How to Shift Your Career to

Management Consulting
Posted in Consulting Application

There is more than one way for a determined individual to reach his or her consulting goals. The most
common road that many consultants take is through a relevant degree from a recognized university or
an internship in a top tier firm.

Not Your Ordinary Path

However, this does not mean that one who comes from other backgrounds such as law, the military, or
even health care cannot break into the consulting world. Even though these paths are unconventional,
there are still a number of successful management consultants today that come from these industries.

Shifting into management consulting from an unrelated degree or expertise can be difficult. A
consultant’s skill set takes years to develop with exposure in the relevant field. As a result, individuals
from other sectors must work twice as hard to make up for the lack of knowledge and experience.

Below highlights some of the most popular backgrounds that consultants have started from.

Military
After a service, many soldiers that return home are looking to transition into a new career. You may be
surprised to know that there are a notable amount of veterans who take on a career as a management
consultant. An individual with a military background is recommended to study from a recognized
university. Furthermore, one must maintain a high GPA and work extra hard in building a consulting
network from scratch.

There are some downsides that people coming from a military background face. Years of deployment
means that by the time an individual applies for a consulting position, he or she might be at the same
age as a mid-level professional. This can be a problem if the firm is looking to invest their time in
young graduates. While age discrimination should not be tolerated during the interview process, it is a
reality that many applicants face. Another concern that individuals with a military background have is
lack of experience. A recruiter will most likely choose an applicant who has a background in the
relevant field rather than someone who spent time doing military duties.

From another perspective, there are several reasons why a military personnel is suitable to transition
to consulting. The competitive nature of deployment can serve as a solid foundation for breaking into
the consulting industry. The drive and motivation that a veteran holds is an asset that many recruiters
are looking for during the consulting interview process.

Audit
Though somewhat relevant to the industry, auditors may have a frustrating time landing a consulting
job. This is due to the type of work auditors are accustomed to. Consulting requires “out of the box”
and strategic thinking. On the other hand, the nature of audit work is very repetitive and monotonous.
In order to break away from how individuals view auditors, it is recommended to get an MBA from a
recognized university. This can show a recruiter that the applicant is capable of doing tasks outside of
auditing.

For professionals with an MBA, moving into consulting from a career in auditing can be complicated.
One of the best ways to do this is to get into a firm in a non-related field, and get relevant experience.
If possible, transition within the firm through an entry-level position or consulting training program.

Information Technology (IT)

Individuals with a background in IT may consider a career in consulting, under the right circumstances.
In order to get recognized by a recruiter, and stand out from the competition, it is advisable to be a top
performer or have distinctions. It is also essential to have a strong consulting network. Because one
may lack experience in consulting, he or she may need someone to vouch for work ethics and
professionalism. Ideally, IT specialists looking to make the career shift should consider taking on
relevant projects before the change, depending on the type of clients the prospective consulting firm
specializes in.

Engineering

With a high GPA, and internships from reputable companies, engineers can transition towards a career
in consulting. As mentioned earlier, it would help if such an individual graduated from a top university.
A great way to get one’s foot in the door is by attending networking events, as this is a big part of the
consulting world. Because engineering and consulting are not directly related, it may take some time
to get to know the right people that can help you get access to these types of events. This is the time
to use one’s university contacts and call alumni’s and other graduates.

Starting with a 2nd tier firm is a great stepping-stone to consider for those in the engineering industry
who want to be consultants. Moving to a larger city with hopes to find more opportunities is not
advisable to do immediately due to the level of competition. Alternatively, one may also use LinkedIn
to establish a strong set of consulting contacts. Joining online communities is another venue that is
starting to become popular due to the information shared in the groups.

History and Literature

Individuals who are highly considering a consulting career without background in financing or business
have a lot of catching up to do. Even with a high GPA, one of the best ways to ensure a positive
transition would be to get in relevant companies for internships and volunteer work. At the same time,
it is recommended to learn basic financing during off hours. Accounting is also suggested. These two
topics can help an individual stay up to speed in consulting conversations and when talking to
recruiters during the interview process. An individual may need to prove that he or she has knowledge
in these subjects. Therefore, it may be a good idea to take a form of certification program from a
prestigious institution. Getting an MBA will probably be necessary for many candidates to shift to
management consulting.

Consider Relevancy
One of the main issues that individuals encounter when making a career shift to consulting is building
up relevant experience. Because one’s degree isn’t related to consulting, recruiters rely on experience
to gauge how suitable the applicant is for the consulting industry. The first step in gaining relevant
experience is to set a target. You should first know what kind of consulting you want to do, what
projects you want to take up and which firm(s) you want to work for.

Secondly, think outside the box. Consider internships, certifications, volunteer work, temp work,
freelance and etc. Be prepared to invest time in these areas to show that you can do more than your
current area of expertise. It also helps to do what you can on your own time. In order to be able to
compete with other prospective consultants, one needs to be well versed in terms, phrases and the
latest news circulating the consulting world.

Once you are equipped with the right experience, you may use your consulting network to get the
inside scoop on possible openings. The complicated part in this step is if you have no way to start
building your network. If you started building the foundation correctly, as mentioned in the previous
paragraphs, you should have stumbled upon a few leads, which can help you break into the consulting
industry.

Which Firm Should I Apply for?

Depending on where you are, it is recommended not to completely disregard 2nd tier firms. These
types of firms are a great place to gain solid consulting experience, which can help catapult one’s goal
of working for a top-level firm.

On the other hand, don’t get too comfortable in these types of companies. Once you’ve gathered
enough experience from relevant projects, and you feel confident about the knowledge you’ve
acquired, it is a good idea to move on to the next step of your plan. It is common for individuals
without a relevant background in consulting to lack confidence in their skills. An effective way to
overcome this mindset is by staying updated and gathering more knowledge in the relevant field.
A great tip in knowing which firm to target is by knowing what type of clients they are working with.
This may help narrow down your choices depending on your previous background or degree. If you’re
looking into a completely different speciality, one that you have no prior experience or knowledge in, it
is essential to start as early as possible in planning your transition.

In conclusion, an individual without ideal starting credentials can still land a consulting job. However,
one has to work extremely hard to achieve the same level of success as a consultant who has taken a
relevant path. Never underestimate the foundation of a high GPA and a degree from a top university.

Getting a MBA can solidify one’s chances in getting into a high caliber firm. This can prove to a
recruiter that you have the capacity to take on a consulting role. Finally, be prepared to work hard until
you’ve closed the knowledge and experience gap.

How to Avoid Common Resume

Mistakes
Employers may receive thousands of resumes for one position. Because of this,
they are often looking for any reason to eliminate a candidate. While resume
writing is a creative process that allows writers to "break the rules" when
appropriate, some rules should not be broken.

These are the rules pertaining to typos, misspelled words, grammatical errors,
and consistency. To quote Frank Fox, Executive Director of the Professional
Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches, "We have always said that
'in resume writing, there are no rules . . . except that there should be no typos,
misspellings, or grammatical errors.'"

To some extent, this also covers formatting, as the general trend is to write
tightly and concisely. For example, some broken grammatical rules are
acceptable, such as the use of sentence fragments to make the writing crisp.
But if you are going to break the rules once, do it consistently; a resume that
uses complete sentences in one section and fragments in another can be
distracting to the reader. (And resume writing typically uses fragments, as it
helps get the information across in fewer words.) Remember, you are not writing
for yourself. You are writing attention-grabbing copy that will show how you can
meet the needs of your audience, such as a potential employer, someone
offering an internship, or the admissions personnel for graduate school.

Basic Guidelines
What rules can be broken, and which ones should not?

One of the primary differences between resume writing and business writing is
that the resume falls somewhere between the "hard sell" of advertising and
business writing. Ad copy, for example, frequently uses short, to-the-point
wording. Very often, this wording does not come out in the form of a complete
sentence. Similarly, as noted above, resume writing is comprised of succinct, to-
the-point copy in the form of sentence fragments or with wording missing typical
elements such as articles. Words such as "it," "the," "a," and "an" are articles
and are frequently omitted to save space, allow for quick reading (remember
how long a resume reviewer typically spends scanning a resume), and make the
point. Additionally, the subject—the implied “I”—is left out. Instead of writing, “I
oversaw the production of...,” eliminate the “I” and the article, opening with the
verb: “Oversaw production of…”

Before you begin your resume-writing journey, get your hands on a good
grammatical reference guide. If you want to go for the best, pick up the latest
edition of either the Gregg Reference Manual or the Chicago Manual of
Style. They are a bit pricey but worth it, particularly if you find yourself doing
other types of writing as well. Otherwise, there are plenty of good reference
guides to choose from. The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) is an excellent
online resource for writing-related issues. The home page is found at:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/

The grammar and spell check functions in Word and other processing programs
can also be helpful, but keep in mind that they will flag sentence fragments, and
will not catch misspellings when the wrong word is used (see below for
examples).

The following is a general list of some common errors. It is by no means

exhaustive. The Chicago Manual of Style contains well over 300 pages on
grammatical and punctuation issues alone. If you are especially grammatically
challenged, ask someone more comfortable in this area to proofread your
resume for you. Do not rely solely on your computer's grammar and spell check
or other online tools as your only source. It is also helpful to print a hard copy
and review the resume in that form, as it can be easier to catch mistakes.
Reading aloud and backwards from the bottom up can also be helpful methods to
trick your brain into seeing what is actually on the page, rather than what you
know is supposed to be there.

Action Verbs
Begin your sentences with action verbs when describing your experience. Then,
show the results of those actions, and explain how you accomplished those
results. Bear in mind that action verbs are not the same as keywords. Keywords
are nouns or short phrases. Both keywords and action verbs may be combined
into the same sentence, such as:

Implemented project management system, increasing production rate 50%.

"Implemented" is an action verb; "project management system" is a keyword

phrase.

Active Versus Passive Voice

The active voice shows the subject of the sentence doing the action, as opposed
to an action being done upon the subject. Consider the following example:

The bone was eaten by the dog.

This is an example of passive voice. The dog is doing the action (eating), but the
subject of the sentence is the bone (bone=noun, was=verb). Written in the active
voice, the sentence reads:

The dog ate the bone (dog=noun, ate=verb).

Two things are notable. The subject of the sentence, the dog, is doing the action
—eating. Secondly, the resulting sentence is shorter by two words. This equals
"tighter" writing, which is what you want to aim for in resume writing. Help your
reader see the point quickly and efficiently.

While the following is not always the case, one way to look for passive voice is
past tense of "to be" verbs. These are "was," "were," "been," and "being." Also
watch for "have", "had,” and “would.” These are all flag words showing that the
phrasing can likely be tightened.

First Person
Most resumes are written in first person but without actually using "I." Third
person is when the resume refers to you as Ms. Jones or by your first name, or
uses words such as “he/his,” “she/hers” or “they/them/their.” Some marketing
pieces work well in third person, and some resumes do as well, but they are the
exception. For most resumes the use of an implied first person is preferable. If
you are having trouble with the first person usage, write out your
accomplishments first using "I" to ensure that you are staying consistent with
your wording, and then go back and cut out the reference to yourself. For
example, you might write:

I reduced production costs by 50%.

This would then be changed to:

Reduced production costs 50%.

Begin with your action and then show the result.

Tense
Remain consistent with your use of tense (past, present, or future). When
describing what you already did on the job or in school projects, use the past
tense. These are again your action verbs that typically end in "-ed": managed,
maintained, supervised, etc. Past tense verbs also include words such as
oversaw, overcame, ran, etc. When referring to jobs or projects you are currently
involved with, use the present tense, but for that particular job or project only.
For example, use the present tense for your current position if you are employed,
and use the past tense for positions prior to the current job. Using the preceding
words, they would be used as: manage, maintain, and supervise, and oversee,
overcome, and run.

Use of Articles
Articles are "a," "an," and "the" and should be omitted when possible. Why? You
do not need to use unnecessary words in your resume; these take up valuable
space. Again, the tighter your writing, the better. Eliminating articles is one of
those rules broken for resume writing. As with all rules, use it consistently. If
some sentences use articles, but not all, your resume will not "flow" and could
be distracting to your reader, something you want to avoid at all costs.

Punctuation
Punctuation exists to make reading easier. Otherwise, sentences would run
together and the reader would not know when one sentence ends and another
begins. Notations such as commas and parenthetical marks also let the reader
know when to pause and when information is included as a side thought.
Periods mark the end of a sentence. In resume writing, incomplete sentences,
also called fragments, are used frequently. The primary issue is to be consistent
in your use of periods throughout your document. Because you are likely using a
combination of paragraphs and bullet lists, consistently using periods throughout
is visually appealing. You may also need to use a period with some
abbreviations.

Commas denote a slight pause or separate items in a list and are used in

compound sentences. A compound sentence joins two main clauses with a
conjunction. Conjunctions are "and," "but," "or," "nor," "for," "yet," and "so."
When writing a compound sentence, use a comma before the conjunction.

The serial comma is used following the last item in a list, as in the following
sentence:

She went to the store to buy bananas, apples, bread, cheese, and milk.

The serial comma is the one preceding the word "and."

The use of a serial comma is an issue under continual debate among experts, so
it follows that resume writers do not agree on the subject, either. Those who
support the use of the serial comma argue that it helps prevent ambiguity,
particularly if the list contains grouped items that require the use of "and" as in
the following example:

His collection of photographs included prints, slides, black and white, and color.

Without the serial comma separating "black and white" from "and color," the
sentence could be confusing.

Commas are also used following an introductory phrase of a sentence, such as:
Because I'm going to write my resume tomorrow, I'm going to get a good night's
sleep tonight. "I'm going to get a good night's sleep tonight" is a complete
sentence. "Because I'm going to write my resume tomorrow" is an introductory
phrase, not a complete sentence on its own. If you are unsure if you are dealing
with an introductory phrase, read the section following the phrase in question. If
it is a complete sentence, then you know you have an introductory phrase, and
therefore need to include the comma.

Semicolons help distinguish complex items in a list; they can also join two
separate, but related, sentences. Semicolons used in a list are most helpful
when the listed information contains commas or other information that needs a
clear separation that cannot be achieved with a comma. When using semicolons
in a list, determine if the information can be clearly presented using commas. If
not, then use the semicolon to separate pieces of information.

Colons anticipate something to follow. Colons introduce an element or series of

elements. When used within a sentence, the word following the colon is not
capitalized unless it is a proper name or begins another complete sentence.

Capitalization
Proper nouns and names should be capitalized, such as the names of schools
and universities. Headings should be capitalized consistently throughout the
document. Do not capitalize a word just because it seems important. That said,
position titles are often capitalized, even if not technically a proper noun. In
resume writing, it often makes sense to capitalize position titles, as it denotes a
specific position and draws attention to that position. For general use, if you are
unsure about the capitalization of a word, consult a manual.

Numbers and Figures

How numbers should be presented is another topic of debate. A generally
accepted rule is to write-out numbers one through nine and use digits for 10 and
above (pick a rule and stick with it). For resume writing, the “best” approach is
to show all numbers in number format for consistency and to save space.
Similarly, figures, particularly money, should also be shown consistently
throughout, and as a general rule, aim for a short format. For
example, $10M uses much less space than ten million dollars.

Whichever approach you use, be consistent. Do not decide to write a number

below 10 in one section and then list it numerically in others.

Typos and Misspelled Words

What you do not want to be consistent with is typos and misspelled words.
Relying on your computer's spelling and grammar check is not enough. Many
words can be missed that are spelled correctly but used in the wrong context or
with a completely different meaning, such as affect/effect, or their/there/they’re.

Words Commonly Used Incorrectly

The following is a short list of commonly misused words. Your grammar and spell
check will often not pick out these words if they are used wrong, because they
will be spelled correctly but used in the wrong context. Keep an eye out for
words used incorrectly. If in doubt, ask someone else to proofread your resume
for you.

Accept/Except
To accept is to receive something. She accepted his apology. Except is a
preposition that means but or with the exception of. I would use accept, except
it is not the correct word.

Affect/Effect
To "affect" is to influence or change. He affected her emotions. An "effect" is the
result of something, as in cause and effect.

And/Or
This usage implies three outcomes, not two. I will write a resume and/or a cover
letter means that the person will either: (1) write a resume; (2) write a resume
and a cover letter; or (3) write a cover letter.

Assure/Ensure/Insure
To "assure" is to convince or to guarantee. The administrator assured him that
his resume had been received. "Insure" means to guard against loss. I insured
my car. "Ensure" means to make certain. I ensured that I insured my car.

It's/Its
This is one of those cases that is an exception to the rule. While the apostrophe
typically denotes a possessive, in this case, "it's" means it is, and "its" is the
possessive.

Their/There/They're
"Their" is a possessive; something belongs to them and it is theirs. "There" is
where something is; it is over there. "They're" is where they are; they're (they
are) over there.

Then/Than
"Then" is when something will happen and means next or consequently. I will go
to the store and then go home. "Than" indicates a difference. Chocolate is better
than vanilla.

To/Too/Two
"To" is a function word indicating an action or process. I want to write my
resume. "Too" indicates an excessive amount of something. I am too tired to
write my resume. "Two" is the number that follows one and precedes three.
Utilize
"Utilized" means use. Use "use."

Whose/Who's
"Whose" is a possessive. Whose resume is it? "Who's" means who is. Who's at
the door?

Your/You're
"Your" is a possessive. It is your turn. "You're" means you are. You’re correct.

For a helpful guide to commonly misused words, Oxford Dictionaries provides a

list at: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/words/commonly-confused-words

Another option is to conduct an online search for "commonly confused words"

and you will find plenty of results to choose from.

Parallel Structure
Words, formatting, and grammar should be parallel. That is, they should be
consistent. If you have a list of bolded achievements and the first one begins
with an action verb, every item in your list should begin with an action verb. If
you begin with a noun or noun phrase, all items in the list should begin with a
noun or noun phrase.

Similarly, you should keep your writing parallel within your sentence structure.
Use of adjectives and nouns must be parallel in structure. Consider the following
examples:

Correct:

The program was motivating  and thrilling.

Incorrect:

The program was motivating and a thrill.

Sentence Fragments
Sentence fragments lack a noun or verb to make a sentence complete. Sentence
fragments are often used in resume writing. Consider the following:

Oversaw all aspects of inventory control.

The preceding statement is a fragment because it is missing the subject "I" at
the beginning.

Maintained personnel and public safety.

This is a fragment for the same reason as the previous sentence.

Fragments end up in resumes as a result of the "telegraphic" style of writing.

Again, be consistent in your writing style, and fragments will not stand out or
seem inappropriate in the resume as they do in other forms of writing.

You do not want to employ the use of fragments in your cover letter, with the
exception of information provided in a bullet list.

What Not to Include in Your

Resume
Some things are inappropriate for a resume or simply better not to include. Here
are some rules of thumb about what to avoid.

Personal Information
Do not include personal information such as your marital status, religion, race,
etc. Employers are not allowed to ask questions about these things, and
including them on your resume might cause you to be discriminated against, but
you would never know for sure. The only exception is if you are applying for
international jobs, in which case some of this information is considered
standard. Consult a professional or a manual on international resumes to
determine standard practices for the country in question. More and more,
however, resumes are leaning toward a standard U.S. style approach.

Do not include a photograph with your resume or a URL for your personal
website that tells visitors all about your hobbies, summer vacation, and your
dog. The only people likely to use a photograph with their resumes are those in
the entertainment business such as actors. Similarly, unless your website is a
professional site that includes additional information not included on the
resume, do not direct visitors to the site. (Employers may search your name
online and find information about you anyway, so consider if you need to take
steps to “clean up” your online image.)
Letters of Recommendation
Do not send these with your resume. Save them for later, such as following an
interview, unless otherwise directed. Some job postings request that letters be
included as part of the application process. In this instance, you need to
determine if it is worth potentially having your references contacted early in the
process. If it is a position that you are definitely interested in, providing the
information can be worthwhile. Basically, consider how much you need and want
to protect your sources of recommendation, as they may be contacted even if
you are not yet being seriously considered.

Specific Salary
Generally, avoid including your current or desired salary. Oftentimes a job
posting will request that you include such information. If possible, include a
range, rather than a specific figure. (You never know if the starting rate is higher
than what you imagine, and you risk a lower starting salary in that situation.)
Similarly, do not list concrete salary figures on your resume. If you must address
the salary question, aim to address the issue in your cover letter, where again
you can note a range, and focus the letter on other information, such as what
you bring to the position.

A Creation Date
Do not list a creation date on your resume, even if you are posting it online.
Often, online resume databanks have a system that denotes when your resume
was posted. Similarly, in Word, it can be helpful to go into the Properties and
remove (or add) certain types of information, such as editing time, the document
author, etc.

References
Do not list references on your resume. At the most, you may include "references
available on request" or something similar for visual appeal, but even this is
debatable. It is an outdated practice. It is assumed that you will provide
references at the appropriate time if requested by the employer.
Avoid Buzzwords, Outdated Phrases, and
Clichés
Some phrases are certainly overused, as are some descriptions. Almost
everyone is a “team player,” for example, with “strong communication skills.”

Also note that several outdated phrases should be avoided. Multiple sources of
research have noted that “multitasking” is an ineffective work practice, so avoid
including that on the resume. Also watch for other outdated phrases, such as
being an “out of the box” thinker, creating products or processes that are “user
friendly,” and avoid kitschy descriptions, such as “domestic engineer.”

Avoid Anything that Can Work Against You

Have you been fired? Have you received unfavorable reviews? Is your GPA only a
2.0? Do not include anything in your resume that can automatically disqualify
you from the running. The resume is not the place to explain why something
went wrong in your past. It is the place to highlight your best-selling qualities. If
you do have something unfavorable in your past, be prepared to talk about it (in
the best possible light) at the interview, but do not shoot yourself in the foot by
putting it on your resume.

All of the sample resumes and cover letters included in this guide are written by
professional resume writers who are members of one or more professional
resume writing organization, such as Professional Association of Resume Writers
and Career Coaches, The National Resume Writers' Association; and Career
Thought Leaders. Many of the writers hold one or more certifications in resume
writing.

Creating Your LinkedIn Profile and

Plain Text Resume
When submitting to job sites/boards, etc., you'll want two versions of your
resume. A plain-text version, and a Word or PDF "pretty" version. The plain text
version is the one you can copy directly into the job board or text box.

Electronic submissions are processed through software called an Applicant

Tracking System, or ATS. For best results with this type of system, you need a
plain text version of your resume that can be copy/pasted into online job boards
and company application systems. Creating a plain text version or ASCII version,
is quite simple.

ASCII (pronounced "askee") stands for American Standard Code for Information
Interchange and can be read by most systems. To save your hard-copy version
as an ASCII version, open the document in your word program and "Save as" a
plain-text file (a .txt extension). Use a new file name to help you find it later,
even though it will have the .txt extension. If you see a pop-up option box, check
the MS-DOS option.

Keep the file open, and highlight all of the text (ctrl + A). Right-click on the
mouse, scroll down, and click on “remove styles.” Change the font to Courier,
size 12. Change the heading information so that it is stacked, rather than spread
across the top. If needed, left-justify all information in the document, get rid of
any tables, and remove any tabbed spaces. Change any bolded, italicized, or
underlined characters to normal text. Also look for special characters such as
apostrophes and quotes, changing those to straight quotes rather than curved.
Those can be found under the Symbols option.

If you have added a picture graphic in the form of a line, delete it. You can add a
line using a keyboard character. Generally speaking, any character that you
create with the keyboard can be used in an ASCII document, but stick to the
simpler ones to be safe. A line of separation can be created by using a series of
dashes, asterisks, periods, or the tilde sign. For bulleted items, do not try to
make any wrap-around text line up with the sentence above it by using the space
bar. In other words, let your text wrap around naturally, and use hard returns
(the "Enter" key) to create space between sections or paragraphs (but not within
paragraphs).

If your résumé is longer than one page, delete all the headers that state your
name and subsequent page numbers. In the pasted version, the recipient will not
know if your original résumé was one page or more. However, the recipient will
not be able to view the entire résumé in an e-mail screen. He or she will need to
scroll down to read further. This means that, similar to your hard copy version,
you should highlight your qualifications near the top of the résumé. Make your
reader want to see more.

Because there are times when a real person will read the plain text version, such
as when copy/pasting into an email, use some "embellishments" to offset
sections, such as using dashes above and below the different sections, ALL
CAPS, etc. For example:
--------------------------------

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

--------------------------------

==========

SECTION BREAK

==========

*************

SECTION BREAK

*************

Additional designs can be created using keyboard functions, such as:

**  Bullet point.

# Bullet point.

= Bullet point

Combinations of characters can be used to create a nice visual effect as well if

they are not overdone.

When you are done reformatting, close the document and reopen it. The file will
open in Notepad, and you can double check for any odd formatting issues. At this
point, look for any odd-looking characters that may be left over, such as question
marks. Change these as needed, save your changes, and you have a plain
document that you can use online. The document should be ready to use at this
point. However, you may want to give your ASCII résumé a test drive by
copy/pasting it into an email and sending it to yourself. When copy/pasting into
job board and application sites, give the resume another review to look for odd
spacing and characters. These can be cleaned up before hitting submit.

Most sites will also allow you to upload the "pretty" Word or PDF version in
addition to the copy/pasted plain text version, so create a new plain text version
each time you update your resume. This will ensure the information matches.

Creating a Linked In Starting Point

You can use your plain text resume to create a starting point for your LinkedIn
profile. Keep in mind that additional information will be needed, and it is a good
idea to change the phrasing to include the first-person pronouns (“I”). Because
LinkedIn is a networking site, the overall tone of provides is a little less formal
and more conversational, while still remaining professional. Present yourself as
you would at an in-person networking event. However, you can save some time
by starting with your resume as you begin filling in the fields in LinkedIn.

Before you begin populating the sections, change the settings so updates will
not be sent out until you are done. (Click on Profile, then Edit Profile; in the right
dropdown menu, at the bottom, change “Notify your network?” to No.) That way,
you can update in stages, without all of your contacts being notified about each
change as you make updates. Once you are done making major changes, you can
turn notifications back on so important updates will be sent out to your network.

Begin by opening the plain text version of your resume and saving it as an .rtf
file. Then, change all the fonts to Verdana so it will copy/paste into the LinkedIn
profile. From there, you can begin populating the various sections in LinkedIn.
Some of the headers and section titles will need to be changed or removed, so
take care when copy/pasting, making those types of adjustments as you go.
(That way, you won’t have to try to remember for later.) Once the information is
included, go through the entire profile to make further adjustments and changes,
such as changing the phrasing to be more conversational, particularly in the
Summary section. Much of your work history will likely remain the same or
require few changes.

The profile can also be a good place to include additional information that you
might leave off of your resume for various reasons. Including additional
information, such as volunteer work, memberships, and so forth can help create
a well-rounded profile, which in turn can result in more hits when others are
searching. A completed profile ranks higher than one that is not completed.

Also, consider including a photo, and choose one that is professional and
appropriate. Others are more likely to respond to requests from you if you have
included a nice image and have a full profile. Incomplete profiles, and those
without photos, tend to look more “suspect,” even if they are legitimate profiles.
Here again, you are aiming to present a professional image, which includes a
nice-looking profile.

Once you have uploaded information to the main sections, you can then go back
and make adjustments to your profile so it is more LinkedIn friendly, but these
initial steps can help save valuable time. This process also helps ensure that the
 information in your resume is consistent with that in your LinkedIn profile. You
will likely use your profile extensively during the job search and ongoing
networking process, and consistency is important for important sections such as
work experience. Then, use additional sections to add information that does not
fit on the resume.

11 Things to Avoid When Writing a

Resume
by Lisa Rangel | June 08, 2017

  My Vault

Writing a resume that gets results is critical in landing job

interviews. And you have to know what to include as well as exclude in
order to make your resume great. So here are 11 things to avoid when
writing your resume. 

1. Don’t make your resume unnecessarily long.

Keep you reader interested in five- to 10-second increments by

showcasing your experience in as little space as possible (without
sacrificing your achievements). For most job seekers with more than 10
years of experience, a two-page resume is fine. Chances are, whatever is
on subsequent pages, may not get noticed if the reader is not engaged. 

2. Don’t leave it to the reader to figure out what you do.

Begin your resume with a targeted title and summary punctuating what
you do and how you do it. Make it very easy for the reader to discern what
you do with no effort on their part. 

3. Don’t forget to make your resume searchable.

Include key search terms in your summary to (a) make your resume
searchable and discoverable by hiring managers seeking out your
expertise, and (b) help reiterate your competencies. 

4. Don’t be vague.

Use measurable achievements, focused language, and deliberate

phrasing throughout your resume to highlight your experience. Trying to
be all things to all people will get you nowhere.

5. Don’t use a list of tasks.

Throughout your resume, use action driven words and results-driven

bullets. Avoid a list of tasks wherever possible, and don't start a resume
bullet with the words “Duties included.” That’s so 2011. 

6. Don’t be passive.

Candidates are hired now because they can save money, make money, or
streamline processes to make money faster. Demonstrate in your resume
bullets how you have accomplished this—regardless of your
position. Don't start a bullet with the phrase "Responsible for." Instead,
be a candidate of action. 

7. Don’t use pronouns.

First person (I) or third person (he/she) pronouns are not needed in a
resume. Stick to using third person verbs only and ditch the
pronouns. Save the personalization for your personal statements, cover
letters, and bios. 

8. Don’t miss typos and grammatical mistakes.

Be sure to proofread your resume for typos and grammatical errors. While
this may seem obvious, missing errors can happen even to the best
candidates. Reading your resume aloud and having a trusted colleague
review your resume will help catch errors that spellcheck misses. 

9. Don’t only write for the ATS (application tracking system).

Roughly 65 to 70 percent of hires happen through employee referrals,

social media, and personal contacts when you analyze research from
JobVite, SHRM, and CareerXRoads. So be sure to write for people and not
just the systems that house resumes. If you’re job searching right, you
should be sending your resume to people more than you are submitting to
job postings. 

10. Don’t be plain.

Use a conservative line of color or a varied size font to help move the eye
through the document.  Be visually daring with a tasteful text box with
pertinent data to draw attention to key accomplishments.  Don't be afraid
to use a modest selection of visual graphic elements, like color and font
treatment, to make the resume stand out among a sea of resumes seen
by a recruiter. 

11. Don’t make it all about you.

Be sure you don't simply list everything you ever did on your resume
without thinking of the recipient of your resume. Instead, cater your
achievements to demonstrate how you can solve a problem or capitalize
on an opportunity for the prospective employer. Make your document
about how you can be a solution for them instead of being all about you
and your needs.

The Professional Experience

Section
The professional experience section is, essentially the “meat” of the resume for
most, and for most, it presents your work history in chronological order. Even in
functional resumes, certain chronological information is included. This section of
the resume accomplishes several things. It lets potential employers know where
you worked, when, and for how long. More importantly, however, it shows what
you did, how you did it, the types of challenges you faced, how you overcame
those challenges, and the outcomes of your efforts. You should present the
outcomes in quantifiable terms as much as possible. And even for positions that
are service based, quantifiable information can be shown through customer
satisfaction, process improvements, positive performance reviews, and other,
similar types of information.

The Big Picture

Details are important—but those details need to be the right ones. When telling
someone about your great vacation, you focus on the main events. What you ate
for breakfast is not as important or interesting as visiting a long-standing
historical monument. Similarly, when crafting your resume, focus on the
highlights, leaving the small details out. Show your career progression, or how
you overcame an obstacle, rather than listing every daily duty. Include the
impressive outcomes; each little step along the way may not be as important
(although bigger steps may be). Include the end results of a months-long project,
noting the challenges along the way, while avoiding daily or weekly goals (unless
those really stand out). You have limited space on the resume—use it to your full
advantage. How do you do this?

A standard format for presenting this information is to first, briefly explain and
describe the job functions, followed by a list of outcomes. The "what you did"
information can often be presented briefly, as many types of positions are similar
in terms of the roles and responsibilities. Aim to include enough information to
give the reader a clear sense of what you did, while also aiming to keep the
information as tight as possible.

Also address challenges faced and how those were overcome. Tight deadlines,
limited funds, new projects, new processes, changes in leadership, and more can
all equate to difficult work situations. How you deal or dealt with those types of
situations can help hiring managers see how you stand out from other
applicants. How to best present this information depends on the circumstances.
Sometimes it makes sense to include it with the overall responsibilities
information. For example, if you were brought on specifically to address a
problem, note that upfront. If part of the outcomes directly related to challenges,
this can be incorporated into the list of accomplishments.

The most traditional method for presenting accomplishments is in list form, and
there is nothing wrong with this presentation. Again, the writing goal is tight and
concise. When creating your list, keep a few suggestions in mind:
Front-load the most impressive information. List the most impressive outcomes
first, and aim to include impressive figures, statistics, etc. near the first part of
the sentence, where the reader is most likely to see it. Avoid placing impressive
figures toward the end of a bullet point, or toward the end of a bullet list, where
it might be overlooked.

Use formatting tools, such as bullet points, to help information stand out. Again,
figures, statistics, and other noteworthy outcomes can be shown in bold.

Begin each bullet point with an action verb (accomplished, realized, generated,
compiled, authored, etc.), and phrase information using the active voice. In
passive phrasing, the subject of the sentence is being acted upon. In active
phrasing, the subject is doing the action. Here's a simple example:

Passive: The project (subject) was completed (verb) by the team.

Active: The team (subject) completed (verb) the project.

Active phrasing helps to tighten the wording. To spot passive or weaker

phrasing, watch for words such as was, were, had been, was being, and so on,
and replace them with stronger, more specific verbs.

Additional Tools to Show Outcomes

For complex projects, several notable outcomes may be worth noting. In this
case, it can help to list a primarily bullet point noting the overall outcome,
followed by several sub-points to further note specific achievements within the
larger project. This helps avoid multi-line accomplishments, which again, can be
difficult to follow. Aim for two- to three one-line bullet points.

Certain types of information are best presented in visual formats. This can work
particularly well for sales figures, increases in revenue over time, and other
quantifiable information that stands out well in a visual format. Charts and
graphs allow readers to see, at a glance, what was accomplished. When these
visuals are included, also note the same information in written format, to give a
complete picture of what took place and what the outcomes were. When doing
this, avoid simply restating the information. Each method, visual and written,
should present the same information, but in a slightly different way. That way,
each method provides additional opportunity for the accomplishments to stand
out.
Microsoft Word has options to insert tables and graphs. These can also be
created in a different program, such as Excel, copied as an image, and then
pasted into the Word document. Word’s formatting features also offer options for
creating professional tables, and even using spacing tools such as tabs can be
used to create consistent, nice-looking information. Visual presentations can be
a great way to show growth over time and in a way that readers see, at a glance,
what changed and when.

What to Include
The resume needs to present your information honestly. However, the purpose of
the resume is to present relevant information. Therefore, when presenting your
background, focus on the information most relevant to the position you are
seeking. You may have had multiple “roles” in your most recent position. This
does not mean you need to or should include all that information, particularly if
some aspects of the job are unrelated to your target. Go through your
information to determine which information best presents your capabilities. Also,
the goal is to provide useful, but succinct information. This is another reason to
be selective about what you include. Highlight your best selling points. You can
fill in other details during the interview process or if asked for additional
information.

Similarly, if you have more than one recent position and it works to leave less-
relevant information off the resume, then that might be an option. Avoid creating
gaps, but also avoid using valuable space to present less-relevant information.
Basically, think of “trimming the fat.” Present your best attributes and get rid of
any excess.

While there are no hard and fast rules, aim for short paragraphs (a few lines) and
a short list of bullet points (if you like numbers, try to keep them to fewer than
five or six, although there are exceptions). If extra bullet space is needed, see if
the information can be combined, or use a primary bullet point for the main idea
or project, with sub-bullets to provide additional information. Too much
information is difficult to read, and the goal is to include relevant information
that stands out, and that is easy for the reader to find.

Selling Your Strengths

Many people are uncomfortable with the idea of “selling” themselves, because it
feels like bragging. While this may be the case, to some extent, remember that
it’s a necessary part of the process. To stand out from your competition, you
need to show how you are different. Also, if you focus on the facts (a necessity
when writing a resume), you won’t be bragging; rather, you are reporting,
showing the outcomes of your efforts.

It can also be hard, however, for some people to figure out what they have done
that is impressive. Not everyone has clear-cut outcomes of their efforts. Your
contributions to the job may show up in other, less quantifiable areas. When
determining how to present information that does not have a definite figure
attached, you can use other approaches to show positive outcomes. Many
qualities are admirable, such as attention to detail, treating others well,
providing quality service, etc. These can be shown by how you went about the
work. Someone in health care may not know the exact number of satisfied
patients, if that information is not polled. However, you do know that you give
100 percent of your own effort to ensure a positive patient experience, that you
go the extra step to provide comfort to family members, or that you ensure
accurate, detailed data entry when recording patient information. If you see a
number of repeat customers, that can be noted as well, even if the exact figure
or percentage is unknown. If you know you have created processes that save
time, money, or frustration, all of that can be noted without including a figure.

When reviewing your experience, focus on any and all accomplishments that can
be included, even if they seem (at first) to be irrelevant. Showing your “soft
skills” (those that help you get along with others) can be useful as well, as those
are sought-after skills in many types of positions. Again, be as specific as
possible. If you look through a pile of resumes, it seems everyone has “strong
communication skills.” Those who communicate on a regular basis with senior
management, challenging customers, or can run a 20-member board meeting
while staying on task show specific skills and outcomes without sounding like
every other candidate.

Make lists of all quantifiable outcomes, and also other areas where you know
you have done well. If you have performance reviews available, go through those
to see what others (managers in particular) have said about you and what you do
well. Ask co-workers what your strengths are and how you have contributed to
the organization. Again, others often see our strengths more clearly than we do,
and this is valuable information. Then, consider all areas where you have made
contributions, such as special projects or assignments, new processes,
suggestions for change, providing an extra “helping hand” without being asked,
staying late or working extra to meet a deadline, determining priorities, helping
coworkers, providing leadership, heading committees, etc. Once you get thinking
about all that you do and have done, the ideas start flowing. Make notes of all
these areas; you can cut information later if needed.
Once you have a list, reorder it, prioritizing the most impressive information first.
That is the type of information you will include in the resume, and it also gives
an idea of how you will present the information—with the most stand-out
information, or the information best suited for the target position—listed first.

How Much History?

You will hear various “rules” regarding how far back your resume should go in
terms of work history. As with other aspects of resume writing, the answer is, “It
depends.” As a general rule, 1 to 15 years of work history is typical for most.
However, what if you are returning to a position or target that you have
experience in, but it was many years ago? In that case, you will likely want to
include that information. (You can include a section in the top third of the
resume that presents accomplishments from your earlier work history, which
highlights that information while still allowing you to present your work history
in chronological format.)

Another scenario might be someone who has held the same position, or has been
with the same company, for many years. Here again, it may be appropriate to
include a longer work history to accommodate that position, and/or to show
related information prior to the most recent position.

Managers and those in senior management often have longer work histories, and
again, some of those impressive accomplishments are often seen throughout the
entire work history, or perhaps a particularly challenging situation took place
earlier in that history. Use your best judgment; if it looks like the information will
work to your advantage, aim to include it.

And…Action!
You have heard that action verbs are the way to show your information, and that
is true. However, some words, while appropriate, are used often, so try to avoid
those as much as possible. Rather than saying you are “responsible for” a
certain role, show it instead—determine, oversee, champion, direct, etc.
“Manage” is another word that is often used; however, if you do in fact manage a
product, process, or people, this can be used. Avoid repeating the same action
verb, however, aiming for a variety that provide the required ideas without being
redundant.

Why action verbs? Because they show just that—action (and often, decisive
action). Hiring managers like to know what actions you have taken and the
 results of those actions. They also sound better—action verbs are “power”
words. They show specific types of action and present your information with a
powerful statement, rather than a weak one. Use them to your advantage, and
choose those that best demonstrate what you have done.

For a basic approach, aim for action verb  + quantifiable outcome.

 Ensured  quality, patient-centered care for 100-bed for Alzheimer’s unit.

 Generated 35% increase in sales by designing and implementing
effective online landing page for new product launch.
 Championed  company-wide software upgrade, leading to 30% efficiency
improvement in data management.
Aim for a variety of action verbs to avoid repetition. When submitting to a
specific position, review the job description for additional ideas of the types of
action verbs to include (but avoid repeating phrases word-for-word).

When incorporating these tools and approaches into your professional

experience section, you will be well on your way to presenting your background
in way that will help you stand out.

Action verbs include:

 accelerate
 accept
 access
 accommodate
 accomplish
 account
 accrue
 accumulate
 achieve
 achieve
 acknowledge
 acquire
 act
 activate
 adapt
 add
 address
 adjust
 administer
 advertise
 advise
 advocate
 affect
 aid
 aide
 align
 alleviate
 allocate
 allow
 alter
 alter
 amend
 amplify
 analyze
 answer
 anticipate
 appear
 apply
 appoint
 appraise
 appreciate
 approach
 approve
 arbitrate
 argue
 arise
 arrange
 articulate
 ascertain
 assemble
 assert
 assess
 assign
 assist
 associate
 attain
 attend
 attract
 attribute
 audit
 augment
 author
 authorize
 automate
 award
 balance
 begin
 bolster
 boost
 break
 brief
 broaden
 budget
 build
 calculate
 carry
 cease
 challenge
 characterize
 circulate
 clarify
 classify
 coalesce
 compare
 complete
 complicate
 compress
 compute
 conceive
 concentrate
 conclude
 concur
 condense
 conduct
 connect
 construct
 continue
 contract
 contribute
 control
 convert
 convey
 convince
 coordinate
 correct
 create
 critique
 crystallize
 debate
 debug
 decide
 declare
 decode
 decrease
 dedicate
 deduce
 defend
 define
 delegate
 delineate
 deliver
 demonstrate
 depict
 deploy
 deposit
 depreciate
 derive
 describe
 design
 designate
 detail
 detect
 determine
 develop
 devise
 devote
 diagnose
 diagram
 differentiate
 diffuse
 direct
 discharge
 discover
 discuss
 dispatch
 display
 dissect
 disseminate
 distinguish
 distribute
 distribute
 diverge
 diversify
 divide
 document
 dominate
 double
 draft
 draw
 drive
 duplicate
 earn
 edit
 educate
 elaborate
 elect
 elicit
 eliminate
 emerge
 emphasize
 employ
 enable
 encapsulate
 encompass
 encourage
 end
 enforce
 engage
 engineer
 enhance
 enlighten
 enlist
 enrich
 ensure
 entail
 enter
 entertain
 equip
 establish
 estimate
 evaluate
 evaporate
 evolve
 examine
 exchange
 exclude
 execute
 exemplify
 exercise
 exert
 exhibit
 expand
 expect
 expedite
 experience
 experiment
 explain
 explore
 express
 extend
 extract
 extrapolate
 facilitate
 familiarize
 fashion
 feature
 file
 filter
 finalize
 finalize
 find
 finish
 fit
 fix
 flow
 focus
 follow
 forecast
 form
 formulate
 fortify
 forward
 foster
 found
 frame
 fulfill
 fund
 furnish
 further
 gain
 galvanize
 gather
 gauge
 generalize
 generate
 give
 govern
 grade
 grant
 greet
 group
 grow
 guide
 handle
 head
 help
 highlight
 hire
 host
 hypothesize
 identify
 illuminate
 illustrate
 imagine
 impart
 implement
 imply
 import
 improve
 improvise
 include
 incorporate
 increase
 index
 indicate
 individualize
 induce
 infer
 influence
 influence
 inform
 initialize
 initiate
 innovate
 input
 inquire
 inspect
 inspire
 install
 institute
 instruct
 insure
 integrate
 interact
 interface
 interpret
 intervene
 interview
 introduce
 invent
 investigate
 invoke
 isolate
 join
 judge
 justify
 label
 launch
 lead
 learn
 lecture
 license
 lighten
 list
 listen
 litigate
 lobby
 localize
 locate
 log
 maintain
 make
 manage
 manifest
 manipulate
 manufacture
 map
 market
 master
 maximize
 measure
 mechanize
 mediate
 meet
 mentor
 merge
 methodize
 migrate
 minimize
 mobilize
 model
 moderate
 modernize
 modify
 monitor
 motivate
 narrate
 navigate
 necessitate
 negotiate
 note
 notify
 nurse
 nurture
 observe
 obtain
 offer
 officiate
 offset
 omit
 open
 operate
 optimize
 orchestrate
 order
 organize
 orient
 originate
 outline
 overcome
 overhaul
 oversee
 package
 participate
 perfect
 perform
 persist
 persuade
 photograph
 pilot
 pioneer
 place
 plan
 play
 plot
 point out
 possess
 practice
 precede
 predict
 prepare
 present
 preserve
 preside
 prevent
 print
 prioritize
 process
 produce
 profit
 program
 project
 promise
 promote
 propel
 propose
 prove
 provide
 publicize
 publish
 purchase
 quadruple
 qualify
 quantify
 question
 raise
 ran
 rate
 reach
 read
 realize
 reason
 recognize
 recommend
 reconcile
 reconstruct
 record
 recreate
 recruit
 rectify
 redefine
 reduce
 refer
 reference
 refine
 reflect
 refute
 regard
 register
 regulate
 rehabilitate
 reinforce
 reiterate
 release
 remediate
 remodel
 remove
 render
 renew
 reorganize
 repair
 repeat
 replace
 replicate
 report
 represent
 reproduce
 require
 research
 resolve
 respond
 restore
 restore
 restrict
 retain
 retrieve
 revamp
 reveal
 review
 revise
 revitalize
 rotate
 route
 sample
 satisfy
 saturate
 save
 scan
 schedule
 screen
 script
 scrutinize
 search
 secure
 seek
 select
 send
 separate
 serve
 service
 settle
 shape
 share
 show
 signal
 signify
 simplify
 simulate
 situate
 solicit
 solidify
 solve
 sort
 speak
 spearhead
 specialize
 specify
 stabilize
 stage
 standardize
 start
 stimulate
 straighten
 strategize
 streamline
 strengthen
 structure
 study
 subject
 submit
 substantiate
 succeed
 suggest
 sum
 summarize
 superimpose
 supervise
 supply
 support
 suppress
 surmise
 surpass
 survey
 sustain
 symbolize
 synthesize
 tabulate
 tailor
 target
 teach
 terminate
 test
 theorize
 time
 tour
 trace
 track
 trade
 train
 transcribe
 transect
 transfer
 transform
 translate
 transmit
 transport
 transpose
 travel
 treat
 trigger
 triple
 troubleshot
 tutor
 uncover
 underline
 underscore
 understand
 understate
 undertake
 unify
 unveil
 update
 upgrade
 uphold
 use
 utilize
 validate
 value
 verify
 view
 visit
 visualize
 vitalize
 volunteer
 weigh
 widen
 win
 write
 yield

Typical Interview Questions

Many interview questions will be straightforward ("How long did it take you to
complete your degree?") Others will be vague ("Tell me about yourself.") Some
may seem completely irrelevant ("What is your favorite color and why?") Some
will test your skills, and others will seem like they came out of left field. Many in-
depth resources exist on types of interview questions and how to answer them.
A Google search will quickly lead you to some of the odd or industry-specific
interview questions you may hear. It is important, though, to be familiar with the
main types of interview questions you might face and the areas that most
employers will likely ask about.

Aside from the relatively straightforward line of questioning, there are some
interview styles you need to be aware of. The first, and perhaps most common, is
the behavioral interview. In this type of interview, the basic premise is that the
past predicts the future; more specifically, past behavior predicts future
behavior. In other words, if you acted as a superior leader on a project for
another company and can demonstrate that you did so, the theory is that you will
be a superior project leader for the interviewing company as well.

Where does this leave someone with little or no work experience, or unrelated
experience? That is a good question. Even though the interviewer will know you
are new to the workforce, chances are you will still be faced with this line of
questioning. "Tell me about a time when you had to resolve a difficult problem on
your own. Give me an example of how you have demonstrated the ability to work
as a team member and what were your contributions." You will need to mine
your past for examples of how you demonstrated desirable skills, attitudes, and
behaviors in the past. This may come from volunteer activities, club activities,
school activities and projects, summer employment, and any other situation
where you demonstrated the required skills. You will then need to show what
you did and what the result was. In other words, you will need to tell a story.

If your experience is not directly related to the target position, use similar
situations. Broader issues, such as problem solving, can be addressed quite
easily. Most everyone has dealt with a situation that required some creative
thinking to solve a problem or challenge. If you are asked about specific skills
related to the job that you do not yet have, again, try to find a similar experience
that demonstrates your use of related skills, processes, etc. to show that, while
your experience may not be exactly in line with the position, you have many
related and applicable skills. Being prepared for this type of answer requires
some research about the position ahead of time. Then, you can formulate
answers to potential questions in advance so you can confidently present those
skills, situations, and stories that show how you are more than ready to step into
this new position with ease.

When answering this line of questioning, use the STAR or SAR format: This
stands for Situation or Task, Action taken, and end Result. When telling your
story, relate the situation you faced or the task requiring attention. Describe how
you took action to address the situation or task, and describe the end result.
Obviously, choose an example that had a positive outcome. No need to inform an
employer that you tried something and failed. We have all done this at one time
or another, but the interview is not the time to talk about it. Choose your best
examples instead.

Another line of questioning is specifically designed to generate stress. These

are, not surprisingly, called stress questions. They may require quick thinking,
put you on the spot, or use any number of techniques designed to make you
sweat. For example, a group of interviewers may ask a mathematician to
describe how to solve a simple, well-known problem. After the candidate gives a
correct answer, the interviewers tell the candidate that the answer is incorrect
and then watch the reaction. Another example may be if the interviewer picks up
a pen and tells the candidate to "sell" it in 60 seconds or less.

The purpose of stress questions is to determine how you handle pressure. The
interviewers are not as concerned with the answers as they are the reaction.
With this in mind, you can relax a little when faced with stress questions
because you understand the motive behind them. The Quintessential Careers
Web site provides a comprehensive list of potential job interview questions and
possible answers. Of course, how you answer the questions depends on your
unique circumstances; however, the list provides an idea of options and methods
for approaching difficult questions. See the list at:
http://www.quintcareers.com/interview_question_database/interview_questions_d
atabase.html

Other types of stress questions are those that you may have read about online or
in articles about strange interview questions. They include the oddball questions
that have no real answer, such as, “Which is better, chocolate or vanilla, and
why?” While many are strange, the idea behind these types of questions is to see
how you handle pressure and to gauge your thought processes, particularly while
on the spot. If you enter the interview prepared for the possibility of strange
questions, you will not be taken off guard, or at least not as much. Not every
interview will use these methods (and some companies are moving away from
this type of questioning), but be aware that you may be hit with some off-topic
questions.

Prepare Your Own Questions for

the Interview
Remember, the interview is a two-way street. You are there to learn more about
the position and company, and determine if the position is a good fit for you.
Keeping this in mind can help keep the interview in perspective, also, so
remember that part of your role in the interview is to learn as much as you can.

There are a number of canned questions that you may have heard you should ask
of your interviewer. Frankly, these are good questions; but after these initial
questions, seek to ask a few original ones as well. An example of a question that
everyone asks is, "What are you looking for in a candidate?" or something along
those lines. This is a great question if you are sincere; however, because
everyone has been told to ask that question, it can sound like something you
 read about in a book. Try to get creative when wording your questions or at least
more direct. "Do you feel I meet your desired criteria for the position?" is one
way to reword this question to your advantage. If the answer is yes, you are
obviously a serious contender. If no, ask for clarification, and then explain why
you do in fact meet the needs. If the interviewer says you lack technical skills,
for example, show that you are a quick learner and give an example of a
situation when you needed to learn something quickly, how you went about
doing so (action) and succeeded (result).

Because you did your company research before the interview, you can have a list
of questions prepared that you would like to ask. Undoubtedly, some of those
questions will be answered throughout the interview, but not all. Ask those that
are still unanswered. Also take notes throughout the interview and make note of
questions that arise. You can ask those questions as well. This is also the time
to ask for clarification on any points that arose during the interview about which
you would like more information.

One question you should never fail to ask comes at the close of the interview.
This is when you ask, "What are the next steps?" or "When can I expect to hear
from you?" Do not leave the interview open-ended. Find out what the timeframe
is and what the next phase of the interviewing process will be. Restate your
interest in the position and thank your interviewers for their time. Then go home
and write your thank you letter or letters.

3 Resume Tips from Tech Firm

Recruiters
by Vault Careers | June 26, 2017

  My Vault
Here are three resume writing tips from experienced tech firm recruiters
that will go a long way toward getting the job you want.

1. Personalize each resume.

"When applying for a job, the key objective is to get an interview with the
prospective employer. A resume needs to stand out among the many
other resumes that an employer receives. At such a volume, an employer
will have a clear sense of what they’re looking for from a resume and will
make a decision on a resume within 10 to 30 seconds. A resume needs to
elevate all the relevant information to the reader and prompt them to
follow up. Most importantly, they should be personalized to the company.
If one spends 10 minutes personalizing your application, it will be obvious
to the reader. Likewise, it’s obvious when somebody has simply sent a
generic resume to multiple companies. Understanding the needs of the
prospective employer and the requirements of the position being applied
for are key to making a successful personalized application."
--Barry Kwok, a recruitment consultant for early stage tech companies

2. Read a ton of postings before creating your resume.

"A serious job seeker should read a LOT of postings before writing their
resume and applying for jobs. Most people in the hiring loop will only look
at a given applicant once, which means sending in a half-baked resume is
doubly destructive. Not only does it diminish the odds of an immediate
response, it taints the water for other positions that may come up in the
short-term future. Not great. Reading job descriptions can help give a
sense of the type of language used by the hiring audience to describe a
particular set of skills and abilities. Using similar language improves your
odds of showing up when they scan through resumes looking for viable
prospects. Of course, the resume has to be accurate and you have to be
able to back up anything you claim, but knowing how to put the details
together can be a big advantage." 
--Michael B. Junge, director of sales and recruiting at Irvine Technology
Corporation

3. Be concise and precise—and quantify.

"The majority of resumes I see are, frankly, terrible—and in very basic,

easy-to-fix ways. First, they’re too long. A three or more page resume
doesn’t help you look more impressive; it makes you look worse. By
definition, the more content you have on your resume the weaker the
average item is. And since people only look at your resume for about 15
seconds (and often even less), it’s the average item that matters, not the
sum of all your experience. Second, even when candidates get the length
right, they often fail to focus on what really matters: accomplishments.
Generally speaking, I know what a job title means as far as your
responsibilities (software developers write code and fix bugs—duh!). What
I want to know is not what you were responsible for doing; I want to know
what you actually accomplished. And, please, quantify these
accomplishments when possible." 
--Gayle Laakmann McDowell, founder and CEO of CareerCup.com
Nine Common Management
Consulting Fit Interview Questions
Posted in Fit Interview Prep

Recruiters consider fit interviews important because the results determine if you can adapt with the
firm’s culture, with the pressures of the position and with the people around you. Given this fact, you
must find out the right answers to nine common fit interview questions.

Most consulting applicants like you prepare for the challenging case interview. You diligently go
through scripts and practice analytical issues with a friend or a mentor. However, though it’s quite
significant in the screening process, it’s not the only interview you should prepare for. The recruiters
will also pose questions related to your education, experience and personality. Find out the top nine
interview questions or statements that are commonly asked during management consulting fit
interviews.

Tell Me Something About Yourself

This broad statement can dig a variety of answers from applicants but not all of these answers are
encouraged to be mentioned during the interview. To know the best answer, ask yourself, “What does
this recruiter want to know about me?” Of course, it’s not the list of awards you’ve earned in
elementary or high school. It’s not the trophy you’ve won during the singing contest in your
community.

What the recruiter wants to know is an overview of your professional credentials that are related to
management consulting. You can share how you got interested in this field, your relevant experience
that can help you perform your job and your skills that will boost your application. This general
background serves as the recruiter’s basis in formulating specific questions that will pull out more
relevant information from you. Avoid sharing personal matters since these are not necessary anymore.
Check this NairaCareer’s blog post for more ways on how to answer this question.

What Are Your Weaknesses?

Answering this question is like being torn between the devil and the deep blue sea. For a management
consulting applicant, revealing the truth might cause rejection but lying isn’t a good idea, either. To
answer the question, try to rephrase it. Ask yourself, “What are my points for improvement?” This
elicits a positive response, a turn-on for recruiters.

You can start describing your weakness but never leave it as it is. Add details on how you are resolving
it. Emphasize that you’ve already started working on it. For instance, if you’re a management
consulting applicant who’s not excellent in preparing presentations, you can say that you’re currently
taking a crash course or you’re learning the application with a friend. You can mention that you’ve
realized it’s not that complicated after all.

Never state a weakness that opposes any of the main requirements of the job. For instance, if you hate
numbers, don’t make the mortal sin of mentioning this. You will instantly get rejected since consultants
are bombarded with numbers for research and analysis.

What Was the Reason Why You Left Your Previous

Job?
You are expected to tell the truth in answering this question but make sure that you focus on the act
itself, not on the person nor on the organization. If you stick with the act, you get direct to the point.
For instance, if you resigned because of your supervisor’s contagious inefficiency, you can just say,
“I’m looking for a challenging environment where my skills can be fully maximized.”

Preferably, focus on your search for growth and betterment. Ranting will only lead you to saying
negative impression about your boss and the people around you. A management consulting applicant
who badmouths his or her previous colleagues and/or company usually gets rejected.
Badmouthing implies ungratefulness and poor social skills, two factors that adversely influence your
performance.

Why Do You Want to Apply for This Position?

When the interviewer asks you this question, he/she wants to know three things: how fit you are for
the position, how well you know the company and how you can reconcile both. If you’re applying for a
position in McKinsey, research what their ultimate goal is. If you’re trying your luck in Bain, find out
what makes it different from the other management consulting firms. Then draw a line that connects
the company’s vision and your personal interests, objectives and competencies.

What Are Your Goals?

This question aims to check if the position you’re applying for will help you achieve your career goals.
Ideally both must be parallel since it helps you perform your responsibilities in a more effective and
fulfilling manner. If they are situated on opposite sides, there’s a great possibility that you’ll find
dissatisfaction in your job. This will consequently lead to poor performance and eventually resignation
or termination.

When you are asked to answer this question in a management consulting job interview, establish a
connection between the position and your career goal. For instance, if your dream is to be a Senior
Consultant, you can explain that the Analyst position is a good stepping stone since your analytical
and critical-thinking skills will be enhanced.
How Did Your Education Prepare You for This Job?
Some management consulting companies are interested in your educational background since it’s the
longest training you have had. Those who graduated from universities known for their integrity,
excellence and prestige are preferred as proven by their alumni.

However, going to the best school in the country doesn’t make you the most qualified applicant. You
should also be able to explain how your holistic education has prepared you for the job. You can also
mention your extracurricular involvement that equipped you for this position.

What Is the Most Difficult Decision You Have Made

at School or at the Workplace?
This question finds out how a candidate deals with stress. When you need to make a difficult decision,
there are choices you need to weigh, changes you need to face. How you deal with them is vital for
any management consulting position since there are plenty of stress-provoking incidents in this field.

When asked with this question, try to recall a situation where you displayed competencies necessary
for the management consulting position. For example, a problem that was resolved because of your
leadership skills or a dilemma that was clarified because you’ve convinced the other consulting club
members to brainstorm possible solutions.

How Do Your Colleagues or Friends Describe You as

a Person?
This checks your interpersonal skills, an important factor that recruiters seek in management
consulting applicants. Consultants should be people person. They are expected to deal with different
kinds of personalities in different position levels to be able to generate excellent recommendations.

When asked with this question, focus on how you get along well with others. You don’t have to be
loquacious; you must only be able to work in teams, establish rapport, collaborate and provide
feedback.

Do You Have Any Questions?

A good recruiter always gives the applicant a chance to ask questions at the end of the interview to
clarify any confusion. This is a good chance for you to prove you can pose intelligent queries. Do not
look for answers that are already provided on the job description. Instead, ask questions that suggest
your interest in management consulting and that are interesting enough for the interviewer to answer.
McKinsey Resume Sample
Posted in Resume/CV

Like most companies, McKinsey & Company base their preliminary screening on the information they
gather from the candidate’s resume. Hence, if you dream of breaking into this management consulting
giant, make sure your McKinsey resume reflects your consulting capabilities.

What McKinsey Looks For

It has been stated on their website that the firm opts to hire candidates who are problem solvers,
achievers, potential leaders, and capable of creating a personal impact on their clients. Fortunately,
these qualities are categorized as soft skills, which implies that non-experienced applicants may
actually have an edge as long as the four basic requirements are reflected in their activities and
accomplishments.

Crafting Your McKinsey Resume

 In general, the information you provide in your McKinsey resume should be divided into several
sections. Determining what sections to include and how they should be arranged depends on your
current career status. Remember the end goal—presenting your relevant qualifications in the most
effective way.

Below, we have provided a McKinsey resume sample that you can use as a guide in crafting your
document:

Personal Information
In this section, include the basic details McKinsey is interested in. These often include your name,
complete home address, contact numbers, and email address. The tips below will help you exhibit your
professionalism more effectively:

 Add the URL to your portfolio or website if you think it will reinforce your qualifications.
 Use a larger font for your name to facilitate the recruiter’s memory recall.
 Don’t attach your headshot unless stated as one of the job application requirements.
 Use a simple email address. Reserve your hilarious email addresses for your buddies.
 Double check your contact numbers to ensure they are accurate and functional.

Check out these examples:

JANE MARSHALL
236 East Avenue, Miami, FL  23456 | (+145) 983-0980 | janemarshall@gmail.com

LILY NAYOR
56 Guava St., West Village, Toronto, ON 94034 | Mobile: +129-400-4560 | Home: +109-234-8709
lilynayor@yahoo.com | http://lilynayor.com

Education
If you are a recent graduate, this section should follow your personal information. Your educational
training at school will help recruiters assess how prepared you are for the consulting role. The
knowledge you acquired from your professors and your involvement in various activities are the
foundation of your future career.
Below are some ideas on which information to include:

 State your highest level of education first.

 Include the name of your university, your degree, the years you attended, and relevant
coursework.
 Include your GPA; SAT, GMAT, or LSAT scores; and other standardized tests you’ve taken.
 List the awards or honors you received for your academic excellence or social involvement.
 If you have an impressive transcript, attach a copy so McKinsey may view it.

Take a look at this example:

BS Business Administration, Oxford University, SYs 2008 – 2012

 Coursework included macroeconomics, professional writing, statistics, technological

transformations, organizational leadership, marketing principles, and business law.
 Honors and Awards: Cum laude, Distinguished Achievement Undergraduate Award 2011
 GPA: 3.7
 Experienced candidates need not list educational details. You can simply include your degree and the
name of your university as your work history will have greater significance for the screening
committee.

Professional Experience
This section contains your previous position titles, role descriptions, and work-related achievements. It
would be more effective if you emphasize the results and not the process in order to convey your
tangible contribution to your previous employers. Apart from this, you may also describe any
experience that will give the recruiter an idea of the value you can provide to the firm.  Here’s a good
example:

Investment Analyst, Brick Financial Services, September 2007 to June 2012

Provided advisory services to companies and organizations to guide them in making decisions on
mergers and acquisitions, stocks and bonds, and other financial opportunities.

 Assessed business strategies of clients, including analysis of working capital, process

workflows, and financial inefficiency and new business opportunities.
 Created an M&A model to analyze the best and worst case scenarios. This model was used by
senior bankers to negotiate a 5-10 % lower price for clients.
 Headed the team in a $80M valuation of a company within airline services industry.

Here’s another example for additional reference:

Area Sales Manager, Computer Corp., March 2002 to August 2007

Coordinated the sales forecasting, planning, and budgeting processes used by all computer stores in
the Baskerville area and ensured that quality and effective sales processes were implemented.

 Exceeded annual sales goals by 6% in 2004, 11% in 2005, and 13% in 2006.
 Oriented approximately 500 store managers and supervisors with sales goals and processes.
 Analyzed and discussed monthly sales reports and recommendations during the monthly
Board of Directors meeting.

If you have undergone an internship program, you can describe it in this section of your McKinsey
resume. Here’s an example:

Research Assistant, Internship Program, Gibb Research Center, January to March 2002
Assisted the research team by reviewing related literature, designing frameworks, and collecting and
analyzing data.

 Recommended suitable techniques and methods to analyze quantitative data.

 Created the survey questionnaire for a textile company as part of a study on their target
market for their new product.
 Wrote an article for publication in a national newspaper based on the research methods,
results, and analysis.

Extracurricular Activities
If you are a recent graduate, you can also add a section for your extracurricular activities, especially if
they indicate the qualities McKinsey looks for in applicants. However, if you already have professional
experience, this section is unnecessary.
In this section of your McKinsey resume, you can highlight any of the following:

Leadership Were you the secretary of the consulting club, a member of the student body organization, or the head of a school
Experience publication? Your leadership roles will prove you are capable of handling consulting responsibilities and managing
 people.

If you have written articles for your school magazine or publication, include this experience as well. This will give you an
Writing Skills
edge over the other applicants as management consultants write reports and recommendations for their clients.

Everyone appreciates teamwork and self-discipline. These qualities are developed and enhanced through participating
Athletics
in sports.

Your passion to help others without getting anything in return is an indicator of your commitment. Those who succeed
Volunteer Work
in management consulting must be committed and dedicated in order to survive the long work hours.

Here’s an example for this section:

 Associate Editor, Joy Publication, SY 2011 – 2012: Ensured that news and feature article writers
submitted high quality and original content; rewrote some articles to improve quality and style.
 Soccer Team Player, SYs 2009 – 2010: Won 2nd prize in the regional soccer competition in 2009
st
and 1 prize in 2010.
 Vice-president, Storytelling Circle, SYs 2010 – 2011: Organized five storytelling activities in
orphanages and children’s hospitals.

Additional Skills and Interests

If you have other qualifications for the vacant position, include this section in your McKinsey resume.
Examples for this section include:

Indicate the languages you have learned to build an app or website. This tells the recruiters you have the
Programming languages
ability to logically analyze a problem or an issue.

Enumerate the foreign languages you can use to communicate with overseas clients. McKinsey consultants
Foreign Languages
travel to various cities and countries, so speaking another language will serve as an advantage.

List three exciting hobbies or interests that relate to the consulting role. Reading comic books may be fun, but
Personal Interests
it doesn’t significantly contribute to your career.

Involvement in Being a member of an association of management consultants or other professional groups implies you keep
Professional Groups yourself abreast with the new trends and issues in the industry.

Here’s an example for this section:

 Programming languages: PHP, HTML, and CSS

 Foreign languages: English (mother tongue), Spanish (conversational), and Chinese
(conversational)
 Personal interests: Mountain climbing, reading self-help books, and landscape photography

Keywords
Recruiters don’t always have much time to review your McKinsey resume. They receive so many
applications for a single vacancy that they speed-read your document. Despite the short time they
spend on your application, they still manage to shortlist applicants for testing or interviews. Those
included on the list almost always submit a McKinsey resume that contains critical keywords.

You must know some words or phrases that will capture the attention of the recruiters. For example,
analysis, business judgment, problem-solving, and leadership are five of the terms recruiters look for in
your application. This, however, isn’t enough as each position requires a certain level of technical
expertise. If you want to be a digital expert, include some online marketing and social media terms. If
you aim to become a specialist in lean construction, include words such as contracting, procurement,
design optimization, and industrial engineering. Read the job advertisement and research the position
carefully in order to identify your own keywords.

Management Consulting Resume

Sample
Posted in Consulting Application, Resume/CV
In order to reach your goal of becoming a management consultant, you need to strike a tone in your
resume. In one of the most competitive fields in the working world, breaking into management
consulting requires substantial work and a perfect resume.

Recruiters assume that your management consulting resume is an accurate representation of who you
are. If it’s too superficial and commonplace, it might suggest that you won’t be able to make a
valuable contribution to the consulting firm and your resume will therefore be put aside after a short
assessment. Breaking into management consulting is a serious goal and you have to craft your resume
with quality, value and uniqueness. It must be effective enough to pique the interest of the recruiters
and convince them to schedule you for testing, interviews, and other assessments.

Before Writing: Know Your Target Firm

Before you turn on the computer and start typing, allot some time to investigate your target firm. Your
knowledge will guide you in writing your management consulting resume; it will help you build a
connection between you and your potential employer and enable you to construct a unique and
personalized marketing tool. Below are some techniques on how to do this:

Visit the firm’s website. You will find their history, goals, values, and culture and learn the fundamental information about
Website
the organization.

Follow their LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and other social media accounts. They post links to industry trends, activities,
Social
events, and other company updates. Keep yourself abreast of  these matters. If you can’t use this information for resume
Media
writing, you will benefit from it during job interviews.

Communicate with professionals who have worked or are working for the firm. Network with them in order to access
Networking
information from an insider’s point of view. Some, if not all, will be eager to lend you a hand.

How do these activities distinctly help you tailor your resume?  First, you will be able to phrase your
resume so it resonates with the individual company. Two firms may have the same values, stated in
different terms. Alternate the terms in your resume to correspond with each firm you apply with.
Moreover, you can emphasize content based on an individual firm’s goals. For instance, if a particular
firm values leadership, it’s wise to list previous work experience and accomplishments highlighting
your achievements in this area.
Writing Your Resume
Your cover letter serves as a knock at the consulting firm’s door. It may be key to your invitation to
interview, but your resume deepens the picture your resume reviewer gets of your experience and
background. The reviewer will probably only look at  this document for a short time. All consulting
firms receive many applications – this includes both boutique consulting firms as well as top tier
consulting firms such as McKinsey, Bain, Boston Consulting Group and Booz. Therefore, your
management consulting resume needs to provide high impact and be of a high quality. The key is
preparation and outline work before you get started with the writing process.

Go through the full resume preparation and planning process. Craft a structure of your resume by
brainstorming about your educational, work and volunteer (or other relevant) experiences and listing
them. From there, start to narrow down the experience that is pertinent to your desired career path.
Then come up with something like our resume outline (as shown below). This outline is our suggestion,
based on our experience with successful management consulting applications. You can, however, use
a structure that best highlights your experience in the most compelling way for you. The most
important point is to offer clarity and strong, action-oriented results and achievement descriptions.

Parts of Your Management Consulting Resume

Management consulting resumes can be organized in many different ways, and many follow a pattern
similar to the diagram shown.

The way you choose to organize it will depend on several factors. Your personal experience and what
you want to emphasize in your resume will come into play. New graduates will probably place greater
emphasis on education, academic performance and involvement in relevant extracurricular activities
and internships. Experienced consultants will rely heavily on professional experience and skills.

Some of what you write may depend on the firm to which you are applying. Some firms have
preferences about what you should highlight in your resume. Tailor your management consulting
resume to follow any guidance you have about what the firm wants to see. Edit and revise your
resume multiple times in the process. Tailor and virtually rewrite it for each new application. Your
resume is a living document that changes as you gain more experience but also when you apply for
different positions.
 Contact Information
This is the section where you will provide basic information about yourself. It may sound easy, but here
are a few techniques and reminders you may find useful:

Name The font size for your name must be larger than the rest of the text so recruiters can easily read and remember it.

Contact
Check the accuracy of your contact number. Mixing up numbers is a huge mistake—you will never be contacted.
number

Links Provide a link to your online portfolio, public LinkedIn profile, or blog so the recruiter can further assess you.

Email Use a professional email address. The recruiter won’t take you seriously if
address you use mischievousconsultant@example.com or sarcasticman@example.com.

Summary or Objective
A summary is a brief statement of your major qualifications, expertise, and experience; an objective
refers to your career goals and motivation. The former is often utilized by applicants with professional
experience, while recent graduates employ the latter. When you write this section, make sure that:

 It is written concisely but substantially. It should not exceed two to three sentences.
 It must be related to the desired position and target firm.
 It must be catchy enough to encourage the recruiters to read the rest of your management
consulting  resume.

Here’s an example of a summary:

Senior management analyst with experience in global logistics industry. Dual MBA and MS Logistics
Management.

Here’s an example of an objective:

Seeking management consulting role that requires proven negotiation and strategy planning skills.

Here’s an example of a longer summary:

Experienced management consultant and strategy expert with over a decade of experience.
Successful projects include providing and guiding strategy for merger between X and Y firms, leading
the new firm to profitability within one year, and managing a team of junior analysts. They successfully
launched a new product and guided it to become the leading product in the X sector and generated a
32 percent increase in revenue for parent company.

Professional Experience
A key consideration when you write about your professional experience is to measure whether or not it
is relevant. Is the experience you list directly relevant to the desired position? Activities that are
unnecessary to your career path only waste the limited space you have to make your case for being
hired. It adds nothing and erases prime “application real estate”.
 For every position you mention, describe your key responsibilities, followed by quantifiable
accomplishments in bullet form. Hiring managers want results first and foremost. Use powerful terms
such as verbs and numbers—they make your statements more results-oriented. Some of the
suggested action words are listed in the table below:

Addressed Coordinated Interviewed Persuaded Reviewed

Analyzed Executed Interpreted Planned Supervised

Communicated Guided Led Promoted Summarized

Conceptualized Influenced Managed Recommended Written

Management consulting resume for experienced professionals would most probably state the
experience section this way:

June 2007 – November 2010, ABS Sales Enterpising, New York City
Executive Vice President, B2B Sales and MarketingManaged a team of 65 sales and marketing
executives in a B2B sales structure. Guided product sales and marketing development efforts and
managed sales operations. Led expansion to Southeast Asian market and selected and managed a
sales team for developing Asian operations.

 Increased annual revenue by 22 percent year over year over three years.
 Expanded market for software products from Europe to North America and Asia and increased
sales by 27%.
 Increased annual revenue by 1.3 million USD and achieved profitability and market share.

Here’s an example for fresh graduates:

Project Analyst, Internship Program, STU Consulting Firm, August – September 2012

Assisted a team of management consultants in collecting, analyzing, and presenting market-related

information to the client. Brainstormed with experts in creating the design for market researches.
Analyzed industry trends and customer preferences on women’s apparel. Notable accomplishments
are the following:

 Designed a questionnaire that yielded a 80% response rate within one week.
 Conducted a field interview in shops and boutiques with only 1% data collection error.
 Wrote a qualitative analysis of research results after thorough brainstorming.

Education
For recent graduates, education plays an important role in the resume. Showing stellar academic
achievement and involvement in activities that conferred new strengths and skills will help show
preparation for a career in management consulting.  It serves as your foundation for entering the
competitive industry of management consulting. It’s the indicator of your knowledge, competencies,
and values. You can include the following information in this section:

You do not have to be an Ivy League grad to compete for a place at an elite consulting firm, but a big-name
Name of institution university with a superb reputation does not hurt. You may want to get the most mileage you can get from your
school’s name.
 This indicates what you learned over the past four years. It tells recruiters whether you have knowledge of
Degree earned
accounting, management, marketing, economics, or law.

Grade Point Average Include your GPA if it’s remarkably high or if it meets the minimum requirement of the management consulting
(GPA) firm.

Remarkable academic If you graduated with honors or you received any distinctions, state it in your resume. Your determination and
achievements hard work to achieve these accolades will be taken into consideration.

Significant
Your participation in various club activities will alert the recruiter that you have  developed skills, discipline, and
extracurricular
values that are necessary in management consulting.
activities

Here is a good example:

2001-2003 Harvard University, Cambridge, MA USA

Master of Business Administration/Master of Public Administration
Key achievements: Graduated summa cum laude

Skills
Focus on relevance when adding skills. You may have a number of practical skills, but they might not
be practical for management consulting. Think carefully about what skills you have, such as languages,
software, negotiation/communication, and how they fit into your future career. Consider how and why
a consulting firm would need or want these skills. If in doubt, find tangible examples of how a less
obvious connection can be made between your skill(s) and the consulting career or leave that
particular skill out of your resume.

Operations: Teambuilding, human resource management, strategy planning, competitive analysis,

conflict and problem resolution, project management, risk assessment and management

Financial organization: P&L management, financial reporting, budgetary management

Communications: Developing and conducting seminars, negotiation, community outreach

Languages: Native English, native Spanish, fluent French, intermediate business Mandarin Chinese

Personal Interests
Personal interests do not need to be included in a management consulting resume, especially if you
are running short on space. Interests are more often included in European CVs than American ones.
You will not be penalized for failing to add personal interests. Some personal interests and hobbies,
though, illustrate a certain level of perseverance, motivation and passion that may set you apart from
other applicants.

Being a lifelong competitive marathon runner who trains consistently may have very little to do with
consulting but does display a level of discipline and tolerance for hard work. A history of community
service and voluntary work displays personal integrity and commitment. These personal traits may not
fit neatly into a “skills and experience” box, but you do not want to fit too neatly into a box either.
Briefly show interests where you feel it strengthens your application and makes you stand apart from
your competition.

One line for interests will do, such as the example below:
 Personal Interests: Animal illustration, playing the guitar, and landscape photography.

Review the Content and Form

Once you have written your resume, proofread it to perfection. You may be able to think of better ways
to represent yourself the second time you go over it. Never send out a resume without checking the
content and form; your candidacy is at stake.

Below is a short checklist to ensure that your resume is perfect:

 Does it communicate the message you want to convey? Ensure that it proves you will be an
asset to the firm. If you miss this part, the answers to the rest of the questions are fruitless.
 Is it tailored to the goals and requirements of the management consulting firm? It is critical
that the recruiter sees that your qualities and personality match the position and the corporate culture.
 Is the data accurate? Remember that some recruiters validate the information. They
sometimes enter your name in the search box, check your LinkedIn profiles, or call your previous
supervisors to confirm what you’ve written.
 Is it free of typos and grammatical mistakes? These embarrassing blunders reflect poor
communication skills and lack of attention to detail. Don’t give the impression that you don’t possess
these basic qualities every consultant must have.
 Is the text legible? Don’t use a small font size to accommodate everything on one page, but
don’t make it too large because then it occupies too much space. Fancy fonts are highly discouraged.
Arial, Tahoma, Times New Roman, Calibri, and other conventional font styles are recommended.
 Does it have the correct margins? The white space around the text and in between categories
makes your document reader-friendly.
 Is the length sufficient? One page is ideal, two is acceptable, but anything more than that is
too long.

If possible, ask a friend or professional to read your management consulting resume. Sometimes, a
fresh set of eyes can give you  objective feedback.

Common Resume Mistakes

Exercise care when writing a management consultant resume, otherwise you might commit the
following mistakes:

One-Size-Fits-All Approach
Some resumes end up in the trash because applicants do not consider this as a critical step or they
find it too troublesome to follow the aforementioned guidelines. As a result, they end up preparing an
updated, generic resume they can readily print whenever they send out an application. Is this a good
idea? Yes and no. Yes, to having an updated, generic resume ready in your hard drive because it can
serve as your main reference source each time you tailor your resume to fit the firm you apply to. No,
to the one-size-fits-all approach because your application will always have an impersonal tone and
therefore won’t catch the recruiter’s attention.

Misrepresentation of Competencies
Another common mistake is misrepresenting oneself. True, you must project your best self in your
resume, but it doesn’t mean you can make up stories in order to be noticed. If you do, you are
fabricating information, a violation against honesty and integrity. Even if you are successful in the
preliminary screening, your capabilities will still be evaluated during the interview. If you fail to prove
you possess the abilities you say you do, you will be rejected and you will realize that you have wasted
your and the recruiter’s time and effort.

The Waiting Time

Even if you follow all the guidelines in this post, there is still a probability that you might not be invited
to interview. Unfortunately, it’s a sad reality that there’s an abundance of applicants in this industry.
You are competing against candidates as qualified as you, so after sending out your job application,
you may want to:

Interview
Start practicing for fit and case interviews. These are tough recruitment tools which you better prepare for.
Practice

Network with people who can possibly give you a status report about your application. It’s helpful to stay in touch with
Networking
someone who can follow up for you.

Continue looking for other career opportunities. As long as you don’t have a signed contract in your hand, you have to
Other Options
keep looking.

Resume Take on other jobs to build up your resume. If you think your lack of experience is the reason why other applicants are
Buildup ahead of you, consider positions that can prepare you for a management consulting career.

Remember to always be proactive in your application. Nobody said that breaking into this industry is
an easy venture. Just take things one step at a time and you will get there one day.
Management Consulting Cover
Letter Sample
Posted in Consulting Application, Cover Letter

As an aspiring management consultant, you should do everything to get an invitation to an interview.

To get there, you need to nail the first step: writing a concise, informative and enticing management
consulting cover letter that presents you as the ideal candidate.

Your cover letter must capture a balance of directness and confidence within the span of a few brief
but compelling, descriptive paragraphs. Writing about yourself can be one of the most difficult
challenges but is imperative in giving a valuable, powerful first impression and in conveying that you
have written communication skills on par with others in the management consulting profession. It can
help to see how others have presented themselves.

In the competitive landscape of pursuing a career as a management consultant, you already know that
you need to be aggressive, hungry and know what you want, what you have to offer and how to sell
yourself. Your management consulting cover letter is your best tool for making the sale. This is
regardless whether you apply to top-tier firms such as McKinsey, Bain and BCG or whether you apply
to boutique consulting firms.

Pre-Writing Activity
Before you write your management consulting cover letter, come up with a list of your qualifications
that match the requirements of your target firm. Take a look at the table below as an example:

Internship program or consulting experience

Problem-solving Researches conducted while you were a student
Relevant coursework

Achievements as a student
Determination Awards, certifications and honors received
Milestones in your previous job

Written or spoken languages

Communication Attended debates and case competitions
Journals and articles published on magazines or newspapers

Positions held at school

Leadership Team leader experience
Group projects where you acted as the leader

Writing the Management Consulting Cover Letter

You can be told ad nauseam how crucial your  management consulting cover letter is, and while you
undoubtedly believe it, this document is still a troublesome point for many applicants. Putting together
the right cover letter with all the necessary elements can be a lot of work. All the “scare tactics” about
the make-or-break nature of this document will still not give you the step-by-step guidance and tools
you need to get down to the business of actually writing the letter. A good approach is to break the
letter down into parts and focus on each, as we will help you do below.
Breaking the Letter Down
A typical management consulting cover letter sample for consulting is organized like the illustration
shown. While some items are self-explanatory, such as your contact information, the date and your
signature, some things are much more ambiguous. How do you narrow down your experience and your
personal skills enough to reflect your value to the desired hiring firm and maintain the brevity and
concision required?It can be daunting to approach writing a cover letter that may play a significant role
in determining whether or not you will get a chance at a future in management consulting. The process
can be broken down into smaller, manageable pieces, giving you the ability to focus on one step at a
time.

Opening
The opening of your letter provides an opportunity to introduce yourself and immediately get the
attention of the reviewer. You have only seconds to make this impression. To succeed, your letter
needs to lead to something that differentiates you, is personal, reflects your voice and makes you
unique. All this while fitting into the constructs of what the major consulting firms seek in management
consultants.

Some good examples of lead-ins include:

Networkin Refer to people working at the firm with whom you have had contact and briefly describe your connection to them, how it
g relates to your application or fit with the firm, particularly if those individuals can act as references for you.

Lead with references to any events or seminars in which you have taken part that have involved or been sponsored by the
Events firm in question/to which you are applying. Personal connections and your existing network and experience with the firm
can make a difference in tipping the scales in your favor.
 Touch on your motivation for wanting to be a management consultant as well as why this firm, what you know about this
Motivation
firm and how you fit into this firm.

Here’s an example:

I participated in a leadership seminar offer by X & Company in April 2011. My analytical skills and
experience in public policy primed me for the workshops run by your firm’s government specialists,
David Jones and Anne Smith. Mr Jones and Ms Smith encouraged me to put my dual MBA and MPA
degrees to use at X & Company, citing my superior cross-functional and multidisciplinary
communication skills and my passion for public policy and governmental affairs as particular strengths.
Management consulting creates a perfect marriage of my expertise in the convergence of public and
private business interests.

Experience and Education

Next part of the management consulting cover letter sample is experience and education. Depending
on your experience level when you apply, you may emphasize experience over education, while a new
graduate will not have much experience about which to write. Your resume will provide a formal list of
all your education and experience, so you will not need to write extensively about every experience.
The most important thing to reflect here is the most relevant experience and education.

Your job here is to sell yourself. You will do a bit of self-selling in all the sections of this management
consulting cover letter, but it will be most prevalent in the experience and education section and again
in your recounting of personal skills. In a way, these sections are related. If it flows better and makes
more sense, you can feel free to switch sections around, so your motivation statement comes earlier or
later, and experience and skills follow one another.

It is imperative in writing this section that you are specific and detailed. That is, choose specific and
highly relevant and impressive achievements and accomplishments and illustrate them with solid
action words and, wherever possible, concrete evidence or results of your efforts. If your effort on a
project led to a ten percent increase in sales, a 25 percent increase in productivity, a five percent
reduction in production budget or some other tangible result, back up your claims about experience
with hard data. Similarly, you can highlight leadership roles you have assumed, programs you have
organized, clubs or organizations you founded or contributed to and so forth.

As the co-chair of the X committee on X, negotiations between my department at the Department of

XZ and an external agency were on the brink of collapse. My data analysis skills and fast thinking
bridged the gap between the agencies when I created a data report and presentation that illustrated
the 23% cost savings the external agency would reap over five years. One of my greatest professional
contributions has been contributing to real savings and results by applying my creative thinking and
problem solving skills coupled with the ability to strip conflicts down to their basic parts and offering
solutions. In an advisory capacity, I have bridged many gaps between the public and private sector as
the boundaries between these sectors blur.

My expertise and education in both private business and public agencies has given me unique insight
into finding synergies between the public and private sectors.

Motivation
While you may feel strongly that you are destined to be a management consultant, your passion and
drive has to be conveyed as strongly in writing. Presenting your motivation for wanting to have this
rewarding career can be difficult. One aspect of management consulting cover letters that is often
missing is the sense of why and how much the applicant is motivated. It is important to infuse this
section with your own voice, tone and personality. The danger is that you can come across sounding
generic at best and careless at worst (for example, if you are cautious, you have left your motivation
as an afterthought). This section should be carefully crafted and well thought out. Concrete
motivations for your desired career choice will come through as being sincere.
 Having worked extensively in the public sector and driven many hybrid public-private projects, it
became clear that my skills and experience would best be employed in management consulting. In my
work with ELW and Partners, the collaborative and deeply analytical, sober approach to making
recommendations and strategic plans informed my decision to apply to ELW and to leave the public
sector. In particular, the large-scale XX public works project in which ELW worked closely with my
government agency and a third-party corporation demonstrated to me the potential of collaborative
management and my future in it.

Personal Skills
Your personal skills should set you firmly apart from other applicants and paint a picture of you as a
unique applicant with something to offer that is unlike anything anyone else’s personal portfolio can
rival. Again, you are selling yourself with confidence and honesty. Along the same lines as how you
presented yourself in your experience and education section, you will highlight your personal skills
using examples that are as tangible as possible.

Personal skills cannot be demonstrated as readily as quantifiable results. Here are a few questions you
can ask yourself to trigger the flow of thoughts on personal skills and abilities:

 What can you bring to this firm that no one else can?
 Why would this firm regret losing out on hiring you?
 Why would this be a perfect marriage between you and this firm?
 How are you a leader or a driver?
 What unique things have you done or accomplished?

More specific to the realm of personal skills, ask yourself how you have demonstrated the following in
relation to your past experience and education:

 problem solving and analytical skills

 communication skills
 team working skills
 personal impact and leadership skills
 business judgment skills

Here’s an example for this section:

If you were to ask any of my colleagues about my professional strengths, all would say without
hesitation that my approach to problem solving and analysis is key to my success as well as the
success of the teams I have led. In particular, in terms of breaking problems down into manageable
parts and dividing them among the best-prepared team members, I have been a leader and have
displayed keen team building and organizational skills. My teams have consistently reported stronger
annual results and higher team morale.

My leadership has been instrumental in helping to keep these communication and teamwork channels
open.

Closing
Your closing is your opportunity to conclude, recap briefly and to thank the reviewer for their time and
consideration. You may restate your motivation or encourage the firm to contact you. In any case, this
is meant simply to close the letter politely.

Signature
Close your cover letter using professional words such as:
 Kind regards,
 Respectfully,
 Sincerely,
 Most sincerely,
 Yours truly,

Don’t forget to attach your signature as well to express your sincerity in applying to the firm. Simply
scan your signature, crop the image and insert it to your cover letter accordingly.

McKinsey Cover Letter Sample

Posted in Cover Letter

If you are applying for a position at McKinsey, you will be competing with a large number of graduates
and working professionals who are also interested in breaking into the firm. Therefore, you must be
able to convince recruiters to invite you to an interview. This includes submitting a McKinsey cover
letter that tells the story that you are a highly motivated and ambitious applicant with a great
potential.

Remember, a resume only summarizes your skills and experience, but a cover letter tells the story
about you: your career plans and the fit of consulting in these plans, your personality and your key
accomplishments. You need to devote ample time to crafting your letter as it can help you stand out
from the pool of highly qualified candidates.

Before Writing Your McKinsey Cover Letter

Before writing your McKinsey cover letter, you need to make a list of your qualifications and
accomplishments that match the skills McKinsey seek in candidates. This will help you determine
which information to include in the document. Use the table below for ideas and suggestions:

Relevant coursework
Problem-solving Consulting experience (internship or professional)
Conducted researches
 Accomplishments in the classroom and previous jobs
Achieving Relevant awards and honors

Exposure to different types of people

Personal Impact Volunteer projects worked on
Spoken and written languages

Positions held in a community, organization, or school

Leadership Group projects

McKinsey Cover Letter Structure

The cover letter should contain three to five paragraphs and the information you present should be
comprehensively written. If this document exceeds one page, recruiters will doubt your written
communication skills, something all management consultants should possess.

Contact Information and Salutation

There’s only one thing you need to remember in this section: accuracy. Double check your contact
information as the recruiters will use it to notify you about tests and interviews. Also, don’t forget to
address the letter to the correct person and his or her position at the firm. Applicants often overlook
these basic facts when writing cover letters. Committing these types of mistakes will hurt your
application; recruiters will be disappointed that you omitted critical details.

Introduction
This section should be interesting enough to encourage the recruiters to read the rest of your
McKinsey cover letter. It should contain your objectives, the specific job title you are interested in, and
how you came across the opening. In order to convey your own voice, try the following strategies:

Networkin Mention how a McKinsey employee has inspired you to pursue a career with the firm. However, do not namedrop just to
g get the recruiter’s attention; explain how the conversation moved or challenged you to pursue a consulting role.

Refer to an event, session, or any activity where you learned to appreciate the services and expertise of McKinsey. It can be
Events
an inspirational talk shared by a satisfied client or a lunch meeting with a key person in the industry.

Cite a particular study or article written by McKinsey. State how it has motivated you to follow your management consulting
Articles
dreams.

Here’s is an example of this section:

I have learned from James Peterson, one of your managing directors that you are looking for an
operations consultant for your Chicago office. During our conversation after his presentation on
business transformation strategies last month, he shared his experience in addressing inefficient
processes, designing marketing models, and helping clients build new capabilities. The valuable
information I learned from him has reinforced my passion for this field and my entrepreneurial spirit.

Here’s is another example:

I met John Johnson at a recruiting event and he discussed an opportunity to work with the Marketing
and Sales Practice management team as a Digital Expert. When I researched the position, I came
across your article, “Powering Growth through Digital Advantage.” After reading it, I was convinced
that CEOs should shape their marketing and sales agenda according to how digital media has
influenced consumer behavior. If given the opportunity, I would like to help organizations realize,
develop, and implement their digital strategies.

Middle Paragraphs
Based on your list of qualifications, choose and highlight two or three skills or accomplishments that
will push your application to the top of the pile. Select the ones that are most relevant to the position.
If you are an experienced professional, focus on your quantitative achievements at your previous job.
If you are a recent graduate, you can talk about your coursework, extracurricular activities, and
internship program. The important thing is to establish a connection between the job and your
competencies.

Here is an example of this section for experienced professionals:

My three-year experience as a director at an online marketing agency has prepared me for this client-
oriented role. I have developed various digital marketing campaigns using a range of techniques such
as Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Pay Per Click (PPC), social media advertisements, and paid
searches. I also served as a marketing partner of Bangles, a startup company that sells women’s
clothing and apparel online. Two months after implementing our marketing proposal, their monthly
revenue increased by 25%.

Apart from my experience, my marketing degree from the University of Colorado has also prepared me
for advanced business writing, conducting market research, and analyzing consumer behavior. I
believe that my technical know-how, coupled with my substantial experience, will be my key to
generating marketing strategies based on the industry’s best practices and customer experience. I am
confident McKinsey & Company will find my contribution to the organization’s growth valuable.

Here is an example of this section for recent graduates:

During my three-month internship at Fast Investment Bank, I helped my team in providing financial
services to companies and organizations. I analyzed an investment opportunity for a private equity
fund within the wind turbine sector, leading to a critical investment decision. I also developed an Excel
model for the valuation using both multiple and discounted cash flow methods. This model was used
by the entire team.

In addition to my internship experience, I am a Finance major from the Leeds School of Business at the
University of Colorado. My college curriculum has readied me for any challenges in business analysis,
quantitative methods, and organizational behavior. Despite my responsibilities as a soccer club vice-
president, I graduated with a 3.9 GPA. As evidenced by my excellent educational performance, I
believe I will be able to adapt to the challenging demands of your organization.

In this section, you can also talk about your motivation for applying with the firm and personal
interests. Make sure to present them in a manner that’s relevant to the desired position.

Closing Paragraph
The closing paragraph revolves around you as a person. Write about what you can contribute to the
organization, your passion, personal values and skills. Finally, add one more sentence that indicates
your high value. Avoid writing “If you have any questions about my application, please do not hesitate
to contact me” as this creates no value. If recruiters find you suitable for the job, they will find a way to
contact you.

Here’s an example of the closing paragraph:

 I take pride in my innate leadership potential. When I was still in university, I was an officer of the
consulting club for two consecutive years.  Furthermore, my former colleagues can attest to how I
motivate other people to do their tasks, and involve everyone in working towards the common goal.

Looking forward to discuss the opportunities with you.

Signature
It’s essential to close your McKinsey cover letter in a professional manner. You may use the following
closing examples:

 Sincerely
 Best regards
 Respectfully
 Yours truly
 Most sincerely

Also, don’t forget to attach your signature in order to add sincerity to your McKinsey cover letter. If
you’re uploading your letter on the Internet, consider creating a digital signature. Just sign a piece of
clean, white paper, scan it, and crop the image down to the ideal size of your signature. This will help
you stand out as a professional and technically-competent applicant.

Review Your Cover Letter

Before sending out your McKinsey cover letter, review its content and structure. If you know someone
who is qualified and willing to check it for you, ask for his or her objective feedback. After reviewing
the document, ask yourself the following questions:

 Is the content relevant and interesting enough to pique the interest of the recruiter?
 Does it convey the value I can contribute to the firm?
 Are my ideas or qualifications presented in a smooth and comprehensible manner?
 Does it look reader-friendly?
 Is it free from spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors?

If you answered “yes” to all of these questions, you can submit your McKinsey cover letter with your
resume and other required documents.
Bain Cover Letter Sample
Posted in Cover Letter

Bain & Company is a world-renowned strategy consulting firm. They have been ranked the #1 best
firm to work for by Consulting magazine for the past nine years. This leading firm works with large
corporations and multinationals across industries throughout the world.

With such a prestigious reputation, it is not surprising that many aspiring consultants want to jump
start their career at this organization. Because this job market is so competitive, failing to submit an
eye-catching consulting cover letter would be a huge mistake. Recruiters at top-tier consulting firms,
such as Bain, will not spend a lot of time reviewing your application, so a well-written and complete
application is a must.

A complete consulting application includes more than an impressive resume; you also need an equally
remarkable cover letter. In fact, the results from a recent survey revealed that 75% of employers
indicated that a well presented cover letter can significantly improve the chances of a less eligible
candidate landing an interview, and that 53% of employers favor applications with both a resume and
cover letter.

A cover letter provides you with an opportunity to highlight your relevant skills and experiences as well
as convey your enthusiasm for the consulting industry, so take advantage of it. You can look online for
Bain cover letter samples to guide you in writing your application.

What Bain Looks For

Bain looks for candidates who can demonstrate they possess qualifications imperative to consulting
such as sharp problem solving and strong leadership skills and a true passion for consulting.
Sharp problem solving skills are indispensable for any aspiring Bain employee. If you are not sure how
to incorporate your problem solving skills in your cover letter, begin by  providing short yet specific
accomplishments from your previous roles that demonstrate this skill. Remember, you need to exhibit
this capability in order to move on to the case interview. Although your problem solving skills and
thought process will be further evaluated during the case interview, you must first give them a glimpse
of your potential in order to get to the next stage.

Bain is also impressed with aspiring consultants who present a results-oriented track record. You do
not need to list all of your previous successful projects in your cover letter, simply highlight the most
impressive one.

Strong leadership qualities are essential if you really want to work at Bain. The firm  explicitly states
that they seek out candidates with proven leadership experience. Whether your experience in this area
is school or work-related or even through your extracurricular activities, make sure your application
displays this necessary trait.

Bain values applicants who show genuine passion for consulting and for life in general. Bain also
appreciates enthusiastic candidates who want to make a change in the world. You can demonstrate
your passion for consulting through the relevant experience or achievements you include in your
application. You can also demonstrate your passion for change by citing your activities outside the
office such as volunteer work.

When applying for a consulting position at Bain, you must be able to clearly demonstrate the
characteristics listed above in your cover letter and resume.

Bain Cover Letter Structure

Your consulting cover letter should only contain three to five paragraphs, and the information needs to
be presented in a concise yet comprehensive manner.

Bain Cover Letter Sample: Contact Information and Salutation

The most important thing you need to remember for this section is accuracy. As the recruiter will use
the details you provide here to notify you, ensure that your email address and phone number are
functional and accurate. Double check your contact information before you send your application.

Moreover, do not forget to address your letter to the correct person and list his or her title at the
company. Many candidates overlook this simple detail when writing their cover letters. In fact,
according to feedback from top employers listed in the book, The 100 Best Companies to Work For,
91% implied that addressing a cover letter to the appropriate individual improves an applicant’s
chances of getting an interview. This is because it reflects the extra time you took to research and
personalize your letter as well as your great attention to details. Failing to address these aspects in
your cover letter may hurt your application.

Bain Cover Letter Sample: Introduction

The first paragraph is where you mention the purpose of your letter, which is applying for the
consulting position. It needs to be interesting enough to encourage the screener to read the rest of
your application. Basically, this section of your letter should address the question, “Why this job?”
Explain how you came to know about the job opening and briefly state why you are interested in the
position. Sound sincere and do not just repeat their publicity materials. A good Bain cover letter
demonstrates that you have done your research and that your letter is targeted toward the
organization and have not simply sent out the same cover letter to other employers.

To convey an original, targeted, and interesting voice, you can mention any of the following:
networking, articles, or events. If you happen to have a conversation with a Bain employee, you may
mention how that person has inspired you to pursue consulting. You may also refer to an event, such
as an inspirational talk, wherein you learned the value of working at Bain. And you may state a
particular case Bain handled that has inspired you to get into consulting.

Check Bain’s website for company information or ask colleagues who are associated with them, so you
can add something original in your letter. You may also check out other consulting sites for good Bain
cover letter samples.

Example:

“I am interested in the Associate Consultant position at Bain & Company. I have an avid interest in
management consulting, and my conversation with Mr. X, one of your senior consultants, has further
inspired me to seek this position. I believe this opportunity will provide me with unparalleled
experience in business consulting.”

Bain Cover Letter Sample: Middle Paragraphs

The middle section of your consulting cover letter should answer the question, “Why me?” This section
can be either one or two paragraphs and convey all your significant work experience and how it relates
to the vacancy. Explain briefly and clearly why you are suited for the position without using the exact
same words or phrases on your resume. Refer to your most relevant skills and accomplishments and
match them to the requirements of the consulting position.

Example:

“My economics studies at Toronto University have provided me with analytical skills which I will apply
to diverse business scenarios. My three years of experience as a marketing manager at Accelerator
honed my ability to develop and implement marketing campaigns, as well as how to effectively
collaborate with a team. I led a team which devised marketing initiatives for a global campaign for Z
Brands, which resulted in a 25% increase in sales after three months.

I enjoy working with teams and hold several leadership positions within my various extracurricular
activities. I am currently the Vice President for X Group, and I also participate in a non-profit
organization that tutors local youth in math and reading. I believe that my strong work ethic, analytical
skills, and initiative have given me the requisite skills and ability to contribute to the growth and
success of your firm.”

Bain Cover Letter Sample: Conclusion

The closing paragraph of your Bain cover letter should reaffirm your suitability for the role.
Demonstrate your enthusiasm about the possibility of working as a Bain consultant and  state that you
are looking forward to hearing from them. Statistics from the survey mentioned above revealed that
88% of employers agree that applicants should mention their interest in being interviewed in their
cover letters.

Finally, do not forget to sign your letter. If you are submitting a paper application, you must place your
handwritten signature above your name. This is a sign of proper business etiquette and
professionalism. If you are sending an email application, a signature may not be necessary; however,
you must not forget to write your name at the bottom of your letter.

Example:

“I look forward to the opportunity of being interviewed in order to share more about my experience
and skills that I could bring to your company. Thank you for your time and consideration.”

Common Mistakes to Avoid

A Bain cover letter needs to be perfectly written and presented. If you want to land a consulting job
with this prestigious firm, avoid committing the following mistakes:

Name dropping If you have never talked to or met the person, do not mention them.

Never let your letter run over one page—brevity is best. Screeners will not spend a lot of time on your
Lengthy cover letter application, and if your letter exceeds one page, the recruiter may question your written communication skills,
which are a critical requirement for aspiring management consultants.

Exclamation points Mind your exclamation points. You can demonstrate your enthusiasm in a more professional way.

Lack of evidence for  your

Ensure that whatever you put in your letter is  supported by the details in your resume.
claims

Typos and grammatical

Such mistakes imply a lack of attention to detail, therefore you must proofread your letter.
errors

The standard font size is 12 with 1″ margins. Ensure there are enough white spaces as hurting the reader’s
Poor formatting
eyes will hurt your candidacy as well.

Wrong firm name and/or

This is a no brainer—mistakes like this will ruin your chances.
position

Rehashing your resume Do not waste the recruiter’s valuable time by providing two  similar documents to review.

Unclear statements Read your cover letter and ensure everything makes sense.

Lack of numbers Failing to include quantifiable accomplishments will not help your application stand out.

Only mention things that are relevant to consulting such as academic excellence and outstanding social
Insignificant details
involvement.

Omitting power words and Ensure to sprinkle your letter with active and strong words like “managed,” “organized,” “implemented,” etc.,
keywords and incorporate keywords related to the consulting position.
Bain Resume Sample
Posted in Resume/CV

Crafting a great management consultant resume is probably one of the biggest challenges applicants
face. As the consultancy employment market is extremely competitive, most aspiring consultants are
qualified for the vacant position. With such steep competition, your job application must reflect
outstanding professional experience, skills, and achievements.

Most aspiring consultants dream of working at global management consulting firms such as Bain & Co.
And like other world renowned firms, Bain utilizes a rigorous and competitive screening process.
Candidates who wish to work at this reputable company must be able to devise an interesting and
relevant application.
This means you have to submit a customized resume in order to pass Bain’s initial screening process.
When crafting your application, keep in mind that only a small percentage of applicants get an
interview at Bain.

What Bain Looks For

To determine which candidates are eligible to move on to the interview stage, Bain developed a points
system to evaluate their applicants’ educational attainment, work experience, and related
extracurricular activities. Recruiters look for individuals who possess the following:

Excellent problem- Bain searches for aspiring consultants who have the ability to frame complex problems while using creative
solving skills analytics to generate a pragmatic solution.

Proven leadership
Whether work or school related, Bain places a great deal of importance on strong leadership skills and experience.
experience

Passionate about You can’t teach anyone to be passionate about something they don’t really like. In order to excel at Bain, you need
consulting to be enthusiastic and driven in solving client problems. Passion means energy and energy means achievement.

Bain also looks for candidates with a results-oriented track record. Regardless of your background, the firm will be
Results-oriented
impressed by the quantifiable impact you had within an organization.

Bain recruits talented and experienced professionals to fill their Associate Consultant positions from a
variety of places—from colleges and universities and top graduate schools to meet-ups and networking
events.

Know Your Target Firm

Before you start creating your consulting resume, allot some time to researching your target firm.
Acquiring knowledge about Bain will guide you in writing your application. As your resume has to be
targeted to the company and the position, obtaining information will help you build a connection with
them as a potential employer. You can find relevant information on their company website including
their goals, values, and other essential details.

You can also follow their social media accounts in order to stay updated on recent activities and
events. You won’t be able to include all the information you find on your resume, but you will definitely
benefit from the knowledge, particularly if you are selected to be interviewed.

Moreover, seek the advice of colleagues who have worked or are currently working for Bain. You may
just learn relevant information about what the company is currently looking for, preferred
methodology, skills, etc.

Crafting Your Bain Resume

 In general, the format of a resume includes the following categories:

 Header with personal information

 Summary and objective
 Work experience and achievements
 Educational background
 Interests/activities

However, most consulting resumes do not include a summary or objectives section. This is because as
an aspiring consultant, your summary and career objectives must be clearly demonstrated through
your achievements. Besides, recruiters at top-tier consulting firms like Bain are busy people; they don’t
want to see any irrelevant information.

Also, remember to structure your resume to address the needs of the recruitment consultant. Place
your name at the top of the page and mention your employment history in reverse chronological order,
or starting with the most recent position.

Personal Information Section

In this section, mention all relevant personal details: your name, home address, email address, and
contact numbers. To convey a more professional feel you can add the URL to your online portfolio or
website. It is also recommended to use a larger font for your name.

In addition, make sure you provide a simple and professional email address. Using a funny  email
address will not help you get a job at Bain. In fact, according to a survey titled “Confession of the
Recruitment Agency,” 76% of applications that contain an unprofessional email address are rejected. It
is recommended to use your first and last name when setting up an email account for business and
professional use as in the example below. Lastly, ensure the contact numbers you provide are
accurate and functional.

Example:

John Doe
123 Vanowen Street, Van Nuys, CA 91405 | (+145) 987-6543 | john.doe@gmail.com
 Professional Experience and Achievements
When developing this section of your Bain resume, remember to include your accomplishments in
addition to your responsibilities. Under each job heading, you may use bullet points to detail your
achievements; make sure you mention the most impressive ones first.

Simply listing your previous position titles and role descriptions will not suffice. Bain wants to know
about your tangible contributions. You can also include major projects that you’ve worked on in which
you demonstrated key skills. Top-tier firms are interested in quantifiable achievements, not
responsibilities.

When conveying your accomplishments, use numbers and statistics. Your prospective firm will
translate these numbers into a solid record of quantifiable success.

Example:

Business Product Manager, US Telecommunications, CA

 Planned and implemented a sales campaign that yielded a 23% response rate and 20%
increase in target sales.

Educational Background
If you are a fresh graduate, this section should follow your personal details. Your educational training
will help Bain assess how equipped you are for the available consulting role. If you already have
relevant working experience, it is suggested to place  this section after your work experience.

Some of the most vital information to include is the name of your college/university, your degree, the
years attended, and relevant coursework. Moreover, you may include your GPA, LSAT scores, and
other relevant tests you have taken. It is also recommended to list any awards you received either for
academic excellence or social involvement. If you feel you have an impressive transcript, you can
attach it to your application.

Example:

University of California, Berkeley, Marketing Degree, 2009-2012

Cum laude, Notable Achievement Undergraduate Award 2012
GPA: 3.9

Extracurricular Activities
It is also recommended to include this section if you recently graduated as it can effectively
demonstrate the qualities Bain looks for in applicants. However, if you already have plenty of
professional experience, this section may be unnecessary.

In this section of you can highlight any of the following:

Leadership Bain’s website alludes to their interest in candidates with proven leadership skills. Applicants with innate leadership
Experience skills typically have strong character, a quality essential to succeed in this industry.

Writing Skills If you wrote articles or editorials for your school magazine or weekly publication, include this in your Bain application.
Management consultants write a tremendous amount of reports and recommendations, thus excellent writing skills are
 a valuable asset.

Volunteer Volunteerism is a strong indicator of genuine passion and commitment. To be successful in management consulting,
Work you must be committed.

Example:

Associate Editor, Veritas Publication, SY 2009 – 2010

Wrote news and feature articles; edited articles to ensure high quality and original content.

Additional Skills and Interests

If you have other relevant qualifications, you may include them in this section of your Bain resume. For
example, you could include the following credentials: foreign languages, software expertise,
professional group involvement, and certificates and licenses.

Common Consulting Resume Mistakes

To ensure that your Bain resume is impeccably written, avoid committing the following mistakes:

Appearance definitely matters. Use adequate white space and avoid bulk text. Spacing is critical as recruiters tend
Inadequate spacing
to ignore applications that tire the eyes. Make sure your Bain resume is reader-friendly with a consistent and
or poor formatting
clean  format.

Include quantifiable attainments. Numbers seem to be the most eye-catching part of a consulting resume as they
Lack of numbers
indicate a quantitative reflection of your skills.

Only mention honors or awards that are relevant to consulting: academic excellence and notable social
Insignificant awards
involvement. Bain is not interested in your other personal accomplishments.

This common mistake is usually made in the professional experience section. Many aspiring consultants fail to
Stating the obvious demonstrate the qualities the firm is looking for in describing their previous roles. Instead of simply stating your
contribution, explain how you achieved the results.

Keep your Bain resume short and concise. Hiring managers don’t have the time or patience to read lengthy
Lengthy
applications. Include only the relevant highlights of your career and keep it to one page if possible.

Texty syndrome Do not use two words when one will do. For example, “led and managed” or “completed and processed.” If you
can efficiently describe the action taken in a single word, don’t use two.

Attaching a photo can distract hiring managers from your qualifications. Unless Bain asks for a photo, your
Adding a photo
application is better off without it.

Whenever you describe your past work experience, activities, and educational background, always use the past
Incorrect tense
tense. Don’t write, “Managing 30 employees…” if you left the company a few years ago.
 According to a report by Accu-Screen, Inc., ADP, The Society of Human Resource Managers, approximately 46% of
Information
applications contain discrepancies in what the candidate provided and what the source stated. As everything can
discrepancies
be easily verified in this age of technology, only include accurate information in your Bain resume.

Incorporating action words in your Bain application is a must. Like keywords, managers tend to look for power
Not using power
words when screening resumes. Some of these words include “managed,” “supervised,” “exceeded,”
words
“implemented,” and “developed.”

As recruiters don’t spend a lot of time reviewing your Bain resume, use keywords and phrases in order to make
Failing to use the interview shortlist. Some of the critical words that consulting firms like Bain look for include “business
keywords judgment,” “problem-solving,” and “leadership.” To identify relevant keywords, read the job advertisement and
research the target position.

Landing a job at Bain can be a painstaking process. However, if you are thoroughly prepared for their
application and screening process, you’ll have a better chance of landing a job at this prestigious firm.