What are the best formatting tips and templates for an INSEAD MBA CV or resume?

A strong INSEAD MBA CV is crucial to standing out. It’s your one-page story highlighting achievements, leadership, and global impact. Admissions officers review applications quickly, so a clear, well-structured, results-focused resume can make all the difference. This guide outlines INSEAD’s CV format, key tips, and templates to help you create an impactful application.

What are the key requirements for the INSEAD MBA CV and resume?

INSEAD expects a concise, one-page CV that highlights impact, leadership, and global experience. Focus on key career achievements, measurable results, and international exposure. Include strong academic performance, notable projects, and leadership roles. Your resume should serve as a clear, powerful “elevator pitch on paper,” showcasing what makes you stand out.

What key sections should you include in your INSEAD MBA CV?

Your INSEAD MBA CV should follow the official one-page format and include four key sections: Header, Education, Experience, and Additional Information. List your full name, contact details, and optionally a photo. Under education, include degrees, schools, and scholarships. In experience, mention companies, roles, and 3–4 measurable achievements using action verbs like “led” or “achieved.” Finally, add languages, interests, certifications, and skills. Keep it concise, impactful, and results-driven.

What are the best formatting tips to make your INSEAD MBA CV have maximum impact?

Effective INSEAD CV formatting focuses on clarity and impact. Use clear headings and bullet points for easy scanning, professional fonts like Arial or Calibri, and consistent spacing. Highlight measurable achievements instead of listing tasks, and emphasize international or cross-cultural experiences. Balance academic and professional highlights—especially if early in your career—and use storytelling to show impact, such as turning “Worked in marketing” into “Led a 3-country campaign boosting engagement by 45%.”

What are the most common mistakes to avoid when creating your INSEAD MBA CV?

Keep your INSEAD CV concise, clear, and one page. Focus on achievements, not job duties; avoid jargon; highlight international exposure; and use a clean, readable layout. Showcase leadership potential and global mindset, following INSEAD’s official CV template for best results

INSEAD MBA CV/Resume Formatting Tips and Templates

Q: How Leadearly Can Help?

Leadearly, led by INSEAD alumna and admissions expert Sadaf Raza, helps applicants create impactful, one-page INSEAD MBA CVs. Through personalized reviews, storytelling guidance, and templates, Leadearly ensures your resume highlights leadership, global exposure, and measurable results—making your first impression strong and memorable.

Sadaf Raza
Sep 9
5 min read

When you think about applying to INSEAD, one of the world’s top MBA programmes, the first thing that candidates often worry about is writing convincing essays or coming across strong in the interview. But what many students underestimate is the power of a well-structured INSEAD MBA CV and how important it is to the overall recruitment process. As an INSEAD interviewer who works closely with the Admissions Team, helping to make decisions on who to give a place to or otherwise, let me help you understand the uniqueness of an INSEAD CV and what you must include in it.

Your CV is not just a admissions document but your unique story, compressed into one page. Admissions officers spend just a few minutes on each application, and a polished resume can be the difference between being shortlisted and overlooked.

Imagine two equally qualified candidates. One has a cluttered CV filled with jargon and the admissions officer is not immediately clear on what exactly the candidate has to offer, while the other has a clean, achievement-driven resume highlighting leadership, global exposure, and impact. Guess who gets noticed? The second candidate! That’s the power of carefully choosing your words and appropriate formatting.

In this guide, we’ll break down the INSEAD MBA resume requirements, practical tips, common mistakes to avoid, and even share templates you can start using right away.

Understanding the INSEAD MBA CV & Resume Requirements

Before jumping into design, it’s important to know what INSEAD looks for.

One-page format: Unlike other applications that allow longer resumes, INSEAD insists on a single page. This forces you to prioritise the most impactful achievements.
Career achievements: Your CV should show how you’ve made a difference – whether in leading a team, delivering results, or driving innovation.
Leadership and international exposure: INSEAD values global perspectives. If you’ve worked across geographies, collaborated with international teams, or studied abroad, highlight it.
Academic performance: Share your top achievements, key projects, and any scholarships. Even extracurricular leadership roles in university can demonstrate your well-roundedness.

Think of this as your “elevator pitch on paper”- crisp, clear, and impactful.

Key Sections to Include in Your INSEAD MBA CV

INSEAD provides a template to simplify the process. Based on the official INSEAD MBA CV & Resume requirements, here’s what you should include:

Section	What to Include	Example
Header	Full name, email, phone, optional photo (though I would highly recommend it)	FirstName LASTNAME / firstname.lastname@insead.edu / +65 XXXX ZZZZ
Education	Degrees, schools, years, clubs, scholarships	INSEAD MBA Class of July 2025 – Singapore/France
Experience	Company, role, years, 3-4 achievements in bullet points	Led a 12-member team to launch a new product line generating $2M revenue in the first year
Additional Information	Languages, interests, certifications, technical skills	Languages: English (Fluent), French (Business), Hindi (Native)

Tip: Use action words like "led", "achieved", and "launched" instead of passive phrases like “responsible for.”

INSEAD MBA CV Formatting Tips for Maximum Impact

Formatting is not just about aesthetics – it’s about readability. Here’s what works best for an MBA resume:

Use clear headings and bullet points: Admissions teams should be able to scan your CV in under 60 seconds.
Keep it professional: Stick to fonts like Arial or Calibri, size 10–11, with consistent spacing.
Highlight achievements, not tasks: Instead of writing “Managed a team”, say “Led a 10-member team that improved efficiency by 20%.”
Tailor it to INSEAD: If you have international experience, cultural collaboration, or cross-border projects, put them front and centre.
Balance between academic and professional: If you’re early in your career, include standout academic projects and leadership roles to demonstrate your strong future leadership potential.

Storytelling matters. For example, instead of just listing “Worked in marketing”, you could say, “Developed a digital campaign across 3 countries, boosting customer engagement by 45%.”

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even strong candidates sometimes trip up. According to INSEAD, common mistakes to avoid in CV's are:

Making it too long: Anything over one-page signals you don’t know how to prioritise.
Listing responsibilities instead of achievements: Admissions want to see impact, not job descriptions.
Using jargon: Keep it simple. INSEAD readers come from diverse industries; avoid acronyms and highly specialised terms
Ignoring international exposure: Everyone has some form of internationalism; for some candidates, you just have to work harder to highlight it. Consider if you’ve worked with global clients, studied an international course or even travelled extensively.
Poor structure: Cluttered layouts reduce readability and can cost you an opportunity.

Think of it this way: Your CV is not about telling everything you’ve done. It’s about showing why you are a future INSEAD leader.

Download INSEAD MBA Resume Templates

If you’re unsure where to start, INSEAD provides an official MBA CV template. This makes it easier to structure your document the way admissions committees expect. You can download the INSEAD MBA CV template here.

By using the template, you save time on formatting and focus on what matters - your achievements and story.

How Leadearly Can Help?

As the leading admissions expert on INSEAD admissions, we understand exactly what the school is looking for and can help you clearly demonstrate your fit for INSEAD. Many years before I founded Leadearly, I graduated with an INSEAD MBA in 2009 on a merit scholarship and have since helped countless candidates get into INSEAD, both as an interviewer and an Award-Winning Admissions Expert. Here’s how we help with your INSEAD MBA CV:

Tailored CV review: We help you highlight gaps in your profile (the admissions committee is sure to spot them, so it's better to address them upfront), refine achievements, and help ensure your CV meets INSEAD’s expectations.
Storytelling guidance: Turning responsibilities into measurable impact is an art – we help you craft your story in a unique and compelling way.
One-on-one coaching: You will always work directly with me, safe in the knowledge that I will personally assist you every step of the way.
Templates & formatting support: We share ready-to-use templates and advice you on how to adapt them to your profile and specific circumstances.

Your CV is your first handshake with INSEAD. Leadearly ensures it’s firm, confident, and memorable. Visit Leadearly’s INSEAD MBA page to get started.

Your CV isn’t just another requirement; it’s your ticket to being noticed by INSEAD. With the right MBA resume tips, you can transform a plain document into a powerful story of leadership, global exposure, and impact. Remember: one page, achievements-driven, and internationally focused.

Let Leadearly guide you every step of the way. Apply Now!