Applicants always know what to expect from the resume screening process - a “Yes or No” answer. You will either be hired or not. Once in a while, you may get some feedback as to why you weren’t selected for a position, but it is usually pretty nonspecific like, “Lack of work experience”.

In this article, we will give you some insights as to how resumes are reviewed by consultants. We will also give you some information regarding the differences between consulting and finance.

You may wonder who is the head of the process.

A team usually reviews resumes. This team is generally made up of managers, associates, and analysts. Here are a few parts of the process that are quite consistent:

First, there will be 3-5 people on the review team. Each person will review your resume alone, then the group will review it.

2. The team will mostly be made up of graduates from your school - be it MBA, graduate, or undergraduate.

Finally, the full committee will make the ultimate decisions.

As with finance, the senior members of the group will not be involved until it’s time for interviews and offers. One would hope that this is because they trust their junior team members, but really it is probably just a matter of saving time and money.

Click here for more on differences between consulting and investment banking.

Someone who has a background similar to yours will be consulted regarding your resume. Say you are an engineering undergraduate at Columbia. An engineering undergraduate from Columbia will be asked about things like your involvement in student groups, your GPA, and so forth.

What are the steps that make up the process?

The members of the review team each get a packet of resumes. They may each get anywhere from fifty to three hundred resumes. Many times the consulting letters are removed from the packs. That’s another reason why you should put your greatest efforts into producing an excellent resume.

Consultants will spend a lot more time the resumes than bankers. Finance might give a resume thirty seconds, but consulting will give it at least a full minute.

After the initial review, the consultants will meet as a group to review the resumes, discuss them, compare notes, and make some decisions.

They will be looking for the following:

You may remember from the article on tips for creating a consulting resume that items like work experience, leadership, and academic success can make or break a resume.

Click here for more on how to create a management consulting resume.