Interview with the Authors of Your MBA Game Plan

What are common resume mistakes that should be avoided?

Probably the most common mistake we see is merely listing responsibilities, rather than accomplishments. MBA admissions officers want to know how you made a real impact on your organization, not just what your job description was. Another common mistake is simply being too vague. Don’t say, “I achieved remarkable results” when you can say, “I achieved a 50% increase in sales over two years.” Is there any other resume advice that you can offer?

Just keep in mind that your resume is just one part of your business school application. Think of it as part of the whole. While it should stand on its own, it doesn’t have to communicate everything that you’ve ever done. Keep it brief (one page is enough!) and use it to highlight your most important work accomplishments.

In regards to essays, how can applicants create an eye-catching piece of writing?

The absolute best way to create a memorable MBA admissions essay is to make it personal. Don’t rely on gimmicks or try to lead off with an awe-inspiring quote. Talk about who you are, where you’ve been, where you want to go, problems you’ve faced and overcome, your dreams, etc. You want an admissions officer to feel like he or she knows you after reading your essay. Think about Stanford GSB’s infamous question: “What matters most you, any why?” You can’t B.S. your way around that one. You need to really know yourself and then put that down on paper.

How much time and effort should be dedicated to the essay portion of the application process?

While we hesitate to say that any one part of a business school application is far more important than the others, MBA essays are extremely important. The interview is also very important (most top business schools interview candidates these days), but just as you won’t get a job interview without a strong resume, you won’t land an MBA admissions interview without strong essays. Once the GMAT is out of the way, the typical successful applicant probably spends more time on the essays than anything else. Finding people to write strong letters of recommendation and managing that process probably takes up the most time after that.

Is there anything admissions committees specifically look for in an essay?

Throughout the application, admissions officers are looking for four key “dimensions” in every applicant: innovation, leadership, teamwork, and maturity. We discuss each of these in great detail in Your MBA Game Plan. But specifically in business school application essays, admissions committees look for sincerity and honesty. Like we mentioned, they should feel like they know you after they’ve read your essays. That means using some introspection and not shying away from tough questions (and answers) about yourself. It even means showing some of your weaknesses, if that helps tell your story. Don’t just way what you think they want to hear in your essays. Help them really get to know you.

Do you have any specific essay writing tips for those who are having trouble with the flow of their essay?

Often, applicants have trouble with the flow of an essay when they’re trying to do too much. They try to cram too many ideas into an essay or they start writing without knowing what one or two main ideas they want to communicate. A good way to combat this is to start over and literally focus on the exact question being asked. Concentrate on answering that, and then build the essay around that answer. Also, applicants can take a look at the dozens of free sample MBA application essays that we offer on our web site to get some ideas on how to structure an essay.