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Table of contents

Popular consulting resumes
How to write a consulting resume in 2024
Consulting resume examples by experience level
Add a cover letter
Facts about the consulting industry
Key takeaways for your consulting resume
Frequently asked questions from job seekers

Consulting is a dynamic and diverse career path that offers you the chance to become a versatile problem solver, strategist and advisor across various industries. Whether you’re a recent graduate or a seasoned professional seeking new challenges, a career in consulting gives you the chance to dive into a variety of exciting projects that make an impact across industries and fields.

To get started, you’re going to need some consulting resume samples and tips to help you write a resume that puts a spotlight on your talents.

This guide will show you:

Examples of popular consulting resumes.
How to write a consulting resume that gets attention in 2024.
Consulting resumes at different experience levels.
Why cover letters are still important.
Key takeaways as you begin your job search.

Ready to write your resume ASAP? Check out our AI Resume Builder. This tool provides professionally written text suggestions, expert advice and a variety of stylish resume designs to help you hit the ground running with a resume that stands out from the crowd.

Popular consulting resumes

Learning your field and developing your consulting skills is the hard part. Now all you need is to learn how to make a resume that does justice to your expertise. Leave that to us!

Here’s a sample consulting resume which has been made in our Resume Builder:

How to write a consulting resume in 2024

Looking for the perfect consulting role? Step one is building a resume that represents your unique career journey.

Making the perfect resume begins with understanding how best to leverage a resume. From the template, to the resume profile to your skills section, a truly persuasive resume takes full advantage of the chance to show off what you have to offer.

A good place to start is by creating a great resume outline, which will always include the following:

Contact info in the header.
A well-written, targeted resume profile.
At least one — if not more! — sections for skills.
A reverse-chronological list of work experience.
A full accounting of credentials in an education section.
Optional sections to help you stand out.

Let’s take a closer look at what a resume is made of!

Step 1

Start with your header

Your resume’s job is to convince recruiters to call you in for an interview. That means one of its most important responsibilities is to distribute your contact information. Next to your experience and skills, contact information might seem trivial, but you can’t expect to get a call from an employer if they don’t have your number. Here is the information that should be included in the header of your resume:

Name
Phone number
Professional email address
City and state
LinkedIn profile (optional)

Some resume headers use color or other design elements to add character to the resume. Consulting careers often deal with personal and professional branding, and if your career is very relationship-focused, then a splash of color or a bit of design flair might help you stand out. Just don’t overdo it. Less is more when it comes to professionalism.

Now that you’re ready to write a persuasive resume, it’s time to choose a consulting resume template. Our library of resume templates includes a variety of designs and styles, from creative templates that are eye-catching and bold to simple templates that are straightforward and easy to scan.

For people who want immediate access to a consulting resume template, there are free downloadable options for Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

Writing tip

Read and reread your contact information for accuracy. The last thing you want is a typo that prevents your dream job from giving you a call.

Step 2

Add a professional summary or resume objective

Now that your header is done, it’s time to introduce yourself! Your resume profile is the section where you first get to discuss your qualifications.

There are two kinds of resume profiles. Both provide different advantages for professionals at different stages in their careers.

Job seekers with relevant experience should use a professional summary. Professional summaries outline the applicant’s career history and qualifications.
Job seekers who are entry-level or transitioning into a new field should write a resume objective instead. A resume objective focuses more on your goals for your career and for your professional development.

Both resume profile types have their own merits, so your job is deciding which one allows you to put your best foot forward.

Writing tip

If you lack experience, focus on soft skills and goals in your resume objective. Discuss how you would like to contribute to your next role.

Professional summary for a consulting resume example:

Results-driven and client-focused software consultant with eight years of experience in delivering innovative and strategic solutions to diverse industries. Proven expertise in analyzing business requirements, designing customized software solutions and managing end-to-end implementation processes. Adept at guiding and collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless integration and successful project delivery. Skilled at providing exceptional technical support, troubleshooting complex issues and offering valuable insights to optimize software performance. Committed to delivering excellence, enhancing operational efficiency and driving transformative change for clients. Seeking to leverage extensive experience and expertise to continue creating impactful solutions in a dynamic and challenging software consulting role.

Sample objective for a consulting resume example:

Motivated leasing consultant with two years of experience in the real estate industry. Dedicated to providing exceptional customer service and fostering positive relationships with clients. Proficient in conducting property tours, handling leasing agreements, and ensuring a smooth tenant onboarding process. Strong communication and negotiation skills with a track record of meeting and exceeding leasing targets. Seeking to leverage expertise and passion for real estate to contribute to a results-driven leasing team and drive occupancy and tenant satisfaction for a progressive property management company.

Step 3

Showcase your skills

Your consulting skills are the tools and traits that give you the ability to do your job. You’ve likely already mastered a range of technical skills and working habits — now, you need to find a way to express that on your resume.

The skills section of your resume should highlight your full spectrum of consulting skills. From the hard skills that help you give detailed industry-specific advice, to the soft skills that help you build professional networks, your resume needs to communicate all of the amazing things you can do.

While the difference between hard vs soft skills might seem arbitrary, it is nevertheless important to have a well-rounded skills section with plenty of both types.

Writing tip

Try to be specific with the skills that you include. Instead of listing generic computer skills on your resume, for example, describe the specific software you use.

Hard Skills

Data analysis
Project management
Market research
Financial modeling

Soft Skills

Communication
Relationship-building
Time management
Efficiency

Step 4

Fill in your work experience

The work history section of your resume is where your career journey really comes together.

Your consulting roles have come with lots of challenges that have developed you into the skilled and competent professional that you are. To demonstrate the depth of your expertise, make sure you write a work experience section that does more than list the names and dates of your previous roles.

There are a few things to keep in mind when you write your experience section:

Give life to your accomplishments with numerical data. Instead of saying “Migrated client data onto new database,” say “Migrated data from over 30,000 users to new client database three months ahead of projected schedule.”
Employ action words to give power to your experience. Words like “integrated,” “led” and “analyzed” feel more concrete and impactful than overused terms like “responsible for.”
Your work experience should be placed in reverse-chronological order to tell the story of your career’s progression.

Writing tip

Even if the skills section is already finished, the work experience section gives you fantastic new opportunities to show off your key technical skills.

Sample consulting work experience entry:

Political Consultant

Pritchett Strategy Solutions | Richmond, VA | February 2020 – Present

Develop and execute strategic political campaigns for candidates at the local, state and national levels, ensuring cohesive messaging and targeted outreach.
Conducted data-driven research and analysis, leading to a 25% improvement in campaign message effectiveness and a 30% rise in voter engagement with targeted demographics.
Created and managed comprehensive voter databases to identify and target key voter segments for maximum impact.
Provide valuable guidance on public relations, media interactions and crisis management to maintain a positive public image for clients.
Lead and coordinate a team of campaign staff and volunteers, fostering a collaborative and motivated working environment.
Successfully secured endorsements from influential organizations and community leaders to enhance candidate credibility and support.
Demonstrated crisis management expertise, successfully defusing and resolving high-profile controversies, leading to a 25% improvement in candidate favorability ratings.
Develop and manage campaign budgets, ensuring efficient allocation of resources and adherence to financial goals.
Maintain a strong network of political contacts and partnerships to leverage support and resources for clients.

Step 5

Highlight your education

A career in consulting usually begins with a bachelor’s degree. Because consulting is so open-ended, your career path might look different. Either way, the education section of your resume is the place to share whatever education you’ve got!

You may list certifications within the education section, but if you have many certifications or would like to list honors and awards on your resume, you should give them their own section. In any case, the education section is the ideal place to list your degrees, no matter what formal education level you’ve earned.

Consulting education entry example:

Education

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
The University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA | 2019

Writing tip

Recent graduates should include graduation dates and relevant coursework to explain and mitigate their lack of experience. After a few years in the workforce, these things are not needed.

Step 6

Consider adding special sections

Special sections can be added to your resume at your discretion. No two resumes should be exactly alike, and if there’s something in your history that your potential employer might want to know, feel free to include it. Here are some examples of special sections that you may want to add:

Volunteer work: Volunteering connects you with your community and demonstrates a strong work ethic. Pay special attention to volunteer work that is relevant to the scope of your career.
Language proficiency: Speaking multiple languages not only connects you with other cultures, it also demonstrates mental agility and acuity.
Hobbies and interests: Hobbies and interests make us who we are. Feel free to include some on your resume so long as they are relevant to your career. A real estate consultant with a passion for pop music may want to leave that detail off, but an interest in interior design is worth adding.

Writing tip

Certain kinds of consulting careers may also benefit from the inclusion of a projects section. This is especially true if your career has involved lots of project management-style roles.

Now that you’ve written a persuasive resume, it’s time to choose a consulting resume template. Our library of resume templates includes a variety of designs and styles, from creative templates that are eye-catching and bold to simple templates that are straightforward and easy to scan.

For people who want immediate access to a consulting resume template, there are free downloadable options for Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

Consulting resume examples by experience level

The way you organize your resume is an important decision. Different resume formats highlight different strengths, so it pays to organize your resume in a way that benefits your experience level.

There are three resume formats, and each one is for applicants at different career stages:

Entry-level job seekers should use a functional resume format. This format focuses more on skills than experience.
Midcareer job seekers would be served best by a combination resume format. This format balances experience and skills.
Senior job seekers would benefit from a chronological resume format. This format lets experience take center stage.

Let’s review a visual example of each format.

Functional resume format: Entry-level consulting resume example

Resume entry level example management consultant

Create your resume

What makes this a great consulting resume example?

Focuses on skills.
This consultant resume sample uses the candidate’s impressive skill set to minimize the impact of her relatively small amount of on-the-job experience.
Clear formatting.
This consulting resume example is laid out in a way that is easy to read and can be quickly scanned for information. Choosing the right consulting resume template is an important step to creating a clear and readable resume.
Emphasis on soft skills.
Hard skills are important when it comes to showing off expertise, but soft skills can be just as vital. This candidate made a good choice when she chose to highlight her problem-solving, collaboration and communication abilities.

Combination resume format: Midcareer consulting resume example

Resume mid career example leasing consultant

Create your resume

What makes this a great consulting resume example?

Balances skills and experience.
This resume provides a nice balance of hard and soft skills and on-the-job experience.
Lists second language.
Consulting is a career that involves lots of communication. This resume shows the candidate’s communication skills by listing her second language.
Visually interesting.
This consulting resume sample uses the space well and doesn’t leave excess visible white space. The layout is easy to follow, featuring some visual interest to draw the eye to each section.

Chronological resume format: Experienced consulting resume example

Create your resume

What makes this a great consulting resume example?

Focuses on experience.
With decades of education experience, this candidate is best served by a resume that gives her career history the most attention.
Includes a certification.
This candidate lists a relevant certification below her education which shows her commitment to the field as well as her competency.
Provides numbers.
It’s hard to understand just how impactful an achievement has been without numerical data to demonstrate it. Fortunately, this candidate includes some numbers to demonstrate what she can do.

Add a cover letter

Cover letter example risk management consultant

Create your cover letter

You may wonder what the next step is after writing your consulting resume. Don’t send in your application just yet! To have the best chance of landing the job, you need a top-notch cover letter to match your awesome resume.

Your cover letter is your opportunity to communicate with your prospective employer directly. Use it to explain why your experience and skills make you the perfect candidate. To learn how to write a cover letter that gets you the interview, take a look at our library of cover letter examples and our guide on proper cover letter formatting.

Dreading the cover letter writing process? It doesn’t have to be hard! Try our Cover Letter Builder to create a strong cover letter in just minutes — without the stress. This tool provides professionally written text based on your information that you can edit as needed.

Next, let’s take a close look at the career prospects of the consulting industry.

Facts about the consulting industry

Your resume is finished and it’s time to start working toward advancing your consulting career. There are so many different shapes and forms that a consulting career can take, so let’s look closer at a few options!

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, careers as personal finance advisors are expected to grow by 15% between 2021 and 2031. The median salary for this career is $94,170 per year.
Careers in advertising, promotions and marketing management earn a median salary of $133,380. Opportunities for these roles are expected to grow by 10%.
Management analysts earn $93,000 per year and can look forward to 11% growth between 2021 and 2031.

Key takeaways for your consulting resume

Make sure your information is accurate

It never hurts to double check! Providing up-to-date and accurate contact information is one of your resume’s most important functions.
Choose the right design

Consulting is a fairly open-ended career, so pick out a design that matches your target industry ad position. Something simple and professional is always a safe bet. Check out our sample consulting resumes for some style inspiration.
Use numerical data

Don’t just tell, show! Prospective employers will have a much better idea of what you can do when you use numbers to demonstrate your impact.
Describe your projects

Whether you summarize them under work experience or give them their own section, your projects are important achievements that deserve plenty of attention
Add special sections

Don’t include anything that isn’t relevant or helpful, but if you have extra qualifications don’t be shy about giving them their own special sections to shine.
Proofread carefully

Mistakes are only human, but a resume that’s riddled with typos doesn’t feel as professional. Show employers your attention to detail by proofreading thoroughly.
Go the extra mile

A fantastic cover letter is the cherry on top of your consulting resume. Use the cover letter as your opportunity to really sell the qualifications on your resume.

Frequently asked questions from job seekers

Last Updated: July 07, 2024

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Hailey Brophy is an experienced writer with a diverse career in digital publication. She is passionate about using her unique skills and experiences to help job seekers find the information that they need to succeed.