If you have an MBA and you’re looking for a job right now, I strongly advise you not to put MBA after your name at the top of your resume or on your LinkedIn profile. Here’s why…

Recruiters are skimmers, and when they’re reviewing resumes for a job that doesn’t require an MBA, they don’t expect (or want) to see applicants with MBAs.

So, when the very first thing recruiters see on your resume is your name with MBA after it, they think they shouldn’t even bother to contact you.

You Might Be Considered “Overqualified”

There are a lot of jobs that no longer require advanced degrees. Therefore, when you put MBA after your name on your resume or LinkedIn profile, your application could potentially be skipped over because you’re being seen as overqualified. This is why I don’t encourage you to put MBA after your name.

As a career coach, the only letters (abbreviations for degrees/certifications) I advise my clients to put after their name are the ones you need to have in order to do the job.

For example:

JDCPAPEPhD

Those abbreviations, and others like them, are the exception. However, the job market is saturated with MBAs, and I have many clients with MBAs who are being told they’re overqualified, so why broadcast that degree only for you to be screened out before they even look at your skill sets?

Instead of putting MBA after your name, keep that information in the education section on your resume and LinkedIn profile. That way, if a hiring manager needs someone with an MBA, they’ll be able to find that information there.

You’re not taking the degree off your resume or LinkedIn profile. You’re simply changing how you market yourself so you don’t come off as overqualified in your job search.

This is one of the many tips and tricks that a lot of people aren’t aware of, and it’s impacting their ability to be seen in this super competitive job market. Play down the MBA right now. You don’t need the letters after your name. Trust me.

Good luck, and go get ’em!

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