned, graduation dates, and relevant details about your major or field of study.
• Skills: Work-relevant skills, IT skills, Interpersonal Skills. Including skills like proficiency in programming languages or software tools, effective communication, collaboration, adaptability and others can help demonstrate your well-rounded abilities.
• Extra Sections: For awards, projects, certifications, hobbies and interests, volunteering experience, freelance work, etc. This provides a more comprehensive view of your qualifications and interests.

Read: MBA Salary in India

MBA Resume Samples: What should your resume look like? 

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Check out: MBA vs Masters: Which One Should You Choose

Required Skills For MBA Resume

The demand for MBA professionals has increased over the years. However, at the same time, there has also been a steady increase in the expectations of recruiters. Apart from academic knowledge, some of the basic required skills for MBA resume, are mentioned in the following list that you can highlight through the upGrad resume builder. 

• Interpersonal Skills- Also referred to as soft skills, interpersonal skills are one of the most sought-after skills by almost every company. This includes all verbal and non-verbal communication, listening skills, problem-solving and decision-making skills, as well as negotiation skills, among others. They not only enhance your job performance but also help you get the upper hand in leadership roles.
• Communication Skills- Effective communication is the key to maintaining a healthy growing business. Therefore, recruiters are always looking to hire people with the necessary communication skills. A good flow of communication not only helps to drive impactful deliveries of your ideas but also helps you work in various teams in an easy and hassle-free manner. 
• Leadership- Managers are the driving force behind every organization. They are responsible for the smooth running of a business, and therefore having strong leadership skills is expected of every MBA graduate. It not only leads to mutual growth but also ensures a strong command over your team.
• Technical Skills- Last but not least, employers in this current market are always looking for MBA graduates with a basic knowledge of technology. Technological advancements have truly transformed the traditional way of conducting business. Therefore, skills related to some of the commonly used technologies, such as Data Science, programming languages, and technical writing, can serve as an added benefit to your resume. 
• Analytical thinking- MBA graduates are expected to possess strong analytical thinking skills, enabling them to assess complex situations, make data-driven decisions, and contribute to strategic planning.
• Adaptability- In a dynamic business environment, adaptability is crucial. Showcase your ability to navigate change, embrace new challenges, and quickly acclimate to evolving industry trends.
• Project management- Highlight your project management skills, emphasizing your ability to plan, execute, and oversee projects efficiently. This skill is vital for MBA professionals handling diverse tasks and responsibilities.
• Global perspective- Given the global nature of business, demonstrating a global perspective and an understanding of international markets can set you apart. Showcase experiences, studies, or language proficiency that reflect a global mindset.
• Innovative thinking- Employers value MBA graduates who bring innovative ideas to the table. Highlight instances where you introduced creative solutions, contributed to process improvements, or demonstrated a forward-thinking approach.
• Strategic planning- Showcase your strategic planning abilities, emphasizing your capacity to set long-term goals, formulate business strategies, and contribute to the overall vision and mission of the organization.
• Negotiation skills- MBA professionals often engage in negotiations, whether with clients, partners, or internal stakeholders. Highlight instances where you effectively negotiated agreements, contracts, or business deals.
• Time management- Effective time management is crucial in a fast-paced business environment. Illustrate your ability to prioritize tasks, meet deadlines, and efficiently allocate resources to demonstrate your time management proficiency.
• Financial acumen- Showcase your understanding of financial principles and your ability to interpret financial data. This is particularly important for roles involving budgeting, financial analysis, and decision-making based on financial metrics.
• Team collaboration- Demonstrate your capacity to work collaboratively in a team-oriented environment. Highlight experiences where you successfully collaborated with diverse teams to achieve common goals, showcasing your teamwork and interpersonal skills.

Wrapping up

It is good news if you have something to update on your resume; it means you have garnered new skills or achievements. With the range of online programs and courses available in platforms like upGrad, there is no stoppage on learning. From the comfort of your space, time, and budget, you can continue your learning journey to strengthen your professional profile further.

However, while documenting your profile on a resume, you must comprehend the technicality in regards to ATS and recruiters’ screening process. 

upGrad offers a variety of courses; it focuses not only on MBA programs but also on other fields like Data Science, Big Data, Digital Marketing, etc. upGrad helps students not only for learning but also for placements mentored by industries’ top professionals. 

If you are keen on upgrading your career with an Executive MBA course, upGrad is offering the MBA from Liverpool Business School. The program has been designed to stand at par with the best on-campus Executive MBA programs across the globe.