CV editing

CV
New answer on May 30, 2023
6 Answers
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Anonymous A asked on May 24, 2023

Hi everyone, I could really use some help for my CV.

 

I am working on my CV for a consulting job and I have few questions:

1- Which sentence is stronger?

  • Awarded in 5 semesters for high GPA by XXX scholarship sponsor 
  • 5 awards for high GPA by XXX scholarship sponsor 

2- I spent a year in a job that was very routinal ( not sure if that's a word ) did not do any great accomplishments, is it ok to keep its built points basic? just the daily tasks?  

3-If you are familiar with honors college, how do I list it in my CV? does anyone know?? can it be 

University of XXXX 

Bachelor of Science in XXXX (University honors)

or 

University of XXXX 

Bachelor of Science in XXXX 

- Honors College (University Honors Scholar)

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Cristian
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Content Creator
updated an answer on May 25, 2023
#1 McKinsey Coach by rating & recommendation rate

Hi there, 

Let me take them one by one. 

1. The second

2. No, don't write about the tasks. You need to then pivot and either speak about performance vs peers or try to somehow link your actions to the impact the business entity had while you were there. 

3. It's difficult to give you feedback without having the full CV before me, but I would rather position the honours as being something that you achieved additionally, almost as an award, so it catches the attention of the interviewer. 

Happy to provide full feedback on the CV - this is one of the areas with the highest ROI to get expert support on.

Best,
Cristian

(edited)

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Ian
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Content Creator
replied on May 25, 2023
MBB | 100% personal interview success rate (8/8) and 95% candidate success rate | Personalized interview prep

Hi there,

I am working on my CV for a consulting job and I have few questions:

1- Which sentence is stronger?

Is this under education? If so, then neither! It should say:

  • XXX Scholarship for high GPA (5 semesters)

If it's an experience bullet point then it needs to be a full sentence.

2- I spent a year in a job that was very routinal ( not sure if that's a word ) did not do any great accomplishments, is it ok to keep its built points basic? just the daily tasks?  

No. You need to avoid basic bullet points as they will detract from your resume (make it worse, not better). Find a way to make them sound better. Grab “extra” work/initiatives you did during this time. There's always a way!

I have never ever seen a resume I couldn't make look better than the real tasks/role was.

3-If you are familiar with honors college, how do I list it in my CV? does anyone know?? can it be 

Both work! I depends on the rest of your resume. (Space you have, what else you have under that university for bullet points etc.). It's an asthetic decision made hollistically with the whole resume.

 

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Anonymous replied on May 25, 2023

Dear candidate, 

 

Regarding a strong CV so much matters, for your questions:

- Gladly mention your honors degree and if there is space, include a brief few words description of most interesting scholarships

Generallyention your accomplishments, demonstrate that you are a great leader, great entrepreneur, outstanding young professional ( think about the story you want to tell with your CV and why you are a great fit for the firm).

Regarding your routine tadk role, think of what you accomplished in that time OR if you developed any own initiatives, exemplified that you can manage a team, fond original approaches. This will be more exciting.

 

Best regards,

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Emily
Expert
replied on May 24, 2023
300+ coached cases | Former McKinsey interviewer + recruiting lead| End-to-end prep in 2 weeks

You're asking some great questions, and a resume is your first foot in the door to standing out in front of a recruiter. Below are some of my opinions after being an interviewer and resume reviewer at McKinsey:

1- Which sentence is stronger?

  • 5 awards for high GPA by XXX scholarship sponsor
  • I might actually phrase this as, “Granted 5 high GPA awards by XXX scholarship sponsor”

2- I spent a year in a job that was very routinal ( not sure if that's a word ) did not do any great accomplishments, is it ok to keep its built points basic? just the daily tasks?  

  • It's completely okay to include experiences that are not as “superstar”; what matters is that you show your quantified impact at these roles. You should be intentional in every bullet point; include numbers in every point (how many team members did you work with? how many projects did you accomplish? etc.). Feel free to reach out to me to work on this together. 

3-If you are familiar with honors college, how do I list it in my CV? does anyone know?? can it be 

  • University of XXXX
  • Bachelor of Science in XXXX (University honors)
  • I recommend this approach so you can save space on your resume for more meaty lines with greater impact.

Of course, I'm happy to discuss further. Feel free to reach out and we can chat!

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Pedro
Expert
replied on May 30, 2023
Bain | EY-Parthenon | Roland Berger |Former Head Recruiter | Market Sizing

1. The 2nd option

2. In that case describe your responsibilities. Be short and to the point.

3. The 2nd one, but the 1st is perfectly fine as well if you need to save on space.

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Sofia
Expert
replied on May 26, 2023
McKinsey San Francisco | Harvard graduate | 5+ years of coaching | Personalized approach

Hello,

To answer your questions:

1. I think #2 is better because it is more clear

2. Lots of people take on routine jobs, nothing to be worried about. You can keep bullet points basic (and prioritize other, less routine roles you've had), but you can always emphasize your quantitative impact, personal initiative, and action.

3. I think #1 is clearer

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Cristian gave the best answer

Cristian

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