Additional Important Resume Information for Northeastern University MBA Students

PROFESSIONALISM
Your resume should be proofread and error free
Please review for grammar, spelling and punctuation.
Capitalize appropriate words – i.e., the names of foreign countries, nationalities, and
languages. Do not capitalize industries or disciplines such as marketing, finance or supply
chain management.
For percentages, use the percentage sign (%).
Do not abbreviate co. and corp. - spell out company and corporation.
Write out years (e.g., 2001-2004 not 2001-04 or ’01 – ‘04).
Numbers lower than 11 should be written out – (e.g., three not 3).
Numbers at the start of a sentence should be written out.
Use numbers for large monetary amounts ($18.3 million).
Be careful not to use acronyms or abbreviations that aren’t familiar outside of the company
you worked in.
Use your Northeastern University e-mail address.
ALWAYS have someone else proofread your resume!

RESUME APPEARANCE AND FORMAT

Your resume should be appealing to the reader and easy to read.
It should look professional and can be quickly scanned to see dates of employment,
company name, job title, etc.
MBA resumes should only be one page in length, unless you have over seven years of
experience and have held several jobs.
Your jobs should be listed in chronological order with the most recent job first.
Be sure the format is consistent throughout your resume and that the titles, dates, etc. line up
consistently throughout the resume.
Please check it after it is printed to make sure formatting looks appropriate.
Use the Times New Roman font, nothing lower than 10 point.
Do not use italics or include web sites
Keep your left-hand margin even on your resume and use an appropriate balance of white
space.
Be aware of verb tense, using present tense for a job you will be in while you are in the
MBA program and past tense for prior jobs, including any jobs you are leaving in order to
attend the MBA program.
Start each bullet point under experience with an action verb. Do not use passive wording.
(For example. Marketed products successfully…versus Responsible for marketing
products…..)

1
Action Verbs for Use in Writing Accomplishment Statements

Start each accomplishment statement on your resume with an action-oriented verb. Use the present
tense for jobs you are continuing in while you are in school; use the past tense for previous jobs or
jobs you will be leaving when you start school.

Management and Leadership Communication Skills Teaching or

Skills Research Technical Training
Skills Skills Skills
Accomplished Enhanced Addressed Lectured Clarified Adjusted Adapted
Achieved Ensured Answered Listened Collected Assembled Advised
Administered Established Arbitrated Mediated Compared Built Clarified
Advanced Evaluated Arranged Moderated Critiqued Calculated Coached
Analyzed Executed Authored Motivated Diagnosed Computed Communicated
Approved Hired Clarified Negotiated Evaluated Constructed Conducted
Assigned Improved Consulted Persuaded Examined Designed Coordinated
Attained Increased Contacted Promoted Explored Devised Demonstrated
Authorized Motivated Corresponded Publicized Extracted Engineered Developed
Awarded Negotiated Developed Reconciled Identified Fabricated Educated
Briefed Orchestrated Directed Recruited Inspected Maintained Emphasized
Chaired Organized Documented Reported Interpreted Operated Enabled
Coached Oversaw Drafted Responded Interviewed Overhauled Encouraged
Contracted Planned Edited Spoke Investigated Programmed Evaluated
Consolidated Prioritized Enlisted Summarized Organized Remodeled Explained
Convinced Produced Formulated Translated Reviewed Repair Expressed
Coordinated Recommended Influenced Wrote Summarized Solved Facilitated
Delegated Reviewed Interpreted Surveyed Trained Guided
Determined Scheduled Systematized Upgraded Informed
Developed Selected Initiated
Directed Strengthened Instructed
Employed Supervised Lectured
Enforced Persuaded
Presented
Set goals
Stimulated
Tutored

2
Action Verbs for Use in Writing Accomplishment Statements (continued)

Helping or Team
Organizational Skills Financial Skills Creative Skills Player Skills
Arranged Administered Acted Accelerated
Catalogued Allocated Conceptualized Advocated
Categorized Analyzed Created Aided
Centralized Appraised Designed Assessed
Chartered Audited Developed Assisted
Classified Balanced Directed Augmented
Coded Budgeted Established Clarified
Collected Calculated Fashioned Coached
Compiled Computed Founded Collaborated
Corrected Developed Illustrated Contributed
Corresponded Estimated Imagined Coordinated
Distributed Forecasted Improvised Counseled
Executed Managed Innovated Demonstrated
Filed Marketed Instituted Diagnosed
Generated Planned Integrated Educated
Incorporated Projected Introduced Expedited
Inspected Reconciled Invented Facilitated
Logged Researched Originated Familiarized
Maintained Performed Guided
Monitored Planned Referred
Operated Revitalized Rehabilitated
Ordered Represented
Organized Supported
Provided
Purchased
Reviewed
Sorted
Streamlined
Verified