Within seconds, ChatGPT can produce fairly solid answers to MBA essay prompts

Using AI to Craft Your MBA Resume

As AI tools like ChatGPT become more prevalent, prospective MBA students may be wondering whether or not to leverage AI to help write their MBA resume.

Dr. Marlena Corcoran, founder of Athena Mentor and contributor at Forbes, recently discussed some important factors to note when utilizing AI to craft your resume.

SAVING TIME

Crafting a resume from scratch can be a time-consuming process. You have to find the right format to use and ensure that you’re including all the essential details. AI tools can save you hours of precious time with pre-made templates.

“Several companies now offer free and paid versions of AI-powered online templates with fill-in masks that insure that your CV is properly formatted,” Corcoran says. “Once you choose a template, boxes will pop up, inviting you to type in the necessary content: name, address, and so on.”

While AI tools can help you save time by providing you a template to start with, you’ll still need to actually write the resume itself.

“You will need to gather the information on each step of your education or work experience, come up with succinct statements of your accomplishments, choose active verbs and quantify results,” Corcoran says.

KEEP AN EYE ON FORMAT

Employers typically use an AI-powered program to evaluate thousands of job applications. Having your resume formatted correctly is key to getting it read by a recruiter.

“An applicant tracking system is programmed to read a list of accomplishments in reverse chronological order, looking for specific key words,” Corcoran says. “It cannot read any other format. In particular, it cannot read images, or the columns or tables you may be tempted to use to keep your data in order.”

Additionally, experts say it’s important to utilize a standard format when crafting your resume.

“To optimize your resume for AI scanning, use standard fonts and formats, and incorporate relevant keywords naturally throughout your content,” Lisa Rangel, CEO of Chameleon Resumes and Top Voice for Resume Writing on LinkedIn, says. “Avoid complex, two column layouts or ornate graphics that might confuse AI parsers and ensure your document is saved in a compatible file format like PDF or Word.”

Sources: Forbes, LinkedIn

Next Page: Tips for USC Marshall’s 2023-2024 MBA Essays