Accounting Associate Resume Writing 101: Examples, Templates & Best Practices

The most common industries for accounting associates include the following:

• Accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping, and payroll services
• Management of companies and enterprises
• Finance and insurance

As per the data from Indeed, there are about 5,00,000 accounting associate jobs in the United States.

Almost 70% of job seekers struggle with creating a resume that effectively showcases their skills and experience.

A high-quality resume is a tool to communicate your value and what you can bring to the organization.

In the accounting sector, where competition for jobs can be high, a professional and polished resume can help you to differentiate yourself from other applicants.

This guide takes you through the examples and tips you need to create a professional and effective accounting associate resume.

If you wish to get help in creating a professional Accounting Associate Resume, then you can use our ready-to-use resume examples.

This is the best accounting associate resume sample crafted by professional resume writers after studying hundreds of accounting resumes.

Accounting Associate Resume Example

This example presents background, education, experience, certifications, and skills. The summary provides a quick overview of his qualifications and experience, and education.

Moreover, the experience sections provide more detail on his background and accomplishments.

The skills section highlights key abilities that are relevant to the accounting field, such as understanding accounting principles/regulations and proficiency in accounting software. It also includes certifications that are highly valued by employers in the accounting field.

How to Make an Accounting Associate Resume?

An Accounting Associate resume should highlight your skills and experience in financial record-keeping, budget analysis, and financial reporting.

It is advisable to use multiple headings and bullet points to make it easy for hiring managers to quickly see your qualifications.

General guidelines for writing an Accounting Associate Resumeresume:

• Tailor your resume by highlighting the skills and experience that match the job description.
• Use clear and concise language to describe your qualifications and achievements.
• Keep your resume to one or two pages in length.
• Include specific examples of your work experience and accomplishments.
• Use action words to describe your responsibilities and achievements.
• Use bullet points to make your resume easy to scan.
• Include your education, certifications, and relevant coursework.

Resume Tips for a Finance sector:

• Emphasize your experience with accounting software and financial analysis tools
• Highlight any experience you have with budgeting and forecasting
• Include any relevant certifications such as CPA or CMA
• Show how you have improved financial performance in past positions
• Highlight experience with financial regulations and compliance
• Include your experience with financial reporting and analysis
• Show your proficiency in Excel and other data analysis tools.

What Should Be The layout, Format, and Structure of An Accounting Associate Resume?

Ideal layout for an Accounting Associate resume:

Tips to improve the layout:

• It is mandatory to use professional fonts like Arial or Calibri.
• Make your resume easy to scan by using bullet points.
• Use consistent formatting throughout your resume, such as aligning all text to the left or right.
• Keep your resume to one or two pages in length.
• Use action words to describe your responsibilities and accomplishments.
• Use white space to create a clean and professional look.

The Chronological format is focused on the job seeker's work experience, listing the jobs in reverse chronological order, with the most recent job first. This format is best for those who have a consistent career progression and there are no gaps in their employment history.

The Functional format is focused on the job seeker's skills and accomplishments, it's useful for those who have gaps in their employment history or want to change their career path. In this format, job titles and dates of employment are downplayed.

For an Accounting Associate profile, the ideal structure is a mixed format, also known as a "hybrid" format. It allows you to highlight both your professional experience and your relevant skills.

How To Display the Title and Contact Information?

The header of an Accounting Associate resume should include your name, title, contact number, email address, and Linkedin profile.

Good Example

John Smith

Accounting Associate

555-555-5555

johnsmith@email.com

www.linkedin.com/johnsmith

Bad Example

John Smith

555-555-5555

The good example of the header is clear, easy to read, and includes important information such as the job seeker's name, contact information along with the Linkedin profile.

On the contrary, the bad example is not clear and does not provide enough information about the job seeker.

Putting a photo on a resume is considered unprofessional in the US. However, in some countries, it is expected to include a photo on a resume.

How To Write An Effective Professional Summary?

A resume summary also referred to as a Professional summary should provide a brief overview of your qualifications, experience, and key skills for an accounting associate.

Put the resume summary always after your contact information. You must include your most relevant qualifications and skills that best fit the position.

Professional Summary gives the hiring manager a quick overview of your skills and expertise that helps them to shortlist your resume from other candidates.

Correct Example

Experienced accounting associate with 5+ years of experience in accounts payable and receivable, financial analysis, and reporting. Proven track record of meeting deadlines, reducing errors, and increasing efficiency. Strong knowledge of GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) and experience with QuickBooks.

Incorrect Example

I am a hardworking and dedicated individual with experience in accounting. I enjoy working with numbers and have strong attention to detail.

When structuring your summary, it's important to focus on your most relevant qualifications and experience and use specific examples to illustrate your skills.

How To Describe Professional Experience as an Accounting Associate?

When describing your professional experience as an Accounting Associate on your resume, it's important to list your job titles, the companies you worked for, and the dates of your employment.

You should also include specific examples of your accomplishments and responsibilities in each role.

The main rules for listing professional experience on an Accounting Associate resume are:

• Display the job title in each work experience.
• Include specific work experience and accomplishments.
• Emphasize your experience with accounting software and financial analysis tools.
• Highlight any experience you have with budgeting and forecasting.
• Show how you have improved financial performance in past positions.
• Highlight experience with financial regulations and compliance.

Education Section | How To Include Academic Background?

The education section of your resume should include the name of the degree or certification, the institution where you earned it, and the date of completion.

It should be placed after your professional experience and before your skills section. This section will show the hiring manager that you have the educational qualifications necessary for the job.

In both examples above, it gives a clear idea of your academia, institute and the date of completion.

It's important to note that in the first example, the job seeker is a CIA, which is a highly sought-after certification in the accounting field, so it's included in this section.

Skills for an Accounting Associate Resume

The skills section of an Accounting Associate resume should highlight the specific skills and qualifications that are relevant to the job you are applying for. This section should be placed after your professional experience and education sections.

Here is a list of 10 main skills that should be included in the skills section for an Accounting Associate:

• Familiarity with accounting software and financial analysis tools.
• Budgeting and forecasting.
• Knowledge of financial regulations and compliance.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Financial Accounting reporting and analysis.
• Organizational and time management skills.
• Microsoft Excel and other data analysis tools.
• Communication skills.
• Accuracy and Efficiency.
• Team Work.

List of Hard Skills For An Accounting Associate

• Financial analysis
• Budgeting and forecasting
• Financial reporting
• Accounting software (e.g. QuickBooks, SAP)
• Excel and other data analysis tools
• Financial regulations and compliance
• Auditing
• Taxation
• Bookkeeping
• Cost accounting
• Financial Accounting

List of Soft Skills For An Accounting Associate

• Communication skills
• Analytical and problem-solving
• Time management
• Attention to detail
• Team Work
• Multitasking
• Learning Attitude
• Accuracy and Efficiency

As you can see, the skills section should highlight a mix of hard and soft skills that are relevant to the Accounting Associate role.

Additional Sections to Boost Your Resume

Additional headings can be used to further highlight your qualifications, skills, and experience on an accounting associate resume.

Some of the key headings that you can include on your resume to make your resume more effective are as follows:

Include any awards or honors you have received in your professional careers, such as Employee of the Month or a company-wide performance award.

Including additional headings provides an opportunity to highlight each skill set or qualification.

languages

If you are applying for an accounting associate post in a multilingual environment, showcasing your ability to speak multiple languages can be a valuable addition and put you apart from other candidates.

Here are some tips for including languages on your resume:

• List the languages in order of proficiency, starting with your strongest language.
• Use the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) standards to indicate proficiency in each language you speak.
• If you have a professional or academic experience where you have used the language, list it under the language section or in the relevant section of the resume.

Correct Example

Spanish - Native

English - Fluent

French Intermediate

Incorrect Example

Spanish, English, and French.

The language section demonstrates that you possess good language skills which can be valuable in a globalized and multilingual working environment.

Summarizing:

Let’s summarize the key points on writing a perfect accounting associate resume:

• Tailor your resume to the specific job.
• Include a strong summary statement.
• Highlight relevant experience and qualifications.
• Use specific examples and quantify accomplishments.
• Include relevant certifications and professional development.
• Include language skills if relevant.
• Showcase your accounting software proficiency.
• Highlight your attention to detail and analytical skills.
• Include volunteer or project experience if relevant.
• Display awards or honors if any.
• Tailor your resume to the specific accounting role you are applying to.
• Double-check for errors and inconsistencies.

How Important It Is To Complement Your Resume with a Cover Letter?

A cover letter demonstrates your mathematical skills and other attributes to the hiring managers and explains how these skills can contribute to the company.

You can acquire resume templates from our website which includes a cover letter template to craft a professional accounting associate resume and cover letter.

FAQs