MBA: Resume tips! (Part 1)

As soon as I entered my second year, I jumped full-steam into helping out my first years. That I had a job helped. During the process, I reviewed circa 50 resumes. In this post I will discuss the timing and dynamics around resume at Chicago Booth. During the dozens of hours I spent with first years, some themes kept came up. I have jotted down some thoughts for you. Please be advised that my thoughts are heavily influenced by my consulting and banking experiences. I have only limited idea of what happens elsewhere. However, many of the things I say here will have universal applicability. Obviously, I assume no liability if the mafia comes after your guns blazing after reading your new resume! (Hahaha?)

Keep in mind that the resume deadlines come in pretty quickly. As such, the first month is busy as you come to grips with the phenomenon called Chicago Booth. I strongly advise that you have a good control over your resume as soon as possible – preferably first few weeks. Catch hold of second years and your contacts in your target industry to review your resume. They are the best people. Don't wait for things to kick off on official basis – everyone will get busy and you may end up with under-reviewed resume. Just having someone read through the resume is not enough. Find people who can help you creatively paraphrase what you want to say. Tens of reviews per first year are not uncommon.

Your resume may make its way into the School's resume book, and the resume books of specific groups such as Management Consulting Group and South Asia Business Group. Make sure you check the deadlines with your groups and career services. They distribute the book to their target audience. Resume books are then pursued by the recruiters who shortlist the people they want. The school and most groups utilize an online resume tool into which you need to login. Some groups require you to email it.

When you send out the resume books, make sure you don't have Investment Banking Group in a submission to Management Consulting Group, and vice versa, unless it is a deliberate well-thought out decision on your part to do so.

Significant amount of formal and informal assistance will be available to you. Pretty much all professional and semi-professional groups will organize resume review sessions. You can also set up appointments with Career Advisors. You can also tap second year students directly. Lastly, someone from the school itself may review your resume quickly.


In the next post, which was previously a part of one long post, I will discuss, what specific things to keep in mind while writing the resume.