Accountant Resume Guide - With Templates, Examples, and Skills

They have the interesting job of conducting forensic investigations when there is suspicion of fraud in accounting firms, insurance companies, and banks. With the right forensic accountant resume, you can get a competitive position in a top firm.

Let's help you craft a resume that gets you your dream job. Some of the topics we'll cover include:

• How to add your forensic accounting experience to your resume
• The right skills for a forensic accountant.
• A forensic accountant resume example like no other.
• A layout and format that best represents your skills.

Salary and Job Market Information for Forensic Accountants

According to the U.S Bureau of Statistics, the projected growth in the employment of accountants and auditors is 7 percent.

The industries with the highest levels of employment in Accountants and Auditors include:

• Accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping, and payroll services
• Management of companies and enterprises
• Local government, excluding schools and hospitals
• State government, excluding schools and hospitals
• Real estate

The average salary for a forensic accountant is $72,000. The typical range is between $64,000 and $82,000, depending on your education, skills, and professional experience.

How to Make a Forensic Accountant Resume

Forensic accounting requires excellent analytical and investigative skills. These must be evident on your resume and your expertise in conducting financial investigations and solving any issues relating to fraud in a financial institution. A professional resume should have all the required information presented correctly. Our resume examples will guide you and help you build a resume that gets the hiring manager's attention.

The structure, layout, and format of your resume impact your resume. Let's look at these three and what you need to know.

Resume Format, Layout, and Structure

The resume format determines which qualifications come first on your resume. Therefore, you need to choose a format that best represents your qualifications. Here are three formats you can choose from.

• Reverse-chronological format - This format focuses on your experience, so it's most suitable for candidates who have experience working as forensic accountants.
• The functional resume format - This format focuses on your skills and is perfect for candidates who recently graduated or career changers.
• Hybrid/combination resume - This format is perfect for candidates with experience and skills in forensic accounting. It blends the best features of the reverse-chronological and functional resume formats.

The layout covers the overall design of the resume, font, font size, and margins. Always ensure that the design of your resume is easy to follow and understand. Fonts like Arial, Calibri, Cambria, Helvetica, and Georgia are the best because they're easy to read. Hiring managers recommend a font size of 10-12pt.

The structure of your forensic accountant resume should have the following sections:

• The header section
• Resume summary/objective
• Work experience
• Education section
• Skills section
• An additional section (Computer skills and certifications, languages, volunteer work, awards/honors, and interests)

The Header Section

The header contains your personal information. These details should be correct so that the recruiter can reach you. The section should have:

• Your full name
• Job title
• Phone number
• Professional email address
• Location
• A link to your LinkedIn profile.

A good header

A bad header

Photo or No Photo

You may be wondering whether you should add a photo to your resume or not. Hiring managers advise against it, and it's because it could cause discrimination against you. You can only add a photo when the recruiter asks you to add one, and you should ensure it's professional.

Describe Your Experience As a Forensic Accountant

Every job is different, but most hiring managers want to know if you have experience in forensic accounting before giving you the job. In this section, you'll detail your work history, starting with your most recent job.

If you're an entry-level forensic accountant and don't have experience, use this section to detail any experience that taught you transferable skills that will be useful in the new position.

Otherwise, it's always better to stick to the relevant experience. Here's what you'll include in this section:

• The name of the workplace
• Your job title
• The period you've worked at each place.

After adding these details, you'll include three to five job responsibilities to show the hiring manager what you can do. Then, quantify these with figures and facts to show your achievements and the value you could bring to the company.

When listing your job responsibilities, check the job description to help you identify some of the keywords you should have in your resume. Use these keywords to optimize your resume and ensure it gets past applicant tracking systems.

Example of an Entry-Level Forensic Accountant

Example for Experienced Forensic Accountants

Detail Your Educational Background

Getting a forensic accountant role requires you to have solid educational qualifications. You may be qualified with years of experience, but you'll miss out on the position without the right education.

Each job will be different so use the job description to determine what the hiring manager is looking for. List your educational achievements, starting with the most recent one.

Most jobs in forensic accounting will require a bachelor's degree and some a Master's. If you have a Master's degree, you can leave out your high school diploma.

When you're adding your education, you'll include the name of the degree/diploma, the name of the school, and the year of completion.

Correct example

The Best Skills for Your Forensic Accountant Resume

The skills section is not a place for you to add random skills. It's a place that requires strategy because it determines whether or not you get the job. Most hiring managers use ATS systems to filter out resumes that don't have the required skills. Therefore, you need to ensure that you have the right skills on your resume. Check the job description and use the exact wording or language as you list your skills. Also, separate your hard and soft skills. Hard skills are the technical skills that take some time to learn and require training or teaching. On the other hand, soft skills are character traits that complement the hard skills and help you interact with people in the workplace.

Here is a list of skills you should consider for your forensic accountant resume.

Hard skills

• Financial modeling
• Analyzing financial evidence
• Fraud analysis
• Financial analysis
• Analyzing financial transactions
• Client management
• Project management
• Financial statements

Soft skills

• Critical thinking skills
• Analytical skills
• Communication skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Problem-solving skills
• Decision-making skills
• Attention to detail
• Team player

How To Write Your Professional Summary

A forensic accountant resume summary introduces your resume and summarizes your top achievements, experience, and skills. This short paragraph at the top of your resume should be engaging to ensure that the recruiter reads the rest of your resume. You can quantify your achievements with a figure or fact that will get the recruiter's attention.

Example of A Forensic Accountant With Experience

Incorrect example

Professional Objective(And How To Use It)

Candidates who don't have much experience use a professional objective to introduce their resumes. It works the same way as a professional summary, so you shouldn't use both. It summarizes your career goals and how they align with the company goals. It also allows you to express your interest in the position.

Example Of A Forensic Accountant Without Experience

Additional Sections for Your Resume

The additional section is a vital one that carries your extra qualifications. This section helps you highlight the achievements and skills you don't want the recruiter to miss. It also sets you apart from the other candidates and can be the reason you get a position over your competitor.

With the right resume templates, it's easy for you to incorporate this section into your resume. Let's look at some of these sections.

Computer Skills and Certifications

Forensic accountants should possess certain computer skills to help them use specialized software to analyze information. These skills should have a separate section because it's so easy for them to get lost in the general skills section. Your certifications should be under this section and not the education section. This ensures that the recruiter doesn't miss them. Here are some certifications that will look good on your forensic accountant resume.

• Certified Forensic Examiner
• Certified Forensic Financial Analyst
• Certified Public Accountant

Languages

Language skills help you stand out and should have a separate section. Bilingual candidates get priority as most hiring managers prefer candidates with these skills. Use the official language reference as follows:

• Germany's Goethe-Zertifikat (70%) or higher is required.
• IELTS - English (a minimum score of 6.5 is required)
• SIELE for Spanish

Interests

The interests you add to your resume can make a difference and help you get the position. Always research the company to find out more about their culture before including this section. This ensures that you don't ruin your chances of getting the job by adding interests that don't align with their culture.

Tips to Boost Your Forensic Accountant Resume

• Add the right keywords and action verbs to optimize your resume and ensure it gets past the ATS systems.
• Proofread your work to avoid grammatical and spelling mistakes.
• Prioritize the relevant experience related to the job you're applying for.
• Tailor your resume to match the job you're applying for.
• Check the job description and use the same wording/language when listing your duties and responsibilities.
• Your resume should be one page long.

Key Takeaways: Writing a Resume for Forensic Accountants

• Proofread the information on the header section to ensure the details are accurate.
• The resume summary/objective must be engaging to get the recruiter to read the rest of your resume.
• Choose a format that best represents your qualifications and a layout that's easy to read and understand.
• Use the education section to add your educational qualifications.
• Quantify your results with figures and facts to show the value you'll bring to the company.
• List your skills using bullet points to ensure the recruiter doesn't miss them.

Accompany Your Resume with a Cover letter

The cover letter describes your qualifications in-depth and allows you to showcase your writing skills and inject some personality. This is a great way to set yourself apart by giving the recruiter more information on who you are. You should always compliment your resume with a cover letter unless the hiring manager asks you not to send one. Check out our cover letter examples that will help you craft your own.

Frequently Asked Questions