I have been working in management consulting for 2 years now and came in as an experienced hire from the Financial Services industry with about 12 years of applicable professional (not counting my military time) experience. I haven't really updated my resume since I started consulting and I am really struggling with summarizing my consulting experience in a digestible way that still highlights the scope and responsibilities of the different projects I have been on. I am well aware of the need to tailor a resume to the job being applied, but I think that I have been unwittingly indoctrinated into "consultant speak" and I am really having trouble with breaking it down for positions outside of consulting.
For some context, I have just started looking for some senior level roles (Senior Manager/Director or above) outside of consulting, but am also looking at consulting roles with different firms for a pay and title bump. Thanks in advance to anyone with some advice or thoughts.
Answers
As an employer I look for several things in resumes. As you mentioned there is a lot of "consultant" speak, I look for results, facts, what was accomplished. Did profitability go up? How much? Is retention better? What percentage? What was done that actually made the business better? Team meetings, quality teams, hours spent on projects doesn't mean anything if nothing was accomplished. Was the company better for what you did?
If not. And this can happen for a number of reasons. What did you learn from the experience? How are you a better manager? director/ officer? for the trial of working in a dysfunctional environment? It happens. Everyone doesn't come in first and not every company takes the consultants advice.
Best wishes for continued success in your future. Feel free to contact me or send me your resume for critique.
Andra Grava
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It MIGHT be time to change your resume from chronological format to project or skills-based.
Regardless, try to set up various "buckets" (on a big piece of paper) of skills/solutions and then see what you can put into those containers from your actual experience. Almost like a visioning exercise.
Hi Nate,
For each of your experience, please highlight what you deliver (results) and quantify the impact. In addition, you can list your responsibilities and scope of work.
I will also highlight your overall experience and what area of expertise do you have. For example, process improvement, quality assurance, training and team development.
Feel free to contact me or send me your resume.
Will Lukang
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