Consultant Resume—Examples and 25+ Writing Tips

In a minute, you’ll see a rockstar consultant resume.

But hold up a second.

There’s a reason why writing a resume for consultant jobs is hard.

It’s because there are so many others like you struggling for the job.

How can you prove you’re different?

It’s all in how you tweak the sections of your consultant resume.

Mention the right skills and consulting “wins,” and they’ll know you’re best-of-breed.

In this guide:

• A consultant resume sample better than most.
• How to write a consultant resume that passes the smell test.
• How to target your consultant job description for resumes to the job.
• Why you can’t just list consultant skills (and what to do instead).

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Consultant Resume Sample You Can Copy and Use

Most consultants have a full complement of management skills. If that’s you, don’t limit yourself to consultant jobs alone. See these guides:

• Manager Resume Sample & Guide
• Project Manager Resume Sample & Guide
• Operations Manager Resume Sample & Guide

Here’s how to write a consultant resume with bandwidth:

1. Select the Best Consultant Resume Format

Let’s take a bottoms-up approach.

For the best chance they’ll notice you, use a professional resume format.

In most cases that’s the reverse-chronological resume type.

Use these tips to flesh it out:

Consultant Resume Format

• Set 1-inch margins.
• Use a resume font like 10–12pt Times New Roman or Arial.
• Write these resume sections: Heading, Summary, History, Education, and Skills.
• Make it eye-friendly with added white space.
• Make a 1–2 page resume length depending on your experience level.
• Send a PDF resume. They travel better than Gary Hamel.

Expert Hint: According to The Trusted Advisor by David Maister, the first job of a consultant is to earn the trust of clients. Show feats of communication and persuasion in your business or leasing consultant resume.

2. Engage Employers with a Consultant Resume Summary or Objective

The consulting world is dog-eat-dog.

How can you be dog #1?

By starting your consultant resume right.

That means writing a working resume summary or resume objectiveup top.

Write it with:

1. An adjective (efficient, results-oriented)
2. “consultant”
3. Years of experience (2+, 7+)
4. Who/how you’ll help (raise earnings for clients at Scarecrow & Williams)
5. Best consultant moments (raised revenue $3M a year...)

Write it last to make it flow.

See these management consultant resume examples:

Consultant Resume Summary—Example

Whoops.

The second of those business consultant resume samples says you can help raise revenue.

The first example shows you have.

“But I haven’t raised revenue by $3 million!”

In a resume for consultants with no experience, flaunt what you’ve got.

See this entry-level resume for consultants sample:

Entry-Level Consultant Resume Objective

Hmm.

The second of those entry-level consultant resume examples isn’t actionable.

The first shows you’ve already got your feet wet in the job.

Expert Hint: A white paper by Robin Fincham of the University of Stirling argues that the client-consultant relationship should be equal and relaxed. Have you built great relationships with clients? List wins like that in your resume for consultant jobs.

3. Write a Compelling Consultant Job Description and Skills Section

What consultant skills work best on resumes?

Here’s a brief list:

Consultant Skills for Resumes

But here’s the thing—

Your dream job may not want those. List too many and you’ll boil the ocean.

It may need specific resume skills we haven’t mentioned.

Those skills are your resume keywords.

Find them in the job ad, then write a tailored resume.

See these sample consultant resume work experience sections below:

The ad lists these consultant job requirements: raising profitability, business strategy development, value stream mapping, developing CRM roadmaps, and training.

Consultant Job Description for a Resume [Sample]

What’s the big difference?

Well, the first of those management consultant resume examples is buttoned down. It’s got all five skills from the posting.

But what if you’re not that legendary?

In entry-level resumes, circle back to your core competencies.

See these IT consulting resume examples with no experience:

The job needs consultant skills like developing IT strategies, presenting, streamlining processes, and needs analysis.

Entry-Level Consultant Resume Job Description [Sample]

See that?

Both IT consultant resume examples come from an administrative assistant.

But the first gets buy-in with consulting accomplishments.

That’s critical path.

Expert Tip: In Peter Block’s Flawless Consulting, the author argues that the virtual world presents new challenges to today’s consultants. Certifications in virtual risk management or systems auditing look great in entry-level consultant resumes.

4. Gain Traction with Your Education Section

The best consultants know there’s more than one way to get clients.

Referrals, outreach, partnerships...

The same goes for resumes for consulting positions. The education section of your resume can be one more way to leverage your skills.

This marketing consultant resume sample shows how:

Consultant Resume Example—Education

That’s no run-of-the-mill education section. It adds three skills your next employer has been looking for.

5. List Additional Activities in Your Consultant Resume

You’re almost to the finish line.

But in the consulting world, races are won by fractions of a second.

Give your consulting resume a boost—with extra resume categories.

Try one of these:

• Associations (IMCUSA, SPC, AASBC...)
• Certifications (CMC, PMP, Six Sigma, CISSP...)
• Volunteer work
• Freelance work
• Publications
• Media Appearances
• Languages
• Additional activities
• Sports

See these sales consultant resume examples:

Consultant Resume—Extra Sections

It’s all in picking the right details.

Expert Hint: Write a cover letter for your sales or information technology consultant resume. Don’t make it about you, but about the business, it’s needs, and why your past wins will fulfill them.

Key Points

Here’s how to write a consultant resume:

• Start with our consultant resume template up top. Add value from your best consulting career moments.
• Include consultant skills like CRM or change management. Point out results you got with both.
• Create a consulting resume summary at the top. It’s your elevator speech.
• Add “other” resume sections to show you’re the rockstar they need.

Got questions on how to write great resumes for consultant jobs? Not sure how to put consultant on a resume? Leave a comment. We’ll be happy to reply!