English is everywhere in consulting: international teams, foreign clients, working documents written in English, interviews sometimes conducted in English. Does that mean you should send an English CV to a Paris firm? The answer depends on the firm, the target office and the role. In some cases, an English CV is required; in others, it is tolerated; in others still, it works against the candidate. This article explains when to send one, what changes in the format, which action verbs to use, how to translate your degrees and experiences, and which false friends to avoid.
When an English CV is expected
Three situations clearly call for an English CV.
You are applying to a foreign office. An application for London, New York, Singapore or Dubai is made in English, with local conventions. Large firms often let you apply to several offices from a single profile: Boston Consulting Group, for example, asks on its school pages 🔗 that you state your preferred offices and submit one application per role and per office, each office answering independently.
The posting is written in English. If the posting, even for a French office, is written in English, send an English CV. This is common for roles in international teams, specialist practices or technology functions.
The application portal asks for it. Some firms require a language for the CV, whatever the office; check the instructions.
In other cases, for a French office and a posting in French, a CV in French remains the norm. It does not penalise you, and it avoids translation blunders. Your command of English is proven elsewhere: by a precise languages line, by a semester abroad or by engagements conducted in English. McKinsey’s postings for the Business Analyst role, published on its careers website 🔗, thus ask for the ability to communicate verbally and in writing in English and in the office’s language: it is the skill that counts, not the language of the CV.
Resume or CV, the differences in format
In English-speaking countries, and particularly in the United States, the application document is called a “resume”; the word “CV” there rather refers to a long, academic-style document. In the United Kingdom, “CV” is more commonly used, but with a format close to the resume. For a consulting firm, the conventions are similar in all cases:
- one page, as in France, for a student or young consultant;
- no photo, nor age, nor marital status, nor nationality unless it is requested for a visa;
- reverse chronological order, with the most recent experiences first;
- dates in English format: abbreviated month in letters (“Sep 2024 – Jun 2026”), consistent throughout the document;
- bullets starting with an action verb, in the past tense for completed experiences, in the present for the current role;
- an “Education” section placed first for a student, after experience for an experienced consultant;
- an “Additional information” or “Skills & Interests” line at the bottom of the page, for languages, tools and interests.
Anglo-Saxon firms particularly appreciate a very dense but very regular form: perfect alignments, one line per bullet where possible, figures in every bullet.
Consulting action verbs
In English, each bullet starts with a verb saying what you did. A few verbs recur in consulting CVs, with their uses.
| Verb | Use | Example | |---|---|---| | Led | Leading a project or a team | Led a team of three students on a market entry study | | Built | Building a model or a tool | Built a five-year market model for a B2B distributor | | Analysed (UK) / Analyzed (US) | Carrying out an analysis | Analysed profitability of 420 stores by format | | Assessed | Evaluating an option or a target | Assessed three acquisition targets for a private equity fund | | Designed | Designing an organisation or a process | Designed the target organisation of a regional directorate | | Developed | Developing a recommendation or a plan | Developed a cost reduction plan with 40 quantified levers | | Presented | Presenting to a decision-maker | Presented findings to the client’s executive committee | | Delivered | Achieving a result | Delivered savings of 8% on indirect costs | | Coordinated | Coordinating several stakeholders | Coordinated workshops with 22 frontline managers | | Interviewed | Conducting interviews | Interviewed 25 customers and industry experts |
Choose British or American spelling according to the target office, and keep to it from start to finish.
Translating your degrees and experiences
Translating French degrees is often a problem, because equivalences are not exact. A few simple rules:
- keep the official name of the institution and, if needed, add a clarification in brackets: “ESSEC Business School, Grande École programme (Master in Management)”;
- translate the programme by its international title when the school has one (many schools use “Master in Management”);
- explain preparatory classes in one line: “Classes préparatoires (two-year intensive program preparing for the competitive entrance exams to French grandes écoles)”;
- avoid translating honours and grades with approximate equivalents; give a ranking instead (“top 10% of class”) if you have one.
For experiences, do not translate word for word: rewrite each bullet with an English action verb and the same problem, action, result logic. A long French bullet often becomes a shorter English one.
Amounts and dates are converted too: “2,5 M€” becomes “€2.5m” or “EUR 2.5 million”, with an English decimal point.
Common false friends
A few mistakes recur in consulting CVs translated from French.
- “Stage” is not translated as “stage”, but as “internship”.
- “Formation” is “education” for your academic path, “training” for professional training.
- “Licence” is translated as “bachelor’s degree”, not “licence”.
- “Grande école” is kept in French, with an explanation.
- “Responsable de” is not translated as “responsible of”, but as “in charge of” or, better, with an action verb.
- “Réaliser une étude” becomes “conducted a study”, not “realised a study”.
- “Actuellement” means “currently”, not “actually”, which means “in fact”.
- “Compétences” is translated as “skills”, and “compétences informatiques” as “technical skills” or “tools”.
- “Chiffre d’affaires” is “revenue” or “sales”, not “turnover”, which in American English rather refers to staff turnover.
A review by a native English speaker remains the safest way to spot them.
Keeping two consistent versions
Many consulting candidates need both versions: French for Paris offices, English for international applications or postings written in English. The risk is that the two versions drift apart over successive updates.
A few rules to keep them aligned:
- update both versions at the same time, with every new experience;
- keep the same structure and order, so that both documents tell the same story;
- check the length: English is often shorter, but some explanations (preparatory classes, grandes écoles) add lines;
- check figures and dates: a conversion error in only one version shows if the recruiter compares.
The substantive rules remain the same in both languages: one page, quantified results and an anonymised client, as detailed in our articles on the one-page CV in consulting and on quantified results without betraying the client.
The corporate development manager CV template shows a bilingual profile with English justified by cross-border negotiations; the data and AI consultant template English linked to workshops. To produce your two versions without redoing the layout, the ConseilCV editor lets you duplicate a CV and produce it in another language, with a PDF that screening software reads correctly.
Frequently asked questions
Does an English CV impress a French firm more?
No. For a French office and a posting in French, it adds nothing and may even seem out of place. Your level of English shows through the languages line and international experiences.
Should you state an English test score?
It is useful for a student, especially with a high score on a recognised test. For an experienced consultant, a mention of professional use (engagements in English) is enough.
Can you send both versions at the same time?
Only if the portal allows it or the recruiter asks for it. Otherwise, choose the language of the posting.
Should you translate your employers’ names?
Not proper names. For an anonymised employer, translate the description: “groupe industriel coté” becomes “listed industrial group”.
Sources
- Boston Consulting Group, HEC Paris school page, applications by office 🔗
- McKinsey & Company, Careers for students 🔗