The Bottom Line
Recruiters spend as little as 30 seconds reviewing your resume for the first time
Your resume must be:
Concise
Results-oriented
Clearly presented
Marketing: content and packaging
Even with a stellar resume, you will still need to perform well on in interviews to land a job offer
Top 10 critical skills desired by employers
Critical Skill #1: Team Player
Work in teams
Academics
Extracurriculars
Employment
Willing to help others; share credit
Where you can display it
Resume
Critical Skill #2: Communication
Ability to clearly articulate complex thoughts
Writing is concise and logically organized
Activities that involve written/verbal comm.
Teaching
Journalism
Where you can display it
Cover letter and resume
Critical Skill #3: Interpersonal
Activities that involve interactions with others
Work w/ people from a range of backgrounds
Volunteer work
International experiences
Positive tone & tactful phrasing in cover letter
Where you can display it
Cover letter and resume
Critical Skill #4: Leadership
Elected leadership positions
Entrepreneurial initiative
Self-direction in ambiguous situations
Persuaded others to take action
Calculated risk-taking
Where you can display it
Resume
Critical Skill #5: Analytical
High GPA and/or rising trend in grades
Analytical coursework or summer jobs
Strong SAT or GMAT scores
Logical presentation of credentials
Where you can display it
Resume and cover letter
Academic transcript
Critical Skill #6: Quantitative
Excellent grades in quantitative subjects
Math, physics (engineering)
Accounting, finance, economics (business)
Experience involving quantitative analysis
Where you can display it
Resume
Academic Transcript
Critical Skill #7: Business Sense
Classes and extracurricular activities suggest a developing interest in business
Conveys knowledge of industry and firm
Exposure to major business and financial concepts through work experience
Where you can display it
Cover letter and resume
Critical Skill #8: Capacity for Continuous Development
Upward trend in grades in challenging classes
Humility; learning from mistakes
Intellectual curiosity
Advancement within a student organization
Where you can display it
Resume and cover letter
Academic transcript
Critical Skill #9: Motivation & Energy
Enthusiasm and bias for action
Heavy academic load
Juggled many activities on campus
Part-time job during the semester
Willing to work long hours
Where you can display it
Resume and cover letter
Academic transcript
Critical Skill #10: Integrity
Details on resume are consistent
No exaggeration of accomplishments
Following through on commitments
No unprofessional or rude statements made in cover letter
Where you can display it
Resume and cover letter
Resume Tips
- Use numbers where appropriate to describe your accomplishments
- Avoid vague qualitative terms: “large” “many”
- Present two or three strengths and back them up with experience & achievement
- Not necessary to be a jack-of-all-trades
- State your accomplishments objectively
- Avoid dramatic, self-congratulatory language
Resume Mistakes
- Objective statement at the top
- Job descriptions rather than results
- Weak verbs to describe accomplishments
- Listing experiences where you are unable to recall the details
- Political or religious viewpoints
- Any spelling or grammatical errors
- Consultants are notoriously detail-oriented
Cover Letters
- Introduce a resume
- Personalized explanation of interest in consulting and the particular firm
- More important when resume submitted directly, rather than on-campus recruiting
- Can the candidate write clearly & concisely?
- Convey professionalism & enthusiasm
- Address potential concerns of the recruiter
An effective consulting Cover Letter
- Position to which you are applying
- Primary reason for your interest in consulting and specific role at the firm
- Concise overview of 1 or 2 qualifications that make you a compelling candidate
- These could be accomplishments that are not explicitly included in your resume
- Availability (graduation date)
- Logical next steps
- Could be a brief telephone conversation
Cover Letter Mistakes
- Reiterating your entire resume in prose
- Resume and cover letter are complementary
- Sending an impersonal form letter
- Recruiter will interpret this as lack of interest
- Addressing your letter “Dear Sir or Madam” or “To Whom it May Concern”
- Find out the name of the recruiter and their title
- Excessive length
- Busy recruiter will end up skimming it