What An MBA On A CV Says About An Applicant

Enrolling in an MBA from a top institution offers further kudos to your resume. When choosing a business school, seeking one with accreditation helps guarantee you’re applying to a robust program. For example, an MBA at the University of Strathclyde means you are part of a business school with triple accreditation from the three main business school bodies—AMBA, EQUIS and AACSB. The Glasgow school has run its MBA program for more than 50 years, making it one of the oldest in the UK.

BusinessBecause interviewed Lesley Pender, MBA director covering all programmes at Strathclyde, to find out how an MBA enhances your profile and can help you achieve your professional ambitions.

What does an MBA on a CV say about an applicant?

“Seeing an MBA on a CV indicates to me that this is a capable person who is used to persevering, committing, utilizing resources, managing their time, putting in the effort,” says Lesley (pictured). Someone with an MBA on their resumé also signals that they are capable of teamwork and working under pressure, she adds 

“A good MBA, particularly an accredited MBA, done by a student who is building on prior work experience, is a really strong signal of somebody’s commitment to doing well in their career.”

What leadership and management skills does an MBA offer?

Obviously a generalist MBA program will have leadership and management built into it, but Lesley says that Strathclyde's MBA is structured around the pillars of building capabilities, strategy and practice, and also responsible leadership. “We have a number of modules focussed on leadership, but responsible leadership and management nods to the external environment and also what students want.” 

This stronger emphasis on responsibility is one of the tweaks the university made to its MBA course last autumn. It’s testament to its efforts that Strathclyde MBA has also featured in the Corporate Knights Better World MBA ranking 2024, which recognises the world’s top 40 programs that are making business a force for good. Lesley says the strategic leadership development module covers a number of practical exercises and activities that encourage students to think of themselves as managers and leaders. They’re supported by Strathclyde’s personal and professional leadership development team, which consists of coaches, mentors, careers guides and industry colleagues who work with students on a one-to-one basis. The program also features small workshops which are also designed to help students prepare for their future careers. 

What networking opportunities are there on an MBA?

Strathclyde sees each MBA intake as “a cohort for life”. Initially students will network with their immediate fellow students but there are also opportunities to network more broadly across the university’s MBA portfolio. Strathclyde also delivers the MBA at overseas centers including Malaysia, Oman, Dubai and Bahrain, offering students a truly global perspective on the world of business. “We run a number of global meetups where we bring together students on our program in different countries, which include the opportunity to go into breakout rooms and discuss business issues, so they’re getting to learn from different cultures and to expand their networks beyond where they are based.” The university also operates a summer school where students can travel to and work with new groups of students. As well as networking skills the program teaches students how to use LinkedIn and to develop their person brand. 

What ROI can students expect on their MBA?

An MBA will offer students the opportunity to develop skills, behaviours and competencies that will reap benefits in the world of work. It also grows people’s confidence and broaden people’s perspectives. The Strathclyde program is highly experiential and based on collaborative learning. Students enter case competitions both on a national and international level, and also take place in boardroom challenges and consulting impact challenges. “The breadth and depth students gain, particularly from experiential learning, can have a massive impact,” says Lesley, adding, “you can fast track so much that would take a long time to develop in the workplace.” 

As well as the salary uplift that comes with an MBA Lesley believes that an MBA enables students to focus on how they want their leadership journey to progress and to map steps to get where they aspire to be. Lesley says that previous students often highlight the confidence that the course gave them in the boardroom and how it prepared them for interviewing for new roles.  

Life after an MBA

Lesley says Strathclyde students have gone on to work for McKinsey and other large consultancy firms, as well transitioning to new sectors/industries, launching start-ups or continuing their studies with a PhD. 

She says that the Strathclyde MBA is designed not just to be a business programme but a challenging, life-changing experience, which will make you question, re-think and re-evaluate how you do business. “Some students think they want to be entrepreneurs, but the program shows them that’s not the right path for them, others might not consider themselves entrepreneurial but discover that they are by doing the program.”