Category: Evening MBA (page 1 of 10)

Mastering the Employer Sponsorship Conversation,
As Told by Current MBAs

Pursuing an MBA while working full-time allows you to immediately apply new skills and knowledge to drive your career forward. For those considering an MBA program, seeking employer sponsorship can supplement your financial planning and make a top-ranked program more accessible. The Texas McCombs School of Business offers Evening and Executive MBA options in Austin, and Weekend MBA programs in Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston, all catered to working professionals, giving you the the ability to complete your advanced studies without career disruption. As you consider Texas McCombs and determine how to fund this investment, here’s how to have an effective conversation about receiving tuition support from your company.  

First, employer tuition sponsorship refers to companies funding all or part of an employee’s graduate school costs. This usually includes tuition reimbursement up to a set amount per year. It may also cover textbook purchases, travel for residencies, and time off to study and attend classes.  

Securing MBA employer sponsorship can be advantageous for both employees pursuing further education, as well as for companies supporting their staff. Some key advantages include:  

Benefits for Employees Benefits for Employers
Reduce out-of-pocket education expenses Improve talent retention
Position yourself for a promotion Encourage professional development
Gain skills to help you advance Gain employees with upgraded skills

Initiating the Sponsorship Conversation 

When looking to secure employer support for an MBA program, it is strategic to lay the groundwork with your manager early on. A current Dallas MBA student said, “My biggest piece of advice is to start the conversation with your manager about your MBA early on. Once I started doing research, I sought out my manager’s advice. We discussed my decision criteria, whether it was the right time to go, etc. This way, when it came time to talk about employer support it was 1 – not a surprise and 2 – came from a place of furthering my career, which is beneficial for both parties.” 

When the time comes to formally request financial backing, prepare specifics on your program of interest and anticipated costs. Antonio Hung (MBA at Houston) took this approach by first getting organized and gathering all the information possible.

“First, I made sure to understand our company’s sponsorship policies, then I set up a face-to-face meeting on a Friday afternoon with my manager to talk about my career goals and how pursuing an MBA could benefit both me and the organization. I was honest and transparent about my ambitions and how the program could contribute to our mutual success.”

The most compelling case ties your development to benefits for your employer. As Michael De Lucia (Evening MBA) did, “I explained that I thought getting my MBA would help me to be a more effective leader and build more core competencies that would directly benefit our team.” He connected his request to previous career path discussions showing how the MBA aligned with his roadmap, and highlighted how bringing back knowledge could aid his team. 

Tips for an Effective Discussion 

Having an organized, compelling case for tuition assistance is key to securing employer sponsorship. Useful strategies include: 

  • Looking at our curriculum to find specific classes/opportunities that McCombs provides that would benefit your company’s objectives and help you improve or advance in your role
  • Highlight the access to expert faculty and a wide range of other business professionals to learn from and to help you spark new ideas
  • Emphasize the strength of the Longhorn Network of students and alumni. This can come in handy should your company have openings they need to fill
  • Quantify the anticipated return on investment and performance benefits 
  • Align your goals to your manager’s career plans for you
  • Start the conversation early while applying, when your reasons for pursuing an MBA are fresh 

In my case, the areas I wanted to develop through the MBA were roughly the same developmental areas that I knew were going to get me on a better trajectory inside my current company, so I leveraged some of the same talking points from my application and my essays to talk to my manager about it,” said Giuliano Seguro (Evening MBA). “I also anchored on the example of peers and other people at the company that also had done an MBA and how it affected their trajectory within the company. One thing that really helped was introducing my manager to the managers of these other peers that had gone through the MBA so that my manager could understand from someone in their position what was like for them to have someone on their team that had gone through a similar program.” 

Addressing Challenges &
Managing Expectations

Your manager may be hesitant for reasons like budget restrictions or concerns about work disruptions. Be ready to make a case by highlighting your past performance. Offer reasonable accommodations like using vacation time to attend residencies or making up hours spent in classes. 

One of the more significant challenges I encountered during my MBA was a change of reporting lines,” said Kelly Benda (MBA at Houston). With the managerial change, I needed to be sure that my new manager was not only aware of the sponsorship agreement, but also supportive of the associated time commitment. To make sure each transition went smoothly, I initiated the discussion early.Every manager is different, but transparency was always the priority. I outlined the time commitments and potential impacts to my schedule and work. In some of my roles, my job included some weekend operational support, so I was constantly communicating with my manager when I was concerned about any conflicts with the weekend class schedule.”

Once sponsorship is secured, it’s vital to proactively manage expectations. Schedule regular check-ins with your manager to discuss program updates, workload changes, and potential flexibility needed for exams or course commitments. Come prepared with clear talking points and be transparent about any struggles so you can collaboratively problem-solve.

Seguro emphasized overcommunication: “I made sure that nothing came as a surprise to my manager at any time during the program. I had to get out of my comfort zone and learn to ask for help when needed. My manager knew what was going on with my MBA at all times and whenever I needed to re-balance priorities at work to fit the MBA and vice-versa, we were always able to find a solution together.” 

Share what you learn in the classroom with your manager and team. Not only does this benefit your team with the latest research on a topic, but it also demonstrates the value your employer is gaining by sponsoring you in the program. Often you will have the opportunity to use a team project assignment in class to solve an issue for your company. Look for these opportunities to showcase the benefits your employer is gaining through your experience and connections. 

I had a frank conversation with my manager on what I thought I would be able to reasonably take on while pursuing my MBA and they were candid in their expectations towards me. I detailed out the structure of the program (e.g. class Monday & Tuesday) and how I would be unavailable during those times but offered that I would be able to make up for that later in the week should it be needed,” DeLucia said. “My manager set the expectation that I prioritize and get my work done on time and that if there were things that I was struggling with bandwidth-wise that I would communicate and be upfront about it.”  

How Sponsorship Shapes Your
Career Trajectory
 

Securing employer assistance for MBA tuition not only eases financial barriers but influences career growth in meaningful ways. By backing educational investment in their people, companies open up expanded advancement routes and signal retention priorities. 

As Hung shared, it “gave me the confidence to pursue a working professional MBA without compromising my career trajectory. It reinforced my commitment to personal and professional growth while strengthening my alignment with the organization’s goals.” When companies invest in tuition assistance, it signals retention plans and advancement potential. 

For DeLucia, getting sponsorship approval “solidified that I would be able to successfully pursue the degree financially” and served as a catalyst. By easing the monetary constraints, he could accelerate his timeline and optimize his learning. 

The fresh knowledge gained also opens up new trajectories internally. As Seguro experienced, support enabled realizing “there was still runway for me to grow inside the company in areas I didn’t think possible before the MBA.” New business perspectives connected opportunities to pivot roles. 

As Matt Bowen (Evening MBA) summarized, sponsorship facilitates “this great synergy where what you learn on Monday, you can apply on Tuesday and what is learned on Tuesday gets applied on Wednesday, and so on.” When companies sponsor tuition, they reap the benefits of elevated employee skills and can quickly apply emerging lessons at work. The outcome is growth and mobility for both sponsored professionals and their supportive employers alike. 

Pursuing an MBA while maintaining your career is a challenging yet rewarding path that leads to immense personal and professional growth. By securing employer sponsorship, financial barriers can be reduced, and unique opportunities unlocked. With transparent communication, shared vision, and ongoing collaboration, employees and companies together reap the multitude of benefits from this valuable investment. The outcome is strategically aligned career progression, optimized talent development, and synergistic gains on both sides. Now equipped with tips for securing sponsorship, you can confidently initiate the conversation and put plans in motion to propel yourself toward your next-level goals. 


Visit Texas McCombs MBA to learn more about our programs and upcoming events or take a peek into student life on Instagram. For any inquiries, don’t hesitate to reach out to the MBA Admissions Team. We look forward to connecting with you on your journey to success.

Hook ‘Em!

Navigating MBA Funding Opportunities at Texas McCombs as a Student Veteran

Student veterans bring a unique perspective to the MBA classroom, shaped by their exceptional leadership abilities and experiences gained during military service. Their backgrounds and strategic mindset contribute to dynamic learning environments and deeper discussions. For veterans considering their post-service career paths, pursuing an MBA can be a transformative opportunity to leverage their skills and experiences for professional growth and advancement. Here, we are dedicated to guiding Texas McCombs Military MBAs through this journey and providing the support they need to thrive. 

Why Consider an MBA as a Veteran? 

There are several compelling reasons for veterans to pursue MBAs: 

  • Complement Leadership Skills: An MBA will expand your business and management competencies to complement the exceptional leadership skills cultivated during military service. 
  • Develop Strategic & Analytical Thinking: MBA programs teach innovative approaches to dissecting problems and developing winning solutions that translate to strategic advantages in any field. 
  • Job Mobility & Acceleration: An MBA credential enhances professional advancement opportunities, whether transitioning into civilian roles or seeking to further a military career. The knowledge gained through an MBA program can lead to new opportunities and accelerate career growth.  
  • Improve Assignment & Promotion Prospects: The MBA credential demonstrates a commitment to continuous learning and personal development, positioning veterans for success in leadership roles.  

Is an MBA Worth it for Veterans? 

Pursuing an MBA provides veterans with opportunities to transition into business and civilian workplaces. An MBA clarifies career pathways and opens access to management-track positions that an operational background alone may not offer. The MBA also enables veterans to speak the language of business, boosting their value and versatility across industries and sectors. 

Can I use VA Education Benefits? 

Students admitted to VA SAA-approved programs may choose to use their VA Education Benefits. UT Austin certifies benefit requests for Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33), Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E Chapter 31), Montgomery GI Bill® (Chapter 30), Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (Chapter 35), and Montgomery GI Bill® Selected Reserve (Chapter 1606) in accordance with VA policies. 

The following benefit types do not pay a tuition benefit but will pay a monthly stipend to eligible students: Montgomery GI Bill® (Chapter 30), Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (Chapter 35), and Montgomery GI Bill® Selected Reserve (Chapter 1606). 

These benefits cover eligible tuition (based on student eligibility percentage) and may pay a book stipend and Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) stipend:  Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) and Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E Chapter 31). 

For details on how to request benefit certification visit UT’s Veteran Certification Veteran Education Benefits website.  

In addition to requesting benefit certification Evening & Executive MBA students: If you are a nonresident or have not yet been classified as a resident, contact the Residency Office (residency@austin.utexas.edu) for questions regarding VA Education Benefits Non-Resident tuition waiver or re-classification to Texas Resident for tuition purposes.

Many top-ranked MBA programs, including Texas McCombs, offer additional financial assistance through scholarships, military tuition waivers, and other funding options. Understanding and maximizing the available benefits can alleviate the financial commitment of pursuing a Texas McCombs MBA.

Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) stipend considerations: MHA amounts are determined by the VA and vary based on enrollment status. Some months you may have full-time enrollment and full-time MHA. Other months you would have less than full-time enrollment and thus you would receive partial or no payments. It’s essential to understand how enrollment levels may impact MHA payments throughout the academic year.  

For example, if you were enrolled in 10 hours over an entire term and you completed 6 of those hours mid-term, the VA may consider you full-time for the first half of the term and pay you MHA accordingly. The VA would consider you less than full-time for the second half of the term (even though UT considers you full-time for the entire semester) and pay or not pay you accordingly.  

For more information regarding MHA, please contact UT’s Veteran Certification Team (gibill@austin.utexas.edu; (512) 475-7540). 

Out-of-Pocket/Program Waiver Details: The total program cost is itemized by three categories: tuition (generally about 80-85% of the total charges), course materials, and non-tuition fees. For students using Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33), the Department of Veterans Affairs will cover your tuition at your percentage of eligibility.  

To supplement the VA’s Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) tuition contribution, our program will apply a waiver to your course materials and non-tuition fees at a matching rate. For instance, if you have 100% Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) eligibility, your tuition and expenses will be fully covered, with the exception of your plane ticket to your Global Academic destination, and any optional items you choose to purchase, such as MBA paraphernalia. 

Hazlewood Act Exemption and Texas Military Waiver: While the Hazlewood Act Exemption is not applicable to all programs, such as the Weekend MBA at Dallas/Fort Worth and Weekend MBA at Houston, Texas McCombs offers the Texas Military Waiver to eligible veterans, providing financial assistance toward program costs. 

Applications for the Texas Military Waiver will require a Certificate of Eligibility, a DD Form 214, and a notarized affidavit (a sample will be provided to you upon admission). Please submit all items to StudentBilling@mccombs.utexas.edu 

Pursuing an MBA as a veteran offers a transformative opportunity to leverage military skills and experiences for professional growth and advancement. Understanding available benefits, financial assistance programs, and application procedures is crucial for veterans embarking on their MBA journey with Texas McCombs. We remain committed to supporting veterans and active-duty military personnel in achieving their academic and career goals.  

For additional assistance or inquiries,
please reach out to:
 
 

UT Austin Veteran Certification 
gibill@austin.utexas.edu
(512) 475-7540 

 

Lanita Hidalgo 
StudentBilling@mccombs.utexas.edu  


Visit Texas McCombs MBA to learn more about our programs and upcoming events or take a peek into student life on Instagram. For any inquiries, don’t hesitate to reach out to the MBA Admissions Team. We look forward to connecting with you on your journey to success.

Hook ‘Em!

Texas McCombs Working Professional MBA Class of 2022 Career Outcomes

The Texas McCombs Working Professional MBA offers a leading pathway to career advancement or transition without career interruption, according to Class of 2022 employment data. Embarking on a transformative journey, students in the Evening MBA, Weekend MBA at Dallas/Fort Worth, and Weekend MBA at Houston, have not only weathered the challenges of the business landscape during the pandemic but emerged with career outcomes that underscore the program’s commitment to excellence

Impressive Salary Outcomes 

The financial rewards of a McCombs MBA are evident in the Class of 2022’s salary average, which falls between $140,000 – $149,000. This figure not only reflects the competitive edge our graduates hold in the job market but also reinforces the program’s return on investment 

Graduates experienced an average base salary increase of +45%, not including bonuses, a testament to the program’s commitment to advancing the professional and financial goals of its students.  

Elevating Job Roles 

Beyond financial gains, the shift in job roles is equally remarkable. The percentage of graduates in senior or executive-level positions increased from 51% before school to 66% post-graduation. McCombs MBA alumni are not just climbing the corporate ladder; they are reshaping its summit, assuming leadership roles that drive innovation and impact.  

Top Industries of Employment  

The variation of interests within the Class of 2022 is reflected in their industry choices. Among the 140 students who reported their career outcomes, technology emerges as a dominant industry with 29%, followed closely by consulting at 24%. Manufacturing, energy, and financial services also play significant roles, comprising 10%, 10%, and 8% of outcomes, respectively. These results underscore the adaptability and applicability of a Texas McCombs MBA across various industries.  

pie chart that shows the stats above. Technology - 29% Consulting - 24% Manufacturing - 10% Energy - 10% Financial Services - 8%

Behind these outcomes stands the unwavering support of our dedicated career management team, a force recognized by our #1 ranking in Poets&Quants Best Career Centers (Poets&Quants, 2019). Committed to guiding each student through their unique career journey, our team employs a tailored approach that encompasses:  

  • Career Advising: Each student receives one-on-one guidance, ensuring their career strategy aligns with their aspirations.  
  • Employer Connections: Building meaningful connections is integral to success. The team facilitates networking events, career fairs, and industry-specific meetups to enhance students’ professional networks. 
  • Specialty Coaching: As part of the Texas McCombs+  program, students have access to communication and specialty coaches – seasoned experts who are ready to work with them one-on-one to refine skills in communication, leadership, strategy, organizational culture, and much more. 
  • Education & Training: Students learn how to successfully transition into a new career or accelerate their current one through our career education courses. Taught by knowledgeable professionals, and with a curriculum custom-built for working professionals, these classes cover a variety of career-related topics—from networking to interviewing to negotiating.  
  • Alumni Network: Following graduation, students join a powerful network of Longhorn alumni that expands throughout Texas and around the world.  

“Our Working Professional MBA Career Education and Coaching team provides our students with an elite and comprehensive journey to explore, prepare and connect with career opportunities that align with their goals. This experience, combined with an interactive and engaging teaching style, includes practical application and allows our students to create their own customized success upon graduation and beyond,” said Stefani Sereboff, Senior Assistant Dean, Career Management & Corporate Relations. “We are committed to creating a McCombs exceptional student experience and supporting careers for life.”

As we celebrate the achievements of the Working Professional MBA Class of 2022, we look forward to witnessing the continued impact of the McCombs MBA on future cohorts. Their success is a testament to the collaborative effort of our outstanding faculty, accessible alumni, dedicated staff, and of course, the incredible students who make the Texas McCombs MBA experience truly exceptional.  


If you have any questions about Texas McCombs, we’re here to help. Please visit our website for details on applying to each program and follow us on Instagram for an inside look into the Texas McCombs MBA. 

Good luck and Hook ’em! 

Texas McCombs MBA Class of 2025: Celebrating Growth, Unique Voices, and Accessibility

(Austin, TX) – Here, at the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business, “You Are What’s Next.” The Class of 2025 exemplifies this spirit, embodying our unwavering commitment to excellence, diversity, and innovation. Their achievements are more than just stories; they form the very fabric of our vibrant Texas McCombs MBA community. These very accomplishments mold our MBA program, which includes students from the Full-Time, Working Professional, and Executive MBA programs across our campuses in Austin, Dallas, and Houston, and cement our position as a top-ranked business school.  

With this context, three pivotal highlights define the Texas McCombs MBA Class of 2025 profile:   

🏆 Increasing Demand and Growth in Class Size:

The Class of 2025 at Texas McCombs reflects the growing enthusiasm for our programs in Austin, Dallas, and Houston. Applications across the MBA portfolio surged compared to last year, reaching a total exceeding 2,300 applications, and affirming the popularity of our dynamic community and unique learning environments.

Additionally, our class size has expanded by an impressive 9%, now with 509 incoming students. This growth not only underscores our status as a top choice for business education but also confirms the thriving demand for our programs across multiple campuses.

🏆 Unique Voices and Professional Excellence:

The incoming class celebrates a significant milestone: 25% of the class (as a % of U.S. Citizens & Permanent Residents) is composed of underrepresented minority (URM) students, marking a 7%-point increase. This achievement demonstrates our commitment to diversity and inclusivity, a commitment that extends across all our Texas McCombs MBA programs.

This growth isn’t limited to URM representation alone. Women in the class have also seen a substantial increase, rising to 33% (up 4% points), while the proportion of military veterans has grown to 15% (up 3% points) of the class.The importance of these developments cannot be overstated. The unique voices brought by our students enrich our learning environment and strengthen our academic and professional community. As we continue to grow, these perspectives collectively contribute to the excellence that defines the Texas McCombs MBA experience.

🏆 Cultivating Accessibility and Impact:

Texas McCombs actively contributes to the vision of propelling the University of Texas at Austin toward becoming the world’s highest-impact public university. This year, we welcomed more first-generation students, rising to 20% of the class (up 7% points). This increase spans all five of our MBA programs, demonstrating our commitment to providing accessible and impactful education, particularly to aspiring business leaders who are the first in their families to attend college.

It’s essential to recognize the importance of cultivating accessibility to make an MBA from a prestigious school attainable for first-generation college students. This reflects our dedication to fostering a welcoming community while nurturing the future leaders of business, regardless of their background.  

Full-Time MBA Class Profile 

Applications to the Full-Time MBA program increased, attracting over 1,800 applicants for a class of 241 students. This class brings with them a blend of experiences, with an average age of 29 and a strong average GPA of 3.46. Furthermore, 35% of students identify as female, 8% as LGBTQIA+, and 26% come from international backgrounds, representing 31 countries.  

In addition, the class demonstrates strong diversity within the United States, with 35% identifying as U.S. minorities and 18% as URM. Additionally, 14% of students have U.S. military service backgrounds. This year, we welcomed 37 Consortium members, 60 Forte Fellows, and 15 dual-degree students, further enriching the diversity and breadth of experiences within our class.   

Working Professional MBA Class Profile  

Though unique on their own (see class profiles below), the Working Professional MBA programs at Texas McCombs boast a set of compelling features that collectively define their excellence. With an average age of 31 and a middle 80% range spanning 26 to 37, these programs attract a unique cohort of students, each bringing with them a wealth of professional experience. On average, these students come with 8 years of experience. Impressively, 15% of the cohort possesses military experience, enriching the class with a unique perspective.  

Academically, our working professional students maintain a high level of excellence with an average GPA of 3.36. Working Professional and Executive MBA candidates have several options when considering how to complete the standardized test requirement as we accept GMAT, GMAT Focus, GRE, Executive Assessment (EA) score, or a test waiver. The incoming class brings an average GMAT score of 654 and an average GRE at 312.   

Executive MBA Class Profile

The Executive MBA program at Texas McCombs comprises 63 accomplished individuals, with 29% female representation. The class includes people of various backgrounds, with 42% identifying as U.S. minorities and 25% as URM, while 21% have backgrounds in U.S. military services. This experienced group boasts an average of 15 years in the workforce. Although standardized test scores aren’t required, the program values various factors, including leadership experience and personal impact, evident through their average 8.5 years of management experience.  

 

Notably, 27% of the class consists of first-generation students, offering unique perspectives. The class represents 21 cities in Texas and 9 states, with a strong presence from technology, healthcare, and energy sectors, enriching the Texas McCombs MBA experience 

The Future of Business Leadership 

The Texas McCombs MBA Class of 2025 is not merely a reflection of our program’s excellence, but an embodiment of our vision for the future. The increase in applications and class size, coupled with the growth in underrepresented minorities, women, and military veterans, showcases the program’s appeal and its role as a leader in the ever-competitive MBA landscape. At the same time, we’re proud to note that standardized test scores and GPAs remained strong, ensuring that academic excellence is a hallmark of our program. Additionally, the rise in first-generation students underscores the university’s commitment to making high-quality education accessible to all. With this class, Texas McCombs continues its journey towards becoming the world’s highest-impact public business school. It’s an exciting step toward the future where you, as a vibrant part of our community, will be what’s next in business and beyond. Your journey to excellence begins here. 


If you have any questions about Texas McCombs, we’re here to help. Please visit our website for details on applying to each program and follow us on Instagram for an inside look into the Texas McCombs MBA. 

Good luck and Hook ’em!  

Highlighting Your Professional Work Experience

When evaluating your application, our MBA Admissions Committee aims for a complete picture of your qualifications and fit with the program. It’s all about perspective. We look at your application as if we are holding a scale, balancing all the parts.

When considering the specific experience on your resume, on one side there’s a raw number of years (Quantity), and on the other is your job experience (Quality). To help you showcase your experience in the best possible light, below are a few key factors we are considering when reviewing your resume.

Quantity

Say that you are the CEO of a mid-size corporation. Wonderful!  Oh, you just started in this position? That’s an amazing accomplishment, but perhaps you’d still admit that your knowledge and expertise in such a new position wouldn’t be as developed as someone who’s been doing it for a few years.

Or maybe you have been in the same job for 10 years.  Wow!  No doubt you are a go-to person when it comes to that role, but could it mean that perhaps you didn’t take as much initiative or demonstrate the leadership qualities required to launch you to the next level? Or perhaps you have only had a project manager role for a year, but in that time you’ve produced measurable results and demonstrated leadership.  In these cases, the quality of your work experience matters more.

We acknowledge that there is much more to your work experience than the simple number of months/years you have been working, however, we want to ensure students in our programs have a minimum of work experience in order to get the full benefit of their MBA experience. This is in the best interest of all of our students, including you. You can only get one MBA, and you will get much more out of the experience with a few years of real-world, hands-on work experience under your belt. Additionally, it makes for a better student environment overall. You will be able to contribute more to class discussions based on your own experiences, and you will benefit from learning from other classmate’s experiences in other industries.

Quality

A general job title like “Project Manager” may seem lackluster, but could actually be pretty exciting.  Don’t let us make assumptions. Take every opportunity on your application to illustrate just WHAT about your job made your experience rich and rewarding.

On the flip side, a Chief Operating Officer title sounds impressive, but what kind of company did you work for and how extensive were your duties?  An impressive title with naught to back it up won’t move the needle in your favor when it comes to work experience.

Our Admissions Committee knows to look beyond mere job titles to understand the quality of your work contribution. Sometimes a flashy and important-sounding job title is used to attract candidates to mundane jobs. Other times, if you scratch the surface beyond a seemingly lackluster job title, you will find that the role is challenging and critical to the success of an organization. We’re trained to look beyond the headlines of your resume and look at the contributions you’ve made in each of your roles. Utilize the bullet points under each job entry to illustrate what made your experience rich and rewarding.

Progression

Striking a balance between quality and quantity is the progression of your work experience. Consider two hypothetical applicants:

Applicant A has 3 years of work experience. She’s worked for the same company throughout her career. Her first 2 years were spent in a rotational program where she was exposed to all aspects of the business. After the rotational program, she took a position on the operations team, and she was recently promoted to a team lead role where she will be managing a few direct reports.

Applicant B has 10 years of work experience. He’s been in similar software development roles for 3-4 years each at three different companies. There are only minor differences in his responsibilities in each role, and he’s never led a project or team.

Despite having less work experience overall, Applicant A is clearly on the more promising career path. That’s not to say Applicant B will go straight to the deny bin. He may be a subject matter expert in what he does, and he may be able to provide a unique perspective comparing and contrasting the various companies for which he’s worked, but he will need to explain elsewhere in his application why his career progress has stagnated.

Resume Writing Tips

The takeaway on work experience:  Years, titles, and accomplishments are not, by themselves deciding factors. To help you provide us with a clear picture, here are our top tips for showcasing your work experience on your resume:

Tailor Content – A resume should be a concise summary of your relevant experience, not an exhaustive list of everything you’ve done since high school. Don’t attempt to inflate your resume by padding it with material that doesn’t add value. Summarize where you can. For example, those three food-service jobs you had during college can be combined in a single line. You can also cut any skills that are common among all applicants like using Microsoft Office, and leave off skills that can’t be verified by the Admissions Committee like describing yourself as a hard worker or quick learner. Avoid jargon that is specific to your industry that our Admissions Committee members may not know. Also, there’s no need for an objective statement. We know your goal is to earn an MBA and we’ll ask about your career goals in other parts of the application.

Emphasize Results – We want to see how much you individually contributed in your role. Whenever possible, explain how you personally added to a team goal. Highlight your key achievements, not just the tasks that you preform. If the person replacing you when you leave your role could copy and paste your bullet points into their resume, that’s probably a sign you need to better emphasize your personal accomplishments.

Avoid Redundancy – Think of each line on your resume as a valuable piece of real estate. Each line should tell us something new. If you have performed the same task in multiple roles, it’s not necessary to list that same task more than once on your resume. Further, consider what underlying message each bullet point is conveying. You don’t need four different lines detailing exactly by how much you exceeded your sales goal in each of the last 4 quarters, plus another line saying that you won the Top Salesperson of the Year award. We can get the message that you are good at sales in half that space.

Show Balance – Past performance is a strong indicator of future performance. If you can show that you have previously excelled in the classroom or workplace while participating in other community or volunteer activities, then we will have confidence you can do it again in our program. An “Additional” section is a great place to detail your activities and interests outside of work and school. Feel free to share anything else you would like us to know like hobbies or a fun fact for a potential conversation starter.

Utilize White Space – Great resume content can only be great if a reader can easily access it. That’s where resume readability comes into play. Don’t forget to use your white space effectively. A resume is not about cramming as much as you can onto the page. Rather, give your content some space to breathe.

Enlist Proofreaders– We’re all human and have made grammar, punctuation, or formatting errors before, but doing so on a resume makes you look sloppy and like you’re not taking the application process seriously. We want to see a polished final product. Have a trusted and knowledgeable friend proofread your resume to catch the mistakes that your eyes glaze over after re-reading it for the millionth time, and don’t trust spellcheck to do the job for you.

Convey Personal Brand – Your resume can be unique to you. Especially if you work in a creative industry or position, it’s ok to use your resume’s style to differentiate yourself. Just don’t go too wild to the point where it distracts from your content. Have a peer give your resume a 30-second review and see if the impression you want to pop for a reader, actually does.

Remember, your resume is an important tool for us to get to know you, but it’s not the only thing we use to learn about your work experience. Your letter of recommendation also gives us a sense of you as a colleague and teammate from someone else’s point of view. We’ll learn about your career goals and how you plan to achieve them in your cover letter. Focus your resume on showcasing the quantity, quality, and progression of your work experience so far.


If you have any questions during the application process, we’re here to help. Please visit our website for details on applying to each program and follow us on Instagram for an inside look into the Texas McCombs MBA.

Good luck and Hook ’em!

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