If you’re applying to the LBS Dubai EMBA program, you need a specific resume’ (or CV) for that program. In fact, go ahead and open up a word or Google doc called “LBS Dubai EMBA Resume” and work along as we give you the do’s, don’ts, and a template to download (yes!).
1. You should submit your CV for review by LBS.
Before you start creating your LBS Dubai EMBA resume’, you have to understand its importance. Not only will it be part of your application, but you can also submit it to LBS Dubai for a preliminary review. Ideally, this review, will get them excited about your application and make them WANT to ACCEPT you into the program. They should immediately see the value you can add to others in the program.
However…
You cannot submit the same CV that you blast out to recruiters for the LBS Dubai EMBA program. Since they are an academic institution, they aren’t going to fawn over your industry jargon or send your CV through a program looking for keywords. Actual people are going to read this CV.
So, you need to totally revise or rebuild your CV from scratch. Fortunately, the following tips will help.
2. Use the right one-page template.
Yes, one page. Even if your current CV is 5 pages of greatness, you can’t submit it. The application requires one page, so you should send only a one-page CV for review.
It is absolutely possible to condense even the longest CVs to one page. You simply have to include only the most important items from the admissions officer’s perspective. For example, does she need to know about all of your industry publications? Probably not.
Does she need to know every single work event you attended or certification you have acquired? Nope.
We recommend starting with a decent one-page blank template and copying only the most relevant information into it.
Fortunately, you can download this LBS Dubai EMBA Resume CV Template as a starting point.
We have set the paper size at A4, the margins at 0.5 inches, the font at Times New Roman, and the font size at 10-point. You should leave the settings as we have set them for the clearest presentation. Can you change the gray to a line underneath? Sure.
But don’t toy around with the formatting too much. Remember, your CV will be read by a person, and presentation counts.
3. Your LBS Dubai EMBA resume’ needs 3 categories.
As you can see on the template, your CV should include work experience, education, and additional information…in that order.
Work Experience
Work experience should include your professional experience that is related to your career starting at your current position. You can include 3 to 5 jobs and keep the CV on one page. If you had different positions within the same organization and location, try to group them so that they take up less space on the page.
Work experience is the most important section of your CV. Here’s what LBS has to say about it:
Make sure it’s written clearly, free of business jargon, and a true representation of what your job is.
Remember, this CV has to be read by a person who might not know anything about your industry.
Education
The second section–education–is short but hugely relevant. List any higher education (undergraduate/graduate/postgraduate) and degrees you have received. You have the option to include short and certification courses here, but keep space in mind. Only the most important and relevant items should be included.
Aditional Information
The last section is additional information. It’s there to mention any skills or interests that make you well-rounded or a “high performer” but are not necessarily related to your career or education. We like to see community service, languages, and bizarre interests. You should also include any groups you started or leadership positions you have that are not job-related. For example, if you sit on the board of a nonprofit organization…include it! Additionally, you can include certifications if you have page space.
4. Focus bullet points on outcomes, not descriptions.
The very first bullet point under each job should highlight your leadership and management experience. Specify the number of people you supervise or manage. If you have no direct reports, add agencies, subcontractors, or external companies that you may liaise with. This is all valuable management experience that an admissions officer needs to see first.
However, you cannot just list down what you need to do. You also have to offer the outcome. More numbers are better. Here’s an example of an outcome-based bullet point:
Supervised 3 direct reports; increased productivity by 17% in one year.
Of course, you want to mix it up a little. Not all of your bullet points should be number-filled one-liners. Use your best judgment. Want a second opinion? Whatsapp us and we’ll set up a call.
5. Write your CV with your specialization in mind.
The best applicants are writing this CV with their specialization in mind. The LBS Dubai EMBA program has more than 70 electives that you can organize around 7 specializations or concentrations:
- accounting
- economics
- finance
- management science and operations
- marketing
- organizational behavior
- strategy and entrepreneurship
While you can take courses from any area, it is in your best interest to be laser-focused on a specialization. Specific ones should speak to your goals more than others. For example, if you own your own business, you probably want strategy and entrepreneurship because it is simply more applicable to your goal of building your business or entering small business consulting. Unless the company you own is a financial services company, a specialization like finance would probably be of little benefit. Plus, you don’t want to select one you have to spend a lot of time explaining.
Once you’ve selected your specialization, take a look at your CV and see if there is anywhere you can tie in or highlight specific items of interest for that specialization. In our entrepreneur example, you might list:
- Businesses that you founded (even if you have a day job)
- Brands you bought or own
- Business clubs or meetups you participate in
- Any initiatives you launched that demonstrate you have potential as an entrepreneur
We see very few applicants tie in their specializations, so make sure you do!
LBS Dubai EMBA Resume/CV Don’ts
Just for complete clarity, we recommend that you DON’T do these things on your LBS Dubai EMBA resume’/CV:
- Add a picture. It’s not necessary and you don’t have the space.
- Make the margins and font super small. The resume’ has to be readable.
- Put more than seven bullet points under one job. Choose only the most important or those that have an outcome associated with them.
- Hide your leadership and management experience. Even consultants with no direct reports manage projects that involve people, so put this info front and center.
- Use alternative resume’ formats. An admissions officer should be able to look at your resume’ and see what you did in every position.
- Include every job you ever had. It’s just not relevant.
- Use the same verbs over and over. It’s boring. Use a thesaurus or Grammarly to help you find other words.
Happy Students Are Our Business!
