Strategy consultant, financial consultant, HR consultant, management consultant, information systems consultant... The consultant is most often associated to a particular sector of activity.
You can already simplify the task of formatting your resume with our resume templates and examples.
It is anticipated that the employment of management consultants will increase by 22 percent between 2010 and 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In comparison, the national average for all jobs is 14 percent.
In order to remain competitive, companies need consultants to help them.
How to make a consultant resume
The consultant's resume must always be adapted to the position sought, and your consulting skills must necessarily be adapted to the sector of activity.
You can be a consultant because of your high technical skills (IT) or because of solid experience in a particular sector (human resources).
The layout of the consultant resume
The consultant's resume should generally be professional and focus on the reverse chronological format to show current work experience at the top followed by previous experience listed below in reverse order. This is because a consultant is often hired because of their vast experience in their field.
If you were not as experienced, you would begin with your skills and education instead of work history to show where your strengths are first.
The structure of the consultant CV
- Last name, first name
- Header related to the sector of activity and as precise as possible
- The profile introduction is short and specific
- Professional experience and academic background are mentioned
- Skills must be valued according to their relevance to the job offer
- References may be specified (except for competing firms)
Start with the consultant resume header
- The header should include the word "consultant" as this is the title of the position you are seeking.
- It must specify the sector of activity for which you are specialized: IT, marketing, HR, finance, business, management, strategy, etc.
- Ideally, the expertise related to the business sector is detailed: SAP IT, digital marketing, institutional HR, market finance, fair trade, remote management, international strategy, etc.
Example of a good header / Example of a bad header for a Consultant
Example of a good header for a Consultant Resume:
Bad header for a Consultant Resume:
Is a photo required in a consultant resume?
Do not include your photo as it is considered unprofessional in the US. Companies fear being accused of discriminating against a person because of their appearance. Therefore, they often reject all applications including a photo to avoid this.
Professional Experience in the Consultant's Resume
The more successful your career, the more important your work experience. This should be organized in reverse chronological order; from the most recent experience to the oldest.
Examples of professional experience for consultants
Here is an example of good work experience section: CORRECTAugust 2019-January 2021
- Supervised and directed activities in 5 departments with 6 managers and associate members with the positive result of $700k in generated revenue.
- Responsible for scheduling 80 employees to provide staffing to ensure productivity at an optimal level.
- Oversaw the takeover of 3 corporate acquisitions of smaller competitor firms and achieved turnover growth of 15%.
2018-2019 - Project Management Consultant - FinancePay
- Achieved success in monitoring 5 corporate restructuring projects and participated in organizational transformation and implementation programs.
- Collaborated with Finance Directors to design and implement plans and procedures to guarantee profitability of product sales.
Here's a bad example of work experience:
2014-2015 - Recruitment officer - Waltens
2019-2020 - Public relations manager - Public
Describe your professional experience on your consultant resume
Remember to specify succinctly the missions and possibly who your clients were (as long as the confidentiality of this information is allowed to be shared) and this, in accordance with what is asked of you in the job offer.
Education in the consultant's resume
The extent of the studies will depend on:
- the company you are applying to; some employers only hire people with an MBA for example
- industry; for example, the best engineering schools for IT consultants
Starting with studies or work experience
Your consultant's resume should highlight your professional experience if it is rich and relevant, and your academic background and training if they are essential to the proposed job.
How to properly list your education in a consulting resume?
The studies followed should emphasize:
- Year of graduation
- Level of diploma
- Name of the institute
- Title of the diploma obtained
- Possible mention of
Example of the Studies section of a computer consultant's resume
The sector of activity is web development? Your academic background may look like this:
2014 - Master's Degree in Business Web Development
Computer Science School, Manhattan, New York
Valedictorian
Skills to put in the resume for consultant
The skills are all the more important as the "HardSkills" are indispensable. For example: knowing computer language.
What are the main skills sought for a consultant?
Here is an example of the skills determined by a future HR consultant in a large-scale distribution.
Examples of HardSkills include:
- Passing the skills test
- Passing of the personality tests
- MBTI Profile Professional
- HR management software
- Recruitment process software
- HR performance software
- Bilingual English
- Office Pack
Among the Soft Skills:
- Written communication
- Optimist
- Organization
- Team management
- Power of persuasion
- Analytical skills
- Public speaking
- Persevering
You can find our resume templates and examples to help you.
Write the ideal hook for the Consultant's resume
The cover letter summarizes in a few lines why the candidate is ideal for the position.
Example of a catchphrase for an HR consultant in a large-scale distribution
For a junior looking for an HR consultant position in a large-scale distribution, it could be a catchphrase like this:
"With 2 years of experience in recruitment within the mass retail sector at different levels of the hierarchy, in stores and then at the head office, I now have one year of experience as an HR consultant for companies belonging to the mass retail sector."
Additional headings for your Consulting Resume
You can add information about your computer skills, the foreign languages you speak and your interests.
IT skills and certifications for a Consultant
Skills or certificates are sometimes required; this is the case, for example, for market finance consultants who must hold a certification issued by the AMF.
If this is your case, value such information and include it on your resume.
The languages in a Consultant Resume
In the consulting business, it is always a good idea to master several foreign languages.
The mention of foreign languages can be essential if the company is foreign (even if it is located in the United States) and/or if the clients are of several nationalities.
The certifications you can specify are as follows:
- German- Goethe Zertifikat, TestDaF, DSH
- Spanish - SIELE, DELE, CLES
- Italian - CILS
Levels must be indicated; for example, C2 corresponds to a bilingual level.
Areas of interest in a Consultant Resume
Interests can help us to better understand your personality.
However, consultants are recruited less for their personality than for their sharp expertise.
Unless you are applying for a consulting position in a very specific industry, your interests are not essential to your consulting resume.
In addition, if you are applying for the position of tourism consultant, and the consulting firm's clients are operators specialized in high mountains, mentioning your passion for mountaineering would be relevant.
Summary: The Key Points to Write a Perfect Consultant Resume
To write a successful consultant resume, you'll need to pay attention to the following:
- Your resume should show look professional to reflect your professionalism and ability to advise.
- The title of your resume should be as specific as possible and reflect your expertise in a particular field
- Your profile should be succinctly presented and briefly indicate your experience or skills within a defined sector of activity
- Your professional experience should reflect your expertise and ability to provide relevant advice
- Your academic background as well as your training and skills will be important depending on the type of consulting and its degree of technicality
Write a Consulting Cover Letter to Complement Your Resume
The cover letter is essential to "illustrate" the resume. As its name indicates, it must show your motivation, but also highlight the quality of your profile.
Professional experience will validate your knowledge in a particular field of activity.
Also, specify your expertise in light of the assignments you will be offered and indicate the names of the clients you have advised. The more prestigious they are, the more your advice will be valued.
You can use the suggested templates to differentiate yourself from the other candidates.