As a consultant, if you don’t specialize, then it’s hard to get great at one thing.” - Rob Malec

Consultants work in almost every industry. They are those people who have expertise in their domain, and it is with their prowess that they help businesses. As their work requires extensive knowledge and ability, their resume also needs to stand out from the rest.

But what exactly does their resume look like?

Just a little patience, and you will know all about consulting resumes and get in-depth knowledge about consultants.

Read on to learn about the most frequently asked questions and topics related to the consulting resume.

What Does a Consultant Do?

A consultant solves the problem and helps clients with their business goals. They research the companies, goals, and objectives and develop plans to execute. They make a scope of work that contains all the deliverables, activities, and tasks they would do for the client.

Sometimes companies might need a fresh perspective to escalate their business. Guess who they look up to?

Consultants are a breath of fresh air for companies. They offer ideas and suggestions. However, that is not enough. Consultants have to be specialists in whatever they have to offer.

The work of consultants is end-to-end. They have to breathe life into the ideas. Therefore, they are well paid too.

What Is the Consulting Resume Format?

A consultant is a specialist. Due to the work they perform, the resume of a consultant is distinct from any other job resume. If a consultant’s resume only brags about achievements, then the chances are high that it would not catch the attention of employers.

A consultant’s resume must paint a picture of the story behind every achievement. It doesn’t mean that you, as a consultant, would write a 12-page long resume detailing every success story. That’s a big no-no.

Consultants do not work with one client. Their relationship is short and sweet. So should be their resumes.

You need to choose the best words to portray your strength as a consultant. Since employers know they would be paying a considerable amount of money for a short project, therefore through your resume, they will get an idea if you are worth investing that amount.

Your resume should contain these sections.

  • Header section
  • Resume summary/objective
  • Professional details
  • Educational details
  • Skills section
  • Additional information section

Let us look at each one of them in detail so that you can easily draft your consultant resume.

Hiration Pro Tip: “Make use of the reverse-chronological format whether you are a newbie or are home to tons of experience.”

Also Read: What Are the Different Types of Resume Formats Used by the Candidates?

What Is a Header Section in Consulting Resume?

A header section contains the basic information about you. It primarily includes your personal details such as name, email, phone number, unique website, and LinkedIn.

A personal website can give a big leg up to consultants. It can convey your style of work and the expertise which you bring. Clients can easily connect with you if you have a splendid portfolio website.

LinkedIn is mandatory in current times. You cannot miss out on this one. Most hiring managers check your LinkedIn to get an idea about your professional summary.

How to Write the Summary Section for the Consulting Resume?

You can not summarize your professional experience if you are a fresh graduate. Hence, you can replace the summary section with “objective.” But if you have a significant amount of experience, mention it in brief along with achievements quoting figures followed by skills.

A consultant resume summary should give an overview of your professional experience if you have worked on many projects.

An example is given below:

Tenacious legal consultant with 10 years of experience offering legal advice to big firms. Brought up the companies' legal compliance by 15% with a 90% success rate in legal cases. Adept at drafting legal policies and ensuring their compliance. Detail-oriented with excellent communication and presentation skills.

Also Read: What to Write in Resume Summary in 2022?

How to Write the Work Experience Section in Consulting Resume?

For the work experience section, whether for a law consultant, management consultant, or accounting consultant, write your work experience in bullets. Leave the paragraphs for novels. Let bullets hit the bull's eye.

Always list your recent experience first. Give details of your duties but keep it short and crisp. Choose to express the responsibilities that align well with your target clients’ needs.

For the earliest jobs, list only the employer and the job title. If you have been lucky enough to work for big organizations, ensure to bold their name so that it catches the employer’s attention.

Also Read: How to Draft a Stellar Management Consultant Resume in 2022?

How to Write the Education Section of a Consulting Resume?

The education section plays a crucial role in consulting. You would be wrong to think it is just work experience that counts while fetching consulting jobs. Top companies prefer people from top institutes.

Why would you not want to emphasize it if you have been fortunate enough to go to top universities like Harvard, Princeton, and Cambridge?

You can first write the passing year, degree, and course name. In the following line, write the name of the university and GPA. An example would be something like this.

2008 BA in Business Administration
Princeton University, New Jersey
3.8 GPA

Hiration Pro Tip: “If you are a fresher and do not have professional experience, mention any volunteering experience or internship that you undertook.”

Also Read: How to List Education on Resume in 2022?

Which Skills to Highlight for Your Consulting Resume?

The skills section is your make or break area. Employees will choose you based on the skills that your resume pitches for you. Include the skills you have and the ones relevant to your field.

You can take pride in being a polyglot in this section. Knowing different languages is always helpful, especially if you are a consultant, as you will have to make heavy use of oral interactions with your clients.

You can divide skills into hard and soft ones. Hard skills can include technical skills, while soft skills can talk about your interpersonal skills.

List of Skills for a Consulting Professionals

You can choose from the list of hard and soft skills to add to your resume. Do remember that skills are what will come with you a long way. Hence choose wisely.

Hard Skills for Consultants Soft Skills for Consultants
Language Ability Observation Skills
SEO Optimization Problem Solving
Programming Language Interpersonal Skills
Mathematical and Computational Ability Organizational Skills

Hiration Pro Tip: “It is always a good idea to go through the job description and pick out skills that match yours.”

Also Read: What Should You Include in Resume Skills Section?

Additional Information Section for Consulting Resume

There must be something you would have done in life that brings a proud smile to your face. Why not let the recruiters know too?

You can use this additional information section to mention your certifications, projects, hobbies, interests briefly, or any other information that you think can make you shine.

Consulting Resume Examples

Here is a consulting resume example for you.

A template will be added.

Also Read: How Should You Write a Resume for IT Consultant in 2022?

Tips for Writing the Perfect Consulting Resumes

Making a perfect consulting resume will become a cup of tea if you keep a few things in mind. These points can help you refine your resume and make it even better.

  • Make use of bullet points instead of paragraphs.
  • Your resume should not be beyond 1 page.
  • Use action verbs and project-specific language.
  • Use the STAR(situation you were in, task that you took, action that you performed, and result obtained) method while highlighting work experience.
  • Use the correct formatting. Use simple fonts such as "Ariel," "Times New Roman," or "Calibri" while maintaining the font size between 10-12 points. Keep a 1-inch margin on all sides.
  • Do not make your resume too technical in any sections, as a recruiter without much technical knowledge would not find it interesting.
  • Do not stuff your resume with irrelevant skills or information. Use the space judiciously.
  • Quantify your success. Give figures as evidence of your victorious projects.

Key Takeaways

A consultant pitches refreshing ideas to solve any challenges an organization might face. They are specialists that conceive ideas and find a way to execute them. Here are some key takeaways that you can keep in mind while drafting your consultant resume.

  • Make sure your resume is easy to read by using simple layouts and font formatting.
  • As a consultant, you have to offer expert guidance. Therefore highlight relevant skills only on your resume.
  • Go through the job description, pick keywords and add them to your resume to catch the employer's attention.
  • Always quantify your results from previous work experience.
  • Add portfolio link in your header section.
  • Proofread resume before sending.

Now that you know how to write your consulting resume, what is stopping you? Go ahead and write your impeccable consulting resume.

You can reach out to Hiration's Online Resume Builder, which has AI-powered features to help you build a job-winning consultant resume. It also has 24/7 chat aid and professional assistance with all your job & career-related queries.

Alternatively, you can also write to us at support@hiration.com.

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