All questions tagged CV - Consulting Q&A - PrepLounge.com

Hi!

The recruiting has been already slowing down across all consulting companies – so, definitely there will be even less recruiting activities going forward. If you want to apply, it's a good idea to apply ASAP while there is still some recruiting going on.

Best,
Daniel

Hello Elena,

Try to think something related to your personality and your soft skills that could impress your interviewer. You can use the answer that I imagine you prepared for the fit question "what are your strenghts?"
Do not forget to be fact based, prepare some good examples that can prove your sentences.

Best,
Luca

Feel free to send it!

Hi

I can directly answer this question because I have screened CVs at my firm. The point of extracurriculars are twofold:

1. leadership/ expertise - you want to demonstrate either leadership OR expertise via each of your hobbies. It's very easy to put down an endless array of clubs/ groups/ sports that you participate in. However, the most compelling ones are organisations in which you are in a leadership role or have reached a significant level of expertise.
2. show you are an interesting well rounded person - at the end of the day, the interviewer will likely spend a significant amount of time with interviewees. Interesting people are simplier easier to be around during those late hours.

To use your example, toastmasters would be more compelling if you were to demonstrate that you helped to organise meetings or were an instructor/ facilitator. Sports are similar in that respect - no one cares that you enjoy running. If you participated in several marathons or helped to run the local running club, that is a much more compelling story.

Hi!

Not to create confusion in HR I would recommend to just withdraw your previous application and to submit a new one with a new CV. However, if you already hit the deadline, just drop HR an email saying that you have a new improved version of your CV and that you would appreaciate if they swap it.

Good luck!

Hi,

I would be happy to help. You can send me your CV and also your cover letter, I will give you a quick feedback on them.

Best,
Luca

Hello Ishani,

Consulting CV typically have specific characteristics which are standardized across all firms.

When you have a tailored CV for one of the MBB firms, the same document can be used effectively across all other consulting firms, with the exception if you are applying to a specific practice or as an expert in a particular industry or function.

Kindly find below an example of a CV structure which is suited for consulting:

1. Display achievements across 3 key areas:

• Academics: competitive GPA, test scores (e.g. GMAT, GRE, SAT), scholarships/ fellowships, dean list, research publications, other and academic awards
• Extracurriculars: experiences on winning a variety of competitions and leading several organizations / initiatives (showcasing your interests and flexibility across different topics, which simulates consultants ability to work across industries and functions)
• Professionals: internship experiences, full-time work experiences, part-time projects

2. For extracurriculars and professional experiences, state the following information:

• Work description in active verbs
• Results quantification (e.g. 20% increase in EBITDA)
• Stakeholders involved

3. Includes additional information / interesting skillset which might differentiates you from other candidates (e.g. hobbies, language skills, etc)

• Consulting firms like candidates that is active not only at work, but have life outside of it
• Including this will assure them that you have a comprehensive profile as a person and will aid in excelling the 'airport test'

For specific expertise applications, emphasize experiences on the particular industries and functions within your CV while retaining similar structure.

Hope it helps.

Kind regards,

Nathan

Hi,
I confirm that problem-solving will be assessed during the case resolution.

Best,
Antonello

Hi Anonymous,

you should avoid to have gaps in your CV, thus unless you can cover the time abroad with something else (eg if you played football full time), you should include your university abroad.

In terms of the answers to the recruiter, you should identify stories showing achievements in those three years – the experience with football could be useful so far that it led to results that show teamwork, drive or leadership.

Best,
Francesco

Hi,

It would be useful if we had more context, but what I can advise is that you should keep this in your CV as international work experience is valuable. You can position this as an internship or contactor/freelancer work (instead of a full-time job).

Best,

Deniz

Hi,

“Tell me about yourself” or “walk me through your resume”- this is how Consultants usually begin the interview. It's an opportunity for them to learn about you and to pick some interesting facts. "Tell me about yourself question" is similar to "Walk me through your resume"

I would recommend the following structure:

1. Start with a 1 sentence summary of your background, why you are relevant for the Firm and what's your unique selling point
2. Talk about 3-4 of your roles (may be professional, education, extracurricular), 3 sentences each. The more experienced you are the more you should speak about professional roles. It can be also the distinct roles within the same organization. Typical structure: 1) What was the company 2) What you were responsible for 3) Greatest achievement in that role, that will stay in the memory of the interviewer (E.g. While working at Adidas supply chain I was personally responsible for the delivery of soccer balls to the Worldcup in Africa)
3. The main reason why consulting (or particular Firm if you were a consultant before) is the next logical career step for you

Best!

Either is fine - just look professional.

Assuming you are not applying to specific positions like data scientist etc. I do not think they significantly strengthen your application considering you will already do an MSc Mgmt. You may want to focus more on networking, overall CV and CL prep to have a greater chance to get an interview invitation.

Cheers

Serhat

I am French native as well, and like you more comfortable in written English. Yes, i fear it would be a disadvantage to submit applications in English vs. French. Most clients will be French speaking, and i have heard more than once of a non-native consultant being shoved to the side because he/she couldn't submit a report in perfect French

Hi Anonymous,

in terms of your first question, it is difficult to provide a clear overview without knowing more about your performance at university, the employer brands you have in your CV and your extracurricular activities. Just from the information you provided, it seems your chances are low for what concerns top tier companies, unless you are able to find a strong referral that could push your application.

In terms of your second question, education and personal achievements not directly related to work could definitely be valuable in your cover letter. Your accomplishments should emphasize skills in terms of leadership, impact, teamwork and drive, with some variations according to the company you are applying to; so far that you use a story that shows one of such skills, it could work well for the cover.

Hope this helps,

Francesco

Hello Anonymous,

For sure you can add it, as long as you also add ''incoming intern" with the start and finish date.
Otherwise, for the action sentence on your result, you can add them based on the relevant experience you heard of (audit or strategy).
Best of luck in your upcoming interviews and let me know by personal message if you have any questions,

Best,

Norah

First, you need to define what kind of consulting you want to be part of. It is apparently not "IT Consulting" (which is consulting in name only, but you still have to clarify). Are you looking to join MBB? Tier 2? Boutiques?

Let's assume MBB for now, for argument's sake. Companies aren't going to put much weight on your actual knowledge, but you definitely have to show a career progression. Moving around every few months / year is a red flag since we don't know how well you performed or if you just couldn't work with the people around you

For boutiques, progression may be a little less important - but you will still need to show you can stay in a role for more than a year: it takes a long time and a lot of money to train a consultant, they aren't going to want to do this if you plan to move on a year later.

I understand where you come from, but think you may need to sit still for a little bit, and get promoted to show you are appreciated. Then your profile will look much stronger

Agree with Guennael! This appears quite average (or, frankly, in an MBB context this looks weak). Would try to focus on other areas where you can hopefully showcase outstanding achievements.

Cheers, Sidi