We're not here to tell you that a CV is crucial for Consulting roles as it is a known fact. However, the aim here is to emphasize its importance. Over 60% of applicants are estimated to be rejected during the initial screening stage and the top 3 consulting firms - McKinsey, Bain & BCG have less than a 5% of acceptance rate. That means your chances of getting into top Consulting firms are at stake with the quality of your resumes.
Top B-schools like ISB witnessed 22% of the total job offers in the big three Consulting firms (MBB). Predominantly, a perfect CV is the first stepping stone to ascend and gain an advantage in the competition. The truth is that resumes in the Consulting industry are different from resumes in other industries. And cracking the right formula for these CVs can be your secret to getting a foot in the door for an exciting Consulting career.
So how do you craft one? Let’s dive into the methodology for optimizing your consulting resume.
What Are Recruiters Looking For?
One of the important factors to consider while composing a resume is considering what recruiters take notice of. The top Consulting companies are seeking candidates with the following skills.
- Problem Solving: If you have demonstrated any strong intellectual abilities to solve a problem in your university or work environment, will be considered.
- Entrepreneurial Spirit: The recruiters evaluate your innovative thinking and study your capacity to take initiative.
- Leadership Skills: This is as literal as it can get. Demonstrate your ability to lead a team by detailing your previous experience.
- Outcome: Educate them on your ability to put ideas into action to produce positive results.
Quick Tip: The first objective is to draw attention to your experience by highlighting these unique skills as bullet points. Balance the points between these four categories to get ahead of the competition.
That’s not it! Senior executives of Consulting firms like McKinsey and Bain & Co. have revealed that there are 3 lateral attributes they look for:
- Brand Name: Mentioning any big brand names like top b-schools or renowned companies helps you stand out from the crowd along with the abilities mentioned earlier.
The top consulting firms are particular about the academic pedigree as they want to hire people who have the tenacity to survive the rigor of a Consulting life. It is the way for them to gain clients by simply stating “Mr. X is a Harvard alumnus” or “Ms. Z has 5 years of experience in Google”.
If you are not from one of the top b-schools, then you'll need to demonstrate your abilities in a strong suit to overcome this issue.
- GPA: It is one of the important elements the top Consulting firms look for. This is a golden egg factor to your CV score that helps them to screen the candidate list.
If you lack in this area, make sure to compensate with other impressive accomplishments such as great leadership and analytical abilities.
- Languages: Most Consulting firms operate globally and when they find a candidate that is multilingual is a bonus for them. Hence, your value to the firm increases when you know different languages more than knowing only English.
These 3 elements are majorly used to filter out the candidates for the next phase.
Tips For An Outstanding Consulting CV
Collect the raw data about your academic & professional experience and begin creating a CV.
- One-Page CV: It might be a difficult task but it is one of the unspoken rules in the interview guide. Add relevant points and accomplishments that are concise and to the point.
- Use 4 sections: Academics, Work Experience, Achievements & Extracurricular Activities
- Skills: Match your experience and knowledge to the skills that recruiters are looking for. For example: If the skill is problem-solving, mention the time you discovered root causes and proactively addressed them.
- Achievements: It is basically about “what did you do?” and “outcome of it”. “What you did” can be an internship, a course, or other relevant experience. As an aspiring consultant, for “outcome”, you should focus on key areas like revenue, cost, processes, clients, reports, & recognition.
- Keywords: Use keywords to make your point across efficiently. A few examples of keywords to use in your resume for relevant skills.
Problem-Solving
| Analysed |
Arranged |
Composed |
Created |
| Devised |
Developed |
Evaluated |
Identified |
| Improved |
Overcame |
Refined |
Solved |
Leadership
| Coordinated |
Delegated |
Directed |
Enforced |
| Executed |
Initiated |
Led |
Managed |
| Monitored |
Planned |
Represented |
Supervised |
Analytical
| Analysed |
Assessed |
Maximized |
Measured |
| Collated |
Performed |
Evaluated |
Quantified |
| Forecasted |
Formulated |
Investigated |
Figured |
Communication
| Instructed |
Communicated |
Convinced |
Highlighted |
| Illustrated |
Negotiated |
Persuaded |
Pitched |
| Represented |
Proposed |
Trained |
Mediated |
- Quantify: Consultants spend the majority of their time providing figures to pitch their proposals or demonstrate a positive outcome. As a result, try to quantify every point or result in your Consulting CV.
Once you are done with creating a resume, make sure to proofread it multiple times.
Bottomline
The demands and criteria are the same regardless of any consulting firm you are applying for. The guidance in this article will assist you in creating a strong consulting CV that will help you stand out from the crowd.
We all know that a CV isn't the end of the story of any consulting interview. It's only the tip of the iceberg; there's a lot more to discover and learn.
In order to bag an offer from a top consulting firm, go beyond just creating a CV and learn or upskill yourselves with the skills required and prepare for interviews.
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