How to Write a Consulting Resume

While most people struggle with finding enough to talk about to fill a two-page resume, consultants usually face the opposite problem: they’ve done too much, and for too many people and businesses, to know how to condense their work experience into a compelling and cohesive reflection of their value. Sara was one of those people. A well-known consultant with a wide breadth of work experience, Sara was having trouble succinctly summarizing her consulting experience for her resume without losing the depth of her work in the process.

Realizing the challenges consultants often face with developing resumes, I’ve put together some actionable tips from two of our top executive resume writers for building a concise and clear consulting resume to win you the clients or the consulting role you really want.

The “normal” path into consulting is via means of employment in the working world as most people know it. A consultant is the person who has gained enough knowledge and experience in an industry or aspect of business that they can share their expertise with others to help them improve their business. This person should be clear in their resume summary that they are seeking a consulting job, rather than a job as a traditional employee, said Matilda Cole, an executive resume writer with Great Resumes Fast. It’s imperative to state this “career goal” so the person reading your resume understands what opportunity you are looking for.

The application process for a consultant position may be different than that for a traditional position—and you may even be essentially cold-calling in some cases, so it is especially important that your resume grab attention and demonstrate your value right off the bat.

Chelsea Kerwin, another one of our savvy executive resume writers, added that when it comes to transitioning careers into a consultant role, it is important to highlight, or even reweigh, the most relevant work experience you have. To most effectively include your work experience, you may need a major overhaul of your resume as part of your client outreach and job search process.

“Make sure your consulting resume is focused on what is most relevant for the job target and business,” said Kerwin. “Include everything that would apply in work experience, accomplishments, and skills to the new position.”

For this type of resume, you may also want to read our blog on career change resumes.

So how can you best describe your consulting experience and accomplishments on a resume? Kerwin said the best place to start with a consulting resume is the same as with an executive resume. Consulting resumes should be achievement-based, concise, and full of metrics. To start the process, make a list of your greatest consulting accomplishments and identify numbers that support those successes.

“If anything, consultants need to double down on these characteristics,” Kerwin advised. Someone already working as a consultant may have more relevant work experience to draw on, but those wishing to become consultants will also need to examine their past roles to provide compelling evidence of their ability to do the job and bring value to a business. Solid, tangible accomplishments convey your value well.

Additionally, Kerwin said other areas of focus for a consulting resume should include:

• Problem-Solving – don’t just say you’re a problem solver, though. Talk about the problems you solved, the process you used to solve them, and the results of those solutions.
• Thought Leadership
• Research and Analysis
• Ability to Collaborate Effectively – what does the result of the collaboration look like in reality? This is not just saying you’re able to collaborate, but that the collaboration led to an accomplishment or success for a business.
• Team Leadership – again, this isn’t about just stating you’re a team leader it’s about providing tangible results.
• Innovations
• Strategic Planning ExecutionFor Sara, Kerwin was able to consolidate her work experience under a few major headers to make her resume appear succinct. She touched on Sara’s entire work history, accomplishments, and expertise using the headers Generational Expert, Key Metric Highlights, Product Development, Thought Leadership, Corporate Training, Public Relations, Accolades, and Media/Publications. This allows potential clients to see the expanse of her work at a glimpse and read more under the header that most applies to the specific needs of their business.

Once you have made your list, you may have to whittle it down without losing the message about the positive impact your consulting efforts have had for your clients, said Kerwin. She also advised that consulting resumes should be kept to no more than two pages in length, three at the most. She acknowledged this can be a challenge for many consultants with long career histories, multiple accomplishments, and numerous projects under their belt. Remember, your resume is a career snapshot, not an in-depth history, so you need to make every word count.

In Sara’s case, the fact that she was already a well-established and well-known consultant made it easier to create a career snapshot despite the depth of her consulting experience. Though Sara kept wanting to add more, Kerwin said the best method for a consulting resume is to keep it as concise as possible. For Sara’s resume, Kerwin creatively combined years of experience, numerous accomplishments, and a multitude of clients on three pages using identifying headers.

Consistency, Variety, & Name-Dropping

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