Gauri Chhabra
Planning to apply to a University in the USA? You have spoken to the admission advisors, zeroed in on the college, and have a fat GRE, GMAT score under your belt. All set? How about the resume? If you are thinking that you will dust the good old resume that you have been using all these years, let me tell you, you need to course correct—from your resume onwards.
Applying for higher studies in the US is a comprehensive task. As part of the application, your resume is the first document, the admission officers in most universities will get to see. And if it is the same whirlwind of your education background and the mushy sentiments that looked so flowery while applying for Indian Universities, you need to unwind. It is not a matter of right or wrong- it is a matter of cultural diversity. India and most of the Asian countries are considered countries of circular logic where a lot of high context is required. On the other hand, the USA and the other western countries go by direct and engaging style where a very low or minimal context is required. Schools want to know a candidate’s basic information, including educational background, academic performance, experience and other skills. A good resume will answer all those questions in a clear and straightforward way.
In simple words, a resume acts as your brag sheet or a marketing tool where you can let the admissions committee know what you’ve been up to in school! . So you basically need a resume during college admissions process, to show a brief summary of your background, your scholastic achievements & accomplishments. A resume enables you to list out your skill-sets and your qualifications. You can enumerate the various awards, extra-curricular activities, events etc. that you were a part of, in school.
A well-written and well-developed resume gives you a definite edge over other applicants especially when applying for colleges to study abroad becomes so competitive. . Here are a few tips on how to make your resume stand out in the competitive application process
Heading
Start with the basics-your full name; current address; primary phone number, which is most likely your cell; and e-mail address. If you use Skype, you may include your Skype id so that you can be easily contacted. Prefix your phone number with the India code.
GPA
Your GPA matters. If it is 3.5 or higher, you should include it. Good academic performance can tell admissions officers that you have the potential to do well in your field and that you take your studies seriously. Your GPA doesn’t just measure your grades, but can also suggest whether you are capable of continuing your studies at a higher level. If your GPA in your major is higher than your overall GPA, you may indicate both, listing your major’s GPA first. If you choose to include your GPA, be sure that it is accurate because you may be asked to verify it.
Co-curricular
Add variety to your resume by showing that you work hard and play harder! List out the major -curricular activities you’ve been involved in, be it at school or some youth club. Give a description of the activity, how long you’ve been into this activity/the years you were involved in the activity, your responsibilities and the number of hours involved per week.
Test score and Proficiency in English
A singular feat that most of the admissions directors are looking for is the ability to communicate in English. You may view these as punitive, but it is the critical factor. The requirements are actually meant to help guarantee their success. The last thing anyone would want is for a student to come to the United States for graduate study and fail, especially if that can be prevented. Confirming English proficiency is critical to the success of an international student’s application. Include scores of tests like the GRE or GMAT or IELTS etc. If you are applying for a research based program, your research and LOR will be of higher value than GRE, but if may be it is not a specifically research based MS program, then it is possible that GRE may matter more. A good GRE score will most certainly help.
Internship Experience
Another thing that is taken very seriously in the US is your internship. While in India, I have seen many students go for an internship in a divergent field than their higher studies or the job. In the USA, it makes sense if your internship dovetails into either your job or higher studies. For instance, in case you wish to go in for a Law degree, an internship with an NGO would actually help. Sell any U.S. work or internship experience. Some programs may say that no experience is required to apply, but the reality is that having work or internship experience will give you an edge. An internship experience in your field will help you foster new professional connections, build relationships with colleagues who can write letters of recommendation and construct a strong resume to stand out at job fairs and interviews after graduation.
Diversity Management and Community work
You are from somewhere the school is not. This means you have been exposed to a different government and history and have a unique perspective on international relations. Use these global experiences to distinguish yourself as an academic asset. To describe your interest in community service, you can write about a project with an NGO, where you might have worked with the marginalized sections of the society. This would display cultural attitudes of inclusion and service and respond to community needs and also demonstrate that you are an eager team player. It would help you build a corridor between your country and the university that you are aiming at. Presenting an issue of global import and discussing your nation’s response allows you to state and defend your opinion and talk about what you would like to do about it if you had the education to back up your beliefs.
Attention to Detail
A well organized, easy to read, and error free resume indicates an intelligent and well-organized individual. A sloppy, dense, or error-filled resume indicates a lazy and “lacks attention to detail” individual. Often misspelt words like’ carrier objective’ instead of ‘career objective’; ‘martial instead of marital’ may mar your chances of your resume being picked up.
Direct in Tone and Tenor
A very significant difference in the communication style between India and the US is that in India, we tend to be wordy in our communications- more so in our resumes. We tend to make them flowery rather than action and result oriented. While applying for universities in the US, be more action oriented and direct. For instance, in your internship details we normally write- “Internship with an IT firm in in Chandigarh where I created an online library portal”. If you want to cut it out for a US university it should say- Developed and optimized a library portal on ASP.NET thereby reducing the loading time from 45 seconds to 5 seconds.
No hyperbole
Don’t over exaggerate your resume because most likely, they will cross check everything you mention in there. Also, keep in mind that they are experts evaluating your CV, and in the course of your interaction with them, if any of the things you’ve mentioned in your resume slips, then you will be hauled up and be accountable. So while, you should do everything in your power to ensure that your resume fits the bill accurately, don’t get tempted to market yourself over the top.
To sum it all, your resume will stand out only if it fits the requirements, language and the culture of the country it is directed to land. So make sure, you make it fit rather than you trying to fit in …
Follow our WhatsApp channel
