Checklist
Resume review checklist for MBA students
Check every line of your CV for impact, specificity and format before it goes to a placement committee or recruiter.
Run through this list for every version of your CV. Your ticks are saved on this device only.
Content
- Every bullet starts with a strong, specific verb (built, led, reduced, launched — not "responsible for")
- Every bullet shows an outcome, not just a task
- Outcomes are quantified wherever honestly possible (time, money, volume, percentage)
- Each bullet answers "so what?" for a reader who does not know your company
- The most impressive point in each section comes first
- Jargon and internal acronyms from past employers are removed or explained
- Nothing is exaggerated — you can defend every line in an interview
Structure
- Fits on one page (unless your institute's format says otherwise)
- Follows your institute's required format exactly, once you have it
- Sections in a sensible order: education, experience, achievements, positions of responsibility, extra-curriculars
- Dates are consistent and in the same format throughout
Polish
- No spelling or grammar mistakes — read it aloud, backwards line by line
- Consistent tense: past tense for past roles, present for current
- Consistent punctuation at the end of bullets
- Font, spacing and alignment consistent throughout
- File name is professional, such as Firstname-Lastname-CV.pdf
Before sending
- Reviewed by at least one senior or peer who has been through placements
- Tailored to the role or domain where your institute allows it
- Saved as a PDF so formatting does not shift
Rewriting a weak bullet
Before: Responsible for weekly sales reports.
After: Automated the weekly sales report for a 40-person team, cutting preparation time from a full day to under an hour.
The second version shows the action, the scale and the result — all things the reader can ask you about.