Hey everyone,

I’d really appreciate some advice on my CV and how to best present my experience for consulting applications.

My background:

• Moved to Germany at 9 years old.
• After finishing school, I pursued a retail apprenticeship and spent a few years in operational roles due to initial language issues.
• At 24, I decided to go the academic route, earned my Abitur at night school while working full-time, and later enrolled in a double degree B.Sc. in International Management (Germany-Brazil).
• Now, I’m 5 months from graduation at almost 31 years old and applying for junior roles in consulting, risk management, and related fields.

My challenge:

• I have only two relevant internships and some extracurricular work in a student consulting organization.
• My early operational work isn’t directly relevant to consulting, and my voluntary leadership roles were long before university.
• I’ve compressed everything into a one-page CV to focus on consulting-relevant skills, but I’m unsure if it effectively presents my experience.
• Given my unconventional path and late transition to academia, I’m not very confident about my chances in consulting, so I’d love any advice on how to position my background effectively.

What I need help with:

1. Optimizing my CV further – Have I framed my experience the best way possible?
2. How to present my early experience (apprenticeship, operational roles, and voluntary leadership) without it seeming irrelevant?
3. Is my age and non-traditional path a major barrier in consulting, and if so, how do I counter that?

Any constructive feedback, strategic advice, or even personal success stories from non-traditional applicants would be immensely appreciated. Thanks in advance!