EMBA Résumé tips from NYU Stern School of Business

Putting together a résumé for a prestigious executive MBA program is no less daunting than an application to a top recruiter.

Heather Daly, director of admissions at NYU Stern, has a few pointers for prospective executive MBA students submitting a résumé as part of their application.

In the below Q&A, she discusses common mistakes you should avoid, how you can stand out from the crowd, and what she would like to see applicants doing more often in their résumés.

NYU Stern currently ranks at 10 in the QS Global 200 regional rankings for the US & Canada.

Firstly, what is the typical acceptance rate to the EMBA program?

The NYU Stern School of Business Executive MBA program enrolls 60 experienced executive-level professionals at each intake, one in August and one in January. The size of the program, as well as the level of experience [an average of 14+ years’ work experience] required to be admitted to each cohort, makes it selective by design.

Do you have any EMBA résumé tips for those looking to avoid common mistakes?

One of the areas that can be a drawback on any application is a lack of attention to detail. Typos, for example, can easily be prevented in an executive MBA résumé. We recommend creating a draft of your résumé and giving yourself enough time to review in order to catch typos before submitting a final version.

What is something you would like to see applicants do more often?

We see some EMBA applicants focus on listing their responsibilities, rather than highlighting their accomplishments, for each professional position they have held. You may be a supply chain manager ‘responsible for vendor contract negotiations’ but it is much more illuminating to know that you ‘negotiated vendor contracts that generated US$5 million dollars in cost savings while maintaining a strong vendor relationship’. The first example tells us what you do. The second tells us about the bottom-line impact you had on the company's performance, and that you have the interpersonal skills to negotiate well while preserving important relationships.

How can students stand out from the crowd with their executive MBA résumé?

We encourage EMBA applicants to focus on clarity and organization when putting a résumé together.  While the admissions committee is familiar with many different industries, make sure the bigger picture of what you do is not lost in too many details. Review your résumé for dense jargon or acronyms that might be less meaningful to an industry outsider.

How long should an ideal executive MBA résumé be?

The trick answer is: It depends. If you are in a profession (such as sciences, medicine, journalism or academia) or if you are from a country where it is the professional norm, a more detailed curriculum vitae is welcome to demonstrate your accomplishments. Otherwise, a basic rule to follow is that your résumé should have one page for every 10 years of work experience. However, the NYU Stern School of Business admissions process is holistic, and we would not make a decision based solely on the length of an applicant's EMBA résumé.

What résumé tips can you offer to students without extensive work experience who are looking to make a good impression?

We assess both the quality and quantity of an applicant's work experience. Applicants with fewer years of work experience are most competitive when they highlight their accomplishments and demonstrate how they have impacted their organizations, as mentioned above. Those applicants with fewer years of work experience, but with a track record of increasing responsibility and organizational impact, should highlight those areas.

Do you have any EMBA résumé tips relating to the type of candidate sought at NYU Stern?

Typically, we are looking for a solid academic and professional track record that demonstrates you have both the intellectual and interpersonal skills to succeed, and help others succeed, in the cohort-based and collaborative environment of the NYU Stern Executive MBA program.