Consultant CV: Example and Template
This is what a convincing CV for a consulting role in Switzerland looks like - with measurable project results instead of methodology buzzwords.
Currently 378 open Consultant positions in Switzerland, across 18 cantons, 50 of them from the last 7 days. EY advertises the most.
CV example — two-page template
This template is editable straight away — or upload your existing CV and it is carried into this layout automatically.
What qualifications are expected for a consultant position in Switzerland?
Typically a university degree (university or university of applied sciences) in business, business informatics, law or a technical discipline - complemented by consulting-specific certificates.
The large and mid-sized consultancies in Zurich, Geneva, Basel and Bern require a bachelor's or master's degree, usually from HSG, ETH, EPFL, the cantonal universities or a university of applied sciences such as ZHAW, FHNW or HES-SO. For career changers from industry, the Swiss federal diploma path often counts just as much: federally certified business economist, federally certified expert in accounting and controlling, or an MAS/DAS from a university of applied sciences. State the qualification with its exact Swiss title, the institution and the graduation year - abbreviations such as 'MSc HSG' or 'MAS FH' are immediately recognized by Swiss HR.
Certificates make the crucial difference in consulting because they provide verifiable proof of methodological competence. Relevant certifications include CMC (Certified Management Consultant) via ASCO, Lean Six Sigma Green or Black Belt, IPMA Level D to B via spm, PMP, Prosci Change Practitioner, as well as technical credentials such as TOGAF or Scrum. List these with the year and issuing organization so their currency is clear.
If you serve regulated industries, make your expertise explicit: FIDLEG/FINIG, revDSG, Basel III, ICS under CO Art. 716a, SwissDRG or sustainability reporting under CO Art. 964a-c. Such keywords are read equally by applicant tracking systems and by partners - generic phrases like 'analytical thinking skills' are not.
How do I present consulting work experience convincingly?
For each position, describe the mandate type, client industry, team size, budget and the measurable result - not just the method used.
Consulting experience is made visible through projects, not job descriptions. For each employer, use a short context line (company size and focus) followed by three to four project bullet points with figures: mandate volume in CHF, number of consultants led, duration, client FTE and the effect achieved. Phrases like 'reduced throughput time from 19 to 11.8 days' or 'improved cost-income ratio from 78% to 69%' say more than 'optimization of business processes'.
Also important are the commercial metrics of the profession: utilization rate in percent, average daily rate, proposal volume handled and win rate. Anyone who has already acquired mandates or expanded existing client relationships should state this, as business development is expected from senior consultant level upward. Only name clients if no confidentiality agreement prevents it - otherwise describe them generically: 'Swiss private bank with 210 FTE' or 'cantonal hospital with 1'200 beds'.
Make sure dates are complete and consistent in the format MM/YYYY, and explain gaps such as a sabbatical, further training or parental leave in one line. In case of frequent changes of consultancy, grouping by employer with role levels listed underneath (Junior Consultant, Consultant, Senior Consultant) helps make progression visible and prevents the CV from appearing erratic.
How long should the CV be, and does it need a photo?
Two pages is standard, three only with over ten years of consulting experience and a project list - a professional photo remains common practice in Switzerland.
Keep the CV to two pages: profile, core competencies with key figures, work experience, education, certificates, languages and IT skills. If you have an extensive project history, attach a separate reference or project list rather than padding out the CV; this also matches the format consultancies use for client profiles and proposals. Use a clean, understated design and submit as PDF - creative layouts are not an advantage in consulting.
A professional portrait photo is still common in Switzerland and is expected by most consultancies, although it is not legally required. Details such as place of residence, nationality or residence permit (B, C or G), availability and notice period are also standard. Willingness to travel and a category B driving license belong in the document, since mandates often require presence at client sites throughout Switzerland.
Languages should be listed with CEFR level and context of use: French at C1 with mandates in French-speaking Switzerland is a clear competitive advantage over the vague statement 'good knowledge'. Finally, tailor your profile to each job posting and reflect two to three terms from the advertisement, such as target operating model, post-merger integration or digital operations - this way you pass both the screening algorithm and the partner's first glance.
Where Consultant are hired in Switzerland
How the 378 open positions are spread across the cantons.
Figures as a table
| Canton | postings |
|---|---|
| Zürich | 104 |
| Genf | 46 |
| Basel-Stadt | 19 |
| Waadt | 17 |
| Bern | 15 |
| Aargau | 11 |
| Wallis | 6 |
| Luzern | 5 |
Which languages the postings require
Of 321 postings that state a language — in brackets, those requiring professional level.
Figures as a table
| Language | postings |
|---|---|
| German | 230 (213) |
| English | 230 (180) |
| French | 58 (36) |
| Italian | 2 (0) |
Who hires Consultant in Switzerland
Employers with the most open positions. Staffing agencies are excluded.
Figures as a table
| Employer | postings |
|---|---|
| EY | 28 |
| Deloitte | 17 |
| Elemental Insights | 16 |
| Eraneos | 12 |
| KPMG Switzerland | 11 |
| adesso Schweiz AG | 9 |
Full-time or part-time?
How the positions are advertised.
Figures as a table
| Workload | postings |
|---|---|
| Vollzeit / plein temps | 313 |
| Teilzeit / partiel | 12 |
| Temporär | 6 |
The CV in full
To read through and reuse.
Livia Steinmann
Senior Consultant Operations & Transformation, MSc in Business Administration HSG, CMC
Senior Consultant with seven years of experience in operational excellence and transformation projects for industrial, banking and hospital clients in German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland. Responsible for mandates with budgets of up to CHF 1.4 million and leads teams of up to six consultants from the scoping phase through to impact measurement. Combines Lean Six Sigma and process mining with Prosci change management and achieves an average customer satisfaction (CSAT) of 4.7 out of 5.
What sets me apart
Regulatory projects in the financial sector: Leads FIDLEG/FINIG and revDSG implementation projects at FINMA-supervised institutions, including gap analysis, ICS adaptation and evidence documentation for the auditing firm.
Process mining instead of workshop guesswork: Analyzes order-to-cash and purchase-to-pay processes with Celonis on SAP S/4HANA event logs and derives measures from actual throughput times rather than interview statements.
Bilingual mandate management: Leads steering committees in French in Lausanne and Geneva and delivers deliverables bilingually - an advantage on mandates with locations in both language regions.
Public tenders under BöB/IVöB: Prepares WTO-compliant proposals on simap.ch, including suitability and award criteria matrices; seven of twelve submitted bids were awarded the contract.
Key achievements
Reduced order process throughput time by 38%. At a machinery manufacturer with 480 employees: reduced order-to-cash from 19 to 11.8 days, freed up CHF 2.3 million in working capital, mandate paid for itself after 5 months.
Implemented target operating model for private bank. Reorganized three divisions with 210 FTE; redefined 14 role profiles, improved cost-income ratio from 78% to 69% within 18 months.
Built new consulting service. Developed the service line 'Sustainability reporting under CO Art. 964a-c' and scaled it to CHF 780'000 in revenue with 6 clients within 14 months.
Experience
Senior Consultant Operations & Transformation — Rigiblick Advisory AG, Zurich, since 03/2021
Mid-sized Swiss consultancy, 90 employees; focus on industry, banking and healthcare.
- Responsible for 9 mandates ranging from CHF 120'000 to CHF 1.4 million, all completed within a budget variance of under 4%
- Led teams of up to 6 consultants, developed 4 juniors into consultants
- Maintained utilization of 82% at an average daily rate of CHF 2'150
- Managed a proposal portfolio of CHF 6.2 million, win rate 41%
Consultant Business Process Excellence — Seematt Consulting AG, Bern, 08/2018 - 02/2021
Boutique consultancy for process optimization, focused on public administration and hospitals.
- Created a process map for a cantonal hospital with 1'200 beds, documented 62 processes and implemented 17 immediate measures
- Improved coding quality in the DRG environment: increased case mix index by 0.06 points, additional revenue of CHF 1.1 million per year
- Facilitated 11 Lean workshops with a total of 140 participants, feedback score 5.4 out of 6
- Supported 5 WTO tenders under BöB, 3 of which were awarded
Junior Consultant — Wyssbach & Partner AG, Basel, 09/2016 - 07/2018
Strategy consultancy for SMEs in the northwestern Switzerland region, 22 employees.
- Prepared 18 business cases and profitability calculations (NPV, payback) for investments of up to CHF 8 million
- Developed market analyses for 6 succession plans, 4 of which were successfully completed
- Built a reporting dashboard in Power BI, reducing manual effort by 22 hours per month
Education
Master of Arts HSG, Business Administration, majoring in Strategy and International Management — University of St. Gallen · 2016
Bachelor of Science, Business Administration — Bern University of Applied Sciences BFH · 2014
CMC - Certified Management Consultant (ASCO), 2022 · Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (ASQ-recognized), 2020 · Prosci Change Practitioner, 2021 · IPMA Level C, spm Swiss Project Management Association, 2019