How to write your consulting Resume
The resume is the most intuitively important part of your arsenal, yet it is frequently under-utilized, often filled with information that is superfluous and unstructured. In this article we hope to clarify some basics on what a consultant’s resume needs.
* Your past consulting assignments are your strongest bet for driving home your strengths as a consultant. However it is critical to position them in the way that creates maximum impact.
Use action verbs for describing your contribution to the project. Instead of “Was part of team that worked on fast track implementation of data warehousing solution” say “Implemented fast-track data warehousing solution directly impacting profitability of division”. Action verbs (implemented, analyzed, created, coordinated) put the focus directly on tasks accomplished.
Assuming you have 4 assignments behind you and the third assignment is the one that makes most sense to a potential client, resist the urge to use a chronological sequence and put the most compelling assignment description first.
If you are starting out as a consultant, it would be wise to speak of your responsibilities in your workplace in project-format. This would give your potential clients the confidence that you would be able to function in project-based silos rather than in an ‘employee mindset’.
This section of your resume must focus on independent thinking, execution and self-assessment.
Being able to arrive at a solution for a client that is built on your views and assessment as an expert in the domain, not necessarily one that followed the company’s line will achieve this. You also need to speak of how you executed your ideas in the real world. Last but not least, you need to be able to fairly evaluate your assignment – be forthright about what you feel you could have done differently. If anything, the client will appreciate your honesty, and it will build a measure of trust in your capabilities.
* Educational qualifications are relevant to a resume to establish your pedigree (institutes you are alumnus of, academic achievements). You should not be detailing your marks and percentages over the years you have been studying. Educational qualifications should be in reverse chronological order. Along with every bullet point (University, post-graduation etc) be sure to include academic achievements, for example: “Finished in the top 5% of a class of 200” or “Won the Chairman’s Gold Medal for outstanding academic achievement in 1993”.
* Training Certifications indicate the seriousness with which you take your domain of specialization and certifications from reputed institutions reinforce your claim of being able to understand clients’ needs and implement solutions to address the same. Be sure to mention the date of certification along with the details of the course or training program.
* A consultant is known for the associations that he or she brings, being able to network effectively and leverage personal relationships for the task at hand. Industry associations and memberships indicate to a potential client the edge that a consultant brings over an employee. Therefore a line such as “Speaking member of The Indus Entrepreneurs Bangalore chapter” underscores the consultant’s superiority over others in being able to network effectively with the who’s who of the industry.
* Web Links that speak of your contribution to the client’s organization or institutions must be included. This would mean links to websites you have been quoted on, or news items, and company press releases where your contributions have been cited.
* Papers and Publications put you in a different league in the consultant field. The fact that your point of view is listened to and published will make your potential client sit up and take notice.
* Other essentials for a Resume:
1 References
2 Passport and valid visa details
3 Postal and Email addresses, with telephone numbers
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