Highlighting international projects in the CV

Hi there,

Great question and a valid concern. I frequently see candidates being rejected by top consulting firms in Germany due to a lack of international experience. I would share two pieces of advice:

1. It is a good idea to highlight the international aspect of the project. However, I would recommend against relying 100% on the project being counted as “international experience”. Depending on the company and who specifically is reviewing the CV, they might only check your actual work location and see if you have worked or lived abroad. To make sure, you might consider an internship or semester abroad if the project is your only international experience.

2. To emphasize the international aspect of the project, you could start your point with something along the lines of “working with global leadership…” or “working with global board of directors…”. You can also explicitely state “…on the US market…”. The precise wording depends on the specifics of your project of course.

I hope that could help!

Best,

Gero

Consulting Intern, [Consulting Firm] — [City, Germany]
[Month, Year] – [Month, Year]

• Spearheaded an international consulting project for a major US company, working closely with colleagues from Germany, various European countries, and the US.
• Collaborated exclusively with US client stakeholders, ensuring that the project scope, deliverables, and strategies were tailored to the US market.
• Conducted market analysis and developed strategic recommendations that facilitated the client’s market entry and growth in the US, contributing to a [specific outcome, e.g., 20% increase in market share].

Additional Tips

• Use Bullet Points: Keep your descriptions concise and to the point with bullet points for easy readability.
• Quantify Achievements: Wherever possible, quantify your achievements (e.g., percentage growth, cost savings) to provide concrete evidence of your impact. 
• Tailor for Each Application: Adjust the phrasing and details to align with the specific requirements and keywords of the job you are applying for.

Hello there,

Highlighting your international project experience on your CV is crucial, especially given the importance of such exposure in consulting roles!

The easy way to do it is to clearly state your and describe the project with emphasis on your direct consultancy for a US-based client focusing on the US market, detail your specific responsibilities, such as managing stakeholder interactions across the US, and the multicultural team dynamics, including colleagues from Europe and the US. 

Also important is to mention any significant project outcomes, such as improvements in market penetration if applicable, which demonstrate your impact and capability to work effectively in international settings. 

Hope this helps!

Hi there,

I wouldn't change your CV structure for this emphasis but just explicitly state your exposure to international (US) clients and stakeholders in your bullet description regarding this specific project.

Unless you traveled to the international client location or were actually based there for a while, it won't carry too much weight as international experience - but it certainly won't hurt. 

And if you did travel or spent time there, you have to be careful about broadcasting your “work experience” too unless you had a proper work visa for that time period. Otherwise it is illegal to work in the US (company events or short business meetings are exempt from that of course, but actual project delivery is not).

Best

Definitely include it in your CV. It will improve your profile.

Be very clear an direct on the project set up and your work location. Also include what you achieved in that project when you mention it in your CV.

Best,

Alberto

—

Check out my latest case based on a real MBB interview: Sierra Springs

Well, just write it directly - say that this was a US company in industry X and mention that you were relocated there for the duration of the engagement. 

If you position it like that nobody is going to understand otherwise.

Best,
Cristian

Hi there,

1) My question is whether I should highlight it in my CV

I cannot see any problem with it. I agree with Gero they might just check where you are based though, so it might not have a lot of weight. 

2) If so, how best to include it so that it is clear that we really advised the US company

You can indicate that the company was based in the US – that should be sufficient.

Good luck!

Francesco

Hi there,

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

• I would advise you to explicitly mention the international experience of this consulting internship in your resume when you talk about it. It may not carry much weight, e.g. because you have a considerable amount of international experience either way, but it certainly can't hurt to mention it.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Yes, you should highlight that. You include that information in one of the bullet points where you described what you did in your internship.