Resume Help

[mwgoldy]

Hello,

I am applying to business schools and I have a couple of questions about my resume. It has been 5 years since I graduated college. I have held two positions in one department (staff analyst and senior analyst), then another position in a different department.

1. Should I include community service on my resume or should the resume remain "strictly business." I have one week-long solid experience that I have completed 3 times.
2. Should I include a Teaching Assistant position from college on the resume? It is a little outdated, but relevant to school.
3. If I held two different positions in the same department (i.e., staff analyst, and senior analyst), should I split up the entries on my resume, or should I have the same accomplishments for both?

Thanks everyone in advance for your assistance.

[Tani]

Hello,

There are many solid essay formats on line that can help answer your questions. Richard Montauk's book How to Get Into the Top MBA Programs has a strong example. You may include extracurricular activities on your resume if they are significant (i.e. you have been involved over a long time and in a leadership position). Activities particularly relevant to your career goals are the best.

The teaching assistant bit is okay if it is relevant, but don't devote more than a line to it, especially if it pushes the resume onto a second page.

For clarity, it's usually best to split achievements by position within the same company if the jobs are substantially different. If the promotion merely represents doing more of the same with a bigger title, then I would collapse the two. If, however, the position change shows real increases in responsibility and breadth and/or movement to another functional area - something that significantly broadens your background - then showcase the change by separating them.