Consulting CV Template, Examples & Guide for 2025

Writing a strong consultant CV is essential if you want to stand out in a field where problem-solving, strategy, and results matter most. Recruiters receive hundreds of job applications, so your CV must quickly prove your value with measurable achievements and a clear structure.

In this guide, I'll share a professional consulting CV template along with step-by-step tips on format, skills, and experience. Whether you’re applying to a top firm or a boutique consultancy, you’ll learn how to write a consulting CV that highlights your professional strengths. Let's begin!

This guide will show you:

• A sample consulting CV that shines brighter than others.
• How to describe your experience and achievements to land any job you want.
• How to highlight the most desired consultant skills.
• What to add in the education section of your CV for consulting jobs.

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Targetting a job in another industry? Read more here:

• Cleaner CV
• Marketing CV
• Web Developer CV
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• Warehouse Operative CV
• Teacher CV
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Consultant CV template

1. Pick the best format for your consultant CV

Recruiters spend only around 7 seconds scanning applications, so your consultant's CV must be clear, structured, and focused on what they need: experience, education, and skills. Use a reverse-chronological CV format—it works for both management consultants with extensive experience and entry-level candidates.

Keep the layout simple with clean fonts, clear headings, and enough white space. A one-page CV is fine for most consulting CVs, but go to two if you have significant achievements with major clients or firms. Always include evidence of results, adaptability across industries, and a problem-solving mindset.

Read more: CV Format: Best Examples for Job Hunting Success.

2. Include a consultant CV profile

Writing a business or management consultant CV? The competition is high, so your job application needs to capture the attention of the hiring manager effectively. The best way to do that is by writing a short introductory paragraph to grab the recruiters' attention and show that you’re a star performer. It’s also known as a CV summary. 

The best way to do that is to answer these simple questions:

1. Who are you? 
2. What can you offer to the employer? 
3. What are your career goals? 

The way you answer these questions will differ depending on how much experience you have. So if you’ve already got plenty of consulting work on your CV, do this.

• Make a list of your strengths as a consultant. Bear in mind all of the experience and skills you have that make you effective.
• Then read the job advert and match 3–4 points from your list to the skills and experience required.
• Use these points to write a personal profile targeted to the consulting job that you’re applying for.

Pro Tip: Keep it short. About 50 words or four sentences is enough to catch the recruiter’s eye.

And if you’re just starting out in your consulting career, then use this method.

• List the experience and skills you already have and highlight anything that’s relevant to consulting. Consider previous work and your education, too.
• Then combine this existing experience and skill set with a passion for the job, and some knowledge of the employer to prove you’ll make a good fit.

Here’s a sample from a customer service consultant's CV:

The differences are obvious. The first consulting CV showcases:

• An overview of experience
• Quantified proof (consulting is obsessed with numbers)
• Essential consulting skills.

(We’ll get back to the skills section in 2 minutes.)

The wrong senior consultant CV? Let’s just say that the first one is up, the second is out.

Read more: How to Write a CV Personal Statement: Examples of CV Profiles

3. Describe your consulting experience

Consulting roles vary—advisor, coach, facilitator, or mentor—but the experience section of your consulting CV is what proves you can deliver results. Structure it clearly, starting with your most recent role and working backwards. Use bullet points and strong action verbs to highlight achievements, not just duties.

Focus on measurable results—cost savings, revenue growth, efficiency gains—to build credibility. If you have decades of experience, then for earlier positions, listing only the employer and job title is enough. Highlight major consulting firms or well-known clients, as brand names carry weight. Always tailor your consultant CV experience section to match the job description and demonstrate impact.

Now, check out our sample from the senior management consultant's CV:

See the difference? The first example gives a generic description of duties. The second shows that the consultant made an impact, was result-oriented, and knows her way around. And it paints a vivid picture.

Consultant Experience Section for Those Without Experience

So you’re probably thinking that, as a recent graduate with no experience, you should forget about this section. Not at all! Everyone has experience. Perhaps you volunteered. Or conducted paid research. All of that can make up a valuable experience section.

Pro Tip: Having no understanding of business is like driving a car with three wheels. Start a side business. Not only will it make up for your experience section, but it will also give you firsthand experience in business strategy.

4. Don't forget about the education section

You might think that experience and skills are more important than the education you received. You’re wrong. Consulting has its own rules. Why? Top consulting companies want to hire only superstars. High-achievers. Top-performers. Those with in-depth know-how.

So if you went to a target uni (Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College etc.), the education section on your consulting CV will shine like a diamond.

Remember to include:

• University name and location
• Graduation date
• Degree obtained

Pro Tip: If you have an MBA or PhD degree, toot your own horn—put that after your name at the top of the CV.

The education section is even more important in an entry-level consulting CV. Don’t be humble. This is the right place to mention if you were the leader of a student organisation or led a project.

Pro Tip: If you were awarded a scholarship, translate it into additional gains: “Awarded F.J. Smythe Business Scholarship (2 scholarships awarded for 2,000+ applicants.)”

Read more: How To Put Your Education On A CV (Tips & Examples)

5. Put relevant skills on a consulting CV

What are good CV skills? First of all, ‘I know Excel’ won’t do here. You’re racing against Excel pros. Secondly, all the skills to put in your CV depend on the field you’re in. Whether you are writing a CV for an IT consultant or a leasing consultant position, you’ll want to highlight a different skill set.

Again, look at the job offer and think of work-related skills. Hard and soft ones.

Your hard skills can include:

• Analytics
• Data visualization
• SEO/SEM marketing
• Cash flow management
• Foreign languages

Soft skills, on the other hand, are interpersonal abilities which revolve around communication skills and teamwork.

Those can be:

• Leadership
• Management
• Problem solving
• Multitasking
• Time management
• Adaptability

Check out the sample skills section from a leasing consultant's CV:

Read more: 99+ Key Skills for a CV: Best List of Examples

When making a CV in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building your CV here.

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When you’re done, Zety’s CV builder will score your CV and tell you exactly how to make it better.

6. Add other sections for an effective CV

You are almost done with writing your consulting CV. But wait a second—what about that paper you published during your sophomore year? Brag about it if you’re new to the consulting world! You can add it in an additional section as the final icing on the cake. Additional sections are a good way to compensate for not having an honours degree or a lack of experience.

What can you include there?

• Publications
• Languages
• Awards
• Certifications and licences
• Memberships
• Courses and workshops
• Hobbies and interests

Pro Tip: Be specific. Everyone loves books and travelling. Mention something that will make the recruiter remember you and what relates to the job.

Read more: Best Examples of Hobbies & Interests to Put on a CV

7. Attach a consulting cover letter

A cover letter? Look at my CV—I don’t need one! Said 100 other applicants. The truth is, 83% of recruiters read cover letters. So make your cover letter as good as your last presentation deck for Sundar Pichai. What if it is a quick win?

A cover letter is beneficial, especially if you have employment gaps or are at the point of changing careers. So—Firstly, start your cover letter with the recruiter's name. You don’t know it? Ask the company’s HR department. A To Whom It May Concern doesn’t get jobs.

Secondly, be relevant. Tailor your cover letter to the job offer. Don’t copy-paste what you already have in your CV for consulting gigs. Summarise the data as if you were creating a pivot table. (Pick the most relevant points to show you’re the company’s next consultant.)

Thirdly, close your cover letter with a call to action. Underline that you will be waiting for the recruiter’s response. A simple ‘I’m looking forward to hearing from you’ is as generic as Asda’s cheapest hair conditioner.

Finish strong: ‘I'd be thrilled to learn more about this job opening, and show you how I reduced staff turnover by 20% at MBC, and how I can do the same for you.’

Pro Tip: Show your enthusiasm about the prospect of working for the company. Do some research and reference some of the firm’s recent accomplishments or projects in your cover letter.

Don’t skip the cover letter unless the job offer states to do so.

Now, check out our Consulting Cover Letter Example & Guide.

Or, the more general guide: How to Write a Great Cover Letter Fast

Key takeaway

So now you’re an expert at writing a consultant CV. The lessons learned are:

• Use an easy-to-follow layout for your CV.
• Mirror the wording in your target job descriptions.
• Catch the recruiter’s attention with a heading statement.
• Quantify your results and experience.
• Avoid typos and formatting bugs by proofreading the CV a couple of times.
• Write a personalised consultant cover letter.

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your CV will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

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See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Thank you for reading my article on how to create a consultant CV. If you'd like to discover more expert-written CV-making advice, head over to our blog!

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Sources

• The Ladders, "The Eye-Tracking Study"
• Harvard Business Review, "Cover Letters Still Matter—Even If They’re Not Required"