Horváth is one of the strongest names in transformation + performance management in the German-speaking consulting market — especially if your profile leans toward finance/controlling, operational performance, digital performance management, or implementation-heavy transformations.
That also means their screening is typically very evidence-driven: clear structure, measurable impact, and a "can you actually execute" vibe. Your CV needs to read like a clean, quantified business case — in 30 seconds.
In this guide you'll get: • What Horváth is known for (and what they implicitly screen for) • The CV format that works best for their projects + ATS • Bullet point patterns with consulting-level "impact density" • A practical Horváth keyword bank you can plug into your CV naturally • A final checklist before you submit
Horváth in 60 seconds: What the Firm Does
Horváth is a global, independent management consultancy with roots in the German-speaking market and a long-standing reputation in controlling and performance management. The company positions its core strengths around transformation, performance management, and digitalization and is known for bridging strategy → operating model → steering logic → implementation.
What This Means for Your CV
- Horváth projects often live close to the "engine room" of organizations: KPIs, steering models, finance performance, cost & efficiency programs, operating models, process transformations, digital enablement.
- They care less about buzzwords and more about: structured thinking + measurable outcomes + implementation credibility.
- Your CV should feel like: "This person can diagnose, model, align stakeholders, and execute."
If you're coming from finance/controlling, ops, transformation, analytics, or industrial/logistics-heavy environments, Horváth can be a very natural fit — but only if your CV makes that fit obvious fast.
What Horváth Looks for When Screening CVs
Horváth's CV screen tends to reward candidates who demonstrate five things clearly:
1) Structured Problem Solving
- They want people who can break down messy problems into workstreams and make decisions with imperfect data.
- Signals on a CV: Problem statements + structured solution approach, clear hypothesis and measurable output, crisp titles and bullet logic (no storytelling)
2) Quantifiable Impact (Hard Numbers)
- Horváth is performance-oriented. If your bullets don't contain numbers, you're leaving points on the table.
- Signals: € impact, % improvements, time saved, productivity, forecast accuracy, working capital, cycle times. Baseline → action → result.
3) Transformation + Implementation Credibility
- A lot of candidates can "analyze." Horváth likes people who can also implement.
- Signals: Rollouts, PMO work, stakeholder management, process redesign and operating model work, tool implementation (BI, planning tools, ERP adjacent)
4) Finance/Controlling and Steering Fluency
- You don't need to be a controller. But you should speak the language of steering.
- Signals: KPI systems, reporting, planning/budgeting, performance dashboards, variance analysis, business cases, CAPEX/OPEX logic
5) Cultural Fit: Pragmatic, Low-Ego, "Get Things Done"
- In practice, this means: clear writing, no exaggeration, no fluff.
- Signals: Clean formatting, no inflated claims, ownership and collaboration in bullets (not "I observed…")
Horváth-Ready CV Structure (ATS-Safe + Consultant-Friendly)
The one format that wins most often: 1 page (students / grads), 2 pages max (experienced hires). No columns, no tables, no graphics-heavy layouts.
Recommended Structure
- 1. Header: Name, city, phone, email, LinkedIn
- 2. Profile (optional, 2 lines max): Only if you can be specific
- 3. Education (reverse chronological)
- 4. Experience (reverse chronological)
- 5. Leadership / Extracurriculars
- 6. Skills (tools + languages)
- 7. Interests (1 line, optional)
ATS Formatting Rules
- One-column layout
- Standard headings: "Education", "Experience", "Skills"
- Bullet points using simple dots (•)
- Dates aligned consistently (right side or same line)
- No icons, no text boxes, no charts
- Export as PDF (unless the firm requests Word)
Bullet Points Horváth Actually Likes
Horváth bullets should read like mini deliverables: Action + scope + method + measurable result. If you're missing the result, your bullet is usually weak.
The Best Bullet Formula
Did X (what) for Y (scope) by Z (how) resulting in R (impact)
“Supported reporting improvements and created dashboards.”
“Built a KPI dashboard for a €120m business unit (Sales, margin, OPEX), automating weekly reporting and reducing manual effort by ~6 hours/week while improving data consistency across 5 stakeholders.”
Specific scope (€120m BU), clear output (KPI dashboard), quantified time savings, and stakeholder impact
“Worked on process optimization in operations.”
“Led process redesign for order-to-cash workflow (AS-IS → TO-BE), cutting cycle time by 18% and reducing escalations by 30% through clarified handovers and standardized controls.”
Shows methodology (AS-IS → TO-BE), multiple quantified outcomes, and specific process improvement
“Helped with planning and variance analyses.”
“Designed a driver-based planning model for monthly forecasting; improved forecast accuracy by +9pp over 2 cycles and enabled scenario analysis for 3 growth cases (base / downside / upside).”
Specific methodology (driver-based), measurable accuracy improvement, and business application (scenario analysis)
“Supported tool implementation and worked with IT.”
“Supported rollout of a reporting automation (requirements → testing → adoption) across 4 teams, reducing reporting lead time from 2 days to <1 day and increasing stakeholder adoption via training materials and office hours.”
End-to-end ownership, quantified time reduction, and adoption/change management signal
Micro-Rules That Make Bullets Feel "Consulting-Grade"
- Start with a verb: built, led, designed, analyzed, launched, improved
- Put the number early (it anchors credibility)
- Avoid generic verbs: helped, supported, assisted (use them only if you truly had a minor role)
- Don't hide the scope: business unit, region, team count, € budget, process step
- Make your contribution explicit: "owned", "led", "built", "drove", "implemented"
Horváth ATS Keyword Bank
Use these naturally — you don't need to stuff them. Pick what matches your real experience.
| Theme | Keywords to Use (Selectively) |
|---|---|
| Performance Management & Steering | performance management, steering model, KPI system, target setting, management reporting, variance analysis, driver-based planning, budgeting, forecasting, financial planning, scenario analysis, balanced scorecard (only if real), OKRs (if used), value creation, value levers, performance indicators |
| Controlling / Finance | controlling, management accounting, cost controlling, P&L analysis, margin analysis, cost reduction, working capital, cash flow (only if relevant), business case, ROI, CAPEX/OPEX, standardization, governance, controls |
| Transformation & Operating Model | transformation program, PMO, implementation, operating model, process redesign, end-to-end processes, stakeholder management, change management, rollout, adoption, training, communication plan |
| Operations / Efficiency | process optimization, lean basics (if relevant), productivity, cycle time reduction, throughput, service levels, procurement savings, supplier management (if relevant), supply chain, planning, inventory (if relevant) |
| Digitalization / Analytics | dashboarding, data model, automation, Power BI / Tableau (only if true), SQL, Python (if true), ERP (SAP etc. if true), data governance, data quality, digital transformation framework (only if used), requirements engineering, UAT, agile (if true) |
Industries (Only List What's Real)
Horváth works across many sectors; on your CV, only claim what you actually touched: automotive, industrials, public sector, energy, financial services, consumer, telecom (etc.)
Education, Internships, and "Signals" That Help Most
Education: Keep It Simple, But Strategic
- Degree, university, dates
- Focus areas (only if relevant: controlling, finance, operations, analytics, strategy)
- Top grades / ranking (if strong)
- Thesis topic (if relevant to transformation, performance, digitalization)
Internships: Show Real Outputs
- Horváth likes internships that show analysis + recommendation + implementation steps
- Stakeholder exposure is valuable
- Measurable outputs (time saved, costs reduced, model built)
Extracurriculars: Pick "Credible Execution Signals"
- Strong examples: Leadership roles, project-based initiatives, competitions with measurable outcomes, building something real (student org systems, events, fundraising, analytics projects)
- Weak examples: Generic memberships, long lists of "participated in…"
Tools: Don't Oversell
- Advanced: Excel (modeling), PowerPoint
- Practical: Power BI/Tableau, SQL, Python/R (only if used)
- ERP familiarity: SAP if you actually interacted with it
Final Horváth CV Checklist
Format & ATS
- One-column layout, no tables/graphics
- Clear headings: Education / Experience / Skills
- Consistent dates + locations
- PDF renders cleanly (no weird spacing)
Content Quality
- Every role has 2–5 bullets with numbers
- Bullets show action → method → result
- Your strongest impact appears in the top third of the page
- No vague claims ("improved efficiency") without evidence
Horváth Fit
- You show structured problem solving (not just tasks)
- You show implementation mindset (not only analysis)
- You include relevant steering/PM terms naturally
- Your story connects logically: why consulting → why Horváth → why you
Related Guides
If you're also applying in the DACH market, these are worth reading next:
- Roland Berger CV Guide
- Strategy& CV Guide
- Kearney CV Guide
📄 Free Horváth CV Template
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