Consultant Resume: 10+ Examples and Writing Tips

Consultant Resume (Text Version)

Contact Info:

Steve Simmons
[email protected]
1 (801) 533-0873
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
linkedin.com/stevesimmons

Summary Statement:

Consultant: Results-driven business consultant with experience in multiple fields of business analyzing company structures and formulating solutions, specifically regarding business culture and environment. Experienced with working as an independent consultant on a contractual basis as well as with consulting firms.

Key Accomplishments/Areas of Expertise

• Business Forecasting
• Client Acquisitions
• Market Analysis
• Asset Management
• Operating Models
• Self-starter
• Teamwork
• Critical Thinking
• Creative Planning
• Communication

Professional Experience:

Brigham Insurance | Salt Lake City, UT
Independent Consultant | June 2018–Present

• Obtained Insurance License to consult for business
• Increased new client acquisitions by 10% during tenure
• Assisted business in structuring benefits packages
• Met weekly with managers to discuss current sales and projections

Fleek Sportswear | Salt Lake City, UT
Independent Consultant | January 2016–March 2018

• Analyzed current operating model and suggested alterations
• Implemented changes to work environment based on HR reports
• Provided detailed suggestions for increasing inventory
• Conducted market research and developed forecasts for business
• Increased sales by over 15% due to idea implementation

LPL Consulting Firm | Salt Lake City, UT
Business Consultant | June 2011–October 2015

• Performed consulting services for multiple clients on behalf of firm
• Helped to acquire contracts for company
• Worked in a strong team environment
• Received commendation for exceptional performance record
• Assisted business clients in visualizing potential opportunities and strategies

Education/Certifications

Bachelor of Arts in Economics
The University of Colorado at Denver, Denver, CO
Class of 2011

Your chief goal is to communicate your value to hiring managers. In order to accomplish this, your consultant resume will need to be highly readable.

It will have to be scannable as well.

What do we mean by that?

Many companies now use bots to scan resumes for relevant keywords and language. So one of your tasks will be formatting your resume in a way that will satisfy these scanning bots.

Did you know that most hiring managers spend an average of six seconds looking over a resume?

That’s not much time at all. It is for this reason that readability is so important.

As you prepare to write your resume, it is important that you use reverse chronological order for your layout.

This method assures that the reader will see your most recent qualifications first, which is important in establishing where you’re at in your career as a business consultant.

Before you begin, select a font that is simple and clear. An odd or artistic font will work against you.

In order for your resume to achieve scannability, make good use of your white space on the page.

You want your resume to look clean and orderly, with columns and lists that are evenly spaced and well-aligned.

Your first impression is important.

So let’s start your consultant resume with a summary that encapsulates your best skills and abilities.

It’s your moment to impress!

With 2–3 sentences, demonstrate just why you’re the right candidate for the position. Present a tight collection of your skill points and how you perform those skills.

Remember to be specific and avoid generalities.

A great summary will help put you in good standing with the reader right from the start.

PRO TIP: Your summary needs to be focused and structured for maximum impact. There is no need to include an objective, and certainly do not use first person language. Keep the content centered on your skills and competency as a business consultant.

See the examples below:

The first example is likely to help you land a job.

The second? Not so much.

But why?

The first example is a curated collection of skills and qualifications. The reader learns much about the candidate’s competence.

Power words like “analyzing,” “formulating” help to convey skill level and action.

The second example is unprofessional in its language and lacks sufficient detail to communicate the applicant’s value.

Remember, your resume is your first impression, your “elevator pitch.”

So make it an effective one by following our guidelines!

To add emphasis to your summary, you should next write a list of your specific skills and relevant personal qualities.

These are known as hard skills and soft skills.

Your Key Accomplishments, or Areas of Expertise will be formatted as a bulleted list.

With only a glance, a hiring manager will be able to see what makes you exceptional.

Example:

• Business Forecasting
• Client Acquisitions
• Market Analysis
• Asset Management
• Operating Models
• Self-initiative
• Teamwork
• Critical Thinking
• Creative Planning
• Communication

Your hard skills relate to what you know about your profession, the specific talents you’ve acquired over time or through education.

These things will set you apart from other candidates.

Your soft skills speak to the aspects of your personality and habits that you bring to your work.

Are you a punctual person?

Are you focused and detail-oriented?

These qualities are soft skills.

Put both types of skills down in a divided list of bullet points. Now you’re good to go.

Just don’t leave anything important or relevant off your list!

PRO TIP: If you encounter difficulty with breaking your skills down into focused points, try asking coworkers or fellow students what your best attributes and skills are. They will give you some good ideas and help you narrow your list down to the essentials.

(See below for a helpful table of some suggested hard and soft skill ideas to inspire you in writing your skills section.)

So you’ve written about your skills.

Now it’s time to demonstrate how you’ve been using them in your working life.

Unless you lack work experience or are a recent graduate, your work experience section will take up the most space on your resume page.

So let’s get it right!

Let’s begin with layout.

We’ve mentioned reverse chronological order. This format is the most effective for communicating your actual present-day value as a candidate.

List your most recent job position first, along with the day-to-day tasks you performed while holding that position.

Then, do the same for the other jobs you’ve held.

You will not have to list every position you’ve held — only those with relevance to the job you’re currently seeking.

Be sure to include:

• The company name
• Where the company is located
• What job you performed there

It is good practice to include dates of employment on your resume. However, some of us have gaps of time between jobs or only held a certain position for a short period.

If this keeps you from listing dates on your resume, remember that you will be asked about such decisions in an interview context. Potential employers will want to know all about gaps and brief spans of employment.

Use bullet points to outline the responsibilities and roles required for each position. 3–5 points should be sufficient.

To lend your bullet points a sense of action and ability, remember to use effective power words.

See the following examples:

It’s obvious here who is the more qualified consultant.

The first example paints the image of an accomplished professional who possess expertise in certain key areas.

Each bullet point utilizes an effective power word to really sell the candidate’s competence in the given role.

The second example leaves no lasting impression, mainly because weak language is used and qualifying details are left out.

Each entry in your work experience section should encapsulate your former position and what you did there.

You don’t want to create more questions than you answer!

PRO TIP: Perhaps you need to be reminded of the exact functions you performed at an old job. Consider contacting a former employer or even coworkers to gain clarity. Consulting written records or documents might also prove helpful.

Scanning Bots

Remember the bots we talked about?

Bots function through an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). If your potential employer is using such a system, you may consider making some alterations to your consultant resume’s formatting.

For instance, you could opt for a paragraph format instead of bullet points for your work history entries.

With bullet points:

Fleek Sportswear | Salt Lake City, UT | Independent Consultant | January 2016–March 2018

• Analyzed current operating model and suggested alterations
• Implemented changes to work environment based on HR reports
• Provided detailed suggestions for increasing inventory
• Conducted market research and developed forecasts for businesses
• Increased sales by over 15% due to idea implementation

As a paragraph:

Analyzed current operating model of business and suggested pointed alterations. Implemented changes to employee culture and work environment based on HR reports and analysis. Provided detailed suggestions for increasing business inventory.

A few bullet points could be added to highlight special accomplishments/achievements.

Analyzed current operating model of business and suggested pointed alterations. Implemented changes to employee culture and work environment based on HR reports and analysis. Provided detailed suggestions for increasing business inventory.

• Increased sales by over 15% due to idea implementation
• Received special award for strategic planning

A paragraph allows you to insert more keywords into your descriptions. An ATS likes keywords, so you’ll be helped in that regard.

But a major downside to the paragraph format is that it’s harder to read for a hiring manager. This is not good news when the average reading time is six seconds.

So it’s a gamble.

Most of the time, though, you’ll want to use bullet points. If you do use paragraphs, make sure it’s the best option for the position you’re applying for.

Our education can define us, shaping us for a long and fruitful career in our chosen field.

It is important to include your education details on your consultant resume.

Talk about the degree(s) you’ve earned and what areas you studied.

Start with listing your highest level of education.

Example: High school Diploma, Bachelor’s Degree, Master’s Degree, etc.

Have any certifications or minor degrees? List them as well.

Remember to include the name of the school or institution you attended, as well as your year of graduation.

You may include your GPA if you’re a new graduate and looking to add value to your resume.

Example:

Bachelor of Arts in Economics

The University of Colorado at Denver, Denver, CO
GPA: 3.6
Class of 2011

Perhaps you’ve added to your skill set through workshops or vocational programs. You can include these things as well.

Example:

• “Consulting and Millennials,” Professional Workshop, Boulder, CO
• “Consulting For You,” Professional Workshop, Online

Additional Section

Have a special achievement you wish to highlight?

Or perhaps your work history is a bit thin?

Consider adding a section to your consultant resume.

Some of the options are:

• Awards and honors
• Publications
• Noteworthy Projects
• Social Media Influence
• Speaking Engagements
• Hobbies/Interests
• Volunteer Work

What if You Have No Experience?

No experience?

No problem!

It will be more of a challenge to customize your resume to the skill set you do have, but it’s not an impossibility.

One alteration you can make is to move your education section so that it follows your summary. You’ll still want to write a great summary, but your education credentials can support it.

At this point in your career, your education is probably going to be your strongest asset. So you’ll want it to be seen as soon as possible.

When you get to your work history, consider what jobs you’ve held that could inform your new career path as a business consultant.

Make your bullet points as relevant as possible.

Don’t be intimidated by this step. You probably have more relevant experience than you realize.

For instance:

Have you ever held a job that required analysis and problem-solving?

Are you familiar with organizing inventory or keeping records?

How are you with social media and following trends?

All of this experience could be leveraged for your work experience section. So don’t leave it out!

Some helpful tips to keep in mind:

List your contact information

Sounds obvious. But it can be easy to forget.

Spacing is key

You want to put down your skills and work history in an orderly fashion, beginning with your summary at the top of the page. Follow our guidelines and your information should fit nicely within the space you have.

Power words are essential

Your skills are crucial. But what is also important is how you talk about them in your resume. Power words help give your skills the strength they need to really pop off the page and make the impression you’re aiming for.

Proofreaders can help

We suggest recruiting a proofreader to give your resume an important look-over. Perhaps you missed a mistake or failed to use effective language. A proofreader can help you spot such oversights.

Please avoid the following when writing your resume:

Avoid the first person

It is not proper to use “I” or “me” on your resume. It feels natural when you’re writing about your skill set, but it’s considered unprofessional and inappropriate. Keep your language focused solely on your skills/qualifications.

Avoid exceeding one page

You should be able to fully demonstrate your value with a single page. There are exceptions, of course. But one page is a highly preferable length.

Avoid repetition

The many power word options out there will help you avoid repeating yourself. Remember that repetition does not convey competence.

(We’ve put together a handy table of power words below to use for inspiration.)

Avoid odd fonts or formatting

Sensible font choice and formatting will help increase the readability of your resume. Don’t attempt to be “unique” by selecting a weird font or strange formatting. It will not help you in the end.

Consultant Resume Power Words

• Obtained
• Increased
• Assisted
• Met
• Analyzed
• Implemented
• Provided
• Conducted
• Increase
• Performed
• Helped
• Worked
• Received
• Assisted

Consultant Resume Skills List