Whether you are applying for business programs or jobs, a professionally-formatted CV is critical. Top business schools offer specific advice and even templates you can use to showcase your accomplishments—and avoid rookie mistakes.
The special tips below for creating your CV in the Age of AI can insure that your CV is machine readable and help your application stand out as a perfect fit for the position you seek.
Keep It Simple
The first mistake to jump off the page is the word “resume” in large type at the head of the page. Don’t take up space announcing the obvious.
Keep things clean and simple. A professional business resume uses an easy-to-read font style and size. Recruiters sometimes have only six seconds to review a CV, so it had better be clear and impactful.
Unless you are applying for a job as a graphic designer, steer clear of colorful templates, cute sidebars, background shapes and attention-getting images. Be sure to check the conventions of the country and industry to which you are applying, and be aware that in some cases, such as applications in the United States, a photo is inappropriate and may distract from the information you want to convey.
If someone has told you they printed their CV on hot pink paper or sprinkled glitter on their name to get the reader’s attention, you can be fairly sure that they were admitted or hired in spite of these ploys.
Follow The Industry Leaders
Several top business schools offer free templates for you to use. The schools want to make this easy for you and for themselves. Simply download a template from one of the links below and type over the dummy text with your own information.
London Business School provides a template you can copy with confidence, as well as specific instructions for each section of the CV. The template applicants to LBS are encouraged to use is the same format LBS students use when applying for jobs. This confirms that you can rely on LBS’ professional format at all stages of your career.
Begin with your name and contact information, because you want the reader to get in touch. If you are applying from a different country, include the country code with your phone number. If you are sending a digital version of your resume, use a link that makes it easy for the reader to click on your email address and open a message.
Always remember the purpose of this document. It is a marketing device, not a novel. Make it easy for the admissions officer or recruiter to quickly find the information they need.
Education And Experience: The Heart of Your CV
For most applicants, the first category on your resumer should be “Education.” List your degrees and possible certifications in reverse chronological order, not by skill type. Include important information about particularly relevant courses or academic honors. For example, a younger applicant with outstanding grades in advanced mathematics courses might include that information in an application for a degree or internship in finance.
The next category is “Business Experience,” which may be segmented into paid employments versus internships. The most common mistake here is to list job titles and tasks without indicating exactly what you accomplished in each position. INSEAD makes this point in the Experience section of its MBA CV template by providing blanks for company name and job title, then naming the dummy text for each bullet point “achievement 1,” “achievement 2,” etc.
The same point is made in the template provided by Imperial College London, where each bullet point specifies: “Action verb past tense, what was achieved, (quantify where possible) Include specific tasks and duties along with the results/impact of the work undertaken.”
The final brief entries are your chance to come alive as a person. The languages you know, international experience you may have acquired, volunteer activities and special interests you pursue can showcase leadership or professional skills. They can also lend credibility to your claims to be committed to certain causes or goals.
Do This Now
Download one of the templates linked below and start putting in your data now. Creating, editing and proofreading your resume takes longer than you might think. Do not wait until your business school applications are due or you need a new job. Once you get the first version down, ask a mentor or experienced colleague for feedback.
Did you know that some business schools offer to schedule a CV review with prospective applicants? Going over your qualifications with an admissions officer can help ensure that you apply for the right business degree for you.
But to request a CV review, you must first create a CV!
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