We have highlighted some of the cliched mistakes in our 10 Editing tips for the MBA Application resume. In this resume editing tips series, we cover five biggest mistakes seen in the resume:
1) Overdoing or Exaggerating the Young/Top % part
2) Assuming Jargon is general knowledge
4) Forcing milestones on non-profit
5) Taking Credit for the wrong metric
1) Overdoing or Exaggerating the Young/Top % part
MBA Applicants who are younger than the median class by 1 or 2 years are aware of the lack of experience. To compensate, they highlight all the achievements that were exceptional for the age. Perhaps there is truth to it. However, while overcompensating, applicants overlook genuine achievements that lie hidden beneath the technicality or coordination or the management of the team.
When you repeat “Youngest” in more than one entry in the MBA Application resume, it is time to edit the resume.
Another best practice that we recommended is to highlight Top x% of class wherever the achievement is authentic.
Applicants get carried away and start citing the top 10%, 20%, to stand out.
Anything outside the top 5% is not truly the top of any category.
2) Assuming Jargon is general knowledge
Applicants from Finance and Accounting background make this common mistake the most. They assume that ‘fixed register asset,’ ‘transaction support,’ ‘portfolio wind-down planning’ are all common knowledge. Luckily, you have a consultant like me to help you bring down the narratives to the general audience. Most of my engagements start with filtering and translating the Jargon into simpler terms.
The most resistance I have seen applicants show is in translating a term that is crucial to understanding their achievement. They assume that simplifying language is a sign of unsophistication or somehow diminishes the impression about the contribution. That is not the case. It helps the admission team – most of who are not from the Finance background understand your contributions in human language.
3) Fish in a Pond
Those who have experience mostly in start-ups have this impression. They assume that the technical solution or growth is unheard of. When you are applying to schools like Stanford, Harvard, or MIT, the scale of the growth is as clichéd as highlighting skills in MS excel.
“Grew by 1200% year on year..” & “Acquired by <brand name>” are all entries to hide something.
1200% to hide the revenue
Acquired by <brand name> to hide that the exit wasn’t that great
4) Forcing milestones on non-profit
This strategy is sophisticated and requires some experience as a consultant or reviewer to spot. The applicant, a year before the application, realizes that there is no relevant volunteering experience to show. They join a start-up non-profit – an organization that is managed or founded by a friend or acquaintance. The applicant strategically starts initiatives 6 months before Round 1 to demonstrate pro-activeness.
When the engagements happen 2-3 months before the application deadline, the admissions team will read between the lines and realize that you don’t care about the community you live in.
Disengaged MBA Applicants are the least likable applicants.
Likeability influences interview invites.
Choose a branded non-profit if you are planning to compensate for the lack of volunteering experience. Even if you start at the ground level, that experience is much more valuable in an MBA resume than the engineered volunteering or milestones.
5) Taking Credit for the wrong metric
For applicants working in start-ups known for a product/service, the revenue growth is directly correlated to the contributions of a few key functions.
For Technology start-ups – engineers and growth strategists play a consequential role than sales/marketing.
Those who are in sales/marketing try to shadow the engineers' contributions when they mention entries like
“led the marketing campaign for x and retained user growth for 6 months.”
Marketing might be a contributing factor. However, using black and white terms is not authentic. Instead, using words like ‘facilitated,’ ‘contributed’ will improve your profile's believability.
For established companies, the opposite is the case. The contributions to maintain technology is an easier job than finding new markets or growth strategy.
If you are working for an established company, search for contributions that were meaningful for the company than routine responsibilities. Highlight only those and leave out others.
What you leave out is as important as what you highlight.
