How to Gain Recruiter’s Attention with a Killer Resume?

Resumes are the first impressions that MBA job candidates make on potential recruiters. Although this piece of document offers only a brief introduction of a candidate, it usually sets the tone for the rest of the application process. If you do not have a good resume, even your MBA degree will not get you past the front door of the company. Therefore, here is some quintessential advice on creating the perfect resume for your job application.

Any MBA degree isn't worth the extra efforts and money that it requires until it helps one advance his career. Therefore, for you, to make sure that the years you spent toiling hard in the business school count it is important to secure a job, for which everyone requires, a worthy resume. This is especially true for MBA students who are looking to use their degree to enter the corporate arena and take up professions such as financial adviser, accountant or manager in the future.

Therefore, if you are somewhere near the completion of your education or are currently job hunting, these resume building tips will help you achieve the objective: 

Keep it short and simple

Since you are fresh out of college, your resume shouldn't go beyond one or maximum two pages of length. Even with the experience that you had prior to joining the business school, you wouldn't require more than two pages for expressing your eligibility for the job. As you gain experience, the resume length can increase. An MBA fresher resume can have your college credentials, or any special achievement that is relevant with the job that you are applying to.

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Focus on achievements

The recruiter is more interested in the achievements than your roles and responsibilities at previous organizations. Tell the employer what you can do for him, not what you have already done previously. Use achievements to focus on things that you have already accomplished either in previous organizations or during your business school.

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Make it impactful 

Whatever little details that you can give to the job seeker through the resume, it should be impactful. Including ambiguous statements like “Participated in annual project management seminar” aren’t going to serve any useful purpose.  Instead, include details that elicit why your participation mattered. If you have been a part of a project before, what was your contribution? Were your recommendation adopted by the project manager? Great business resumes focus on impact.

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Make it eye-pleasing

As a business school pass-out you must have already understood the importance of presentation. Resume is no exception. Let your creative juices flow. However, at the same time, stop short of making the resume just an eye-candy.  The emphasis should be on correct usage of fonts, formats, style that will make your resume easy to read and understand. Another common mistake that people commit is having too many section headings that do a poor job organizing the information on your resume. Instead, stick to a simple format, where three main sections education, professional work experience and additional skills.

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Adopt the STAR model

Using the STAR method is a popular and effective way of creating resume, especially for MBA graduates. The concept is simple. Plan your content under the specifics of Situations, Tasks, Action, and Results. This is a holistic approach that conveys the context and demonstrates your skill sets and individual contribution to the overall outcome.  The STAR approach lets you condense the information and focus on highlights.

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Objective: A relic of the past

Even a couple of years back all resumes started with an objective. The purpose was to let the employer know why you were sending the resume at the first place. In the current age, most recruiters call objective as a waste of space. The mere fact that you have applied for the position means that your objective is to get the job. Instead you can use the space for something better, that’s actually going to wow the recruiter.

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With these tips you can at least impress the interviewer to invite you for a face to face interaction. Remember, a resume is the first step towards job hunting and your first step should be your longest stride.