I have >7 yrs experience in healthcare, telecom, financial institution, start up & the government sector. Would the universities I went to derail my application? (they are not top unis)

Hi there

First of all, sorry to hear about the rejection, that is never fun nor easy.
 

While top or target universities definitely get 'extra points' on a CV screening, your university definitely won't be the sole reason your application gets dinged overall.

You seem to have a good number of years of experience and good certifications. Some things that I typically help candidates is:

-Storytelling: does your CV/Cover letter tell your story about progression, leadership and transferable skills to move into consulting? Does it make sense?
- Does your CV read like a consulting CV or does it read more suitable for past industries? THIS is one of the top reasons candidates get dinged - even if they will be fantastic consultants. Recruiters need to see 'you as the consultant' on the CV which sometimes takes a bit of re-work.
-Was impact shown over your job description? To be blunt, none of us should ever write the description of then job we held, recruiters don't care about it. What they do care about is the impact that we created while in the role. (e.g., Did you create a process that improved efficiency by 20%)

To answer your other question:
-Given you have under 10 years experience, a one page CV is appropriate

To give more insights on your unique situation I would be happy to chat further (as a Canadian with MBB consulting exposure and recruitment industry exposure).

Good luck!
 

Hey there :)

Your universities alone will not derail your application, but they can make the screen a bit tougher, so the story and clarity of impact in your CV matter even more. Your experience sounds strong, so usually rejections come from how the CV is structured rather than the background itself.

Your resume should be one page. Only include certifications that are truly relevant for consulting or your target role, not the full list. Focus on impact, numbers and leadership across your roles.

What helps most is sharpening the CV so every bullet shows clear, measurable results. Also make sure your referral is from someone senior enough and that your story is tight on why consulting now.

If you want, I can review your CV structure and help you tighten it.

best, Alessa :)

This is frustrating, and I'm sorry you hit a wall even with a referral—it really feels like a punch in the gut after investing so much time. To address your core questions: the universities are a factor, but they are almost certainly not the primary derailer here, especially since you have an advanced technical degree and relevant experience.

The biggest hurdle for experienced hires who have worked across multiple sectors is the lack of a clear, focused spike. While your 7+ years of experience across healthcare, telecom, finance, and government shows fantastic resilience and range, the screening mechanism (often driven by the immediate need for a specific project team) sees fragmented experience. They aren't looking for a Jack-of-All-Trades; they are looking for the absolute best operational excellence specialist, or the best digital transformation manager. When a reviewer sees a resume touching too many industries and functional areas, they often filter it out early because it doesn't fit neatly into an existing headcount bucket.

Regarding format, your resume must be one page, full stop. For a consultant, conciseness is competence. You have too many certifications. PMP, Lean Black Belt, and an AI Practitioner certification is impressive, but it dilutes the core message. You must select only those 2-3 certifications that directly support the one narrative you choose to present (e.g., if you pivot to Digital/Data Transformation, drop the Lean Black Belt). Every bullet point must articulate an achievement (What you did, How much value you created, and What the result was) and be tailored to the strategic thinking that consulting firms value.

Your next strategic move shouldn't be to apply again but to fundamentally re-engineer the story. Pick one area—like Data Strategy, or Government/Public Sector transformation—and rewrite your entire resume to position yourself as a deep subject matter expert in that single domain. This focused approach is what gets you through the blind resume screen.

Hope it helps!

Thanks for this overview of your situation. 

Since you have 7 years of professional experience, no, I wouldn't expect your university to be a limiting factor. They don't help, indeed, as flashier names would, but they shouldn't hold you back. 

Perhaps the CV could be improved or you just happened not to be the right fit for the role. 

Re the CV, it should be a one-pager for consulting. In case you haven't done so already, it would be worth getting it professionally reviewed if you are applying for roles. 

You might also want to read this guide about how to approach the application process:

• Expert Guide: Build A Winning Application Strategy

Best,
Cristian

Hi there,

With >7 years experiences and MBA, the universities are not that critical any more. 

The certifications don't add a lot of value on consulting resume - they are just nice to have, if you have space. 

In my view the a bigger concern might come from your far more diverse experiences than typical candidates - you have listed down 5 working experiences that are very different from each other, which almost make your experiences look random. Are some or most of these career experiences rather short also? If so, also not ideal... You'd really need to show that from these "random" moves, what have you accumulated that make you relevant for consulting...

Best,

Emily