Consulting is known as one of the highest-paid jobs in the world. This is exactly why the competition is extremely high and getting a job with some of the top consulting firms is pretty challenging.
Whether you are an experienced consultant or you are new to the industry, finding a full-time job in consulting can be an uphill task.
So, what should you do to get a job? How should your consulting resume look like? Are you qualified for the job?
Therefore, in this article, we’re going to give you tips that can help you in getting your dream consulting job!
Let’s dive in!
A Good Consultant’s Qualities
We are going to try to give you more quality information here, in this article, on how to get a job in consulting. But before that, we need to make some things straight.
You need to make sure that you have all the qualities needed for this job. Because without that, your chances of landing a job are pretty slim.
First of all, you need to have expert knowledge. Usually, a client is going to hire someone who has more knowledge about a certain area.
You need to have excellent communication and listening skills. Because as a consultant, you will meet new people all the time and since we are all different, you need to know how to communicate with everyone.
A good consultant should always demonstrate himself as a team player. Even if you are already successful, you should maintain your relationships with other consultants.
Finally, you need to be very professional, always keep your relationships with clients at a professional level.
Now, when we’ve clarified that, it’s time to show you what you suppose to do to catch the eye of a recruiter!
Acquire Necessary Knowledge and Skills
We have already mentioned how some skills are necessary when it comes to consulting. One of the best ways to gain that knowledge is by getting an MBA or CFA part 1.
This is not mandatory, but it can be a huge advantage. These courses can help you with much-needed qualities such as communication, time management, problem-solving, leadership, and can teach you how to work under pressure.
Write The Perfect Consulting Resume
The trickiest part of getting a consulting job is actually, getting an interview. Once you are there, your chances are significantly higher.
Writing a good consulting resume is definitely one of the key steps in getting a job. So, here’s what your resume should look like.
Keep it Short
Your resume should never be longer than a page. The point is to highlight your most impressive achievements that are relevant to the job.
Don’t summarise everything you did. Pick the most important things, and write it in a way that will encourage whoever is reading it to invite you for an interview.
Use Action Verbs
A good consulting resume needs to have bullet-points. If you want to write good bullet points, use action verbs, also known as success verbs.
Using success verbs you can help a person reading it to identify all of your skills just by reading the very first word of your bullet- point.
Add A Cover Letter
In addition to a good consulting resume, you need to add an even better cover letter.
Sometimes, recruiters read cover letters, before a resume, that’s is why it’s crucial to write a good cover letter as well.
Look at the cover letter as a way to promote yourself, and a chance to sell yourself to the employer.
Your consulting resume, as well as your cover letter, need to stand out among all the others.
Network, Network, Network,
Besides, writing a good consulting resume, having the necessary knowledge and skills, networking is another key step when it comes to getting a job in consulting
If you are not the type of person that likes networking, I’m sorry to break it for you, but actually, you don’t have much choice. In a way, networking is like a part of the job.
It helps you to discuss important details about the job, but it also helps you to learn more about it.
You need to maintain your consulting friendships because you never know when you might require it. It can be really helpful, especially when it comes to the job search.
Find A Consulting Internship
If you are just starting your consulting career, the best thing you can do is to get an internship in the consulting firm.
This is a perfect way to learn more about the consulting lifestyle and what it takes for a person to be a part of this industry.
Also, if you are lucky you can get a full-time job after your internship.
Master Case Study Interviews
Finally, to have a job at a consulting company, you need to know everything about case interviews.
This special type of interview, typical for consultants, is quite different from a regular interview. You need serious preparations if you want to pass it.
You will need to resolve a hypothetical problem and explain how you arrived at the solution.
If it seems to you like you could do it without preparation, I’ll have to disappoint you, you need a lot of practice for this kind of interview.
In order to explain your solution to a problem, you need to be very good at segmentation and problem- solving.
Wrapping This Up
Consulting is a career that is both interesting and challenging. In consulting you will be utilizing your communication and analytical skills, more than anywhere else. Plus you can work in various industries, which is always interesting.
If you think you have what it takes and this is the kind of job you’ve been looking for, start networking, write the perfect consulting resume, master case interviews, and your dream job is just right around the corner!