Accountant Resume Examples
Learn how to write an attention-grabbing accountant resume with the help of resume examples, content examples for all resume sections, and expert writing tips tailored to an accountant resume.
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Accountant resume
(Text Example)
Make a convincing pitch
in the resume summary
Your accountant resume summary should work like a business pitch of your best professional traits.
It should mention key qualifications that make you a desirable candidate for the job. For instance:
- Your years of experience
- Two or three skills required for the position
- Accountant certifications (CPA and CMA licenses)
- At least one career accomplishment that makes you stand out
Look at the importance of including these elements by comparing the weak resume summary and the strong resume summary.
Strong resume summary example:
“Results-driven CPA with four years of experience developing and implementing financial systems. Possess strong problem-solving and analytical skills that help me work efficiently and independently. Ethical professional with expertise in health and financial sectors.”
Why this works:
- Includes key skills like analytical and problem-solving skills
- Showcases the applicant’s CPA license
- Adds their years of experience and expertise in particular accounting sectors.
Weak resume summary example:
“I’m a diligent and responsible accountant interested in a position with your company. I am a trustworthy professional and excellent leader. I’ll bring all the expertise I’ve acquired throughout my career to take your firm to the next level.”
Why this doesn’t work:
- This summary has lots of words but no substance.
- Uses empty adjectives instead of singular achievements.
- Omits any job-relevant skills or qualifications.
Our Resume Builder generates resume summaries just like this one based on the market’s demands for your accountant role. You’ll get expert recommendations with the top industry skills and qualifications.
Fresh out of school and wondering what skills and experience to include? You can still write a compelling resume opener by instead opting for a resume objective.
- 1
Enter the details about the job title you held. The builder comes preloaded with auto-suggested phrasing written by resume experts.
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Then, just pick from these suggested phrases that best frame your experience and customize them to your liking!
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All you have to do is choose the summary phrases that best frame your experience. It’s like having a professional do it for you!
Tailor your work experience
to the accountant role
You need to go beyond generic job duties when listing your work experience.
Instead, focus on sharing accomplishments demonstrating you have the knowledge and skills to fulfill the job requirements.
For example, let’s check out how these strong and weak work experience examples differ.
Accountant work history examples
Strong work history example
(experienced accountant)
Accountant | 03/2019-Current
Empire Venture Capital – New York, NY
- Manage a $1,500,000 annual corporate budget, reducing 10% of costs in four years.
- Forecast losses and earnings using quantitative and qualitative analysis, allowing supervisors to make profitable investment decisions.
- Analyze financial reports and budgets and present findings and suggestions to executive management.
Why this works:
- Showcases job-relevant skills like various analysis techniques and forecasting losses.
- Includes percentage and dollar amount to quantify their achievement’s impact.
- Focuses on concrete accomplishments instead of day-to-day duties.
Strong work history example
(accountant with no experience)
Accountant | 04/2019-11/2021
Harry’s Hardware Shop – Kansas City, MO
- Managed payroll for a small business of 15 employees to ensure accurate bookkeeping and transaction history.
- Filed yearly business and personal tax returns with utmost accuracy
- Reorganized the store’s accounting filing system and installed digital accounting software.
Why this works:
- Presents informal services — helping a family business, for example — as valuable experience.
- Uses numbers to add value and legitimize achievements.
- Offers an overview of diverse skills in bookkeeping, tax filing and digital accounting.
Weak work history example
Accountant | 01/2018-Current
Department of Agriculture – Seattle, Washington
- Keep all accounting records up to date.
- Review contracts, transactions and invoices.
- Assist in various internal audits.
Why this doesn’t work:
- Only lists generic job duties.
- Omits specific skills the employer is seeking.
- Doesn’t specify the scope of their achievements with numbers.
More writing tips
- List your individual work experiences in reverse-chronological order, beginning with your most recent role and working backward.
- Ensure your resume bypasses the applicant tracking system (ATS) by including keywords from the job description.
- Each role in your work history should include:
- Your job title
- Company name
- Dates of employment
- At least three bullet points describing your achievements
You can find hundreds of examples for all your resume sections in our Resume Builder. Our highly personalized content draws from expert resume writers to provide text suggestions that work for you.
Include in-demand accounting skills
Make the most of your skills section by selecting the best six to eight skills you want to showcase.
Study the job ad for required skills, and do some additional research to find the hottest skills in the accounting job market to add to your resume.
We’ve done our homework and came up with this list of some of the top accounting resume skills:
- Financial projections
- Business operations analysis
- Payroll auditing
- Accounting policy and control
- Business operations
- Forecasting
- IT
- Commercial acumen
- Growth mindset
- Data analytics
- Blockchain technology
- Cryptocurrency
- Intelligent accounting automation
Pick from nearly 100 accounting skills like those on this list from our Resume Builder.
Add value to your resume
with certifications
Complementing your education with accounting certifications is a great way to differentiate yourself from the competition.
Suppose you’re a certified professional accountant (CPA). In that case, you should showcase it in a separate resume section along with other certifications like these:
- CPA – Certified Public Accountant
- CRMA – Certification in Risk Management Assurance
- CGAP – Certified Government Auditing Professional
- CMA – Certified Management Accountant
- CIA – Certified Internal Auditor
- CISA – Certified Information Systems Auditor
- CGMA – Chartered Global Management Accountant
Adding custom sections is easier with our builder, and it won’t jumble your resume’s layout. On the last step of the resume-building process, you’ll be able to pick from pre-selected sections or have the option to create your own.
Correctly format your contact
information and education
To wrap up, here are some essential tips for correctly writing your contact information and education sections.
Contact information tips:
- Write your full name and phone number.
- Add your city and state of residence.
- Provide a professional email address.
- Omit your full street address (for security reasons).
Writing tips for your education section:
- Mention your degree, school name and location.
- Your graduation date is optional. Some employers will try to guess your age and turn biased.
- If you have multiple degrees, list your most recent ones first.
- If you have little or no experience, you can include relevant coursework, special projects or participation in your school’s accounting associations to stack up your resume.
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A cover letter helps you cover all your bases
You can increase your chances of getting hired by including a cover letter in your job application.
A cover letter can:
- Provide more context to how you achieved your resume’s accounting accomplishments.
- Help you sell yourself to the hiring manager by showing enthusiasm for the role and the company.
- Tell your career story from beginning to end while remaining concise.
Say you found your dream accountant job, and the application says, “Cover letter optional but encouraged.”
You want to be the applicant that goes the extra mile, but a cover letter seems like too much work? Our Cover Letter Builder takes care of that! All we need from you is your desired job, top strengths and years of experience.
Our Builder generates a full-page custom letter written in your unique style featuring the top industry skills and even a paragraph to explain any employment gaps because of COVID.
More accounting resume examples
Resume Examples
FAQ
What resume format should I use?
Depending on various factors like years of experience, amount of skills and your career progression, you will choose one of the three resume formats.
Chronological resumes are ideal for:
- 10+ years of experience
- Long and consistent careers in the same industry
- Senior or executive positions
Functional resumes are ideal for:
- 0-3 years of experience
- Students or recent graduates
- Applicants with an extensive and diverse skill set they want to prioritize
Combination resumes are ideal for:
- 3-10 years of experience
- Career changers or those applying for a promotion
- Applicants that want to focus on skills and experiences equally
Can I copy and paste these resume examples?
Yes. However, we encourage you to edit them with your quantifiable achievements and keywords relevant to your specific role. The only sections requiring you to write from scratch are the contact information and education. Still, you can do this in a few seconds on our Resume Builder.
What is the best resume template?
The best resume template is the one that has a sleek design and isn’t a pain to format! Our resume templates provide this and more. You can choose between dozens of templates, change the colors and fonts, and it automatically organizes it in one single page. Find your ideal template in our resume templates library or browse 30+ premium templates from our Resume Builder.
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