OC&C is a strategy consulting boutique known for sharp, practical thinking ("simple, uncommon sense™") and deep sector expertise rather than generic "do-everything" consulting. They operate globally with 15 offices and 900+ people across the firm.
They're also a Certified B Corporation™ (B Corp), which signals a formal commitment to balancing profit with purpose.
If you're applying to OC&C, your CV needs to read like it was written by someone who: - Thinks clearly and commercially - Can do clean, error-free quant - Communicates simply - Enjoys fast, collaborative problem solving - Has real evidence of impact (not just "responsible for …")
This guide gives you a complete, OC&C-specific playbook: what OC&C actually does, a one-page CV structure that passes ATS + human screens, the keywords that fit OC&C's real work (retail/consumer/PE/TMT/analytics), before/after bullet examples you can copy and adapt, and a final checklist to submit with confidence.
OC&C in 60 Seconds (What the Firm Is Known For)
OC&C positions itself as a strategy specialist: solving complex business challenges with simple, practical recommendations ("uncommon sense™").
Where OC&C Is Especially Known
- Retail and consumer-facing businesses (customer-centric strategy, commercial decisions, channel shifts)
- Private Equity & M&A strategy work (commercial due diligence, value creation, post-acquisition strategy)
- TMT (analytical but pragmatic strategy in fast-changing markets)
- Advanced Analytics & AI as an accelerator to strategy work, with tools and capability transfer to clients
What This Means for Your CV
OC&C wants proof you can produce clean thinking + commercial insight + measurable impact, ideally in contexts that smell like their work: consumer/retail, growth, pricing, performance improvement, and deal-related strategy.
What OC&C Screens For in CVs
You're not just competing on grades. You're competing on signal quality. Here's what typically signals "OC&C-ready":
A) Structured Problem Solving (Simple, Uncommon Sense)
- Your bullets should show you can frame messy problems into clear drivers
- Work with data (and not make mistakes)
- Reach a recommendation that is actionable, not academic
- OC&C literally markets itself on being "relentless in pursuit of the right answer" and delivering "creative, practical, actionable strategies"
- CV signal examples: Built a driver tree / waterfall / sensitivity that changed a decision, reduced a complex analysis into 2–3 clear actions, found the "one insight that mattered" in messy data
B) Analytical Rigor (Especially Quant Accuracy)
- OC&C recruiting often includes online testing and case interviews with online tests and multiple case interviews as core stages
- Your CV must show you've handled: numbers under time pressure, real datasets, decisions with ambiguity
- CV signal examples: Pricing analysis, unit economics, cohort retention, A/B testing, forecasting, finance modeling, valuation, diligence-style market work, analytics tooling (Excel, SQL, Python/R) when relevant
C) Collaborative Working + Clear Communication
- OC&C explicitly emphasizes collaborative working and being a team player with strong communication skills
- They describe their analytics work as transparent and collaborative (tailored tools/processes that clients can use after handover)
- CV signal examples: Worked cross-functionally with stakeholders (sales/ops/product/finance), led workshops, aligned teams, handled disagreement constructively, presented to senior stakeholders, simplified complex content
D) Fit with OC&C's Sector Core
- OC&C highlights strength across consumer goods, retail, leisure, TMT, private equity, and B2B services
- Even if your background is different, you can translate your experience into: customer-centric thinking, commercial levers, market / competitor understanding, value creation
OC&C CV Format That Passes ATS + Partner Skim
OC&C applications typically start with CV + cover letter submission (varies by region/role), followed by tests and interviews. So you need a format that works for both: ATS parsing (no broken layouts) and human skim (10–30 seconds).
OC&C-Safe Formatting Rules
- 1 page (2 pages only if you have substantial full-time experience)
- Single-column layout
- Standard headings: Education, Experience, Leadership, Skills
- Bullet points: max 2 lines each (3 lines only if highly impactful)
- Dates aligned right, role/company aligned left
- No tables, no text boxes, no icons-as-text, no graphics
The Fastest "OC&C Skim" Structure
- 1. Top branding line (who you are + what you do)
- 2. Education (brand + grades)
- 3. Most recent role (impact bullets)
- 4. Leadership / extra-curricular (signals)
- 5. Skills (hard + relevant)
Top Branding Line Example
Economics MSc (Top 5%), ex-Strategy Intern, built pricing model improving margin +3.2pp, fluent German/English
Bullet Formula OC&C Candidates Should Use (With Examples)
If your bullets aren't quantified, they read like fluff. OC&C wants proof.
The OC&C Bullet Formula
Action + What you did + How you did it + Result (metric) + Why it mattered
“Supported a market analysis for a retail client”
“Built a market sizing and competitor benchmark for a specialty retailer (7 peers, 12 metrics) and identified 3 growth levers, supporting a store expansion plan targeting **€8–10m incremental revenue**”
Specific context, shows analytical work, clear commercial outcome
Retail / Consumer Bullet Examples (Classic OC&C Territory)
- Weak: Worked on improving store performance
- Strong: Analyzed store-level sales and traffic (52 locations) and identified 2 operational drivers behind underperformance; recommended assortment + staffing changes that lifted weekly revenue by +6.4% in a pilot region
- Weak: Did customer research
- Strong: Designed and ran customer survey (n=420) and segmented demand into 4 clusters; translated insights into a pricing/pack architecture that increased conversion by +3.1pp
Private Equity / Commercial DD Bullet Examples (Very OC&C-Relevant)
- Weak: Helped with a due diligence
- Strong: Built a demand model for a PE diligence (TAM/SAM/SOM + adoption curve) and stress-tested the investment thesis across 3 downside scenarios; findings informed IC decision and value creation priorities post-close
- Weak: Conducted competitor analysis
- Strong: Mapped competitive landscape (11 players), benchmarked product features and pricing, and highlighted 2 defensible wedges; output shaped the acquisition growth plan (focus segments + GTM)
TMT / Digital Bullet Examples (Analytical but Pragmatic)
- Weak: Supported strategy work for a tech company
- Strong: Modeled unit economics for a subscription product (CAC, payback, churn) and recommended 2 pricing changes that reduced payback period from 9.2 → 6.7 months
Advanced Analytics Bullet Examples (Credible "Rigor" Signal)
- Weak: Used Python to analyze data
- Strong: Built a Python pipeline to clean and merge 1.2m rows across 3 sources; automated weekly KPI reporting and reduced manual effort by ~6 hours/week
- Even better (adds decision impact): Built a Python demand forecasting model (rolling 12-week horizon) that improved forecast accuracy by +18% vs baseline and reduced stockouts by -9%
OC&C Keywords to Include (By Project Type)
OC&C's sector and offering mix is not generic. Your keyword strategy should match the work they advertise: retail, consumer goods, leisure/hospitality, TMT, private equity & M&A (diligence + value creation), and advanced analytics & AI.
Retail / Consumer Keywords
- Omnichannel, store economics, category management, assortment, basket, conversion
- Pricing, promo effectiveness, price elasticity
- Customer segmentation, loyalty, churn, CLV
- Commercial strategy, GTM, growth levers
Private Equity & M&A Keywords
- Commercial due diligence (CDD), market sizing, growth thesis
- Value creation plan, pricing levers, cross-sell, churn reduction
- Post-merger strategy, synergy hypotheses
- Investment memo / IC-ready storyline
TMT / Digital Keywords
- Product strategy, monetization, pricing packaging
- Unit economics, funnel, retention, cohorts
- Competitive dynamics, platform strategy
- Operating model (only if you've done it)
Analytics & AI Keywords
- SQL, Python/R, forecasting, optimization
- Experimentation / A/B testing
- Dashboarding, KPI systems, automation
- Data cleaning, feature engineering (if true)
Only use keywords you can defend in conversation. OC&C case interviews will probe the specifics of your experience.
OC&C CV Keywords
Beyond formatting, the right vocabulary matters. Our full guide covers all [117 consulting resume keywords that pass ATS at OC&C, McKinsey and BCG](/blog/consulting-resume-keywords) — organised by category with usage examples.
Section-by-Section: What to Write (and What to Cut)
Education (High-Signal, Low-Noise)
- Include: Degree, university, graduation date; grade (and ranking if strong); 2–4 relevant courses (only if they add signal)
- Cut: Long course lists; high school (unless exceptional and early career)
- OC&C-friendly signals: Quantitative rigor (econ, engineering, math, stats); scholarships, Dean's list, top % ranking
Experience (Your Decision-Maker Proof)
- For each role, aim for 2–4 bullets: 1 bullet for scope/what the project was, 2–3 bullets for quantified impact + how you got there
- Best bullet themes for OC&C: Grew revenue / improved margin / reduced cost; improved conversion / retention / pricing; created a model that changed a decision; built a clean storyline for leadership
Leadership / Extracurricular (OC&C Fit + Ownership)
- Good content: Leading a student org, scaling membership, running events; competitive sport with measurable achievement; teaching / mentoring
- Avoid: Passive memberships; generic volunteering without results
Skills (Keep It Tight)
- Split into: Technical (Excel, PowerPoint, SQL, Python/R — only if true); Languages (be precise)
- Remove: Anything generic (e.g., "teamwork")
Common OC&C CV Mistakes (and Quick Fixes)
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| "Consulting cosplay" bullets (e.g., "Supported strategic initiatives") | Name the lever, show the analysis, quantify the result |
| No sector anchor (OC&C is proudly sector-focused) | Translate your experience into customer, commercial, growth, or diligence language |
| Overdesigned CV (ATS hates it, boutiques prefer clarity) | Simple, single-column, clean headings |
| Numbers without context (e.g., "Improved revenue by 10%") | Add base, scope, and lever: "+10% revenue in 1 region by repricing top 12 SKUs" |
| "Skills" that don't match the role (claiming Python/SQL you can't explain) | Only include skills you can defend with a concrete example |
Final OC&C CV Checklist
Format & ATS
- 1 page, single-column, no tables/graphics
- Standard headings (Education / Experience / Leadership / Skills)
- Dates aligned, consistent punctuation, no weird spacing
Impact
- Every role has at least 1–2 quantified bullets
- Bullets show what you did + how + result
- No vague filler like "supported" / "helped" without outcome
OC&C Fit
- At least 2 bullets reflect commercial thinking (growth, pricing, unit economics, market)
- At least 1 bullet shows collaboration/communication (stakeholders, alignment, leadership)
- Keywords match OC&C's work (retail/consumer/PE/TMT/analytics)
Proofreading (This Matters More Than You Think)
- Zero typos
- Numbers add up
- Dash style, capitalization, and spacing are consistent
📄 Free OC&C CV Template
Get our ATS-ready template tailored for OC&C. Enter your email to receive it.
Frequently asked questions
Does OC&C expect sector knowledge on the CV?
It helps more than it would at a generalist firm. OC&C is known for depth in consumer, retail, leisure, media and technology rather than for covering every sector, so evidence that you understand one of those markets — a placement, a business you ran, a serious piece of analysis — differentiates a profile that would otherwise read as generic.
Should an OC&C CV be one page or two?
One page. Boutique screening is done by a small number of people reading closely, which rewards concision rather than excusing length.
Does OC&C being a B Corporation change what I should put on my CV?
Not materially, and manufacturing a sustainability angle you do not have is transparent. If you have genuine, substantive experience in social impact, sustainability or an ethical business context, it is worth a line where it would otherwise be cut. If you do not, spend the space on quantified commercial work instead.
Which keywords belong on an OC&C CV?
Market sizing, consumer insight, commercial due diligence, growth strategy, pricing, category management and the sector you know. Quantitative accuracy is part of what the firm sells, so every number you put on the page should be one you can reconstruct in an interview.
Can I apply to OC&C without consulting experience?
Yes. Retail, consumer goods and media backgrounds are well represented, and commercial roles in those industries translate readily. Write them as problems solved with measurable outcomes rather than as responsibilities held.
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