Accountant Resume | Templates, Tips & Resume Example

An accounting job is traditionally deemed to be inferior thing but time has changed. Yet people think that changing figures in the books will be all. Wish it could be that easy!

What Accountants Do?

An accounting job is much more than just a desk job. Here's the list of activities an accountant performs in his/her employment period.

• Financial reporting to authorities & management
• Generating and analyzing financial statements
• Analysis of financial data of a company
• Having understanding of accounting software
• Account reconciliation
• Tally annual balance sheets of companies
• Employee payroll processing

In short, accountants have sound accounting knowledge and is capable of performing multiple tasks at a time.

Being good with number is a positive thing but that's not the end. An accounting role varies depending on the business type.

Types of Accountant Jobs

• Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
• Certified Management Accountant
• Staff Accountant
• Chartered Accountant (CA)
• Tax Accountant

.......and we thought there's only one position.

As the designation changes there's a change in the resume too. For example, tax accountant position requires tax accountant resume. Now here a staff accountant resume won't work because it's unique.

Accounting resume differs and that's why we have compiled a list of resumes related to accounting career and finance. Take a look.

• Finance Officer Resume
• Public Accountant Resume
• Accounting Assistant Resume
• Tax Specialist Resume Guide
• Fundraiser Resume Examples
• Accountant Resume Guide
• Loan Officer Resume
• An Essential Banking Resume Example
• Sample Resume for Financial Analyst
• Actuary Resume
• Sample Statistician Resume
• Cashier Resume Examples
• Bookkeeper Resume Examples
• Accounting Resume Examples
• Finance Resume Examples

Click links to read them and select the one that fits your job profile if you are related to accountant jobs or finance.

The accountant resume sample concludes here and you know how an accountant resume looks. If that's the scenario let's begin the process of writing an accountant resume. Shall we?

How to Write an Accountant Resume?

Accountants are the backbone of a company and they work stealthily without creating fuss. Since they attend to company's finance - they take a lot of responsibilities and this makes them a critical part of the business existence.

Now that you know the essentialism of an accountant here's the entire process to write.

Framework of an Accountant Resume

Structuring your accountant resume is a thing because without it a resume won't even exist in the first place. What does that mean? It means organizing details properly that makes sense. How will you do that? Read below.

• Header
• Accountant Resume Summary
• Work Experience
• Education
• Skills
• Additional Details

This should be the flow of sections in your resume. After that next comes the format. Let's discuss that too.

Format of an Accountant Resume

Basically, resumes are written in three distinct formats and they are:

• Reverse chronological
• Functional
• Hybrid aka Combination

The resume format specifically defines the work experience section. It is written in a reverse order. Beginning from the current one until the oldest ones. The same reverse order follows in education. Write the highest qualification followed by the lowest ones.

Reverse chronological format is present in this guide. First, in the professional accountant resume example above and second, in the work experience section below.

Header in Accountant Resume

When you add more sugar your dessert will taste bitter instead of sweet. You make a really simple resume section complex and annoying by stuffing too many details.

Go through the examples below.

Good and Bad Header Example

CORRECT

Your name (Wendy Adams)

Job title

(Senior Accountant)

Phone number

(+1 456 789 1234)

Email address

(wendyadams@gmail.com)

Location

(Detroit, Michigan)

INCORRECT

Job title (Accountant) Your name (Wendy Adams) Location (Detroit, Michigan) Phone number (+1 456 789 1234, +1 123 456 7890) Email address (wendy_cutelady@gmail.com) Date of Application (03/20/2019) Official Blog on Economics Gold Medalist - Economics

Professional Summary: Accountant Resume

We have read resumes having resume summaries that are not summary. Then there are resumes having one liner summary just like a resume headline.

The meaning and purpose of a summary is to convey a short introduction. Not revealing too many details about your accounting career is what a summary does per se.

Read the examples below.

Good and Bad Accounting Resume Summary

CORRECT

Senior accountant with 11+ years of experience in generating financial reports and corporate financial analysis. Well versed in business accounting process. Experience working with foreign companies to understand foreign tax regime. Expert in employee payments and dues is seeking a senior tax accountant position in Crawford Cotton Mill.

INCORRECT

Accountant with 11+ years of experience wants a job in Crawford Cotton Mill. Expert in bank account reconciliation, accounts receivable, financial reports, and analysis.

Objective in Entry Level Accountant Resume

Entry level accountant are fresh graduates with little to no experience. For them resume objective is the best starting point in the resume because for an experienced accountant resume it is the summary.

Therefore if you are a fresh applicant looking for a break through then the following objective statements can help you.

Resume Objective Statement in Entry Level...

Staff Accountant Resume

Seeking an entry level staff accountant position in Global Associates to enhance the current expertise in addition to elevate valuable experience.

Tax Accountant Resume

Looking for an entry level tax accountant job at McMilan Legal Associates to grow and expand the existing knowledge regarding taxation and pertaining laws.

Cost Accountant Resume

Recent cost accountant graduate with extensive knowledge of finance and having core expertise in complex calculations is seeking an opportunity in DVS Tax Consultancy Firm.

Certified Management Accountant Resume

An entry level management accountant with a master's degree in economics is looking forward to work with the global team to gain experience and expertise.

Accounting Assistant Resume

An entry level accounting assistant looking for an opportunity to begin a career with your esteemed organization that values hard work and productivity.

Accounting Manager Resume

Accounts manager with knowledge of company accounting and tax filing is keen to join your team to escalate knowledge furthermore in the field of practical tax law applications.

Work Experience: Accountant Resume

When you mention your accounting work experience in the correct format it positively works in two ways. First, your resume will pass the applicant tracking system hassles-free. Secondly, it increases your probability of getting hired.

Following examples will show you the difference between two sets of job experiences in an accounting resume.

Good and Bad Work Experience in Accounting Resume

CORRECT

Alpha Build-cons

Audit & Accountants

Detroit, Michigan

2015-2018

• Analysed and prepared financial statements for tax purpose.
• Providing tax reports for internal annual audits.
• Organize provident fund and employee pay role calculations.
• Journalised entries of accounts receivable and accounts payable

INCORRECT

Alpha Build-cons

Audit & Accountants

Detroit, Michigan

2015-2018

• Prepare company accounts.
• Good knowledge of account reconciliation
• Paid annual company tax on time.
• Managed provident fund of employees.
• Did journal entries in accounts book.

It is clearly apparent why the latter one is wrong. When you are mentioning experience integrate accounting keywords to provide a credibility to your statement. Remember, even though your resume is primarily scanned by applicant tracking systems yet hiring managers will refer to it in person. Hence, be credible.

Education Details: Accountant Resume

A high school diploma is not an agreeable academic qualification for an accounting job. That's a sad news but a hard reality. Hence, if you are one of them then you need to earn a bachelor's degree. It's least you need.

The education details mentioned in the example above is for experienced accountants. Now it can be different depending on what type of accountant profile you are in. Considering this thought here are the education details in resumes of different accountants. Let's take a look at them.

Accounting Education in...

Senior Accountants Resume

A bachelor's or a master's degree in commerce is inevitable. Hence, fulfil that requirement. On the contrary, if you don't have a bachelor's or master's degree in arts or other stream then a higher degree in accounting skills is required.

Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Resume

A certified public accountant must hold atleast a bachelor's degree in accounting or finance by completing the course requirements. Additionally, a CPA must have an authorised license to practice the accounting jobs in firms and companies.

Staff Accountant Resume

The educational qualification of a staff accountant is similar to that of the senior-level accountant. They both need to have completed a bachelor's degree in commerce or related fields. Moreover, if they have acquired certificates as an accounting specialist then hiring managers will really love that.

Tax Accountant Resume

A tax accountant is a specialized field in terms of accountancy. A tax professionals deals with company laws, income tax laws, and taxation and therefore an individual who aspires to pursue a tax accountant career must complete the necessary qualifications.

Cost Accountant Resume

A cost accountant looks after the finance of a company and hence deals with complex calculations and numerical adjustments. Therefore, a bachelor's degree in commerce can be a valid qualification for a job. Further, an applicant can aim for a higher degree like MBA with accounts as major subjects.

Certified Management Accountant Resume

Those who don't know what a certified management accountant does is - to analyse financial position of a company and suggesting potential solutions to the senior management. Thus, a bachelor or a master degree in accounts and finance is a solid academic qualification. If the applicant is an MBA with specialization in accounts or related subjects the hiring managers will definitely appreciate it.

Accounting Assistant Resume

Jobs like accounting assistant requires no big academic qualification like an MBA degree. If you are high school diploma holder in relevant field then you can take up a similar role in any company. However, adding certificates and technical skills in your accounting assistant resume for an accounting assistant role can surprisingly increase chances of an interview call.

Accounting Manager Resume

Any bachelor's degree with majoring in accounts, statistics, cost accounting, company accounts, business, economics or equivalent subjects is eligible to add in the accounting manager resume.

Skills: Accountant Resume

An accountant resume must have accounts related professional skills alongside soft skills. If he or she is a true leader leading the team then he or she must also be excellent in processing accounts payable.

Let's look at top accounting skills that you must include in the resume.

• Expert in modern accounting practices. The applicant must be updated with latest accounts practices prevailing in the industry.
• Must operate accounting programs. Modern accounting system has rejuvenated itself using computer programs. Hence, one must be good at it.
• Local and international lay regarding tax, excise, import and export duties. Accounting is not limited to calculations. There's a lot of paper work involved. This is one of the prominent requirement the hiring managers search.
• Analysis skills and critical thinking. Don't panic if you are served balance sheets in breakfast and list of accounts payable in lunch or dinner. Every step needs you to think and analyse in detail.

These are the (must have) relevant skills in an accountant resume. Make a single list and include soft skills plus most relevant skills in short.

Additional Section: Accountant Resume

A lot of factors trigger hiring managers when they scan a resume. You never know what could work in your favor or against you. Thus, a fundamental rule is to be yourself and provide authentic details in a resume.

Along with authentic details add optional information that are thought provoking. For instance, in the accounting resume example above we have painted the job applicant as a guest lecturer, a columnist in newspaper, a guest blogger online and the member of an association.

When you reveal such level of details it is implied to draw the attention of hiring managers.

Summary (of the discussion)

• Introduction to the accounting resume topic
• What accountants do?
• Types of accountants
• List of sample resumes related to accounting career
• Accountant resume sample
• How to write an accountant resume
• FAQs related to accounting resume

Frequently Asked Questions about Accountant Resume

How to write resume objective for a certified public accountant resume?

A certified public accountant also known as chartered accountant doesn't need to write a resume objective while applying for a job position but a summary. A resume objective is for those who are not experienced.

What is an entry level accountant resume?

Resumes of job applicants without sufficient work background in accounting is termed as entry level accountant resume. Yet they can secure a beginner's position in auditing or taxation practicing firms.

Are soft skills really important in a resume?

They are part of the skill section in a resume. However, professionals from the fields of medicine, science, technology must focus on their core skills. It's no surprise that technical expertise can easily outrun soft skills (and even interpersonal skills).