How To Write an Accountant Resume

Whether you’d like to work with companies, nonprofits, or individual clients, you can write a great accountant resume by showing your skill at building financial success and stability. The following tips and examples will assist you in exploring this topic and creating compelling content for each section of your accounting job resume.

  • Entry-Level
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior-level
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1. Craft an outstanding profile with a summary of your accountant qualifications

In a brief paragraph at the top of your resume, the Profile should name three to five key reasons why you deliver strong accounting oversight and support. By showcasing your top qualifications this way, you can assure target employers you’re a fit for the accountant role they want to fill.

For example, maybe you have a reputation for helping businesses find and remove unnecessary costs. Or perhaps you’ve worked on successful initiatives for better legal compliance. Alternatively, you may have years of experience with startup budgets, and that’s a key focus of the accounting jobs you’re now after. You can also cite reasons outside your accounting work experience – for instance, a recently finished master’s degree or advanced certification that sets you apart.

Mid-Career Profile Example


Organized accounting professional with a record of success helping clients decrease costs, balance books, and reconcile accounts. Naturally curious and committed to gaining and applying new expertise. Bilingual: Fluent in English and Spanish.

Senior-Level Profile Example


Certified public accountant (CPA) dedicated to raising companies’ bottom lines. Skilled at preparing financial reports, reconciling accounts, collecting money owed, and completing special projects. Adapt readily to new work challenges and industry conditions.

2. Add a compelling section featuring your accountant experience

Under each past accounting job, give quantified examples of your helping people or organizations improve their financial position. For example, you may have developed cost analyses that enabled your organization to improve its bottom line. Perhaps you designed a system to prepare your taxes faster and more accurately. Or you depleted a backlog of late payments. Examples like these show hiring managers you can generate similar fiscal solutions for their company.

For any non-accounting jobs in your recent work history, focus your description on the transferable skills you gained. Say you worked as a receptionist – you could use this job description to emphasize client relations, careful documentation, or any other skill areas you expect to use in your next accounting job.

Entry-Level Experience Example


Accounting intern, Woolworth’s Incorporated, Los Angeles, CA | August 2021 to present

  • Help prepare debit and credit documents for over 100 clients
  • Facilitate weekly audit of varying accounts to ensure accuracy
  • Organize and maintain records for many clients and vendors
  • Collaborate with other interns on key projects
  • Perform complex accounting procedures and assist support staff

Highlights:

  • Ranked No. 3 out of 15 team members for both efficiency and accuracy
  • Helped team leader develop four new initiatives for better internal communications and organization

Mid-Career Experience Example


Accounting Specialist, XYZ Accountants, Sacramento, CA | January 2012 to present

  • Ensure accuracy of all transactions with clients, vendors, and employees
  • Collaborative role working closely with managers and other staff members

Highlights:

  • Identified and averted over $250,000 in lost revenue from bank errors
  • Won “Accounting Expert of the Month” five times for outstanding diligence and accuracy
  • Enhanced client relationships by actively addressing and resolving late payments

3. Include accountant-related education and certifications

View the Education and Certifications sections as another chance to show your expertise in supporting clients’ or employers’ financial health. Give at least the basic details on your highest degree in finance or accounting and any other postsecondary degrees you’ve earned. Also, share details on your CPA or other accounting-related certifications. With these credentials on your resume, you can assure hiring managers you’ll draw on a solid knowledge base when offering financial analysis and solutions.

Below are templates and examples to help you format your education and certification details. Note that optional template items appear in [brackets].

Education

Template

  • Degree Name — [Concentration], School Name, City, ST | [Year]
  • [#.# GPA] | [academic honors or awards]

Example

  • Bachelor of Science (BS) — Accounting (minor in Business Administration), Los Angeles University, Los Angeles, CA | 2022

Certification

Template

  • Certification Name or Title, [Awarding Organization] | [Year]

Example

  • CPA, Association of Certified Public Accountants

4. Outline your most useful accountant skills and proficiencies

Include a “Key Skills” section on your resume to show the various ways you help build and ensure financial success. For most accountants, this section should cover expense reduction, financial reporting, and complex problem-solving. You may also want to name the specific technical programs or accounting software you’ve used, like advanced Excel or QuickBooks (but if you have five or more, consider making them their own “Technical Skills” section). Below are some common accounting skills you may add to your “Key Skills” section:

Key Skills and Proficiencies
Accounting software (QuickBooks, Quicken) Account reconciliation
Accounts payable and receivable Advanced mathematics
Budget planning and forecasting Client relations
Complex problem-solving Cost reduction and elimination
Data gathering and analysis Efficiency improvement
Financial report preparation General ledger accounting
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) Microsoft Office Suite
Process streamlining Project management
Regulatory and corporate compliance Reporting and documentation
Risk management and mitigation Spreadsheets
Tax return preparation Team collaboration
Time management  

How To Pick the Best Accountant Resume Template

As with most vocations, accountants should use a resume template that’s clear and straightforward. Opt for a visual design that lets the hiring manager quickly review your most impressive career details. Use a simple resume font, and avoid any template that has an overly colorful or elaborate design.

Accountant Text-Only Resume Templates and Examples

  • Entry-Level
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior-Level

Tammy Jones
(123) 456-7890 | [email protected] | Sacramento, CA 12345 | www.linkedin.com/example

Profile

Organized accounting professional with a record of success helping clients decrease costs, balance books, and reconcile accounts. Naturally curious and committed to gaining and applying new expertise. Bilingual: Fluent in English and Spanish.

Key Skills

  • Account reconciliation
  • Client relations
  • Cost reduction and elimination
  • Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
  • Reporting and documentation
  • Statutory Accounting Principles (SAP) accounting system
  • Team collaboration

Professional Experience

Accounting Specialist, XYZ Accountants, Sacramento, CA | January 2012 to present

  • Ensure accuracy of all transactions with clients, vendors, and employees
  • Collaborative role working closely with managers and other staff members

Highlights:

  • Identified and averted over $250,000 in lost revenue from bank errors
  • Won “Accounting Expert of the Month” five times for outstanding diligence and accuracy
  • Enhanced client relationships by actively addressing and resolving late payments

Education

Bachelor of Science — Accounting (minor in Business Administration), Sacramento University, Sacramento, CA

Languages

Fluency in Spanish | Proficiency in Italian

Frequently Asked Questions: Accountant Resume Examples and Advice

What are common action verbs for accountant resumes?-

One of the best ways to enhance your resume is by using a good mix of action verbs in your Experience section. Strong verbs for accountants include “secure,” “reconcile,” and “reinforce.” The following list will help you brainstorm and write about the various ways you’ve made an impact in your accounting career so far:

Action Verbs
Acquire Audit
Avert Avoid
Create Develop
Distribute Earn
Enhance Estimate
Evaluate Examine
Forecast Garner
Generate Improve
Invoice Manage
Organize Prepare
Prevent Produce
Reconcile Reinforce
Report Schedule
Secure Stabilize
Strengthen Update
Verify  
How do you align your accountant resume with a job posting?-

The Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts that jobs for accountants will increase by about 6% between 2021 and 2031. This growth rate is roughly the same as the average for all U.S. vocations.

You can get more interviews in this growing field if you tailor your resume to each application. For example, if the job post calls for someone with a collaborative streak, you may want to emphasize that aspect of your experience in your Profile and Key Skills sections. Or say the company has many non-English speaking clients or business partners. In that case, highlight your foreign language skills both in your Profile and as a separate section farther down the document. With adjustments like these, you can make your resume more relevant to each opportunity in your job search.

What is the best accountant resume format?-

In nearly all cases, use a Combination (or Hybrid) resume because it’s easiest for hiring managers to learn about your relevant skills and experience. It’s also simplest for you to modify based on your job goals. With the Combination format, you highlight your most relevant skills and background in your Experience or Work History section and an intro section. (This combination of work history and intro content is where the format gets its name.) Your resume intro usually should include a Profile summary and Key Skills section, but you may also include an Awards or Career Highlights section.

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Expert Advice
Include a cover letter with your resume

To increase your chances of an interview, write a strong cover letter. The key to an effective letter is customizing it based on each job opening. Read our accountant cover letter guide to learn how. For other related examples, see our bookkeeper and finance cover letter guides.

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Jacob Meade

Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW, ACRW)

Jacob Meade is a resume writer and editor with nearly a decade of experience. His writing method centers on understanding and then expressing each person’s unique work history and strengths toward their career goal. Jacob has enjoyed working with jobseekers of all ages and career levels, finding that a clear and focused resume can help people from any walk of life. He is an Academy Certified Resume Writer (ACRW) with the Resume Writing Academy, and a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) with the Professional Association of Resume Writers & Career Coaches.

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