Landing an interview at Oliver Wyman — one of the world's top consulting firms — starts with a CV that survives the initial screening. Less than 30% of applicants make it past the first cut.
In this guide, we walk you through exactly how to build an "Oliver Wyman-ready" CV: what OW recruiters look for, how to frame your experience, and how to avoid common pitfalls. Plus: we show why it's nearly impossible to know whether your CV will actually be parsed and read — unless you get it ATS-checked.
Understand What Oliver Wyman Really Values
Before writing anything, know this:
- Analytical & problem-solving skills: OW expects you to solve complex problems, often in financial services or data-heavy industries.
- Entrepreneurial spirit & initiative: OW values candidates who "challenge the norm," think independently, and take ownership.
- Tangible impact & results: The firm wants concrete evidence — not vague statements.
- Teamwork and collaboration: Despite entrepreneurial drive, OW has a team-oriented culture; solo superstar stories aren't the focus.
- Strong academic background: OW tends to recruit from top universities or top performers.
Structure & Format: Make It ATS-Friendly
Your CV must:
- Be one page (or very concise) — prioritize clarity. Many consulting-resumé best-practice guides warn against two-page CVs, especially for early-career applicants.
- Use standard formatting: avoid tables, text boxes, images — many Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) choke on non-standard layouts.
- Have clear, standard section headings: Education, Experience, Skills, Leadership / Activities, etc.
- Present bullet points in a clean format; ensure no weird characters or formatting that may break parsing.
Oliver Wyman's screening often begins with automated parsing — if the ATS fails to read your CV correctly, chances are high no recruiter will ever see it.
Emphasize Impact: Show, Don't Tell
Consulting firms don't care about what you did — they care about what happened because you did it. On your CV:
- Use action → task → result structure ("Led …, resulting in …", "Analyzed …, improving … by X%").
- Quantify your achievements: metrics, percentages, time saved, money saved — concrete numbers communicate impact per consulting standards.
- Highlight leadership, responsibility or ownership: projects you led, initiatives you launched, teams you coordinated.
- Focus on consulting-relevant skills: data analysis, market research, financial modelling, strategic thinking, stakeholder management.
This aligns with what OW looks for: analytical depth, initiative, impact and drive.
Tailor to the Firm: Align with Oliver Wyman's Culture & Language
- Use keywords and terminology aligned with OW's known values: innovation, impact, ownership, collaboration, data-driven, analytical, results-driven, client focus, structured problem solving.
- Demonstrate motivation for OW specifically: in your cover letter (and optionally in a small "motivation" line in CV header/summary), show that you understand their culture — maybe their strong financial-services focus, or their entrepreneurial, high-responsibility environment.
- Show versatility and curiosity: OW operates across many industries — if you have relevant internships, industry knowledge, extracurriculars, or cross-domain projects, highlight them.
Avoid Common Mistakes — Because You May Never Be Read
- Submitting a messy PDF or DOCX with tables, images, inconsistent formatting — this often fails ATS or is excluded early.
- Writing vague bullet points like "Worked on project …" without clarity or numbers.
- Ignoring firm-specific motivation — generic consulting-firm CVs increase the chance of rejection.
- Overloading CV with irrelevant info (e.g. outdated summer jobs, unrelated hobbies) — this dilutes impact and distracts recruiters.
- Using unprofessional formatting or grammar mistakes — every detail counts.
Why You Should ATS-Check Your CV — Before You Hit "Submit"
Here's a hard truth: you will never know whether your CV is properly parsed and actually seen by an OW recruiter — unless you run it through an ATS test.
What Our ATS Tool Does
- With a quick scan (free tier) you get a first impression of your CV's readiness.
- With a full paid scan you receive a consulting-optimized report — scoring structure, highlighting missing keywords, rewriting weak bullets, showing how you stack up versus typical accepted candidates.
Even the best experiences and achievements can vanish in ATS-garbage if formatting or keywords are off. An optimized CV gives you the chance to make it to the human eye.
Final Checklist: Your Oliver Wyman CV Must Have
- Clear and ATS-friendly structure (one page, standard formatting)
- Quantifiable, impactful bullet points with metrics
- Firm-specific language and motivation for Oliver Wyman
- Evidence of analytical & problem-solving skills
- Leadership and initiative examples
- Strong academic credentials prominently displayed
- Rigorously proofread layout with no formatting errors
Then let an automated ATS scan verify you didn't miss hidden traps. With that, you maximize your chance that your CV will not just be seen — but make a strong first impression. 🌟
📄 Free Oliver Wyman CV Template
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