KPMG Resume

Your KPMG resume is the doorway to a position at this consulting firm. Do you know that 60 percent of consulting applicants don’t make it past the resume screening phase? To land a job at KPMG, you must first make an excellent impression with your impeccably formatted and results-oriented resume.

KPMG is headquartered in the Netherlands and is a global network consisting of independent member firms. A “Big 4” firm, they offer tax, audit, and client advisory services. It has operated as KPMG since 1987, but its history spans 3 centuries. KPMG serves clients in both the public and private sectors.

KPMG is the consulting underdog of the Big 4 firms. Yet, despite this, it is still massive and will provide excellent experience and training.

What is required of you to get an interview with this firm?

KPMG is looking for candidates that have strong technical and operational backgrounds. A majority of the firm’s consulting projects are focused on the cost side of the profit equation. KPMG looks to achieve cost savings for its clients through technology. Your proven ability to streamline operations via technology must be highlighted in your resume.

KPMG prizes individuals who communicate and collaborate well and develop and sustain strong client relationships. They are very interested in ensuring that you are the right fit for their organization. Your resume is the first opportunity to show that you are just that.

The KPMG Consulting Resume: How Is It Different?

According to KPMG, your resume is “your billboard”. An advertising billboard has to capture your attention, deliver a clear message, and sell you on a product or service. Just like advertising needs to drive actual sales, your resume has to get you an interview – and there are a lot of competing resumes out there.

Your KPMG resume has to sell you in as little as 10-15 seconds. That is how much time KPMG says many resumes are reviewed. Your resume has to be formatted clearly and contain absolutely no typos or mistakes. KPMG has a YouTube video that showcases exactly what they expect you to include in your KPMG resume.

KPMG, and all consulting firms, are looking for certain key things on your resume. In consulting, as compared to other industries, there is a heavier emphasis on:

• Your ability to quickly and accurately synthesize data and convert it into actionable recommendations for clients.
• Strong, demonstrated leadership and an entrepreneurial drive. KPMG heavily focuses on leadership. Load up your resume with examples of where you led a team or an initiative and what specifically you achieved.
• Business acumen and demonstrated results. What operational ideas of yours were implemented and how much money was saved or by how much did efficiency increase?
• Where you obtained your education and/or where you have worked in the past. Consulting firms are looking for brand name schools and employers. They are more diverse in their expectations than they have been in the past. While the scope as widened a bit, a target school or employer definitely helps.

Pro Tip For KPMG Resumes

The more you can quantifiably showcase how you have achieved or possess the above, the more likely you are to obtain a consulting interview. KMPG is very interested in candidates with a STEM background (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). Therefore, be sure to include any experience you have in this space on your resume.

Keep in mind if you are interested in working at KPMG, you should not do an internship at another Big 4 firm. This is a red flag; if you weren’t hired post internship, why should they entertain hiring you?

What Should A KPMG Consulting Resume Include?

Your KPMG Resume must include three key sections:

1. Academic Background

Highlight your intellectual curiosity and how you have succeeded in leadership roles. This could be either at another firm or while completing your education. Document your scores including college GPA (if over 3.3) and GMAT (only if over 680). Do not include anything before your collegiate experience. As you progress in your career, your scores become less important. Remember, keywords are important here! So do be specific on where you received your academic degree(s) – especially if from target schools.

2. Work Experience

Quantify how you drove key initiatives, impacted the bottom line, and streamlined processes via technology. Specify what you did to evaluate an issue and bring resolution via specific recommendations to your client or team.
Strong leadership is especially key, and you should share specifically where you have led others, taken risks, and have quantifiable achievements.

3. Leadership Experience/Personal

If you haven’t been paid or graded for a particular leadership role – whether during your degree, at a previous employer, or at a nonprofit – a specific Leadership section is the place to talk about this. Furthermore, if you have entrepreneurial experience that wouldn’t be considered “professional” – aka you didn’t sell the company or obtain Series A funding – that goes here. In the Personal section, share your specific interests; what do you like to do outside of work and school? Be specific. If you like to travel, mention two or three of your favorite places. Include information about how you competed in and won a 5K. If you cook, articulate if you are a baker or love to sauté. Finally, include information about other languages you speak, technology certifications, and your technical skills (e.g., Excel).

KPMG Consulting Resume Tips: Four Ways to Make Your Resume Stand Out

Submit a cover letter. KPMG also expects a cover letter that showcases how well you communicate and provides more information about who you are as a person. This is your opportunity to share why you are uniquely qualified for a position with this firm. Tell stories about 2-3 of your most impressive accomplishments, instead of simply making the cover letter a rehash of your KPMG resume (boring!)

1. Quantify Everything.

Every line of your resume must include some kind of metric. Document how much money you saved a client or how long a training curriculum was that you created.

2. Stick To One Level Of Sub-Bullets.

Your resume will be too hard to follow otherwise.

3. Include Only 3-5 Bullets Per Experience.

If you go over 5, it appears you haven’t prioritized your experiences well. Including less than 3 bullets may not be impressive enough. Be sure to include experience that is relevant to the consulting position you are applying for. Furthermore, it should be only experience gained at university or on the job.

For more tips on constructing your KPMG resume, we offer a complete resume guide here: Consulting Resume: Complete Guide

KPMG Resume Mistakes To Avoid

1. Having A Multi-Page Resume

Your resume must be kept to one page and no bullet point should be over two lines.

2. Not Being Action Oriented

Use action words such as “Initiated”, “Saved”, or “Increased”. Demonstrate the impact you made specifically and quantify it as much as possible. Share your entrepreneurial drive, which is of great interest to any consulting firm. Additionally, include action keywords such as “Founded”, “Built”, or “Started”.

3. Telling Instead Of Showing

Be sure to avoid long lists of your skills and credentials. Clearly and succinctly share what you did, how you did it and the impact it made. And, to reiterate point #1, this should take less than two lines to accomplish.

For more tips on mistakes to avoid as you draft your KPMG resume, remember to check out our complete resume guide.

Interview: The Ultimate Purpose of your KPMG Resume

In order to secure an interview at KPMG, your resume must capture the firm’s attention. Additionally, once you secure an interview, your resume will continue to help you.

In your interview, you will be asked to provide an overview of your resume. If you clearly describe your ability to lead and what you have accomplished in a chronological order, it will be easy to walk your interviewer through your resume. It should showcase your entrepreneurial drive, that you are highly motivated to learn, and why you are an interesting person worth adding to the team.

Next Steps for your KPMG Resume

Obtaining a KPMG interview requires a targeted KPMG resume. Ensure you are focused on what the firm cares about – such as operational efficiencies driven by technology and driving savings to the bottom line. Prior to submitting your resume to KPMG, ensure it is in PDF format (don’t let a silly mistake derail your candidacy!)

Learn more about how to we can help you with your resume by clicking here!

Additional Reading:

• Consulting Resume: Complete Guide
• Consulting Cover Letter: Ultimate Guide
• KPMG Firm Profile
• Big 4 Accounting Firms Salary: Which Pays Most?