Last Updated on November 9, 2022
When scouting for an Accountant role, it is advised to first review top-notch Accounting resumes. This because, you would want your resume to be thorough, in-line with peers, and better . Why? The first step, when applying, is not to get discarded.
You want to make sure your resume stands out from the rest by being both informative and impressive to read, without overwhelming the recruiter or hiring manager with irrelevant information.
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Accountant Resume Samples
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The Accountant Resume Writing Guide
What to Highlight as an Accountant
Regardless of your experience as an Accountant, there are a few vital things that employers and recruiters need to know about you to ensure that you are the right fit for their team.
The first aspect to highlight is the scope of your accounting role which relates to the organizational and management structure of a business. An accountant working in a small business may have complete financial jurisdiction because they report directly to the business owner.
Whereas an accountant employed by Fortune 500 company could be part of a financial team consisting of numerous accountants on similar levels, each responsible for a specific division's financial record keeping.
Secondly, Accountants in this day and age need to be tech-savvy to run the various software tools and accounting packages that the company uses. Examples include: MS Excel, Sage, SAP, QuickBooks, AccPac, and FreshBooks. They also need to be comfortable with CRM systems (Oracle), inventory management applications (InventPro), warehousing and distribution tools (OrderHive) and even sales applications (SalesForce).
If you are a Certified Public Accountant, you would also be responsible for tax calculations, reporting and federal submissions of tax returns. These functions may be done by an accountant working for the company or be outsourced to CPA firms which fulfill financial functions on behalf of their clients in a consultative capacity. Their clients include corporations, governments, and individuals
Finally, accountants also assist with risk management by analyzing current costs, revenues, financial commitments to predict future obligations that need to be met and protect cash flow reserves. They are also responsible for approving budgets and expenses which can range from thousands to literally hundreds of millions per month depending on the size and turnover of the organization they work for.
*Cool Tip for a stellar resume
Finally, you can create a very favorable first impression by providing examples of where you saved the company money or reduced the risk of losing money because these two aspects are in a nutshell the focus of an accountant’s job:
Reducing Risk – Improved the accuracy of budget forecasts by to 98% by collating expenditure statistics for the last three years and modeling future predictions based on actual historic values. This ensured cashflow stability at all times
Saved Money – Decreased product replacement cost by half and improved on-time delivery from 80% to 95% using Kaizen methodology
See also:
Make sure to include the following details
- The turnover size and expense budget you are responsible
- Your GPA score if you have completed a bachelor's or associate's degree (if higher than 3.5).
- The number of employees you are managing if you have junior accountants or bookkeepers assigned to you
- Also mention the sales management platforms and customer relationship management (CRM) platforms you are familiar with like Sage, SalesForce, SAP, Oracle, and Vanguard.
- Remember to include communication and collaboration tools, for instance, cloud-based systems like Slack, Asana or even Skype which you are currently using to facilitate communication between team members.
Accountant Career Summary & Examples
Hiring managers have large numbers of hundreds of resumes to screen and limited time to read them all in detail. Keep your career summary concise and to the point. Put the most relevant information first to capture their attention while they’re quickly scanning your resume.
Start your career summary with your years of experience in the industry and the main duties you performed. When deciding what duties to add, use the job description as your guide. For instance, if the job you are applying to highlights experience in intercompany reconciliations or investment analysis use those same words and phrases. The more your resume resonates with the job description of keywords, the better fit you will seem.
Next, add a line that showcases any outstanding qualities that will add value to the company. A hiring manager would be interested to know if you have “strong mathematical skills, meticulous financial recording capabilities, and excellent troubleshooting abilities.” It’s important to note that these qualities should be proven with examples in the professional experience section to re-enforce your message.
Finally, end your objective with your educational degrees/diplomas and any certified courses or professional memberships you may have that are pertinent to the job.
Accountant Summary Example 1
“Experienced Certified Public Accountant with 7+ years of experience in financial reporting, reconciliations and P&L statements. Holds an MBA plus a Business Valuations Certificate. Proven track record in financial system overhaul resulting in improvements of up to 30% in terms of processing speed and accuracy.“
Accountant Summary Example 2
“Dependable and meticulous accounting with experience in corporate and intercompany accounting functions. Strong competencies in strategic revenue planning and budgetary targets for all company facilities and affiliates. Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting Sciences and a GRP (Global Risk Professional) qualification.“
Accountant Job Descriptions & Responsibilities Examples
An employer would expect to see the following proven foundational duties and skill sets within an applicant’s resume, depending on educational level and career stage.
An Accountant I at an entry-career stage (3-5 years experience) may:
- Assist with monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements, general ledger, balance sheet reconciliations, journal entries, fixed assets, and P&L reporting
- Calculate variances between actual results and budget forecasts.
- Reconciliations of main bank account and international subsidiary accounts
- Prepare documents for annual tax returns
- Work with external auditors during the audit review and compile all the necessary documentation required during the investigation
- Responsible for accounts payable and accounts receivable statements
An Accountant II at the mid-career stage (5-8 years experience) may
- Prepare journal entries, reconciliations, and trend analyzes during month end
- Manage revenue, accounts payable, accounts receivable and expense accrual accounts
- Liaise with operations, production, and marketing department to validate the correctness of financial information and review financial data reports
- Assist with migration of the balance sheet from Oracle to SAP
- Responsible for cash disbursement
- Engage with the internal audit team to complete documentation for SOX and Basel II
An Accountant III at an experienced/advanced stage (8-15 years experience) may:
- Oversee all financial reporting and accounting functions.
- Manage a team of 4 accounting clerks during the reconciliation of bank accounts, analysis of periodic financials, and preparation of budgets.
- Compile financial statements and submit to Financial Director
- Reconcile T&E, Amex, Petty Cash, and Prepaid accounts
- Verify all payments against invoices and accounts receivable reports
- Update budgetary schedules and expense reports every 30 days
- Responsible for the payroll function of 1500 employees
Highlight Your Accomplishments
Under your experience section, you may be tempted to copy and paste the list of duties you performed as detailed in your job description. The drawback to doing this, though, is that you won’t stand out from the other applicants with similar experience.
Your goal is to think about what sets you apart, what you are most proud of, or what you accomplished in your previous roles, and communicate these through action-packed statements that are compelling.
Examples:
Flat, Simple Duty:
– Focus on reducing expenses and improving cash flow reserves
Accomplishment Statement:
– Implemented a cash conversion model for six branches and ten ATMs that saved $40,000 a year in processing expenses
Quantifying Your Resume
When writing your resume, if you can answer the questions, “How much?” or “How many?” It would be best if you tried to include that number. For instance:
- Size of the budgets you managed
- Amount of any investments you managed, and how profitable they were
- The net worth of the company you work for, and what your main duties were for them
- The size of the investments you’ve reconciled
Example 1
– Reinvented the format of several critical and complicated Balance Sheet account reconciliations, which reduced the error variations by 30%.
Example 2
– Replaced the paper-based SEC filing process with an automated cloud-based system to allow online completion and submission of documentation, which reduced processing time by 76%.
Example 3
– Retrieved over $100,000 in overdue receivables in less than three months by assigning a temp debt collector to follow up on outstanding payments.
Accountant Education Section & Examples
The education section forms an integral part of your resume. In short, indicate What, Where and When regarding your qualifications, certifications or industry licenses obtained. The name of your qualification, institution, and date of completion is more than sufficient.
Remember to include current qualifications you are in the process of completing. Regarding courses and certifications, discretion and relevance must be considered.
Completed Secondary and Tertiary Education must be listed as follows:
Start with commencement date and completion date for diplomas, associate degrees, and bachelor degrees. For courses, you can just list the date of completion. Next comes the full name of the qualification, then the full name of the institution and then the City or abbreviated State name. List your high school diploma details similarly, but only include this when you have less than five years of working experience.
Here are some examples of an Accountant Resume with more than five years’ experience:
2016 – Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Association for Investment Management & Research (AIMR), Tampa, FL
2015 – Masters in Business Administration, Boston University, Boston, MA
2014 – Certified Public Accountant (CPA), American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), Atlanta, Georgia
2009 – 2012 Bachelor of Science in Accounting. Oloma University, Bloomfield, NJ
If you have less than five years’ experience, you may also add your majors, minors, GPA scores and accolades, and honors awards:
2019 – Current Certified Chartered Accountant, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Online
2016 – 2018 Associate’s Degree in Applied Accounting Science, University of Detroit, MA
GPA: 3.8
Majors: Financial Management, Accounting
Minors: Information Science, Accounting, Economics
Accolades: Deans Honors List
2013 – Certificate in Accounting Fundamentals, Merrick Business School, Baltimore, MD
2012 – High School Diploma, Key West High School, Miami, FL
Awards: Member of the National Honor Society, 2010 – 2012
Leadership: Vice President of the Science and Innovation Club, 2012
What to Write: Accountant Resume Skills Section
Although the account management field requires specific technical skills, employers also look for other skills, called soft skills. These are the main types of skills that indicate to your fit as an Accountant who will add value, has adequate knowledge, sufficient experience to retain and expand client portfolios. Incorporate these into your summary, or profile, and into your accomplishment statements.
Technical Skills Examples
- Educational Attainment: A university degree is generally required to become an Accountant, and the top suggested degrees are Financial Management, Accounting, and Auditing. If you are planning to progress to management level or executive management a Master’s in Business Administration, Certified Public Accountant status or Certified Financial Analyst accreditation is recommended.
- Technical Aptitude: Accountants examine financial statements in accordance with state and federal regulations and inspect books and accounting systems to they adhere to generally accepted accounting practices. Accountants need to be extremely detailed to compile financial statements and balance sheet reports correctly as to give a clear picture of an organization’s financial status. They also need to think strategically to advise on cash flow requirements and forecast budgets for anticipated company expenditures.
- Other Technical Skills: Budgets, Strategic Forecasting, Research, Analytics, MS Excel, Tax Reporting, Variance Analysis, Income Statement, Balance Sheet, P&L Reporting, Investment Accounting, Reconciliations, Auditing, Mathematics, Statistics, Report Writing, SQL, Visual Basic,
Soft Skill Examples
| Leadership | Strategic Thinking | Process Driven |
| Attention to Detail | Creative | Task Orientated |
| Integrity | Dedicated | Time Management |
| Empathy | Realistic | Analytical |
| Self-Control | Conflict Handling | Accurate |
| Collaboration | Problem-Solving | Detailed |
| Persuasion | Prioritization | Focused |
| Persistence | Deadline Driven | |
| Social Perceptiveness | Meticulous | |
| Service Orientation | Numerical |
Qualifications & Certifications associated with Accountants
| Bachelor of Accounting Sciences | Masters in Business Administration | Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) |
| Personal Financial Specialist (PFS) | Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) | Certificate in Project Management (CIPM) |
| Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV) | Certified in Financial Forensics (CFF) | Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP) |
| Certified in Entity and Intangible Valuations (CEIV) | Certified in the Valuation of Financial Instruments (CVFI) | Certified Public Accountant (CPA) |
| Master Excel User | Certified Key Accounts Manager (CKAM) | Associates Degree in Accounting Management |
Action Verbs for your Accountant Resume
| Auditing | Surveying | Monitoring |
| Developing | Problem Solving | Improving |
| Researching | Analyzing | Processing |
| Modeling | Reducing | Optimizing |
| Compiling | Communicating | Presenting |
| Calculating | Listening | Reconciling |
Professional information for Accountants
Sectors: Various
Career Type: Accounting, Financial Management, Auditing, Reporting
Person type: Compiler, Investigator, Reporter, Verifier, Creator, Processor, Vetter
Education levels: Bachelor’s to Masters’ Degree
Salary indication: Accountant I between $48,647 and $58,833
per annum, Accountant II between $56,019 and $68,388 per annum, Accountant III $70,366 and $86,175 per annum
Labor market: Estimated 11% growth between 2016 – 2026
Organizations: SME, Corporate, Commercial, Fortune 500, Government, NPO
