Consulting Resume Example

This article will give you all the insights you need to create a compelling consulting resume that effectively showcases your significant experience, achievements and skills. The guide will show real examples of how to highlight the skills and achievements decision makers are looking for, such as leadership for success, long-term vision, and strategic mindset. Read on to find insights from Jobseeker's career experts that can help you find success with your consultant applications.

Main elements of a consulting resume

Most resumes contain similar key sections, with a consultant resume being no different.

Your resume layout and structure may differ depending on your experience levels, but make sure your resume includes the following:

Resume Header with Contact Details

Your consulting resume header is the place to add your contact details. Start by adding your full name and underneath, include your email address, phone number and location. Adding your LinkedIn profile, if you have one, can help the employer get a better insight into your skills and industry expertise. You don't need to include any additional personal information or a photo. Be aware of the amount of space your resume header takes up. You don't want your contact details to take space away from the main content of your resume, so keep this section as brief as possible.

Opt for a professional-looking email address based on your name. If your email address could be construed as unprofessional or inappropriate because it contains nicknames or unsuitable language, create a new, more professional email address for your job applications. Always check your contact details to make sure they're up-to-date before you send your resume.

Resume Summary

Your resume personal profile is a short, concise paragraph to highlight two or three key skills and achievements in consultant roles. You may also see this section named as 'resume summary' or 'resume objective'. Resume summaries tend to focus on your career experience, while resume objectives cover your ambitions and plans for the future. Always make sure your summary reflects the job description and highlights some of the key skills required for consultant roles.

Alternatively, focus on introducing your career ambitions, and why this role is a good fit, both for you and the organization.

A good resume summary reflects the job description and highlights some of the key skills required for consultant roles, while leaving the reader with an impression of your unique qualities and strengths. The most effective resume summaries also provide evidence to back up the claims made in them. You can see some positive examples of a resume summary for consultant jobs below.

Conversely, an ineffective resume summary would include generic, unspecific information on your skills and experience, while failing to provide any useful information on what makes you a unique and interesting candidate. In the graphic above you can find some negative examples of how to write a resume summary.

Work Experience

In your work experience section, list any previous relevant roles you've worked in, as well as your key achievements as a consultant. For each entry, list the job title, the name of the employer, its location and the dates you worked there. Add each job in reverse-chronological order, starting with your current or most recent role.

Under each job entry, add several bullet points highlighting your responsibilities and achievements. Consult the job description for a list of the key requirements for the role and make sure your work experience section showcases how you meet these requirements.

For consultant applications, a longer resume work experience section may be necessary. For a position at this level, employers will expect you to showcase a wide range of relevant work experience and achievements, so you may feel it necessary to focus more on your work experience than other resume sections. While experts often state that 10 to 15 years is the furthest back you'll want your resume work experience section to go, if you're applying for a senior position, you might wish to go back further. This should enable you to show that you have the required expertise and standing in your industry to qualify for a senior leadership role.

A good work experience section pulls the reader in with clear examples of where you've put the skills necessary for the job into good use in your career to date. This typically includes evidence of how your skills and activities contributed to positive outcomes for the organization. See the examples below for some ideas of what a great resume work experience looks like.

The example above can give you some idea of what not to include in your resume work experience section. Ineffective work experience sections tend to focus too much on everyday responsibilities over skills and achievements. If you use vague descriptions of activities and fail to back up your achievements with evidence, you're likely to fail to make an impact on the reader.

Education and Qualifications

In your education section, include details of your most relevant consultant qualifications and educational achievements.

Typically, working as a consultant requires a university or college degree, which you'll need to list on your resume. If you're working in this sector, it's usually a good idea to highlight your Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree or other relevant qualifications. Focus on qualifications that showcase your data analysis proficiency or project management expertise.

Enter the name and level of the qualification, the institution you studied at, its location and your dates of study or graduation. You can also add some bullet points outlining any high grades, awards you won or specialist subjects you studied. Adding this information will show the employer your dedication to learning and your areas of specialist knowledge.

Membership or leadership of any societies, clubs or causes while studying can also make a positive impression on hiring managers. Consider adding these to your education section for more insight into how you used your time as a student.

Skills

Adding a list of your key skills provides a quick reference for the reader of what you can bring to a consultant role. Skills such as data analysis proficiency or problem-solving abilities are particularly useful for consultant jobs. Additionally, read the job description to make sure your skills match those required for consultant positions. You could also include some unique skills that help you stand out as a candidate.

Showcasing hard skills on your consulting resume

Hard skills are the key technical skills required for consultant positions. They include specific industry knowledge and abilities that you could learn on the job, or through a specialist qualification. Furthermore, your hard skills list helps to show employers how competent and experienced you are at key consultant duties and responsibilities. Aim to include four or five key hard skills. If you have space, explain how and where you've used that skill to create successful outcomes in your career. These skills will demonstrate your credentials and show how you meet the job description.

If you want to make a strong impression with your hard skills list, focus on hard skills that align with your specific industry expertise, and that reflect the job description. For inspiration on the right type of hard skills for a consultant resume, see below.

Listing soft skills on your consulting resume

In your soft skills list, include any personal characteristics that make you a good fit for a consultant job. Soft skills tend to be more universal than hard skills, but they're no less important. Indeed, as the nature of work changes, soft skills are growing in importance, so make sure you include them in your resume.

Think of your best soft skills and add up to five that match the requirements of the job description. For your consulting resume, add soft skills that reinforce your reputation and standing in your industry, including leadership skills.

The strongest resume soft skills sections include a mix of skills that match your best personal strengths, and that reflect the skills listed in the job description. See below for some examples of effective soft skills for a consultant resume.

Certifications

Your certifications section is the place to mention any relevant professional consultant certifications, licenses or qualifications. These might be licenses that show you're qualified to operate certain equipment, or certifications that give you the edge over candidates with otherwise similar career history. Therefore, add any professional licenses or certifications, along with valid dates that show they're still valid.

Read on to see some relevant example certifications for a consultant resume:

Optional Information

In addition to the core sections of a consultant resume, there are several optional sections you could include to enhance your chances. Choose optional sections from the list below, if they help to showcase your relevant skills and experience.

Personal Hobbies and Interests

Listing your hobbies and interests can reveal key qualities that some employers may value. These are particularly useful for your resume if you're short of work experience and need to showcase a particular skill or experience. Think about adding hobbies and interests to your resume if they add some insight into your personality that you can't express elsewhere in your application.

Voluntary Work

Adding voluntary roles can be a useful way of showing relevant experience and skills for consultant roles beyond your main employment history. Include the title of your volunteer role, who you volunteered for, as well as the dates you carried out the work. Provide brief details of your responsibilities and the impact you made.

References

Although it's rare to include references on a consulting resume, some employers may ask for it. Don't add references unless they're specifically mentioned by the employer in the job advert. Include a maximum of three professional references, being sure to check with your referees before including them in your resume.

Best action words for your consulting resume

Start each bullet point in your work experience section with a strong verb to show actions you took. Add strong verbs from the list below to create a greater impact with your work experience section.

As an experienced consultant, you'll want your resume to do justice to your experience and standing in your industry. As such, it's acceptable to submit a longer than average resume of two pages or more. Jobseeker's clean, attractive resume formats can help your applications make a strong impression on employers. Check them out for help designing a winning resume, and see our cover letter templates to help win over recruiters and hiring managers.

Sample consulting resume

The consulting resume example below includes all the sections above, so you can see how a completed resume looks:

Making an ATS-friendly resume

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are one of the key ways recruiters and employers manage the hiring process. The systems can screen candidates by scanning and ranking resumes based on each candidate's likely suitability for the vacancy. When writing your consulting resume, a few simple tips can help you pass the ATS stage with a higher-ranking resume, giving you a better chance of success with your applications.

Create an ATS-optimized resume by following these quick tips:

• Choose a resume structure that matches the traditional, reverse-chronological layout or alternatively, the functional resume structure. This should make your resume more readable for ATS applications.
• Use keywords throughout your resume that reflect the job description, so ATS resume scanners can recognize a strong connection between your skills, and those in the job description.
• Include clear headings that make it easy to identify each section of your resume. This will help any ATS software navigate your resume during the scanning process.
• Use a resume design that includes clean, professional design elements to give your content space to breathe. This might include clear, readable fonts, subtle color accents and simple design elements.
• Keep your resume as concise as possible, to make it easier to read, and for ATS software to scan.

Key takeaways for your consulting resume

If you want to catch the eye of employers and recruiters, you need a professional resume that showcases your best skills and career achievements. Use a suitable resume format and tailor your resume for every application you submit.

Jobseeker has a wealth of resume tools, including resume templates and examples, to help you create a winning job application. Sign up today to get started. Whatever job you're applying for, a professional cover letter can make all the difference to your chances. Use Jobseeker's HR-approved tools and cover letter examples to inspire your applications.

Sources:

(1) Overcoming the Most Common Challenges in the Executive Job Search, MIT Career Development Office: https://cdo.mit.edu/blog/2024/10/15/overcoming-the-most-common-challenges-in-the-executive-job-search/

(2) How to Impress an Executive Recruiter and Break Into the C-Suite, Harvard Division of Continuing Education: https://professional.dce.harvard.edu/blog/how-to-impress-an-executive-recruiter-and-break-into-the-c-suite/