Difference between MS and MBA Resume

MS Resume vs MBA Resume: The primary difference between an MS resume and an MBA resume is the essence/ information it aims to convey to the University Admission Committee. An MS Resume is an academic document whereas an MBA resume is a professional one. MS applicants must remember to focus on their academic background, research experience, and the technical knowledge thus gained. On the other hand, MBA applicants have to showcase their work experience, professional achievements and above all, leadership skills.

Research experience appropriately showcased in an MS resume gives a promising position in the eyes of the Admission Committee. If you know how to present your research work, half your battle is won. Before you start wondering what research experience must include, we would like you to know that it is a broad classification of the technical concepts you have practically implemented or gained knowledge from during your academic years and/or professional career. Read: Study Abroad: Difference between MBA and MSc in Management?

You may broadly segregate your MS or academic resume into the following headings: Academic Qualifications, Work Experience (if any), Internships and Industrial Training, Research Projects, International Exposure (if any), Technical Skills, Achievements, Certifications, Co-curricular Activities, Extracurricular Activities and/or Community Service. Under all of these, you must focus on presenting to the Admission Committee your practical experience gained. For instance, while mentioning your projects, you must focus on what you individually contributed to the projects, instead of describing the working of the project and the same goes for other headings as well. Similarly, while including the conferences/seminars you may have attended, you must remember to explicitly write the technical know-how you gained through the event, instead of what the conference/seminar was about. Read: Tips for Resume Writing

On the other hand, the MBA resume is categorised into the following headings: Work Experience, Internships and Training, Academic Qualifications, Research Projects, Professional Affiliations, International Exposure, Technical Skills, Achievements, Extracurricular Activities and Community Service. The focus is on how you have developed yourself as a professional/ entrepreneur. An ideal MBA resume must showcase your managerial and leadership abilities along with demonstrating your entrepreneurial initiatives and the degree of their novelty. It is not about what you did but what was the result of your actions.

While preparing the initial draft, mentioning your professional roles and responsibilities, and quantification of your contribution to your team and organization as a whole is a major factor that decides whether the Admission Committee has been impressed by your resume or not. Make it a point to quantify achievements in terms of profits gained or percentage growth or man-hours saved, lucidly. Even mentioning the number of team members you may have handled, particularly in your professional history gives a good impression.

MS Resume vs MBA Resume

MS Resume	MBA resume
Academic Qualifications	Work Experience,
Work Experience	Internships and Trainings,
Internships and Industrial Trainings	Academic Qualifications
Research Projects	Research Projects
International Exposure	Professional Affiliations
Technical Skills	International Exposure,
Achievements	Technical Skills,
Certifications	Achievements,
Co-curricular Activities	Extracurricular Activities and
Extracurricular Activities	Community Service
Community Service.	---

As an MS applicant, you must present the technical aspects and scope of a project, seminar or internship, whereas an MBA resume should focus on leadership skills and explain the operational and functional skill set. Furthermore, the inclusion of leadership skills and entrepreneurial initiatives in an MS resume escalates the perceived image of the applicant but does not really hamper the chances of their admission in case of non-inclusion.

Related Links

• Common Errors in an Academic Resume
• How to make an Impressive Academic Resume/ Student CV
• Standard Academic Resume Format
• Shiksha Guidelines for CV