How to write an effective resume for MS Applications Abroad

MS Resume: Students planning to study abroad often start with preparing the most important, ‘Statement of Purpose (SOP)’. Worried about their application and how crucial the document is, they often put very little to no emphasis on their academic resumes. This is perhaps one of the biggest mistakes you can do. While the SOP allows you to present your candidature in an impressive way, it is the resume that lists out your achievements, concisely and effectively. If you are applying for an MS programme, there are several points to consider. Here is a look at some of them:

An Outline is a Must: Here, you may broadly list all the professional, academic and extracurricular activities you may have undertaken till now. Create clear sub-headings and include every possible activity you can think of. After you have an exhaustive list, strike out the activities, which you feel hold no relevance to your academic/ research profile. Now you have a broad outline of your candidature, which you need to present in a clear and concise format.

Never Leave Out Your Extracurricular Activities: Extracurricular activities provide, to the Admission Committee, a different perspective of your candidature, and also establish you as a well-rounded personality, in their eyes. Thus, the applicant must include their extracurricular activities, community service, academic achievements and participation/excellence in sports. Excellence in sports, apart from physical fitness, also indicates team spirit and leadership skills, which an applicant must showcase.

Also, Read

• Things you should include in your MS Resume
• Difference between MS and MBA Resume
• How to Present Professional Experience in Resume

Present your Career Progression Effectively: Your professional history has to be mentioned and explained in a detailed manner. The role essayed by you in the organizations you have worked with goes a long way in establishing a logical link between your career progression and your desire to pursue this particular course from an international university. This will also convey to the Admission Committee how you intend to utilize the knowledge and degree earned through this program as a logical extension to your career. You must also include the technical skills you have gained during your high school/ college. You may focus on computer and internet skills, general, and specialized software and hardware skills. These too will add value to your resume.

You must include the technical skills you have gained during your high school/college. You may focus on the computer and Internet skills, general & specialized software & hardware skills, etc. This will add much value to your resume.

Make a Special Mention of your Achievements/ Accolades: If you have ever been entrusted with a position of responsibility like Head Girl/Boy of high school/college, member/leader of any club in high school/college, House Captain, and Captain of any sports/cultural team or represented the school in MUN, you must include it in the resume. If you have received an award/ accolade/ recognition/ acknowledgement, for your contribution, from your teachers, guides, coaches, professors, Head of the Department, or principal, particularly in high school/ college, make a special note of it.

Give Adequate Importance to Academic Projects, Internships, Seminars, Conferences and Workshops in the Resume: An MS aspirant must focus on the research-oriented activities they have undertaken in their academic career. They must mention their individual role/ learning from the project, internship, seminar or workshop undertaken by them during their under-graduation.

Brevity is the Key to Success: You do not need to provide too much information in the resume and overcrowd it. The thumb rule is to limit it to two pages, that too, if you have significant academic and work experience to showcase. Otherwise, a one-page resume is fine. Use bullet points for the document; this provides brevity and clarity to the document.

Certifications, Honours, and Publications are Equally Vital: An MS aspirant must not miss out on mentioning their certifications, honours, and publications, as these play an instrumental role in establishing the applicant’s research interest and capability, and qualities highly desirable for an MS aspirant.

Finally, when you ensure all, remember to proofread your resume. If you can have someone else do it for you - even better. This will help you identify lack of clarity, spelling or grammatical mistakes, in a much easier and more effective manner. Finally, read How to Prepare Impressive Resume in order to gain a crystal clear approach to developing your resume.

Related Links

• How to Prepare Resume for MBA Application
• How to Prepare Resume for UG Application