Overview
Did you know that over 60% of management consulting applications will fail to make it past the initial screening phase? Their consulting resumes end up in the rejection pile while the chances of a management consulting job drop to zero. Recruiting teams at top consultancies like McKinsey, BCG, or Bain (MBB) receive hundreds of applications, so they decide within just a few seconds if they want to take your CV forward. This makes your resume one of the most critical parts of the application process.
If you want to seriously pursue a career in management consulting, it is crucial that your consulting resume makes an instant good impression. Your CV must go into the actual requirements of a job in management consulting, so you can convince the reader instantly of your skills.
What Consulting Firms Look For
Consulting firms look for the following three attributes in their candidates:
- Leadership skills: The ability to influence other people, communicate ideas, and synergize with team members effectively.
- Problem-solving ability: The ability to effectively solve problems with a structured, top-down approach.
- Achieving mindset: The willingness to go beyond the call of duty to learn from experience and strive for the best results.
How to Write a Consulting Resume
Step 1: List Out All Your Jobs and Achievements
Write down everything you could think of: education, working experience, extra-curricular activities, achievements and qualifications, and the description for all of those things. You will trim it down later. Taking things out of the resume is easier than adding them in.
Step 2: Tailor Each Bullet Point in a Consulting Fashion
Each bullet point you write must at least fit the 5 criteria (output-focused, specific, implicit, cold, and perfect) to meet the eyes of screeners at a consulting firm. And that is the bare minimum requirement.
Step 3: Tailor the Visual Format of the Resume
Consulting is a field where creativity is extremely valued, for without it one cannot hope to solve unfamiliar problems day in day out. That said, reserve that creativity for when you get the job, do not show it on your resume. For this part, stick with a conservative look, just like how you would dress on your first day of work.
Other than that, you also need your resume to have a professional font and is skimmable.
Step 4: Trim the Resume Into One A4 Page
After having listed all the crucial bullet points, it is time to do some magic to make everything fit into one A4 page. You can either (1) omit content or write more, or (2) tweak the format of your resume, e.g. adjust the page margin or font size.
Whatever you do, make sure everything fits into one page. It is challenging, but one page only! If your resume needs to reach a second page, it is too long; and if it is only 0.7 pages long, it is too short. Everything must fit roughly into one page.
Step 5: Review It Yourself and Ask Others to Help
There is no limit to how many times you should review your resume. Do it as many times as possible, and do it early. Because the product you submit to your consulting firm of choice will have to be perfect, you need to scrutinize the document thoroughly before applying.
And ask around for feedback, you will need at least an objective opinion. Not only so, but you might also want someone experienced to proofread your resume for you. You can never be too careful.
Step 6: Correct mistakes and make improvements
After you have reviewed and got someone to proofread your resume, it is time to do the final touch-ups. Make sure everything is perfect before you apply for any job openings. It is as simple as that.