Because your resume is often the document that gives an employer a “first impression” of you, it is important for it to be accurate, attractive, and results oriented. To be effective in leading to an interview opportunity, your resume needs to demonstrate to an employer the skills and competencies you have used to succeed in the past that relate to your targeted position. It is a marketing brochure about “YOU” that should clearly show the value you bring to a company and make the strongest case for your being qualified to fill the position you are seeking.
Recruiters will be quickly looking for skill sets and competencies needed to fill a given position(s). Top-notch resumes typically include bulleted accomplishment statements that begin with a strong action, describe what you did, then quantify and/or qualify your results. Recruiters take accomplishment statements seriously because they are typically good predictors of future behavior.
Since an employer typically spends only about 15 seconds skimming each resume they receive, it is important for your resume to sell you at a glance. A resume format that prioritizes the order of information presented and sparingly, but consistently, uses bolding, capitalization, and/or bullets can highlight important data while creating an easy-to-read document.
Resume Styles
Often MBA students use a traditional resume style that emphasizes their current graduate work–placing their Objective (optional) and Education section(s) first, followed by Experience, Skills, Activities, Other Relevant Information, Interests, etc. This is particularly effective for candidates whose prior work experience is not directly related to their current pursuits. For example, someone with a retail sales background who is now targeting investment banking. See the traditional resume template for further explanation.
Candidates with work experience (preferably five years or more) that is relevant to their targeted position may choose to utilize an executive style resume format that includes an Objective (optional) and Professional Summary or Highlights of Qualifications section(s), followed by Experience, Education & Training, Affiliations, etc. Although Resume Book resumes utilized by the CMC need to be limited to one page, a candidate’s personal version of their executive style resume can span two pages if the information they need to convey warrants it. If you elect a two-page version, however, there should be enough information to fill both pages–and the most important information should be presented on the first page. On a quick, first-round resume screen, a recruiter may choose not to turn the page. For additional explanation of the executive style resume, see the executive template.
If you require additional assistance, please schedule an appointment with your MBA Career Consultant by calling the CMC at (504) 865-5417
Resume Format Suggestions
Typeface: Times New Roman
Type Size: Text size for the body of the resume ranging from 11-12 points. Note: The font size is reduced by one point when downloaded from eRecruiting.
Margins:
Left / Right: .75 – 1.25 inches
Top / Bottom: .5 – 1.25 inches
Contact Information:
Name – Centered, using 14 point font size and bolded capital letters for emphasis.
Address – If you are using only one address, center it directly under your name (This should be your local address). If you are using two addresses (Local and Permanent) it is suggested that the Local Address header should be bolded against the left margin and the Permanent Address header should be bolded at the right margin.
Email – It is preferable to use your Freeman account when listing an email address on your resume. This account is recognized by the university and is a primary means of communicating with students. If you do not check this account regularly, or prefer another email account, you can place a forward on your Freeman account to another address. (NOTE: It is not acceptable to list another university’s email address or an email address with an offensive name.) For assistance with your account, please contact the MTC, located in Room 201
Border Line – A solid line (1 1/2 pt.) that extends margin-to-margin below your contact information (see sample). To set up a border line once your resume is complete, place the cursor at the end of your email address. Go to “Format” then “Borders & Shading” and change the width to 1 1/2 pt., then click “O.K.” Next, on the toolbar, go to the Border icon and click on the down arrow to the right of the icon. Select the bottom border. A 1 1/2 pt. line should appear on your resume separating your contact information and resume information.
Address Format
Main Headings:
Bolded and in ALL CAPS at the left margin. OBJECTIVE (Optional – Recommended for targeted resumes)
EDUCATION
EXPERIENCE
SKILLS
ACTIVITIES or AFFILIATIONS
OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION (Optional)
INTERESTS
Academic Information
Freeman students should report their academic standing in a consistent and accurate manner. The following guidelines are intended to create consistency and eliminate confusion regarding the presentation of academic information on your resume. To participate and be included in resume books, resume referrals, on-campus interviewing, and marketing efforts coordinated by the Freeman School, the following resume guidelines must be adhered to:
- Students choosing to list their GPA on their resume must include their Cumulative GPA. Anyone wishing to also list a Freeman GPA or a GPA in a concentration/major need to indicate the number of courses that have been calculated for that GPA. (i.e., Finance GPA: 3.5 (4 courses)). (Note: You must have completed three or more courses to list your concentration/major GPA.)
- It is suggested that student GPA’s read exactly as listed on your transcript; however, GPA’s may be reflected in the following manner: a 3.845 may be listed as 3.845, 3.84 or 3.8, or may be rounded up to 3.85. (You must only round to the nearest hundredth.)
- Students wishing to include GPA’s for schools attended other than Tulane University must list dates attended and a separate Cumulative GPA for each school.
- List the official school name in one of the following ways:
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- Resumes must include your degree, (Master of Business Administration, Master of Finance, Master of Accounting, Bachelor of Science in Management, etc.) and expected date of graduation (month and year)
- In the Freeman School, MBA’s pursue a “concentration” and BSM’s pursue a “major.
- Students choosing to list “related course work” on their resumes may include courses which they have already completed. If current courses (i.e., Fall 2003), are to be listed, they must be clearly indicated as such.
Freeman School of BusinessTulane University orFreeman School of Business, Tulane University
