Many job seekers struggle with the education section of their resumes, and for good reason. To gain a competitive advantage in any job search, you need your resume to stand out from the crowd. To accomplish that feat, you need to ensure that the entire presentation properly depicts the value you can add to any position. Educational details can help to establish your credentials and suitability for the job.
What if you have an advanced degree like a Master’s in Business Administration? To properly include this graduate information, you need to know how to list an MBA on your resume.
Yes, your MBA needs to be included
Your MBA is an important achievement, and one that you worked hard to obtain. Employers can’t help but be impressed by the degree, and they recognize the level of dedication it represents.
When you know how to list an MBA on your resume, you can use it to enhance your credibility and increase employer interest. So, if you’ve ever had anyone tell you that you shouldn’t include your MBA in your resume, feel free to ignore that advice!
How to list an MBA On a resume: the guidelines
The good news is that there are some simple guidelines that can help you learn how to list an MBA properly. If you follow these tips, you should have no problem documenting that achievement:
You can opt to include the full name of the degrees, Master of Business Administration, or just the initials. The MBA can be written with periods – M.B.A., or without. However, you probably should include both so you encompass all keyword variations on your resume.
Depending on how you got your education, you can list your MBA first, or after your school. For example, if you obtained all your degrees at the same school, then you should probably list the school first and the degrees underneath that heading. On the other hand, if you obtained your MBA at a different school than your other degrees, you may want to list degrees first, with the schools listed after each degree.
You only need to include the MBA specialization if it is relevant to the position.
Honorariums can be included as well but try to include only the most relevant awards and honors.
The college’s business school may add flavor to the resume. However, it is not typically a necessary element.
These details all go in the education section on your resume. You can also choose to highlight the fact that you have an MBA in your cover letter if you wish.
Example of how to list an MBA on a resume
In addition to those basic guidelines, there are some other tips that can help you properly list your MBA information. For example, you should always list educational achievements in a chronological resume format, in reverse order (also known as reverse chronological order):
ABC University, Anytown, Anystate
Master of Business Administration (MBA), Marketing, 2012
XYZ College, Yourtown, Yourstate
Business & Marketing, 2009
And so on. If you achieved high marks, you can include your grade point average details as well – but only if you maintained a GPA of 3.5 or higher. If you choose to include a GPA, place it at the end of each listing, right after the year.
You can even include coursework in your description – but only the most relevant courses. Never include courses that don’t have direct relevance to the desired job. That holds true for your thesis as well. Only include information about your chosen thesis if it involved a topic relevant to the position.
You also want to ensure that you list both "Master of Business Administration" and the acronym "MBA" on your resume. This is because most companies use an ATS (Applicant Tracking System) which is software that automatically screens your professional resume to see if you're qualified for the position.
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Listing MBA after your name on a resume
There has been a lot of debate on whether you should list your MBA designation after your name on a resume.
The answer is that it depends on the position you're targeting.
If the job position requires or prefers a candidate with an MBA- then you should include it right there with your name!
If it's not really relevant to the position then you should only include it under the education section of your resume only. In very limited cases, you can even exclude education from your resume, but this generally does not apply to an MBA which is valued by most employers and hiring managers.
Example of MBA after a name on a resume:
How to list an MBA in progress on a resume
Finally, you may need to know how to list an MBA in progress on your resume. If you are currently pursuing your MBA and have a good idea about when it will be finished, note that fact. You can use the same format that you use for any other MBA listing, with one adjustment: an anticipated completion date.
Related read: how to include education in progress on a resume
For example:
ABC University, Anytown, Anystate
Master of Business Administration (MBA), Marketing, Expected Completion: 2019
As you can see, learning how to list an MBA on your resume is easier than most people think. By following the simple guideline and tips in this post, you can easily add that impressive information to your resume. And that should help to bolster your credibility and increase the likelihood that you’ll get that coveted job interview you need.
Summary
You worked hard for your advanced degrees and you deserve to display your MBA in a place of honor on your resume! You have a few options for where and how to include your degree. Congratulations on your degree, and good luck with your job search!
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Written by
ZipJob Team
The ZipJob team is made up of professional writers and career experts located across the USA and Canada with backgrounds in HR, recruiting, career coaching, job placement, and professional writing.
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