DEL-ZXT168-20051011-(SS)(SG)

Working Draft
Last Modified 11/12/2005 9:53:12 AM India Standard Time
Printed 11/11/2005 3:17:19 AM India Standard Time

Resume Workshop

IIT Kharagpur
November 12, 2005

This report is solely for the use of client personnel. No part of it may be
circulated, quoted, or reproduced for distribution outside the client
organization without prior written approval from McKinsey & Company.
This material was used by McKinsey & Company during an oral
presentation; it is not a complete record of the discussion.

AGENDA

Discussion on best-practice resume

writing in general

Discussion on key elements of resume

for McKinsey

DEL-ZXT168-20051011-(SS)(SG)

MAKING AN EFFECTIVE APPLICATION CONSISTS OF FIVE STEPS

5. Review
by a third party

1. Plan your
message

4. Evaluate
yourself

2. Structure

3. Write

DEL-ZXT168-20051011-(SS)(SG)

YOU HAVE LESS THAN 10 SECONDS TO ATTRACT ATTENTION

PLAN YOUR MESSAGE

Target group
Why do they need me?

Content

Attention

Show what you can!

Attract attention

Make it relevant sell

your skills

Persuade your reader

Focus on results not

activities
Prioritize, prioritize, and
prioritize

Make it exciting

DEL-ZXT168-20051011-(SS)(SG)

STRUCTURE YOUR CV
CV
Education
Education, date of
graduation, thesis
Prizes/distinctions,
athletic feats

Emphasize the
most important
aspects of the
education

Experience
Work and leadership
experience
Specific examples
(including titles, places,
dates, responsibility
areas, necessary skills)
Personally
Talents, interests,
language skills

Experience from
sports clubs,
housing cooperatives, etc.
should also be
included

Dont make it too

personal

DEL-ZXT168-20051011-(SS)(SG)

WRITE THE CV
Focus

Analyze the job advertisement (the company, the job, the

requirements . . .)

Be brief and
precise

Use bullet points to describe the your skills and results

Highlight key words

Consistency

Uniform format
Opposite chronological order in CV

Action
terms

Visual
impact

Use concrete and effective expressions, which are easy to

understand

Avoid jargon, slang and pretensions

Overview in less than 10 seconds
Limit the extent avoid close and abstruse writing
Use margins and space
Avoid distraction from the message
6

DEL-ZXT168-20051011-(SS)(SG)

EVALUATE YOUR CV THOROUGHLY

Consistency

Does the whole CV support the position

applied for?

Catching

Would I read it myself does it seem

interesting for the reader?

Consistent

Is format and words consistent in the

entire document?

Flawless

Has it been thoroughly proofread and

checked for grammar, spelling, dates,
facts, etc.

DEL-ZXT168-20051011-(SS)(SG)

MAKE A THIRD PARTY READ YOUR APPLICATION

Does my CV emphasize all

my skills?

Is it easy to identify and

understand my skills?

Does it give a good

impression of my skills?

Does CV emphasize my
potential contributions?

Is it easy to understand and

appreciate my contributions?

Are the skills demonstrated

relevant for the job?

DEL-ZXT168-20051011-(SS)(SG)

BASIC ELEMENTS OF SUCCESS

Write only to the extent that is relevant

Remember the visual presentation
Proofread it thoroughly also by a third party
Remember all details

AGENDA

Discussion on best-practice resume

writing in general

Discussion on key elements of

resume for McKinsey

DEL-ZXT168-20051011-(SS)(SG)

THREE BROAD THEMES MAKE A GOOD McKINSEY RESUME

Parameters evaluated

Problem solving/
analytical ability

Drive
Personal impact and
presence

Leadership ability

Powering your resume

Make your resume

crisp

Organize your
resume

Articulate impact

Overall impact

Does your personality

come out clearly in your
resume?

Would you be distinctive

in some manner as
compared to your
colleagues?

Has your resume

touched upon the key
evaluation parameters as
appropriate?

DEL-ZXT168-20051011-(SS)(SG)

WE USE FOUR KEY PARAMETERS FOR EVALUATION

Parameters evaluated

Problem solving/
analytical ability

Drive

Description

GPA is sometimes used as a dummy measure, but is not

a necessary condition for shortlisting

Demonstrated by continuous and persistent pursuit of

things you are passionate about

Personal impact and

presence

Leadership ability

Evaluated mostly in interviews extra curricular

activities give an indication

Positions of responsibility you held and achievements

therein; sometimes through work experience (if relevant)

DEL-ZXT168-20051011-(SS)(SG)

YOUR RESUME SHOULD BE CRISP, ORGANIZED AND HIGHLIGHTING

IMPACT
Parameters evaluated

Make your resume

Description

Focus more on end-product and impact than activities

crisp

Organize your
resume

Articulate impact

Organize into logical groups e.g., Academics, Work

experience, Extra curricular activities

Dont say: Did a project on sales stimulation

Rather say: Led a team of 4 people on a sales
stimulation project for Product XX that yielded 5%
increase in sales over 6 months

DEL-ZXT168-20051011-(SS)(SG)

END