Consulting (present participle of consult) is a verb that demonstrates your ability to think critically, diagnose issues, and devise viable solutions. These are all qualities employers look for in new hires, so it's a great verb to use in your resume.

However, it's a problem to use 'consulting' repeatedly in your resume because it makes it sound like you're just doing the same job over and over again. It's essential to show how your skills have developed so that employers know you can take on new challenges and keep learning. Additionally, use the past tense of the verb when describing your past jobs; for instance, write consulted instead of consulting,

You can fix this by using synonyms for 'consulting', like 'researched', 'explored', or 'discussed', so that your resume demonstrates the breadth of your experience.

This will let employers see how much you've grown rather than just seeing a bunch of entries with the same word. Using synonyms for 'consulting' help employers know you have experience beyond advising someone on a problem they're facing. It shows them that you understand how to solve problems on a deeper level than simply giving advice—that your skills are transferrable beyond just one specific area.

I've compiled some synonyms you can use instead of Consulting on your resume, followed by real examples I've written for clients (feel free to use them!).

Resume Synonyms for Consulting:

Overhauled
Spearheaded
Crafted
Transformed
Revitalized
Restructured
Engineered
Pioneered
Drove
Orchestrated
Maximized
Championed
Harmonized
Enhanced
Mitigated
Clarified
Interviewed
Researched
Explored
Conferred
Discussed
Deliberated
Debated
Suggested
Disputed
Informed
Tutored
Influenced
Networked
Translated
Contracted
Convinced
Briefed
Advocated
Fielded

How to replace Consulting with a stronger action verb:

Let's look at examples of how you can remove and replace the overused phrase, Consulting, with a stronger synonym and alternative that is more effective at highlighting your achievements.

Before: Weak example using Consulting

• Consulting client to save costs

⤸

After: Using a stronger synonym• Led team of six analysts towards saving client 10MM USD; acted as Engagement Manager by managing relationships with senior client stakeholders .

Replacing Consulting with Overhauled ▾

Before: Consulting

• Consulting manufacturing processes for efficiency

⤸

After: Overhauled• Overhauled legacy manufacturing processes, implementing Six Sigma which led to 30% savings, equivalent to 1.8 million dollars yearly

Rather than simply mentioning 'consulting', a more dynamic action verb such as 'overhauled' shows a proactive contribution to the project. The specific method used (Six Sigma), the percentage saved, and the yearly monetary savings give a tangible measure of the result.

Tip: I've prepared a ton of additional examples for you to give you inspiration. Please click on any of the following to expand and see real examples of how I've rewritten client bullet points.

Replacing Consulting with Spearheaded ▾

Before: Consulting

• Consulting for team expansion

⤸

After: Spearheaded• Spearheaded global team expansion by talent acquisition in 4 new markets, increasing team size by 80%, cut overhead by 15%

The term 'spearheaded' shows leadership and initiative in managing team expansion. Also, detailing the expansion scale, percentage increase in the team size, and cost reductions, gives more precise context about your efforts and success.

Replacing Consulting with Crafted ▾

Before: Consulting

• Consulting to create user-friendly software applications

⤸

After: Crafted• Crafted intuitive software applications that improved user retention by 20% and customer satisfaction by 65%

The term 'crafted' highlights the particular care taken in the task. By adding the metrics of increased user retention and customer satisfaction, we show the real-world impact of your work.

Replacing Consulting with Transformed ▾

Before: Consulting

• Consulting for improving client relationships

⤸

After: Transformed• Transformed client relation strategy, resulting in 40% increase in customer retention and additional revenue of 2M dollars annually.

The verb 'transformed' demonstrates a significant change or improvement. Including the increased customer retention rate and additional revenue demonstrates the tangible results of these efforts.

Replacing Consulting with Revitalized ▾

Before: Consulting

• Consulting sales team for better results

⤸

After: Revitalized• Revitalized a stagnant sales team, injecting fresh strategies, that led to a 50% surge in quarterly sales figures.

The term 'revitalized' suggests a rejuvenation of existing resources. By quantifying the uptick in sales figures, we demonstrate the success of your innovative strategies.

Replacing Consulting with Restructured ▾

Before: Consulting

• Consulting poorly performing departments

⤸

After: Restructured• Restructured underperforming departments, clarifying roles and streamlining processes, boosting productivity by 35%

The verb 'restructured' clearly indicates an active role in improving an inefficient system. The changes made to roles and processes, and their impact on productivity, are clearly outlined.

Replacing Consulting with Engineered ▾

Before: Consulting

• Consulting to improve website traffic

⤸

After: Engineered• Engineered website SEO, nearly doubling web traffic from 5000 to 9000 monthly visitors, creating a 20% increase in online sales.

Using 'engineered' underscores the thoughtful, expert approach used. The increased web traffic numbers and the consequential surge in online sales underscore the meaningful impact.

Replacing Consulting with Pioneered ▾

Before: Consulting

• Consulting on social media strategies

⤸

After: Pioneered• Pioneered winning social media strategies that skyrocketed engagement by 200%, and increased the follower count from 1K to 12K within a year.

'Pioneered' implies leadership and innovation. The provided metrics highlight the dramatic increase in engagement and followers due to your strategies.

Replacing Consulting with Drove ▾

Before: Consulting

• Consulting on marketing campaign development

⤸

After: Drove• Drove a successful rebranding campaign, boosting brand recognition by 35% and yielding a 20% increase in sales.

The word 'drove' identifies an active involvement and leadership role. It also includes the tangible results in terms of increased brand recognition and product sales.

Replacing Consulting with Orchestrated ▾

Before: Consulting

• Consulting on team coordination

⤸

After: Orchestrated• Orchestrated a 20-member remote team, tackling communication issues, and improved project delivery times by 25%.

'Orchestrated' underscores leadership, and including the number of team members gives scale. The issue tackled and the resulting improvement in delivery times showcase your effectiveness.

Replacing Consulting with Maximized ▾

Before: Consulting

• Consulting on improving profits

⤸

After: Maximized• Maximized profit margins for the fiscal year by eliminating wasteful spending, thus saving $300K and increasing profitability by 15%.

The use of 'maximized' shows the determination to make the most out of a situation. The amount saved and the percentage increase in profitability presents a clear picture of the result.

Replacing Consulting with Championed ▾

Before: Consulting

• Consulting for better work-life balance

⤸

After: Championed• Championed work-life balance, introducing flexible working hours, which increased employee satisfaction by 30% and reduced attrition rates by 10%.

The term 'championed' shows initiative and drive. By quantifying the increase in employee satisfaction and decrease in attrition rates, you can demonstrate your positive impact on the organization's culture.

Replacing Consulting with Harmonized ▾

Before: Consulting

• Consulting for better inter-departmental coordination

⤸

After: Harmonized• Harmonized inter-departmental workflows, decreasing turnaround time by 20% and improving overall project efficiency by 30%.

In this context, 'harmonized' suggests you brought different elements together to work smoothly. The decreased turnaround time and improved project efficiency demonstrate the impact of your efforts.

Replacing Consulting with Enhanced ▾

Before: Consulting

• Consulting for better customer service reviews

⤸

After: Enhanced• Enhanced customer service approach, integrating AI Chatbots that led to a 60% reduction in customer wait times and a 40% boost in positive reviews.

The term 'enhanced' emphasizes an improvement, and including the adopted technology and the resulting reduction in wait times and increase in positive reviews makes your accomplishments tangible.

Replacing Consulting with Mitigated ▾

Before: Consulting

• Consulting to reduce risks

⤸

After: Mitigated• Mitigated operational risks by implementing strong compliance procedures, resulting in a 50% reduction in reported incidents over two years.

Here, 'mitigated' shows a tactical approach towards a potential threat. The implementation of compliance procedures and the resulting reduction in incidents clearly shows your positive impact.

How to use these synonyms in practice

We've put together an infographic to give you more examples of how to put this into practice. Note the use of strong action verbs instead of words like Consulting.

More resume bullet point samples that use strong synonyms

How to use Assessed on a resume:

• Assessed the product portfolio and created a brand turnaround strategy for a global fashion company; conducted qualitative interviews with industry experts and quantitative analysis to determine barriers to purchasing and distribution.

How to use Pitched on a resume:

• Pitched 25+ stocks to the investment team and portfolio managers, resulting in the addition of 6 stocks to the firm's portfolio with investment returns of more than 15% in 12 months.

How to use Optimized on a resume:

• Optimized budget allocation of the increased marketing spend of $10MM across 5 cities.

How to use Designed on a resume:

• Designed and implemented 50+ E2E tests using Selenium & Protractor, simulating each user group's actions.

How to use Led on a resume:

• Led multi-disciplinary 7 person team to design, develop, and launch online e-commerce store; prioritized and resolved 45+ new features and bug fixes.

How to use Designed, on a resume:

• Designed, executed, and optimized digital marketing campaign on Google's AdWords for $20B CPG company, yielding 20% ROI improvements.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is another word for Consulting on a resume?

Words like Consulting are overused on resumes. Instead, you should use other phrases like Conferred, Fielded, Contracted, Informed, Translated or Advocated.

What is a better word for Consulting on a resume?

You can say Researched, Advocated or Tutored instead of Consulting.

Get a free resume review: Find out if your action verbs are strong enough.

Hiring managers are unnecessarily picky when it comes to resumes, and it's hard to know what they want to see. That's why you should upload your resume to the free resume checker below. It'll check your bullet points and identify any mistakes on your resume that recruiters specifically look out for.

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