Rate my resume - consulting applications

I am going to apply to some of the smaller boutique firms and/or life science related fields at the moment, and I am not sure whether my resume cuts it.
I had this reviewed at career center few times so I think that I'm ok format-wise. I got rejected from BCG and Oliver Wyman so far for entry-level analyst position (Full time), and basically, I want to know why my resume didn't make through. I feel like my lack of experiences in consulting is the big problem, but then, at the information session, everyone told me that internship with consulting program doesn't matter.

I also had a short-term research and internship experiences from high school (old experiences). They were kind of significant, so I added them anyway.

so yes, hopefully i can get some feedback

Thanks

My resume (copied from my actual one)
Relevant Work Experiences
Teaching Assistant 2012-2012
Department of Chemistry, McGill University Montreal, QC
• Led organic chemistry laboratory sessions by teaching experimental techniques and lab report writing skills to a group of 25 students
• Graded students’ laboratory reports and provided feedback

Tutor and Course Developer 2011-Ongoing
Love Learning Science Montreal, QC
• Developed general chemistry and organic chemistry classroom courses and recruited students from CEGEP and McGill University
• Tutored math and science to high school, CEGEP, and University students

Canadian Embassy Summer Intern 2010-2010
Trade Section, Science and Technology Department Washington D.C.
• Attended meetings such as Congressional hearings and Think Tank seminars and wrote summary reports on relevant US government policies in Science and Technological development
• Drafted brochure outlining US-Canada Science & Technology collaboration

Student Relations Portfolio Executive 2009-2010
Canadian University Technology Conference (CUTC) Canada
• Analyzed demographic information of student delegates, developed marketing strategies, and recruited student ambassadors across 15 Canadian universities
• Wrote promotional articles for an online website

Co-op Internship Program Summer Student 2006-2006
Nexen Inc. Calgary, AB
• Researched newly implemented drilling waste disposal regulations and disposal technology in Northern Europe, South America, and Africa
• Contributed to an annual report for the International Drilling Department

Community Volunteer and Extracurricular Experiences
Computer Literacy Program Volunteer 2011-Ongoing
Yellow Door Montreal, QC
• Developed and taught a course focused on teaching seniors to use Internet-based maps and read product reviews in collaboration with McGill University Community Action Toolkit Volunteer Program
• Taught seniors with using the Internet on computers, cell phones, and tablets
Science Undergraduate Society Environment Committee 2011-2012
McGill University Montreal, QC
• Developed and implemented a self-evaluation method for school event organizers
• Coordinated and participated in long-term fundraising activities

Outdoor Program Volunteer 2007-2009
YMCA Calgary Calgary, AB
• Organized recreational activities for youths for Saturday Drop-in Gym, such as indoor hockey and provided mentorship

Student Volunteer 2008-2011
Foothills Hospital Calgary, AB
• Served as a liaison between patients and healthcare professionals in the geriatric unit and emergency room

Research Experiences
Summer Research Assistant 2012-2012
Goodman Cancer Research Centre, McGill University Montreal, QC
• Performed several molecular biology techniques such as immunofluorescence assay, Western Blot, and PCR and performed statistical analysis on the obtained results

Research Assistant 2007-2011
Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary Calgary, AB
• Designed an in-vivo study examining the effect of plant extracts on cell viability, which was presented at the Undergraduate Research Symposium (2009)
• Developed laboratory skills such as cell culture assay and surgical skills on mice
• Performed statistical analysis using Microsoft Excel and Minitab, created summary graphs, and provided written summaries of the results
• Contributed as an author to an abstract presented at the Canadian Neuroscience Research Conference (2010)

Personal Interests
• Musical Instruments: Violin (Level 10), Piano (Level 10), Flute (Level 5)
• Sports: Swimming, Tennis, Cycling, Basketball, Road Biking, Surfing

 
Best Response

First (I'm sure other people will ask for it as well), it would help if you listed your school category (target, semi, non...something to help us gauge prestige), test scores ranges, and GPA range. Stellar candidates generally stand out if some if not all of these areas. Without that information it is difficult to identify perceived shortcomings in your application file.

Second, while it appears that you have some solid experiences, you short-sell them with your resume bullets. You don't highlight results, you don't quantify, and you don't translate what you've done and learned into skill-sets relevant for consulting.

For example, at the Canadian Embassy: Who read your summary reports? What were your findings? How did you display analytical capability to compare US STEM policies and then effectively communicate them to your audience.

Third, you don't convey selectivity and achievement that well. Getting a teaching assistant job may be difficult at your school, but it sounds normal. As do many of the other experiences. If they were selective, highlight that fact in the resume.

Just some thoughts. Good luck!

 

My overall GPA is ~3.7-3.8 (one bad year).

I have taken the MCAT (95+ percentile) and LSAT (90+ percentile), although I'm not sure how useful these test scores would be. I did not include these test results in my application because I didn't want the recruiting people to think that I would eventually pursue a professional degree program instead of furthering my career in consulting. The thing is, I want to eventually combine healthcare (medical practice, MD) and healthcare consulting/management. So I wanted to get some work experience in consulting before applying to professional schools.

 

In the future (others may have different opinions on this), I would include the test scores. 90+ percentile scores are impressive and convey superior intellectual capability (congrats on those). Through your cover letter, resume, and other application materials you could more clearly explain why you want to pursue consulting with your pre-med type background.

 

Did BCG and Oliver Wyman have OCR, or did you just apply through their websites?

Your resume is fine, and almost no one has consulting experience in college, so that won't hurt you. I'm sure you've heard it so many times that hearing it again will make your ears bleed, but start networking. Talk to people at the firms you're interested in, learn more about what they do, and the interviews will come. Also, if you haven't already, start practicing cases!

 

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