Consulting CV

Hello Reuben,

Congratulations on your decision to pursue an entry-level consulting role! Tailoring your CV to a single page can indeed be challenging, especially with a longer employment history. Here are some tips to help you condense your CV effectively:

Focus on Relevance: Prioritize information that is most relevant to the consulting role you are applying for. This should include your most recent and impactful work experiences, skills, and qualifications that directly align with the job requirements.

Summary or Objective Statement: Consider including a brief summary or objective statement at the beginning of your CV. This can provide a snapshot of your career goals and highlight the skills and experiences that make you a strong candidate for consulting.

Use Bullet Points: Instead of lengthy paragraphs, use concise bullet points to describe your work experiences. Focus on accomplishments, responsibilities, and quantifiable achievements in each role.

Quantify Achievements: Whenever possible, use quantifiable metrics to showcase your achievements. For example, mention how you improved efficiency, increased revenue, or contributed to cost savings in your previous roles.

Omit Irrelevant Details: Remove any information that is not directly relevant to consulting. This may include older work experiences, hobbies, or personal details that do not contribute to your qualifications for the role.

Skills Section: Create a separate skills section where you can list key skills, such as data analysis, problem-solving, project management, etc., that are valuable in consulting.

Education: Include your educational background, but keep it concise. Mention your highest degree, the institution, and graduation date. You don't need to list every school you attended unless they are highly relevant.

Tailor for Each Application: Customize your CV for each consulting job application. Highlight specific skills and experiences that align with the requirements mentioned in the job description.

Seek Feedback: After condensing your CV, ask for feedback from mentors, colleagues, or professional networks. They can provide valuable input on what to include and what to omit.

Use Professional Formatting: Ensure your CV is well-organized and uses a clean, professional format. Use a readable font and consistent formatting throughout.

Proofread: Before submitting your CV, thoroughly proofread it for any errors in grammar, spelling, or formatting.

If you'd like, you can share a draft of your CV (with personal information removed) for a quick review or additional tips on condensing it. Feel free to reach out, and I'd be happy to provide further guidance.

Best regards, Frederic

Hi Reuben,

First of all, congratulations on your career thus far!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

• First of all, it's common advice that a resume is kept to one page, especially for those right out of undergrad. However, considering your richer work history and depending on the country you are applying to, it may be acceptable to have a 2+ page CV.
• Moreover, in case you still have to keep it to one page, I would advise you to focus on the most relevant experiences and achievements. Not everything needs to be on your resume. Pick the roles and projects that align closely with consulting or showcase transferable skills.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to perfect your application files, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hey Reuben!

In addition to the great answers already given by other coaches, I would suggest one more practical thing on how to make your CV more concise: if you have non-relevant or long past experience working at several companies in the same role, consider grouping this experience under a single bullet point, especially if these are no-name companies that don't have a famous brand. For example:

Sales Manager 20xx-20xx
- various SMEs in FMCG, main achievements: 

Freelance Consultant 20xx-20xx
- logistics and light manufacturing, main projects:

I think you get the idea.

Regards,
Nick
 

Hi Reuben,

Q: I'm finding it difficult to condense my CV to a single page as has been recommended.

In most cases, 1 page every 10 years of experience works well as a rule of thumb, so if you have less experience than that I would stick to 1 page.

You can find some tips for a CV for consulting below:

▶ How to Craft a Great CV for Consulting

Good luck!

Francesco

Hi,

Happy to take a quick glance and share some high level feedback - just dm me your resume.

All the best!

Hi Reuben,

Some key recommendations to keep fit your CV in one page:

• Prioritize the most relevant professional experience and education for the role / firm you are applying
• Be concise on your writing style (no need to full sentences)
• Focus on achievements vs full details of your previous positions (don’t forget to quantify your achievements)
• Skip anything that doesn’t help you to stand out (e.g., older qualifications or certifications, generic skills, etc.)
• Use a CV consulting template to optimize space 

You can find recommendations and CV templates here: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/consulting-resume#main-difference-regular-to-consulting-resume

Happy to take a look at your CV to provide some recommendations on how to improve it. 

Best,

Alberto

Hi Reuben,

Condensing a longer employment history into a single-page CV can be challenging, but it's certainly possible. Here are some tips to help you streamline your CV:

Prioritize Relevance: Focus on the most relevant experiences for the consulting role you're applying for. Highlight accomplishments and skills that directly align with the job requirements.

Use Concise Language: Be concise in your descriptions. Use action verbs and quantify your achievements whenever possible. Instead of listing responsibilities, emphasize what you accomplished in each role.

Tailor Your CV: Customize your CV for each job application. Highlight experiences and skills that are particularly relevant to the specific consulting firm or position.

Summary or Objective: Consider adding a brief summary or objective statement at the beginning of your CV to highlight your career goals and why you're a strong fit for consulting.

Skills Section: Create a separate section for key skills and competencies. This allows you to showcase your relevant skills without needing to incorporate them into your work history descriptions.

Education: Keep your education section concise. Mention your degrees, institutions, and graduation dates, but you don't need to list every detail unless it's exceptionally relevant.

Remove Irrelevant Details: Eliminate any experiences, certifications, or information that is not directly relevant to consulting or the specific role.

Formatting: Use a clean and organized format. Use bullet points for readability and maintain consistent formatting throughout your CV.

Ask for Feedback: Share your CV with trusted colleagues, mentors, or friends who can provide feedback on what can be condensed or removed.

If you'd like, I can offer some specific suggestions or tips to help you condense it effectively.

Hi there,

If you have 10 years or more of employment history, you can definitely have a CV (curriculum vitae). This can be 2 pages.

A resume needs to be 1 page.

Me personally? I have a resume AND a CV. I use each in different scenarios.

The best way to condense your CV is to get someone else's eyes on it. It's really hard to objectively look at our own experience - I still remember when I had to do my first “cut” on my resume (Cashier at Panera Bread). It hurt!

Hi Reuben!

Yes - see the CV not as a summary but a synthesis of your career's highlights. 

So then don't feel the need to put there absolutely everything that you've done in the past 10 years. 

Change also the title of the headings from ‘Professional expertice’ to ‘Recent / Relevant professional experience.' 

I've worked with multiple candidates who had this issue - some were mid 40s and one is actually 51, so I know the challenge. In fact, one of them had an even tougher situation because their experience was stretched across 5 industries. 

Feel free to reach out and we can align on whether I could support you. 

Best,

Cristian

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