SEA MBB Experienced Hires - Resume & Cover letter Requirements

Hi,

Should you keep CV group by progression or project?

• I would show the progression within the same company rather than focus on projects you worked on. The reason is because all consulting firms look for a trajectory of excellence / high achievement.
• The only one situation where it might make more sense to group by "projects" is if you are coming in for a Practice Area hire, e.g. you are joining the Insurance practice and so you want to show topical expertise
• But based on your description it sounds more like you are already in consulting.. if that's the case then I would suggest to keep the role split.

Are CL required

• For BCG SEA for the experienced hire candidates I have referred they did not need a cover letter... but application requirements can change, so why not just prepare one anyway? Preplounge has a CL guide you can check out

Other differences should expect

• Yes there are differences - but hard to give a more detailed POV without knowing your background/what you are applying for eg.

You may find my following articles helpful:

Consulting in Southeast Asia

Succeeding as an Experienced Hire

All the best!

Hi there! 

For the first question on CV, I’d prefer to see progression within the same company. If I’m understanding you correctly, the alternative is to group experiences based on the type eg there could be a “transformation” section with multiple companies involved. This is probably going to be confusing. If you meant “transformation” projects within the same company, then yes, good to group them together and have one bullet point describing your progression

On cover letters, it’s not required at Bain. Feel free to check with the recruiters at other firms if it’s the same but my guess is it’s not required

No difference in process for experienced hires vs campus BUT there is a difference based on the role you apply for eg in Bain, applying at a Consultant level involves more assessments and interviews compared to applying as an Associate Consultant.

All the best!

Grouping your experiences by progression within the same company is likely to be the most intuitive way to structure the CV.

As for cover letters, these are increasingly surplus to requirements (i.e., recruiting teams tend not to really read them). That being said, writing a good cover letter and having it in reserve is a no-regret move just in case. There are plenty of free online resources (incl. PrepLounge) for this.

Hi there,

Yes, group by firm, and then as a subcategory have the progression of roles. Make sure that each bullet point is a highlight of your impact, not a summary of your responsibilities.

Regarding the cover letter, check with the recruiter and if you can submit one, do so, only make sure that it's a really great one, not one just written with ChatGPT.

Best,
Cristian

Hi there,

Yes — always frame your progression, not just your projects. Recruiters want to see momentum: how you’ve grown, stepped up, delivered results. A long list of tasks doesn’t tell that story. But a few carefully chosen outcomes that scream “top performer”? That gets attention.

Same with the cover letter. Doesn’t matter if they ask for one — send it anyway. Even if you’re applying via email. It’s one more way to stand out and control the narrative of your application.

Best,

Alberto

Hello there,

Besides what have been said, make sure to craft your CV around achievements. Most people do it in a task-based manner.

Happy to support you if you need professional guidance!

Best,

Mari