Mckinsey Resume Example
Getting a job as a McKinsey consultant gives you the chance to develop experience in analyzing client data and developing strategic recommendations. A professional resume for Mckinsey applications will showcase your relevant skills and career achievements, to help you stand out from the crowd. In this article, we'll discuss how to create a McKinsey resume that catches the eye of employers, with tips and examples to help you write your own.
McKinsey & Company, founded in 1926, is a global management consulting firm that advises organizations on strategy, operations, technology, and organizational transformation. The company offers career opportunities in consulting, research, technology, and corporate roles. McKinsey values problem-solving, leadership, and collaboration, fostering an environment where employees are empowered to drive impact and deliver solutions for clients across industries. With competitive pay, benefits, and opportunities for career advancement, McKinsey provides employees with the chance to work on high-impact projects and develop professionally in a prestigious, global consulting firm.
This comprehensive guide will give you all the tools you need to craft a McKinsey resume that positions you strongly against other candidates. The guide will show you practical examples of how to structure your resume to show off your best and most relevant industry skills and achievements. It will also show you how to tailor your resume according to the job description and your unique skill set. Continue reading to find expert tips and advice from Jobseeker that will help you successfully become a McKinsey consultant.
Main elements of a McKinsey resume
The key sections to include in a McKinsey resume are similar to those for any role or profession.
How you choose to present your resume is up to you. There are plenty of options for a professional resume layout and format, but every application should include the following:
Resume Header and Personal Information
A McKinsey resume header contains your name and contact information. Add your first and last name, your phone number and your email address. Include your address or location, but avoid adding any other personal information. If you have a LinkedIn profile, you can add the URL to your header so the hiring manager can get a better understanding of your work history and experience. Create a clear, well-structured header that acts as the headline of your resume. Use color accents and blocks to help this section stand out and catch the eye of the reader.
Use an email address that's professional and appropriate for professional communication. Typically this would be an email address based on your first and last name, or your initials. If necessary, you could include your profession or another unique identifier. Avoid using old email addresses that could be considered unprofessional or inappropriate. Additionally, always check your contact details before sending your resume to ensure they're up-to-date.
Natalie Lewis
natalie.lewis@example.com
(111) 222 33 444 55
12 Grimmauld Place, Brooklyn, NY
linkedin․com/in/natalie–lewis123
Resume Profile
Your resume personal profile is a short, concise paragraph to highlight two or three key skills and achievements in McKinsey consultant roles. You may also see this section named as 'resume summary' or 'resume objective'. Resume summaries tend to focus on your career experience, while resume objectives cover your ambitions and plans for the future. In addition, your objective should highlight why you're an ideal candidate for McKinsey consultant roles by showing key skills and qualities that reflect the job description.
Alternatively, use this section to emphasize your career objectives and explain how and why this role is a suitable step for you at this stage of your career.
A good resume summary is short and snappy, and focused on the skills and experience listed in the job description, with evidence to back it up. It will also help the reader to form their first impressions of you by providing an insight into your personality and unique qualities. You can see some positive examples of a resume summary for McKinsey consultant jobs below.
Work History
In the next section, list your employment history, taking care to mention anything relevant to the consulting industry. Include any career achievements that make you a strong candidate to work as a McKinsey consultant. For each entry, make sure its relevant to working as a McKinsey consultant, and list the job title, the name of the employer, its location and the dates you worked there. Add each job in reverse-chronological order, starting with your current or most recent role.
A good resume work experience section focuses only on your most relevant previous jobs to qualify you for a McKinsey consultant, and highlights your key achievements in each role. To make the strongest impression on hiring managers, reference skills and experience from working in the consulting industry that match the job description, and show how you added value to each role with quantifiable evidence and outcomes.
Management Consultant, January 2022 - Present
Stratagem Solutions Inc, Los Angeles
- Led a team to increase client revenue by 25% through strategic market analysis and operational improvements
- Successfully managed a $10M project, delivering on time and under budget, enhancing client satisfaction and retention
- Developed and implemented a cost-saving initiative that reduced client expenses by 15% annually
Management Consultant, January 2022 - Present
Stratagem Solutions Inc, Los Angeles
- Guided a team to achieve significant client growth through innovative strategies and effective leadership
- Oversaw a major project, ensuring timely delivery and exceeding client expectations
- Created and executed a plan that significantly improved client cost efficiency
Education
Under education, add details of any degrees or professional qualifications relevant to McKinsey consultant roles.
If you're applying for McKinsey consultant positions you'll typically need to have a degree. A Bachelor of Science in Economics will usually help your chances of success. You could also list any qualifications that demonstrate your MS Excel mastery or financial modeling expertise.
Include any qualifications relevant to the role. For each, add the name and level of the award, the institution name, its location and your dates of study. You can also add some bullet points outlining any high grades, awards you won or specialist subjects you studied. Adding this information will show the employer your dedication to learning and your areas of specialist knowledge.
If you organized or participated in any clubs or societies while at university, or you took part in any voluntary work, you could also mention these here.
Bachelor of Science in Economics, 2017 - 2020
University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
Jobseeker Tip:
Showcase both hard and soft skills by describing examples of how you’ve applied them in real-world scenarios, such as "collaborated with a cross-functional team to deliver a project ahead of schedule." (1) Use a simple layout that ensures your key accomplishments stand out at a glance. (2)
Relevant Certifications and Licenses
In this section, include any McKinsey consultant certifications, training or licenses you hold that are relevant to the job. These might be licenses that show you're qualified to operate certain equipment, or certifications that give you the edge over candidates with otherwise similar career history. Therefore, include the details of any licenses and professional certifications required for McKinsey consultant roles, along with completion dates so employers can see you're up-to-date.
Take a look at some example certifications for a McKinsey resume below:
- PMP Certification, 2022
- CFA Charterholder, 2022
- Six Sigma Black Belt, 2022
Optional Sections
To provide further information on your suitability for the role, you could add some optional sections to a McKinsey consultant resume. Choose any optional sections that showcase essential or desirable skills or experience for McKinsey consultant jobs.
Hobbies
Including your hobbies and interests can be a valuable way of showing your key skills and qualities. These are particularly useful for your resume if you're short of work experience and need to showcase a particular skill or experience. If you're thinking about adding hobbies and interests, just make sure they add something unique to your application, and showcase your personality and interests in unique and interesting ways.
Voluntary Work
Listing volunteer work is another useful way to prove your relevant experience for McKinsey consultant roles. Add any voluntary roles, including your position, the name of the organization, the dates of your voluntary work and a brief explanation of your responsibilities and achievements.
References
Standard McKinsey consultant resumes don't tend to include references, but you might find them requested occasionally. Check the job advert to see if you'll need to add references to your resume. Include a maximum of three professional references, being sure to check with your referees before including them in your resume.
References can be provided upon request.
Best words to use in a McKinsey consultant resume
Using strong action verbs in your work experience bullet points can make a stronger impression on employers and show the value you added to your previous roles. The suggested action verbs below will help the reader to understand your key qualities and the impact you made on the organization.
- Analyzed
- Advised
- Developed
- Implemented
- Strategized
- Optimized
- Facilitated
- Synthesized
- Negotiated
- Led
If you want to create a resume that stands out from the crowd, use Jobseeker's expert-designed resume templates. You can also find cover letter templates that work to get you noticed by employers.
Sample McKinsey resume
Using each of the sections above, we've created this example McKinsey resume, to help guide you when creating your own:
12 Grimmauld Place, Brooklyn, NY
•
natalie.lewis@example.com
•
(111) 222 33 444 55
•
linkedin․com/in/natalie–lewis123
Dynamic and results-driven Management Consultant with a Bachelor of Science in Economics, currently thriving at McKinsey & Company. Possesses a robust track record in delivering strategic solutions, optimizing business performance, and driving growth across diverse industries. Adept at leveraging analytical skills and economic principles to solve complex challenges and deliver actionable insights. Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams, manage client relationships, and execute high-impact projects from inception to completion.
Management Consultant
2020
-2022
Strategic Insights Consulting (Gilbert)
- Led a cross-functional team to reduce operational costs by 15%, resulting in annual savings of $2M
- Implemented a strategic marketing plan that increased client acquisition by 25% within six months
- Conducted comprehensive market analysis, identifying growth opportunities that boosted revenue by 30% year-over-year
Data analysis proficiency
Financial modeling expertise
MS Excel mastery
Problem-solving abilities
Effective communication skills
Emotional intelligence (EI)
PMP Certification
CFA Charterholder
English - Fluent
Spanish - B2
Best practices for a McKinsey resume
- Include any relevant work experience in reverse-chronological order, starting with your current or most recent role, for maximum readability.
- Quantify the impact you've made in different roles by offering evidence of your key abilities and your contribution.
- Mention your key educational achievements, such as degrees and professional qualifications, along with grades such as your GPA, if they're high.
- Write a compelling resume summary or objective to introduce yourself and your key McKinsey consultant skills.
- Mention key skills that show you're suited to the job throughout your resume, as well as in the dedicated skills section.
- Don't use elaborate formatting or layouts. These can make your McKinsey resume less readable and harder for applicant tracking systems (ATS) to scan.
- Don't fill your resume with unnecessary details. Focus everything on showing you're right for the job.
- Don't include personal details beyond your name, location and contact details. Adding your age, gender, nationality or a photo can create unwanted hiring bias.
- Don't forget to keep your contact information up to date, to ensure the employer can contact you if necessary.
- Don't use jargon or business-speak. It can make your resume appear clichéd and harder to read.
How to make your McKinsey resume ATS compliant
Applicant tracking systems (ATS) help recruiters and employers to manage their hiring process. They can handle some of the more time-consuming and resource-intensive jobs, such as initial screening of resumes. Employers often receive hundreds of applications per vacancy, and ATS software can quickly and accurately scan and rank resumes based on their likely suitability for any role. When drafting your McKinsey resume, there are a few guidelines to follow to give you the best chance of passing the ATS screening stage and progressing with your application.
Follow these simple rules when writing your resume, to make sure it's ATS compliant:
- Opt for an established, traditional resume format such as a reverse-chronological or functional structure. These will ensure your resume includes all the necessary details ATS systems scan for.
- Use keywords throughout your resume that reflect the job description, so ATS resume scanners can recognize a strong connection between your skills, and those in the job description.
- Add each section with clear headings that match the established resume conventions, so ATS software can easily identify each part of your resume.
- Use a resume design that includes clean, professional design elements to give your content space to breathe. This might include clear, readable fonts, subtle color accents and simple design elements.
- Use simple, concise language to keep your resume to a maximum of one to two pages in length. This will make it easier for ATS software to read.
For tips and ideas to help you draft a professional resume to get noticed by employers, read our expert career articles and check out our detailed resume examples.
Frequently Asked Questions for a McKinsey resume
Accompanying your resume for McKinsey consultant applications, you'll want to produce a cover letter that similarly leaves a positive impression on hiring managers.
Before you write your cover letter, think about whether you need a formal, professional letter or if a brief, less formal email might be more suitable.
For a full, traditional cover letter, follow formal letter-writing conventions with your header, address line and greetings. The main text of the letter tends to be split into three short paragraphs. Firstly, introduce yourself, confirm the role you're applying for and explain why you're applying for the McKinsey consultant role. In the second paragraph, highlight your skills and experience that are most relevant to the job description. The third paragraph gives you the opportunity to express your enthusiasm for the role and your gratitude to the employer, while leaving a call to action which encourages them to make contact with you.
For help creating an eye-catching cover letter that impresses recruiters and hiring managers, use Jobseeker's professional cover letter templates.
There are plenty of ways to still make a positive impression with your McKinsey resume, even if you lack relevant work experience. Opt for a skill-based resume format instead of a traditional layout. This places your skills and education in a more prominent position on your resume. Use the additional information sections at the end of your resume as a showcase for relevant skills and achievements. These can be a particularly useful way of proving you have the skills necessary for the job.
A strong resume headline can give the reader an immediate idea of your suitability for McKinsey consultant jobs. A well-constructed resume headline can help your resume rank highly with ATS screening tools by referencing some of the key information from the job description. Write a short, concise resume headline incorporating the job title, one or two key skills that match the job description and a reference to your reputation or track record.
You can use this example resume headline as a template for creating your own:
- Junior Management Consultant, McKinsey & Company
- Strategic Management and Innovation Expert
- Strategic Management and Operations Expert
The resume format that gives you the best chances of success depends on your experience levels, as well as the type of job you're applying for and its seniority level. If you don't have much experience, for example if you're applying for a graduate role or changing careers, you might consider a functional resume format. This focuses on your skills and education above your work experience. If, however, you have experience in your chosen profession, a traditional, reverse chronological resume format might be the way to go. This showcases your relevant skills and achievements in your work experience section.
Takeaways for your McKinsey resume
If you want to catch the eye of employers and recruiters, you need a professional resume that showcases your best skills and career achievements. Choose a resume structure that makes the most of your relevant experience, whether through work or other activities, and be sure to tailor your resume to match the job description.
Remember, Jobseeker resume templates and other tools make it easy to create a resume and cover letter that leaves a positive impression on hiring managers. Sign up now to start building your perfect resume. Jobseeker's expert-designed cover letter generator can help your applications make a strong first impression on hiring managers. Find detailed cover letter examples to complement your resume and get your application noticed.
Sources:
(1) MIT Communication Lab: CV/Resume: https://mitcommlab.mit.edu/broad/commkit/cvresume/
(2) Resume Tips, Duke University: https://careerhub.students.duke.edu/resources/resume-tips/
