The document summarizes key points about writing effective resumes and cover letters from a McKinsey mentorship program training. It provides guidance on assessing experiences, highlighting achievements with action-context-result statements, tailoring documents to recruiters, and using examples to support claims. The agenda outlines discussing challenges, improving resumes through structure and content, and improving cover letters by focusing on the employer and supporting statements with evidence.

1. CONFIDENTIAL
McKinsey Mentorship Program
Resume Session
Mentorship program training material
October 23, 2010

2. AGENDA
Activity
Time
• Opening and experience sharing
11:00 – 11:20
– What are the key challenges you face while writing
resume and cover letter?
• Resume writing
11:20 – 12:00
– What do we look for in your resume?
– How to improve your resume?
– Resume critique
• Cover letter writing
12:00 – 12:20
– What do we look for in your cover letter?
– How to improve your cover letter?
1

3. AGENDA
Activity
Time
• Opening and experience sharing
11:00 – 11:20
– What are the key challenges you face while writing
resume and cover letter?
• Resume writing
11:20 – 12:00
– What do we look for in your resume?
– How to improve your resume?
– Resume critique
• Cover letter writing
12:00 – 12:20
– What do we look for in your cover letter?
– How to improve your cover letter?
2

4. YOU SHOULD HAVE 4 KEY TAKEAWAYS ABOUT WRITING A STRONG
RESUME / CURRICULUM VITAE (CV) AFTER TODAY’S SESSION
1
1
Change your mindset
2
2
Assess your profile and understand recruiters
3
3
Learn effective communication: Action, Context, Result
4
4
Understand overall resume structure
3

5. MINDSET CHANGE IS THE FIRST STEP OF STRONG RESUME
WRITING
From:
To:
• “This is what I have done”
• Understand key qualities which
recruiters are looking for and
highlight relevant point
• “I need to tell you every details
in my life”
• “Been there, done that”
• One page with different aspects
covered and relevant to the
recruiter
• Impact and result driven
Resume is a
communication tool
between you and the
recruiters
4

6. BEFORE WRITING THE RESUME, MAKE SURE YOU
ASSESS YOUR PROFILE AND UNDERSTAND THE RECRUITERS
Time
Task
Accomplishments Skills addressed Assessment
NTU, 2nd - Member of
- 1st place in school Artistic
Slightly
year
photography club competition
weak
NTU, 3rd - Led a team of - Self funded and
year
10 volunteers
made a profit
- Held a camp for
100 high school
students
Leadership
NTU, 4th - Created 1st
year
classical music
website in
Taiwan
Assess your
Assess your
profile
profile
Entrepreneurship Strong
Booz Allen
From public
information
- Almost bought by
Yam.com
McKinsey
Delloite
Strong
Client-commited and resultori ented
collegi al and down-to-earth
environment
strong IT services
Great and Smart People
executabl e strategies that
Delloite helps implement.
100% in-client work
significant IT Capabilities
world's most s uccessful and
deep expertise in operations
influential management consulting consulting
firm
reputation for developing
workable solutions based on
very thorough analysis.
serves both government and
corporate clients
strong reputation in s trategy,
operations,
organizations/leadership, IT
global presenc e with
experience in 20 industries
Learned from Tecnhology-focused
s oc ial events
famous for its strong culture and
network (McKinsey way to do
things)
primarily focused on strategy and
operations work
working primarily with client's top
management
Really large:
Present all over the world
Alumni Network & Great placement
focus on maitaining the
work/l ife balance
employee input into career
path decisions
• Does that matter?
• Is it significant?
• What skills can
you demonstrate?
Bearing Point
part of the management
consulting oldguard
combines strat. Consulting
with implementation
Understand
Understand
the
the
recruiters
recruiters
Re-visit your profile
no travel/home
balance
Profile your
recruiters
• What is the
•
•
company culture?
What kind of
people they are
looking for?
What skills are
required?
Research is strong
5

7. WHAT WE LOOK FOR IN CANDIDATES
Top students in all major universities who possess the following qualities:
• Intellectual capacity
• Quantitative
capability
• Practical orientation
• Personal initiative
• Teamwork
• Entrepreneurship
Problem
solving
Personal
impact
• Presence
• Communication
• Empathy
• High standards
Leadership
Drive &
aspiration
of excellence
• Energy
• Persistence
6

8. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THESE TWO ACHIEVEMENTS?
Perhaps you understand the details of your
achievements pretty well…
“Managed a team to reconcile number of
SKUs offered by client.”
“Designed and launched the 2002 Honda
localization Program.”
…yet your recruiters might have many
questions in their head
• How was the team managed?
• How big was the team?
• Who decided on this action?
• What was the effect?
SO WHAT?
• What did you really do?
• What is “Honda localization
Program”?
• Is this a big deal?
SO WHAT?
7

9. A STRONG STATEMENT OF ACHIEVEMENT NEEDS TO COVER
ACTION, CONTEXT, AND RESULT
Writing principles
• Action: Active verb /
skill employed
• Context: Background
information
• Result: Impact of the
action
Revised bullet points
“Identified number of SKUs as a critical
performance driver and achieved 20%
increase in category profitability by directing a
10-member team to execute SKU
rationalization strategy”
“Coordinated a cross-functional team in the
design and development department to
localize Honda’s manufacturing in China.
Managed $44 million in equipment and met
all budgetary and timeline oriented
milestones.”
8

10. RESUME IS COMMONLY STRUCTURED AROUND 4 SESSIONS
A
B
C
D
Education
background
Work / internship
experience
Extracurricular
activities
Other skills /
additional info
• Schools attended
• Degree and
• Previous jobs, both
• Student
• Languages
• Certifications
• Computer skills
•
•
•
major(s)
GPA
Academic awards
and certifications
Test scores
(e.g.,TOEFL,
GMAT)
•
•
full-time and parttime
Research
positions/TA
experience
Internships
•
•
clubs/organizations
Professional
societies
Competition and
awards
•
(e.g., excel,
powerpoint)
Other special skills
not mentioned
9

11. A
WHAT WE LOOK FOR IN A RESUME/CV – EDUCATION
BACKGROUND
Content
• To show details of graduate work and college/tertiary education. Start with the most recent one. Include
your school, degree, major, grades, and any major academic prizes or awards. Specify key dates. You
should also include any significant academic projects (e.g. senior thesis, major research work, papers) that
can help to illustrate your academic ability as well any oversea academic experiences.
Sample
Do not include
high school work
Include degree, major, grades
with specific dates
International exchange program /oversea
experience is also appropriate to mention
Include awards of
significance, including dates
10

12. B
WHAT WE LOOK FOR IN A RESUME/CV – WORK/INTERNSHIP
EXPERIENCE
Content
• If you have work experience, emphasize what you have achieved in each major role beyond your key dayto-day responsibilities. We are most interested in the impact you have had in your career (e.g., major
changes in a professional environment because of your direct involvement). You may also describe unique
skills and experiences that will help us understand your strengths.
Sample
Be specific about your
role and responsibilities
Start each sentence
with a verb
Specify impact/achievement, even
better if it can be quantified
11

13. C
WHAT WE LOOK FOR IN A RESUME/CV – EXTRACURRICULAR
ACTIVITIES
Content
• Include any organizations, activities, or clubs outside of work. It should help us understand you as a
person, and show your strengths that can also be leveraged in a professional setting. Qualities we are
looking for includes but is not limited to:
– Leadership
– Entrepreneurship
– Commitment
– Achievement and impact oriented
Sample
Demonstrates
leadership…
Quality over
quantity is
key
…as well as
commitment
Focus and be very
specific about
impact
12

14. D
WHAT WE LOOK FOR IN A RESUME/CV – OTHER SKILLS /
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Content
• Include any foreign languages that you have at least business conversational ability. It is a good idea to
rate yourself as basic, conversational, or fluent.
• Note any professional certifications such as CPA or CFA
• Distinguish yourself from your peers by
– Highlighting excellence outside of work and academics
– Showcasing other achievements (e.g., sports, other hobbies)
– Identifying a shared interest between you and your recruiter
Sample
Be very specific about skills
Talking points during
interview. Easy to remember
Do not include computer
skills if not appropriate for
job (e.g. programming
languages for McKinsey)
ADDITIONAL · Fluent in Mandarin, Taiwanese, English, conversational in Japanese
· Trained in both female and male roles in Chinese opera; lead vocalist in a pop band
· Guest host on radio for a high-tech talk show, "Morning! Technology;" Mar - May 2002
13

15. SAMPLE RESUMES FORMAT– A GOOD EXAMPLE
Provide contact information
Format your resume in a
professional manner
Sequence the activities – start from
the most recent one
14

16. GENERAL TIPS AND COMMON ERRORS
• Tailor your resume/CV by employer – one version is never enough
• Keep your resume in one page
• Lay out your prior jobs (if any) in reverse chronological order, with your most recent role at the top
• No unexplained gaps – you should be able to explain any gaps in your career or educational history
• Length of each bullet point: 3 lines maximum
• Avoid “overly creative” with formatting. Neatness, reasonably sized font (e.g., size 10 or larger) and
line spacing, good amount of margin space all contribute to initial impression
• Don’t forget to check grammar and spelling
• List dates for key position and activities
• Quality over quantity
• Avoid using jargon. Ask friends with different backgrounds to proof read the resume for you. A
good resume should be straight forward and easy to understand by most educated people
• Include your name and contact details at the top, with daytime and evening phone numbers and email address
15

17. AGENDA
Activity
Time
• Opening and experience sharing
11:00 – 11:20
– What are the key challenges you face while writing
resume and cover letter?
• Resume writing
11:20 – 12:00
– What do we look for in your resume?
– How to improve your resume?
– Resume critique
• Cover letter writing
12:00 – 12:20
– What do we look for in your cover letter?
– How to improve your cover letter?
16

18. WHAT IS A “COVER LETTER”?
• Cover letter is an enhancement to your resume which allow
you to state your objective, goals, and personal fit for a
position
• While the perfect cover letter does not guarantee you an
interview, a bad cover letter can quite easily remove you
from the interviewing process. Even if the letter is only
briefly scanned by an interviewer, mistakes can cost you
opportunities
17

19. BE READER CENTRIC AND SUPPORT YOUR CLAIMS
• Keep the focus of your cover letter on what you
Be reader
Be reader
centric
centric
can contribute to the employer rather than on what
the job would do for you
• The point of your cover letter is to sell your skills
and get recruiters’ interest in you
• Writers often make strong statements about their
Support your
Support your
claims
claims
strengths without concrete support
• Using examples is a good way to support your
claims
• Make sure your support/example is relevant to the
professional context
18

20. HOW TO SUPPORT YOUR CLAIMS IN COVER LETTER
Before:
"I am a very responsible person and would do an excellent job for you
in this position.“
Claim
After:
"I am a very responsible person. For example, when I worked for XYZ,
Inc., I was in charge of new customer accounts and, after three months,
allowed to work independently without any supervision. Nine months later I
was commended on my performance appraisal for being 'diligent,
hard-working and responsible.' Because you've indicated
responsibility is a key component of this job, I believe I would do an
excellent job for you."
An example to
support the
claim
Ensure the claim and
example is relevant to
the employer
19

21. WHAT WE LOOK FOR IN A COVER LETTER
Sample
Letter head and format
• Make your cover letter professional and business-like
• Provide key contact information here
Opening paragraph
• Explain the rationale of your application and introduce yourself
• Indicate the purpose for your letter
• Indicate any common acquaintances, referrals, or prior contacts if
any
Context
• Explain why you are interested in the firm and highlight your
strengths as a candidate
• Cite examples of where you have displayed the requisite skills
• Refer to relevant skills, experience, and knowledge; demonstrate
your understanding of the organization
Conclusion and follow up
• Reiterate your desire of joining the firm and add a “look forward to
hearing from you”-type statement
• Express appreciation for consideration
• Indicate when you’ll follow-up if necessary
• Never exceed one page
20

22. Thank You!
21