Mistakes to Avoid in Management Consulting Resumes
The value of your resume is measured by the impression it creates on the management consulting recruiters. Since it is normally skimmed in less than a minute, ensure that it is well-customized, sells you properly, and contains no embarrassing errors.
Mistake #1: Irrelevant Details
“The longer, the better” is not the main principle to be followed when creating resumes. The ideal length is one to two pages; anything more than that is dragging and unnecessary. There’s no need to list all the details from your first to last job, especially if they are irrelevant to the position you’re applying for. Too much personal information is unnecessary or inappropriate for a management consulting position, so you can just take them off. Don’t beat around the bush or get too wordy. If a term can encapsulate two words or a phrase, then use it.
Mistake #2: Failing to Emphasize Accomplishments
Management consulting recruiters will pre-assess your capability to analyze, problem-solve and lead through your accomplishments. They will go through the information under your work history or extracurricular activities at the university to look for indicators of critical success factors. There’s nothing wrong with describing what you have done, but it will create more impact if you list your accomplishments instead. Saying, “Resolved human resources issues for ABC Company” is not as impressive as “Updated the salary structure of ABC Company that led to 30% increase in employee satisfaction.”
Mistake #3: Failing to Proofread
Grammar and spelling errors are unpleasant to the eyes. They imply you are poor at written communication, one of the major skills necessary for management consultants. The mistakes can also mean you’re not accurate with details, another characteristic important in dealing with information. To make things easier for you, use spell and grammar checkers. If you can tap a friend or a professional to review your application, it would be much better. With their fresh eyes, they are keener in noticing slip-ups you might have overlooked.
Mistake #4: Underestimating Layout
How reader-friendly the layout of your resume also matters. If you squeeze in too much information in a page, recruiters might be too exhausted to peruse your data. Use adequate spacing in between categories and wherever it is needed. Margins on all sides must not go below half an inch. Bold, italicize or underline information for emphasis. Arial, Times New Roman, Tahoma and other readable fonts are preferable. Use bullets to present your ideas concisely.
Mistake #5: Submitting a General Resume
Don’t commit the blunder of assuming all management consulting firms will appreciate your general resume. Remember that they are unique from each other; therefore, you must ensure that you are a perfect fit to their work culture, values and practices. To do this correctly, conduct a research about your target firm beforehand, and write your resume in accordance with their goals.