How can I improve my CV when I feel like I don’t have much to show?

Question

Hey everyone,
I’m in my second year of business school and I’m starting to get a bit anxious about my CV. A lot of my classmates already have internships in consulting or finance, leadership roles in student clubs, or experience with case competitions, and I don’t have anything like that. Last summer, I worked at a small local business back home, mostly doing admin stuff and some basic Excel work. It was a great learning experience, but it doesn’t feel super impressive compared to what others are putting on their resumes.

I know I’ve gained a lot and I’m really motivated, but when I sit down to write my CV, it feels kind of empty, and nothing seems to stand out. I don’t want to fake anything, but I’m not sure how to present what I do have in a way that would actually get noticed by recruiters, especially for consulting internships.
Has anyone been in a similar position and managed to turn their CV around? I’d really appreciate any tips or advice! Thanks a lot!

Answer 1

Hello there!

I have been on this situation and have helped recently a candidate that was in similar spot. We’ve managed to get her CV approved by McKinsey, even with limited experience.

Let’s consider your existing experiences and possible ones:

For existing experiences, you should aim for achievements. What have you done in your school, internship and community that has measurable impacts?

For possible experiences: if you have the time, you can try to develop new stories worth mentioning. Some examples:1) crate a club regarding an interest you have; (2) engage in volunteer work. Big NGOs may have open spots for you to apply for, (3) if you are in an internship right now, try solve problems that may generate impact. That will be an opportunity for you to collect additional achievements that will enhance your CV, contribute to the fit interview and develop yourself :)

If you would like a free 20min session about your CV, let me know. We can discuss your case and I can show you my approach so you can decide if this is the right time to get professional help or not.

Kindly,

Mari

Answer 2

Sorry to hear.

You likely are right that you might not have much to show. In that case, most of your energy should go into looking for opportunities to improve your experience. So actually writing the CV would be a second priority.

When looking for opportunities, aside from cold applications, try to also reach out to your network, friends, family and the career centre at the University. Try to identify especially opportunities that would enable you to show that you've developed the sort of skills you'll need to use in your future job.

Sharing here a guide that lays out the sort of skills that consultants are recruited for:

Expert Guide: What Do Management Consultants Do?

Best,
Cristian

Answer 3

Hi,

You can:

Focus on impact and skills, even in a small business role, highlight anything you improved, streamlined, or took ownership of (e.g., “Improved invoicing process, reducing errors by 20%”).
Add academic projects, leadership in small activities, or certifications if relevant, anything that shows drive, ownership, or problem-solving matters for consulting CVs.

You definitely have more to work with than you think, happy to help refine it if you want! Best of luck!

Answer 4

Part of the solution is already in your answer: talk to colleagues who have the kind of experience you’re aiming for and get their advice.

Also, don’t limit yourself to internships. Look at volunteering, NGOs, sports, clubs—anything that shows leadership, impact, and drive.

Best,

Alberto

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Explore my latest case inspired by a real MBB interview: FastFashion - Customer Loyalty