Working as a consultant provides an opportunity for a lucrative career filled with interesting work. However, you will need a strong mixture of abilities to attract interested companies, including both analytical and soft skills. Additionally, excellent verbal and written communication is a must since you regularly interact with clients and other stakeholders.
Many consultants eventually move into managerial roles, so companies want to see evidence of strong leadership abilities. Being able to work as part of a team is also critical. Companies in essentially every business sector value a teamwork-based approach, but it is especially important when it comes to consulting.
If you’re looking to forge a successful career in consulting, check out these insights on what skills you need. We also cover a few strategies for connecting with consulting recruiters to find intriguing job opportunities. You can use this information as a guide to send your current career into overdrive!
What Do Consulting Recruiters Want to See on Candidate Resumes?
A well-crafted resume plays an essential role in building a successful consulting career. When sending your CV to a consulting job placement agency, provide something concise and easy to read. A recruiter likely reviews many resumes, so they only get a minute for a first look. You can be sure you stand out from the pack with an exceptional CV!
Consider tailoring your resume to a specific position that intrigues you by highlighting your specific experience and skills that match the job requirements. When working with professional recruiters in Minnesota during your job search, you can expect to be coached in this technique.
Now, let’s look more closely at what essential items to highlight on your consulting resume. Including the following will provide you with a better chance of landing an interview and a job offer.
Academic Success/High GPAs
Companies hiring consultants want to see tangible evidence of academic success. This is especially true for candidates that are new to consulting. A top-shelf performance in school shows you have the intellectual skills and hard work necessary for consulting success.
If your GPA is 3.0 or higher, it should be included on your resume. It is also important to list any scholarships, Dean’s List appearances, or National Honor Society memberships. Consider including your ACT/SAT scores if they are exceptional to further support your intellect.
Relevant Work Experience
After working as a consultant for a few years, the work history section on a resume becomes even more important to provide tangible evidence of the positive impact you made for clients throughout your career. Use action verbs as well as facts and figures in your resume when necessary. For example: “my work helped the company reduce its expenses by 23 percent.”
In addition to a robust professional history section, provide a tailored list of your relevant skills and abilities. Additionally, using the latest keywords to detail your skills makes it easier for consulting recruiters to find you online. The days of mailing paper resumes to companies continue to slowly wane.
Next, we will provide the top skills consulting professionals need to become successful.
What Makes a Good Consultant? The Top Skills According to Consulting Recruiters in Minnesota
As noted earlier, consultants need a variety of skills to be successful in this role. These typically include a mix of technical skills, business skills, and soft skills. Professional recruiters in Minnesota and elsewhere look for consulting candidates with tangible evidence of these abilities.
In addition to detailing your skills on your resume leveraging the hottest keywords, include any relevant professional certifications. These certifications provide further evidence that you are an expert in your field and illustrate your commitment to continuing education, which is vital for any active consultant.
#1 Consulting Jobs Require Analytical Abilities
Successful consultants typically possess top-shelf analytical abilities. This skill is essential when analyzing business problems, where you need to identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency. The importance of analytical abilities may be hard to come by, and therefore remains a major reason companies engage professional recruiters in Minnesota and elsewhere to find experienced consultants.
Data analysis capabilities are also in demand in the business world, so make sure to include any experience or certifications in this area on your resume. Businesses want consultants to find patterns and actionable information in their data; it plays a crucial role in the data-driven decision making currently in vogue.
#2 Consulting Recruiters Look for Leadership Skills
As stated previously, many consultants move into managerial roles later in their careers. Because of this, businesses remain on the lookout for consulting talent that possesses leadership abilities. They also might want a consultant with the skills to lead a team on a crucial project within their organization.
If you regularly displayed leadership abilities throughout your career, highlight this experience on your resume and during an interview. Many companies feel that tangible experience ranks higher than a manager job title; keep this in mind during your consulting job search.
#3 Teamwork is Important in Consulting Careers
The modern business world thrives on collaboration and teamwork. In addition to highlighting teamwork experience on your resume and in interviews, provide more detail in your cover letter. Ultimately, companies want consultants who work effectively with others, leading to successful project outcomes.
#4 Consulting Recruiters Assess Communication Skills
Teamwork and collaboration become easier with top-shelf communication skills, including both verbal and written capabilities. For this reason, expect consulting recruiters to pay close attention to grammar on your resume and cover letter.
You will also need to communicate clearly and confidently during any interview. This includes speaking with recruiters as well as when interviewing with a business. Practicing your public speaking techniques will help you to make a great impression during these situations.
#5 Problem-Solving Skills
Simply stated, companies regularly hire consultants to help them solve pressing business problems. So, when discussing your professional history, be sure to highlight your problem-solving abilities. Additionally, be prepared to go into any interview ready to explain your relevant experiences in this area. Both recruiters and hiring managers will very likely ask you about your problem-solving skills.
How to Land a Consulting Job with a Professional Recruiter in Minnesota
If you are ready to find a great consulting job in the Upper Midwest, work with an experienced recruiter to expedite and simplify your job search process. They provide the staffing industry expertise to increase your chances at an interview and, ultimately, a job offer. While it is possible to find jobs on your own, partnering with a consulting recruiter makes it easier.
Working with a recruiter helps to support your job search in a number of different ways, especially if you are new to the field. Recruiters’ insights can make a positive impact throughout the entirety of your career journey. We will explore some of the key benefits of working with a recruiter below.
Consulting Recruiters will Provide Resume/Interview Support
As noted earlier, you must craft a concise and effective resume during any job search because hiring managers typically only have a minute or two to review your CV. Your goal should be to keep your resume less than two pages and to utilize language that is as concise as possible.
Experienced consulting recruiters clearly understand the importance of conciseness, so be sure to have them proofread your resume before sending it to potential employers or posting it online. Recruiters can also help you to leverage the hottest consulting keywords to improve your resume’s SEO.
Additionally, a strong interview performance becomes essential when hoping for a job offer. Conducting a practice interview with a recruiter helps them vet your interviewing techniques, and in turn, helps you to focus on any areas needing improvement as you get ready for the big day.
Recruiters Have Access to Top Exclusive Consulting Jobs
The top consulting recruiters typically know of companies looking for talented consultants before the public at large, giving you early access to open positions. This exclusivity improves your chances of landing a great consultant gig, which is important to keep in mind when vetting consulting job placement agencies for a partnership.
Find Contract or Direct Hire Consulting Jobs with a Recruiter
The top professional recruiters in Minnesota provide access to both contract and permanent consulting positions. Contract work as a consultant offers an opportunity to quickly add breadth and depth to your resume. Having the option between contract or permanent positions provides you with a measure of flexibility in your career.
Work with the Top Professional Recruiters in Minnesota to Land Your Next Consulting Job
When searching for a top-shelf consulting job placement agency, consider the experienced team at Dahl Consulting. As one of the preeminent staffing agencies in Minnesota, we know the companies looking for talented consultants. Connect with us and take your consulting career to a higher level! Browse our jobs and apply today.