MANAGEMENT CONSULTING COVER LETTERS AND RESUMES A brief guide through the resumes writing rules
The goal of management consulting is to offer advisory services to corporations, private equity houses, government agencies and NGO’s. Top tier management consulting firms like Mc. Kinsey&Company, Boston Consulting Group and Bain&Company typically work within several practice areas including: ü Change management ü Corporate renewal ü Corporate strategy ü Cost & supply chain management ü Customer strategy and marketing ü Growth strategy ü Information technology ü Mergers and acquisitions ü Organization ü Performance improvement ü Private equity
Three steps of application process Pre-interview Written test o Cover letter o resume o Combined verbal and written test Case interview o Market estimations o Business cases o Brain teasers
The 6 success factors in management consulting I. Structured thinking, the ability to think in a clear and organized way. This factor is extremely useful for a problem solving. II. Business judgement, have a good judgement of business and strategic issues. Important for case solving. III. Communication, both written and oral communication skills. Important for preinterview phase. IV. Personal impact, leadership talent. V. Team skills, cooperation with other people. Must be demonstrated while you are presenting during an interview. VI. Drive and motivation, know what you like and go for it.
The Big Four most frequently identified “required” areas are as follows: 1. Analytical and problem-solving ability 2. Intellectual capacity 3. Leadership capability or potential 4. Aspiration, achievement, and a record of results Additional important factors include the following: • Relevant industry or functional experience (very important for experienced hires) • Ability to work well on a team • People skills—ability to communicate effectively • Ability to balance multiple responsibilities • Top schools • Interesting activities • Background of personal interest or relevance to the reader
Six steps for a successful application. (cover letter and resume) To identify what you can offer, based on previous mentioned six keys Shows you how to write a resume Covers structuring the resume Writing of the resume Shows you how to write a resume By reaching this step you would have a finished application ready for proofreading and delivering
The first step: make a list of your achievements and skills. Prioritize it, in other words - make a list with something that relate one of six keys. For example: Structured Business Communication Personal thinking judgement impact Founded a student organization Achieved a top 10% grade in finance + + Team skills + Driva and motivation +
First step must include: Professional experience skills interests education One woman actually wrote in her resume that her favorite ice cream flavor is chocolate. She was probably trying to be cute and attract attention, but you definitely shouldn’t write things like this
The second step: look at each aspect of your professional skills as well as your career and interests. Place them in an ordered, clear and informative manner that will put a positive light on you. The recruiters will likely look at your resume for no more than 45 seconds but it must stand out. The best resume structure is on the picture. Best structure is: -- Header -- Resume -- Summary -- Professional experience -- Education -- Skills -- Personal interests
The third step – writing. While most resume reviewers don’t have a specific model in mind, all seem to appreciate consistency. This generally means the following: • A single, standard font: Times, Helvetica, or similar • A readable font size: 11 - or 12 -point preferred, but no smaller than 10 • Neutral paper color: white or off-white • Standard layout: 1 -inch margins (or more), left justified, line spaces between sections • Clear resume organization: two or three sections labeled clearly, chronological listing with dates on the left, bulleted points • Clear letter organization: business format with one or two paragraphs, addressee name, company name, and date at the top When you write bullets, remember the following: • Keep them short (one line if possible). • Start them with action verbs. • Make them consistent. (Note: Consultants love horizontal page layouts, too, but we don’t recommend that format for resumes yet. )
Step 4 – structure
– Header – • Contact details, date and place, subject line –Opening – • Where did you learn about position? Why are you an excellent candidate? (Briefly) –Experience and education – • What are you currently studying? Why are your studies relevant for a job? How have you demonstrated strong academic performance? What relevant academic skills do you have? –Motivation – • Why do you want to work in this industry? Why do you want to work for this specific firm? –Personal skills – • Which skills do you posses that make you suited? –Closing – • What other relevant info is attached; what else can you provide by request? Example: ‘I have enclosed my resume, diplomas and grade transcript for your review and look forward to hearing from you. If toy need any references from my latest position, please do not hesitate to contact me. ’
Step 5 – write your resume. Step 6 – proofread and delivering. Look over the facts and make sure that information is correct. Take a long break before a proofreading or do it another day with clear mind, Have at least one other person to check your resume for spelling and grammar errors. You should send your application in a PDF file. Never send your original Word file. Make sure your PDF file is not large (more than 5 MB).
Types of Resume Reviewers General Scanners Spike Seekers Idealists General scanners have a broad list of attributes in mind and spend a minimal amount of time matching resumes to their criteria. “I try to get through a resume in under 30 seconds. If I find a possible candidate, I may spend up to 3 minutes trying to figure the person out— to really understand what the words mean, what they really did, what problems they really worked on, how much responsibility they really had. ” - one insider explains. Spike seekers love highlights. Several consultants told us they need to be able to tell a compelling story about the candidate, often a story about how one or two very strong and unique traits come through clearly in the resume Some reviewers have an ideal in mind before they start reading, and look for how well a resume measures up against it. Other idealists have a preference for one thing they’d like to see on a resume, based on their own experience as well as their observations of how past hires have performed. These individuals are the most difficult to please, because they each look for different things. Others believe experience is a better indicator of a good consultant than either grades or test scores.
What to do and what not to do? Ø Don’t use vague qualitative terms such as “large” or “many, ” which leave the reader with questions about specifics. Ø Don’t waste resume space with frivolous information, such as “my favorite color is blue. ” Ø Don’t try to differentiate yourself with an unconventional format or tactics such as graphics and colored paper. Ø Don’t puff up your titles to make them sound more impressive. Ø Don’t try to portray yourself as a jack-of-all-trades in the hope that something will strike the reader’s fancy. Ø Don’t use dramatic, self-congratulatory language to describe either your accomplishments or your suitability for consulting. Ø Don’t get caught in the passive voice trap, writing as if things happened to you. Ø Don’t try to sound like an expert through the reckless use of buzzwords and industry jargon. Ø Don’t kiss up too obviously (as in, “I would be privileged and honored to interview with your esteemed firm, and perhaps join one of the greatest organizations in the world. ”) Ø Don’t even think of writing more than 1 page, unless you have more than 10 years of experience.
Ø Do use numbers where appropriate to clearly describe your accomplishments, as in “led a team of nine sales reps. ” Ø Do include personal information that is relevant and gives the reader a better understanding of who you are. Ø Do stick to a basic, clear format that helps the reader glean information quickly and with minimal effort. Ø Do focus on your responsibilities more than your titles, describing work performed and results achieved. Ø Do discuss your two or three strengths and illustrate them with experience and achievement. Ø Do let your achievements speak for themselves by describing them succinctly and objectively. Ø Do use the active voice with verbs that indicate you’re in charge. Ø Do spend time on industry and company research before sending off a resume and cover letter. Ø Do take the time to mention what specifically interests you about the particular firm. Ø Do distinguish the important from the trivial in your background to fit the most relevant and significant elements onto a single page.
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