How to Create The Perfect CV for Business School

Creating a great CV for your business school application can improve your chances of being accepted to your preferred program. It’s your proof of the great achievements that got you here.

Chances are that you’ve put together CVs for job applications before. However, creating a CV for business school is very different. It will need to fit with international CV practices that may be different than the usual practices within the country you live in.

Above all, you need to sell your experience and education. And there are a number of sections and information that must be included in your CV. In this blog post, we’ll cover this and how to format the document, in addition to tips for how you can improve your CV for business school applications.

What Should Be Included in a CV for Business School

Here are the main sections that should be included in your CV, including an overview of the information that should be included in each.

1. Personal Details

For starters, your full name should be included in a way that stands out. This is often done by making it large, bold, and centered.

You should also include your current location and contact details, including your email address and telephone number. Adding a link to your LinkedIn profile can also be beneficial.

2. Profile/Summary

A profile or summary should include a few statements or bullet points highlighting your top achievements, experiences, and skills. This section - which isn’t mandatory - should put a spotlight on what sets you apart from other applicants.

3. Work Experience

Show your work experience in chronological order with your most recent position at the top. Include your promotions and successes and the most impressive parts of your jobs – instead of just focusing on tasks you undertook.

Additionally, use data and numbers to help quantify your achievements. It’s also often recommended to include a brief description of the companies in your employment history.

4. Education

Include information about your undergraduate degree and institution, such as your grade point average according to the university’s scale, extracurricular activities, and scholarships you received.

Consider including relevant modules, projects, and research you undertook. If you graduated near the top of your class, include your class rank or standings.

5. Additional Information

While a CV for business school should focus on your work experience and education, application committees often want to see the person behind the application too.

In this section, there are a number of things you can include, such as the languages you know beyond a basic level, courses you’ve completed, certifications or awards you’ve received, volunteer experience, and personal interests. By providing additional information, it can show you’re a well-rounded candidate.

How to Format Document

It’s important that your CV for your business school application has the right format and look. You may need to check if the business school you’re applying to has any specific requirements, but there are many features that are widely accepted.

For starters, the layout and structure needs to be clear and logical, and you need to be consistent throughout the entire document. You also need to present information in reverse chronological order.

Make it easy to skim your CV. This can be done by effectively using headings and bullet points. You need to make it easy for admissions committees to see the value in the experience you have.

Additionally, keep your CV to one page. While you want to show off your impressive experience and education, clarity and brevity are crucial. Admissions committees have to read thousands of CVs, so you will unlikely be able to hold their attention for longer than one page.

Tips for Improving Your CV

Whether you’ve already started working on your CV for business school or are ready to begin working on it, here are a few of our top tips to help you take it to the next level.

1. Use the STAR approach.

STAR is an acronym standing for ‘Situation, Task, Action, and Result’ and can be applied when writing your CV, and even more when answering interview questions.

By doing this, you can provide a more complete description of your expertise and value. This also gives you an opportunity to emphasize your skills through quantifiable achievements, instead of just covering your roles and responsibilities generically.

The STAR approach is especially applicable for the employment section of your CV. For example, the ‘situation’ is the job role, so start by defining the role you filled.

Then the ‘task’ includes demonstrating your abilities through certain tasks you completed or problems you solved. Think about how this relates to what the business school is looking for in their graduate students.

With ‘action’, showcase how you made things happen by highlighting your skills and qualities. And finally, through ‘result’, document quantifiable achievements and results. It’s helpful using numbers and data wherever possible, showing the specific value you added.

You will see that it will often be easier to start with an action verb to describe the actions you took, followed by the results.

2. Tailor your CV for different schools.

Some business schools will be looking for different skills, qualities, and expertise from prospective students, so you should tailor your CV for each university. You’ll also want to show why you want to join this specific business school and how you want to leverage its strengths.

3. Focus on being concise and clear.

Avoid lengthy paragraphs and remove any unnecessary details. Lose any jargon and focus on readability. A good way to do this is by writing your CV with a total stranger in mind who doesn’t know anything about your industry or experience.

4. Start each sentence with an action verb.

If you read through your CV and it feels flat or lacks power, it could be because you’re missing action verbs, which show activity and movement. Make sure you are using action verbs throughout, especially in bulleted lists.

5. Avoid breaking sentences up with periods

Throughout your CV, use concise bullet points. These will be easier to read than paragraphs and can help avoid repetition.

Get Free Personalized Advice from Experienced Educational Consultants

Are you ready to work on your CV for business school? Unify partners with top educational consultants to provide personalized advice to help you prepare the best application possible for business school.

We can help you improve your CV, in addition to your personal statement and admission essay.