Harvard Business School's HBX executive director Patrick Mullane has shared tips for career transitions. HBX is the institution's online education program. The school, which has more than a hundred years' worth of experience in business education, created the program to integrate technology with their faculty to share their passion to a wider range of students.
"The real focus has been on creating a learning experience that brings business education to life," the program's official website read.
"At HBX, we believe that education should be cerebral, yes, but it should also be riveting, kinetic, social, and mind-bending. It should be a series of unanticipated discoveries that change your capacity to navigate the world."
In a blog post, Mullane talked about his time in the military and how, when the time came to explore the world beyond it, he found that he was well-prepared in some areas but under-prepared in others. He shared tips on what he learned as he transition from military service to the private sector.
Re-acquaint yourself with business fundamentals.
Before Mullane started his MBA program at the Harvard Business School, he prepared himself by taking up an accounting course at the University of Nebraska. There are MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) such as EdEx and Coursera that can help aspiring MBA students brush up on business fundamentals. HBX also offers an integrated program that covers three disciplines: Econimics for Managers, Business Analytics and Financial Accounting.
Review and rewrite your resume.
Mullane offered three guidelines on how to write a resume. First, a personal statement or "objective" should bring the focus to the employer. Instead of just writing down what you want for yourself, include what you can contribute to your future employer as well. Second, keep it short. For fresh graduates, a one-page resume will do while two pages is the ideal maximum for more experienced workers. Third, take the jargon out of your resume especially if the industry you're trying to break in to is vastly different from your previous work.
