Resumes open
doors and are, in most cases, the sole means by which the employer
determines whether an interview is granted. No one spends much time
reading a resume-most readers spend no more than 30 seconds. Typically
no one spends time reading more than one page, so first impressions
are critical. Usually, the person who reads your resume has many other
responsibilities in his or her company. Therefore, think of this as
your first employment test: preparing a brief summary of your
qualifications that sparks the reader's interest. There is no one
"right" resume, but the best resumes clearly present accomplishments
in as few words as possible. Your resume must "sell" you at a glance.
Most of the on-campus interviewing opportunities for which you will
compete require submission of a resume as the sole representation of
your qualifications. Rarely are cover letters requested or desired by
recruiters in this process. Therefore, it is important that this
document effectively communicate the types of opportunities in which
you are interested and your qualifications for them. In addition,
employers that come to UT often interview undergraduates as well as
MBA students, albeit for different positions. Keep in mind that the
positions for which you will compete require more advanced knowledge,
skills, and abilities. You must set yourself apart from the generally
less-experienced undergraduate business student and your more
experienced peers in the MBA Program.
The information contained in this guide is based on current standards
of resume development as found in publications for the executive's job
campaign. It gives you a summary of important items considered by the
MBA recruiter in the few seconds he or she devotes to each candidate's
resume.
The tips in this guide are also useful for developing a "scannable"
resume. Many large organizations use software to scan resumes and add
them to their applicant database. It is important to adhere to
formatting guidelines and use appropriate key words for a scannable
resume. Typically the keywords for which the computer looks are nouns
that describe the important aspects of the job. For example, a
financial services firm might search for the words financial analysis,
finance, investment, and portfolio management. A special section on
sending resumes by email provides the latest industry insight into
this very popular method of contacting employers.
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