Consultant Resume Example & Writing Guide
- What is a consultant’s job?
- Why use this consultant resume example?
- How to write a great consultant resume?
- Which key skills are relevant for a consultant resume?
- Consultant resume example
Consultants work across a wide variety of industries as full-time and part-time employees, as well as independent contractors. If you’re an experienced consultant looking for the next challenging project in your field of expertise, our resume and writing guide is designed to set you up for success.
What is a consultant’s job?
Consultants work closely with individual clients, as well as business owners, and help them resolve a wide variety of complex business issues. They rely on their industry insights, analytical and problem-solving skills, and strong attention to detail to identify the root cause of an issue and recommend sound and budget-friendly strategies to address that issue.
It’s worth noting that there are different types of consultants (e.g., financial consultants, management consultants, leadership and productivity consultants). For most consultant roles, college education and in-depth industry experience are a must.
Why use this consultant resume example?
This resume has been designed for consultants who are working across different industries and are looking to take their career to the next level.
The resume starts with a power statement that introduces your field of expertise and years of experience. It then moves on to an objective statement, which establishes your key areas of specialization and introduces some of the soft skills that are needed for the job. The objective statement also focuses on some of the positive results delivered and systems designed, and how they’ve helped organizations scale for growth.
Next, in the area of expertise section, your job-related skills and soft skills are mentioned. Some of the key skills worth mentioning in this section are change management, team building, and leadership.
The next section is the career summary. This is where your entire work experience is listed in a reverse chronological sequence. Under each organization’s name, a 1-2 line explanation of your role is provided, along with the results you’ve delivered. This is important because it helps the hiring manager determine what value you’re bringing to the table. Your job details must include a brief mention of your daily duties, as well as key accomplishments.
The final section of the resume involves your college education, licenses, and certifications. This section is extremely important for specialist jobs, such as financial or IT consultants.
How to write a great consultant resume?
Here are a few tips on writing an effective consultant resume:
Read the job description carefully, identify the keywords and skills, and try to incorporate these keywords throughout your resume.
Learn as much as you can about the organization. Pay attention to the company’s website and social media posts to determine the tone of voice for your resume.
Mention your academic background and any licenses or certifications to stand out among other job applicants.
Focus on your key skills, including technical proficiency and soft skills. These can easily be found in the job description.
Tailor your resume for the job you’re applying to.
Which key skills are relevant for a consultant resume?
As a consultant, you’ll need the following skills to enjoy a successful career:
Proposal writing
Analytical skills
Customer services skills
Communication skills
Presentation skills
Problem-solving skills
Creativity
Thorough knowledge of business management
Strong attention to detail
Consultant resume example
Summary example
Repeated success guiding executive teams in the design, redesign, and launch of internal communications, ERP implementation, and change management solutions. Keen vision in conceptualizing and deploying employee engagement programs that attract and retain high-quality personnel and earn top awards for workplace climate and culture. Expert consultant, presenter, and negotiator who can skillfully forge solid relationships with C-level executives and strategic partners to build consensus and stimulate positive change across multiple organizational levels.
Employment history example
Consulting Manager at Gap Inc., San Francisco, California
2019 - present
Leverage expertise in change management and business engagement strategy development to ensure successful adoption and sustainability of rising Inventory Management (Allocation and Pricing) programs. Head design of processes and workflows, governance strategies, and adoption metrics. Lead training development, onboarding of executive leadership, and end-user engagement initiatives.
Pioneered creation of company's first change management model aligned and integrated with product management, technical delivery, and support teams within an Agile software development environment.
Built entire change function including structure, roles / responsibilities, and daily workflow; transformed structure from a single leading director to 2 directors, 3 senior managers, 2 managers, and multiple consultants.
Senior Organizational Effectiveness Consultant at Slalom Consulting, San Francisco, California
2016 - 2019
Headed team of 3 junior consultants as a people manager and mentor of client-facing deliverables. Worked closely with internal senior leadership of corporations to formulate internal communications, stakeholder engagement, and change adoption strategies. Acted as solution architect for communications offerings including rapid response/crisis networks, employee engagement improvement, and organizational effectiveness models.
Implemented Employee Resource Group (ERG) model and championed participation in Human Rights Campaign's (HRC) Corporate Equality Index; efforts led to firm's designation as a "Best Place to Work" from HRC for total compliance with LGBTQQA workplace equality standards.
Consultant at Ann Inc. (Ann Taylor / LOFT), New York City
2014 - 2016
Spearheaded creation of HR communications function and culture-change initiatives, including new hire and field engagement programs. Designed all internal communications and related written collateral for CEO and EVP of HR.
Defined organizational change methodology for largest ERP implementation in corporation's history (SAP and Business Intelligence).
Deployed multi-pronged intranet portal for Learning and Development platform incorporating social media and collaborative engagement tools.
Senior Manager, Internal Communications at Pacific Gas & Electric, San Francisco, California
2005 - 2014
Served as expert consultant to C-level executives and SVPs of Finance, Corporate Affairs, and Gas & Electric Operations regarding internal communications and labor crisis response strategies. Headed strategic planning for annual meetings and events attended by 10,000+ participants.
Implemented innovative employee engagement strategies to improve competencies in addressing competitive issues (SmartMeter education campaigns).
Redesigned company intranet to capitalize upon social media opportunities and heighten interactive capabilities.
Structured and launched successful strategic communications for the largest systems implementations in company history.
Education example
Master of Arts in English at San Francisco State University
Bachelor of Journalism at the University of Texas
Skills example
Strategic Business Growth Planning
Organizational Effectiveness
Management & Staff Training Programs
Employee Engagement Strategies
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
Global Communications Initiatives
