Looking for Advice: How to Best Position My CV for Top Consulting Firms

Hi,

Great achievements so far!

• Emphasize clear progression by using strong section headers (e.g. “Finance Consultant → Team Lead”) and highlight increasing scope (budget, team size, stakeholder level).
• Use bullet points to show impact, not just responsibilities, quantify where possible (e.g. “Led €5M risk initiative, reducing operational losses by 20%”).
• Frame banking work in consulting language: think “problem solved,” “stakeholder alignment,” “strategic delivery”, not just execution.
• Avoid listing too much day-to-day ops; instead, focus on cross-functional initiatives, decision-making, and transformation projects.
• Add a short, tailored profile summary at the top to link your finance background to your consulting ambition, this helps bridge the narrative.

Happy to review your CV if you want a second pair of eyes!

Best of luck!

That's a great question, but it's impossible to give you a valuable answer in a Q&A without actually seeing your CV. A great CV is not only one that takes into account everything you outlined, but that tailors it specifically to your experience and communicates that in a clear and persuasive way.

You might want to consider expert feedback on the CV, which is offered by several coaches on the platform.

Best,
Cristian

Hi,

A CV best suited for consulting needs to highlight some of the following:

• Your accomplishments
• Your leadership capabilities and your ability to lead a team
• Your ability to take initiative and drive
• Your technical skills and capabilities, such as your financial competencies
• Your ability to work with different people 

Structuring your CV:

Structure your bullet points around action and impact.

So, what you do and the measurable results (preferably with numerical evidence). E.g. Led an acquisition deal worth $2M with a team of three analysts."

Framing:

It sounds like you already have strong content; it's just a matter of framing it properly.

Throughout your CV, you should emphasize your adaptability, analytical rigour, and leadership, always linking your work back to skills that consultants use daily.

Some of the skills that consultants use daily include:

• Leadership and ownership e,g, leading work streams, driving projects independently, leading
• Strategic problem solving e.g, structuring approaches, developing approaches etc.  
• Communication skills e.g. you lead and present to c-suite, you developed executive level comunciation material (also knocks off leadership and  stakeholder engagement),
• Stakeholder management e.g. leading teams, presenting to c-suite, working with executive level people

Happy to discuss (it is a little tricky without actually seeing your CV)

Hey there 👋
Great move! Here’s how to structure your CV for top consulting firms:

1. Career Progression: Show clear growth from consulting to banking leadership. Focus on increasing responsibility and impactful achievements.
2. Finance & Risk Expertise: Highlight quantifiable results in Finance and Risk, e.g., “Reduced risk exposure by 20%” or “Led X financial model.”
3. Leadership: Emphasize team management and strategic projects. Mention any exposure to senior leadership.
4. Adaptability & Analytical Skills: Showcase your ability to handle new challenges and problem-solving situations.
5. Clean & Tailored: Keep it concise (1–2 pages), and align it with each firm’s core values.

If you'd like, we can dive deeper into your CV together in coaching 💬

Best, Alessa

To start, check out this  article on crafting a consulting resume: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/consulting-resume

Beyond that, ask a consultant friend to review your resume—or better yet, hire a coach.

It’ll pay off, especially in a process this competitive.

Best,

Alberto

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Explore my latest case inspired by a real MBB interview: StayPro - Consumer Growth Strategy