Accountant Resume Example & 5 Tips

Are you looking for a good accountant resume sample for 2020? You're in the right place!

Using the right format for your accounting resume will land you more interviews, whether you're a junior accountant or more experienced senior accountant professional. Our team of experts has created this guide for all job seekers in the accounting field.

Read on to learn how to write an effective accountant summary (instead of an objective), what skills employers want, and how to create a great work experience section.

Let's start with the accounting resume sample, followed by our professional resume writers' top 5 tips for accountants.

Accountant resume sample

Having trouble reading this resume? We have a plain text version further down in this article.

5 tips for writing a great accounting resume

1. Utilize a professional resume summary

Stay away from the boring, outdated, ineffective objective statement. You need a well-crafted summary to make a strong impact on the hiring manager. Use your summary to add valuable keywords to your resume for the ATS scan.

Here are some ideas of items to include in your accountant's resume summary:

• Years of experience in accounting

• Education

• Major certifications such as CPA

• Accounting specialties like tax, corporate, or auditing

• Measurable achievements in the finance field

• Core competencies (examples below)

Here is an example from our resume bank of a great, keyword-optimized resume summary:

"A detailed, analytical, bilingual/multilingual Accounting Professional with demonstrated experience in performing general accounting functions such as financial statements and reports, and GAAP calculation methods. Superior analytical skills with expertise in transaction and workflow details in support of process and profit improvements. Collaborate effectively with business managers to resolve variances, refine forecasts, and identify opportunities for process improvements. Excellent communicator and presenter who works well with individuals at all levels of a corporation. Superior technical skills with the ability to integrate technology to increase accuracy and efficiency of accounting practices."

2. Include the right skills

Most employers utilize an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to automatically screen resumes. An ATS scans a resume to determine if the candidate is qualified and a good match for the position. Your skills or core competencies section is a great opportunity to optimize your resume with relevant keywords.

Here are some skills you can include on an accountant resume:

• General Ledger

• Balance Sheets

• Payroll

• GAAP

• Risk Management

There are additional ideas for core competencies for an account's resume in our resume sample above.

3. Include action verbs

Utilizing action verbs throughout your resume is a good way to capture the attention of a hiring manager. Here are some good action verbs to use for an accounting resume:

• Managed

• Implemented

• Reconciled

• Reduced

• Increased

Be sure to pair your action verbs with measurable results whenever possible. Numbers always stand out in a good way!

4. Highlight your achievements

You need to include achievements on your resume to ensure you stand apart from the competition. Many job seekers make the mistake of simply listing out responsibilities for jobs. When there are potentially hundreds of other applicants, you need to show the hiring manager how you went above and beyond what was expected.

You can read more about tips and examples of resume accomplishments here, but essentially you want to include whatever you've done that is not obvious from your job description. For an accountant, quantifying your impact on costs or revenue is a good way to include an effective achievement.

5. List certifications and memberships

The accounting industry is full of certifications and professional accounting memberships. List any certifications or groups you're affiliated with on your resume.

For example:

• National Society of Accountants

• American Institute of CPAs (AICPA)

• Professional Accounting Society of America

Account resume sample (text version)

Accounting - Accounts Payable/Receivable - Financial Reporting

Account Management - Reconciliations - GAAP Standards

Summary:

A detailed, analytical, bilingual/multilingual Accounting Professional with demonstrated experience in performing general accounting functions such as financial statements and reports, and GAAP calculation methods. Superior analytical skills with expertise in transaction and workflow details in support of process and profit improvements. Collaborate effectively with business managers to resolve variances, refine forecasts, and identify opportunities for process improvements. Excellent communicator and presenter who works well with individuals at all levels of a corporation. Superior technical skills with the ability to integrate technology to increase accuracy and efficiency of accounting practices.

Selected Highlights

Performed data analysis to identify key trends, decipher relevant market information, and ultimately gain competitive advantage and dictate future strategies.

Significantly contributed to the annual budget process, working with various department executives to review historical activities, trends, and future obligations.

Examined standard costs against actuals, identifying process inefficiencies and improvement opportunities.

Commended for saving the company $XX due to streamlining product flow and enhancing accounting methodologies.

Organized processes and procedures to support XX% reduction in month-end close from X to X days.

Core Competencies and Skills

• Balance Sheet

• Budgeting & Planning

• Risk Management

• Payroll

• Trend Analysis

• Process Improvement

• Variance Analysis

• P&L Analysis

• Cash Flow Projections

• Financial Statements

• Standard Cost Analysis

Professional Experience

Company Name - City, State/Country - XXXX – Present

Job Title

• Ensured accurate and efficient accounting while managing all financial aspects of daily operations.

• Created and implemented numerous systems within the financial department that significantly increased productivity, accuracy and efficiency of accounting practices.

• Addressed problems as they arose and developed strategic solutions.

• Analyzed and interpreted complex data and provided detailed financial reporting for the executive team.

• Responsible for budget oversight and managing the business payroll.

Company Name - City, State/Country - XXXX – XXXX

Job Title

• Promoted to positions of increasing authority and responsibility due to my strong leadership skills, teamwork, customer service and overall performance.

• Managed the overall financial operations of all companies and properties and ensured all requirements and payments for mortgages, taxes, maintenance, and insurance premiums, are accurately managed and reported.

• Oversaw the complex business operations, including financial management of the property and maintaining financial reports.

• Handled sensitive complaints and grievances effectively and confidentiality to ensure prompt resolution.

• Managed the AP/AR and weekly billing and followed-up on collections and general ledger postings.

• Responsible for all cash disbursements, journal entries, bank reconciliations, and credit cards accounts.

Company Name - City, State/Country - XXXX – XXXX

Job Title

• Developed monthly closing statements and developed policies and procedures to improve the efficiency of accounts receivable, accounts payable, and other accounting functions.

• Increased efficiency of payroll management by developing a procedure for organizing and maintaining payroll records for hourly and salaried employees.

• Reconciled and paid all voluntary and involuntary deductions and benefits; print payroll checks and stubs.

• Posted debits and credits to relevant ledgers and spreadsheets; prepared and processed bank deposits.

• Created invoices and tracked overdue accounts and reconciled bank accounts.

Company Name - City, State/Country - XXXX – XXXX

Job Title

• Identified and promptly remediated weaknesses within key business processes across corporate functions.

• Reviewed financial and management reports to plan, scope, and execute reviews and analyzed the reports to stay abreast of developments within the various businesses.

• Implemented functional improvements to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of systems, programs, and work practices.

• Recommended best practice solutions to clients through the preparation of detailed reports with proposed action plans.

Education

Complete School Name, City, and State/Country: List graduation year if within the last 10 years

Complete Degree Name (Candidate) – Major

Additional Credentials

Technical Skills

Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, Publisher) / ADP / Oracle / Paychex / QuickBooks / FreshBooks / FinancialForce Accounting / EnterpriseIQ Accounting / Host Analytics EPM Suite / Xero  / Bench Bookkeeping / Aquilon / PRO Accounting / CenterPoint Accounting / Accounting by Wave / SAP

Education

Complete School Name, City, State/Country

Professional Development

Certified Public Accountant (CPA)Certified Management Accountant (CMA)Certified Internal Auditor (CIA)AMA Advanced Financial Forecasting and Modeling Workshop

Organizations

National Society of AccountantsAmerican Institute of CPAs (AICPA)Professional Accounting Society of America

Summary

Keep your accountant resume accomplishment-focused and ATS-optimized. If you need additional help, check out our list of the Best Resume Writing Services for professional resume writing help in all industries (including finance).

Good luck with your job search!

Related posts:

• Entry-Level Accountant Resume Sample

• Best Accountant Job Search Sites