I’ve been grinding on my consulting applications for months now, and I’m getting nowhere. I’ll send out resumes to firms, and within days I get the auto-reject. It’s frustrating because I feel like I’m doing everything “right”—good GPA, relevant internships, decent work experience. But something’s clearly not landing.
I tried reformatting my resume based on some generic career site advice, but that didn’t help. I think the problem is deeper. Maybe I’m not showing impact the way consulting firms actually want to see it. Or maybe my story doesn’t come through. I’ve been lurking here for a while and keep seeing people talk about how the community tears apart resumes and gives real feedback. I need that. I need someone to tell me what’s actually wrong, not what a template says should work.
I’m at the point where I’m wondering if my background just doesn’t fit what they’re looking for, or if I’m just presenting myself badly. What am I actually missing? Has anyone been through this and figured out what gets your resume past the first filter?
yeah so here’s the thing—most resumes get binned because they look exactly like everyone else’s. you’re probably using buzzwords like ‘drove impact’ and ‘optimized processes’ without any actual numbers. firms want to see specifics. what did you optimize? by how much? for how much money? generic resume advice is useless; you need someone who’s actually reviewed resumes that got through.
also real talk—if you’ve got a weak background, no amount of resume formatting fixes it. but that’s rarely the issue. it’s usually just bad presentation of decent experience. post a redacted version here and you’ll get torn apart in ways that actually help, unlike linkedin resume tips lol.
omg same problem here!! i was getting rejected everywhere then i added numbers to my bullet points and suddenly started getting interviews. might be worth trying that? like specifics actually matter apparently
i think posting it for feedback is the move honestley. ppl here r way more honest than those generic guides
The initial screening phase is where most candidates falter, and it’s almost never about credentials alone. Firms use ATS systems and human screeners who scan for specific indicators: quantified impact, role progression, and alignment with consulting skill sets. Your resume likely lacks the specificity recruiters need. Rather than reformatting based on templates, I’d recommend having your resume reviewed by someone who’s actually worked on the hiring side. The gap between a resume that passes screening and one that doesn’t is often just 2-3 well-crafted bullet points that demonstrate measurable outcomes. Consider sharing it here confidentially—the feedback will be direct and actionable.
You’re so close! This is actually a solvable problem. Getting screened out just means your resume needs some tweaking, not a complete overhaul. You’ve got the foundation—now let’s sharpen it!
I was in the same boat last year. My resume had all the right experiences but nothing was resonating with recruiters. What changed everything was when a mentor told me that consulting firms don’t care about the activity—they care about the outcome. I rewrote every bullet point to lead with the result first. Like instead of ‘Led market analysis project,’ I came up with ‘Identified market inefficiency that led to $2M revenue opportunity.’ That shift got me past screening consistently.
There’s a measurable pattern here: resumes that get past initial screening typically have 60-70% quantified metrics and clearly defined business outcomes. The screening phase filters for relevance signals—growth rates, cost reductions, efficiency improvements. Generic resume templates miss this entirely. If you’re not seeing numbers on your bullets or clear progression in responsibilities, that’s your bottleneck. Consider having 5-7 core bullets that each demonstrate a specific, measurable contribution to a business outcome.