3+ Consulting CV Examples (Template & Guide)

In a moment, you will see a perfect consultant CV. But first—

Imagine this.

A recruiter’s office. A pile of 500 consultant CVs on her desk.

The recruiter? She’s a junior consultant.

And she knows exactly what to look for—she DOES the job.

Now, you have the experience. The expertise. The skills.

But how can you make sure she gets the message and you get the job?

Read on.

This guide will show you:

• A sample consulting CV that shines brighter than others.
• How to describe your experience and achievements to land any job you want.
• How to highlight the most desired consultant skills.
• What to add in the education section of your CV.
• Tips on writing the perfect cover letter.

Want to save time and have your CV ready in 5 minutes? Try our CV builder. It’s fast and easy to use. Plus, you’ll get ready-made content to add with one click. See 20+ CV templates and create your CV here.

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Consulting CV made with our builder—See more CV examples here.

Targetting a job in another industry? Read more here:

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• Marketing CV
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Consultant CV Example

1. What’s the Best Format for Your Consultant CV

The bad news: the recruiter will take only around 7 seconds to scan your CV.

The good news: if you format your CV right, your consultant CV will get read.

How to pull it off?

Just think of successful presentation decks.

What do they have in common with CVs for consulting jobs?

They’re clear, to the point, and focused on clients’ needs.

Recruiters are your clients—

And what they need is clearly put in the job advert: experience, education and skills.

So showcase them in an eye-friendly and concise manner.

First, use the reverse-chronological CV format—it’s great for management consultants with boatloads of experience and entry-level consultants alike.

Neat fonts. A clear outline. White space to keep the hiring manager on track.

A one-page CV works fine for consultants.

But if you have lots of experience, especially with big brands, go for a two-page CV.

Provide the recruiter with EVIDENCE.

Evidence that you’ll perform well in your new job. Evidence you’ll have no problem switching between projects and industries.

And that you simply love a good ol’ challenge. All that is just music to the recruiter’s ears.

Read more: CV Format: Best Examples for Job Hunting Success.

2. Consultant CV Profile

Writing a business or management consultant CV?

If you’re applying to one of the Big Four consulting firms there’s a 4% chance of getting accepted.

What can you do to, well, become a four-percenter?

Write a short and concise introductory paragraph to grab her attention and show that you’re a star performer. It’s also known as a CV summary. 

The best way to do that is to answer these simple questions:

1. Who are you? 
2. What can you offer to the employer? 
3. What are your career goals? 

The way you answer these questions will differ depending on how much experience you have. So if you’ve already got plenty of consulting work on your CV, do this.

• Make a list of your strengths as a consultant. Bear in mind all of the experience and skills you have that make you effective.
• Then read the job advert and match 3–4 points from your list to the skills and experience required.
• Use these points to write a personal profile targeted to the consulting job that you’re applying for.

Pro Tip: Keep it short. About 50 words or 4 sentences is enough to catch the recruiter’s eye.

And if you’re just starting out in your consulting career then use this method.

• List the experience and skills you already have and highlight anything that’s relevant to consulting. Consider previous work and your education too.
• Then combine this existing experience and skill set with passion for the job, and some knowledge of the employer to prove you’ll make a good fit.

Here’s a sample from an customer service consultant CV:

The differences are obvious. The first consulting CV showcases:

• An overview of experience
• Quantified proof (consulting is obsessed with numbers)
• Essential consulting skills.

(We’ll get back to the skills section in 2 minutes.)

The wrong senior consultant CV? Let’s just say that the first one is up, the second is out.

Read more: How to Write a CV Personal Statement: Examples of CV Profiles

3. How to Describe Your Consultant Experience?

Consulting jobs come in all shapes and sizes.

Regardless of whether you’re an advisor, coach, facilitator, or mentor, the experience section of your CV is key.

Why?

Because it shows you can get the job done.

So prepare your experience section like a PowerPoint presentation for a McKinsey executive:

• Show off your consultant experience in bullet points.
• Use CV action words to tell a story.
• Tailor your CV to the audience.
• Build credibility through achievements and data.

So—

List your previous positions using bullet points. Start with the most recent one.

If you have vast work experience, for the earliest jobs you should list only the employer and job title.

Describe your duties the way they align most to the job requirements.

Remember to bold the employers’ names—in consulting big brands get the most “oohs” and “aahs”.

Be precise: point out how much money you saved or what processes you streamlined.

Check out our sample from the senior management consultant CV:

See the difference?

The first example gives a generic description of duties.

The second shows that the consultant made an impact, was result-oriented, and knows her way around. And it paints a vivid picture.

Consultant Experience Section for Those Without Experience

So you’re probably thinking that as a recent graduate with no experience, you should forget about this section.

Not at all!

Everyone has experience.

Perhaps you volunteered. Or conducted paid research.

All of that can make up a valuable experience section.

Pro Tip: Having no understanding of business is like driving a car with 3 wheels. Start a side business. Not only will it make up for your experience section but will also give you firsthand experience in business strategy.

4. Is Your Education Section Underperforming? It Might Be

You might think that experience and skills are more important than the education you received.

You’re wrong.

Consulting has its own rules.

Why?

Top consulting companies want to hire only superstars.

High-achievers. Top-performers. Those with in-depth know-how.

So if you went to a target uni (Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College etc.), the education section on your consulting CV will shine like a diamond.

Remember to include:

• University name and location
• Graduation date
• Degree obtained

Pro Tip: If you have an MBA or PhD degree, toot your own horn—put that after your name at the top of the CV.

The education section is even more important in an entry-level consulting CV.

Don’t be humble.

This is the right place to mention if you were the leader of a student organisation or led a project.

Pro Tip: If you were awarded a scholarship, translate it into additional gains: “Awarded F.J. Smythe Business Scholarship (2 scholarships awarded for 2,000+ applicants.)”

Read more: How To Put Your Education On A CV (Tips & Examples)

5. How to Put Skills on a Consulting CV

What are good CV skills?

First of all, ‘I know Excel’ won’t do here. You’re racing against Excel pros.

Second of all, what skills to put in your CV depends on the field you’re in.

Whether you are writing a CV for an IT consultant or leasing consultant position, you’ll want to highlight a different skill set.

Again, look at the job offer and think of work-related skills.

Hard and soft ones.

Your hard skills can include:

• Analytics
• Data visualization
• SEO/SEM marketing
• Cash flow management
• Foreign languages

Soft skills, on the other hand, are interpersonal abilities which revolve around communication skills and teamwork.

Those can be:

• Leadership
• Management
• Problem solving
• Multitasking
• Time management
• Adaptability

Check out the sample skills section from a leasing consultant CV:

Read more: 99+ Key Skills for a CV: Best List of Examples

When making a CV in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building your CV here.

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When you’re done, Zety’s CV builder will score your CV and tell you exactly how to make it better.

6. How to Add Other Sections for an Effective CV

You are almost done with writing your consulting CV.

But wait a second—

What about that paper you published during your sophomore year?

Brag about it if you’re new to the consulting world!

You can add it in an additional section as the final icing on the cake.

Additional sections are a good way to compensate for not having an honours degree or lack of experience.

What can you include there?

• Publications
• Languages
• Awards
• Certifications and licences
• Memberships
• Courses and workshops
• Hobbies and interests

Pro Tip: Be specific. Everyone loves books and travelling. Mention something that will make the recruiter remember you and what relates to the job.

Read more: Best Examples of Hobbies & Interests to Put on a CV

7. How to Write a Consulting Cover Letter

A cover letter? Look at my CV—I don’t need one!

Said 100 other applicants.

The truth is 53% of employers think a CV is not enough.

So make your cover letter as good as your last presentation deck for Sundar Pichai.

What if it is a quick win?

A cover letter is beneficial especially if you have employment gaps or are at the point of changing careers.

So—

Firstly, start your cover letter with the recruiter's name. You don’t know it? Ask the company’s HR department.

A To Whom It May Concern doesn’t get jobs.

Secondly, be relevant. Tailor your cover letter to the job offer.

Don’t copy-paste what you already have in your CV for consulting gigs. Summarize the data as if you were creating a pivot table.

(Pick the most relevant points to show you’re the company’s next consultant.)

Thirdly, close your cover letter with a call to action. Underline that you will be waiting for the recruiter’s response.

A simple ‘I’m looking forward to hearing from you’ is as generic as Asda’s cheapest hair conditioner.

Finish strong: ‘I'd be thrilled to learn more about this job opening, and show you how I reduced staff turnover by 20% at MBC, and how I can do the same for you.’

Pro Tip: Show your enthusiasm about the prospect of working for the company. Do some research and reference some of the firm’s recent accomplishments or projects in your cover letter.

Don’t skip the cover letter unless the job offer states to do so.

Now, check out our Consulting Cover Letter Example & Guide.

Or, the more general guide: How to Write a Great Cover Letter Fast

Key Takeaway

So now you’re an expert at writing a consultant CV. The lessons-learned are:

• Use an easy-to-follow layout for your CV.
• Mirror the wording in your target job descriptions.
• Catch the recruiter’s attention with a heading statement.
• Quantify your results and experience.
• Avoid typos and formatting bugs by proofreading the CV a couple of times.
• Write a personalized consultant cover letter.

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your CV will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

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See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Do you have any questions on how to create a consultant CV? Let us know in the comments section!

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