Accounting Resume Template
Different fields require different types of resumes.Each profeion has its own particular set of skills, abilities and levels of knowledge and experience that should be streed in a certain way on the resume.This is especially true for the accounting industry.When writing an accounting resume, it’s very important to write to your audience and expre the skills and vocabulary of accounting industry profeionals.
Financial services positions are the backbone of many companies.As such, human resources profeionals will take extra care when critiquing accounting resumes trying to pick which candidates to consider for interviews and, hopefully, employment.Considering the importance of these positions, it’s no wonder a well-written accounting resume that tells them, on no uncertain terms, that you are truly the best fit for the job, is crucial.
An account resume, like any resume in a specific profeional field, needs to be absolutely focused.Accounting skills, experience and education need to be spotlighted in a profeional manner.If you have worked in the field of accounting in the past, your work experience, accomplishments and skills needs to be listed right away.If you’re new to the field or changing careers, your degree, any important coursework, abilities – including aptitude for accounting software packages – should be listed first.Either way, you need to be sure to sell yourself based on your accounting skills right up front.It’s true that many employers only read the first half of a resume before making a decision, while others may read the whole thing but only in a cursory manner.Either way, coming out of the gate strong is vital to getting that interview.
Here is a sample of a resume for an experienced accounting profeional:
Linda Johnson
13 Raven Lane
Brisbane, Australia
Phone: (02) #### ####
Email: YourEmail [@] YourISP.com
Objective: To further my career in the accounting field by becoming a major contributor to a top ranked firm.
Experience:
Auditor: Lewis, Jones and Mullen, Brisbane, 2007-Present
Performed 15 annual audits for key busine clients.Responsible for all audit tasks.
Aisted company controller on internal audit to increase profitability by 5%
Prepared yearly financial statements for busine clients In 2010, led a group of five aistant auditors in knowledge transfer and training.All five were promoted.
Audit Aistant: Brisbane Pro Audit, Brisbane, 2005-2007
Aisted senior auditors on client engagements
Worked on a team tasked to improve busine proce by streamlining the balance sheet reporting procedures.
Completed financial statements and performed tax work for busine and personal clients.
Promoted from staff accountant to aistant auditor after only six months with the company
Staff Accountant: Wolfe and Wilkins, Brisbane, 2005
Aisted senior accountants in preparation and filing of taxes Performed bank reconciliation and general ledger tasks for busine clients
Intern: Wolfe and Wilkins, Brisbane, 2004-2005
Hired as a staff accountant after a succeful internship where all staff favourably evaluated my performance.
Aisted staff accountants with tax work
Help auditors prepare files and paperwork for client engagements Skills:
Adept at all facets of client engagements and audits
Proficient with several accounting software packages, including Peachtree, Quickbooks, InstaAudit and AAS Prime Audit 2010
Excellent at multitasking, proven leader, good worker under preure of an audit deadline.
First rate communication skills, written and oral
Education:
Bachelors in Accounting, 2005, Ford University, Brisbane
Recipient of Ford Medal of Excellence in Accounting
Member in good standing, Australia Aociation of Accountants
In the example above, Linda Johnson is an experienced profeional with a university degree and many years of real world work experience under her belt.Since this is the case, she lists her work experience first and in reverse chronological order.The big achievements and duties are right up front for all to see.Something else you’ll notice is that she lists achievements where she is able to instead of just writing a bland list of past duties.After all, “In 2010, led a group of five aistant auditors in knowledge transfer and training.All five were promoted” sounds much better than simply writing, “Audit Team Manager,” doesn’t it?
Now let’s take a look at how Linda would have writing her resume when she was just starting out, still working as an intern and looking for her first job in the field of accounting:
Linda Johnson
451 Smith Road, Apt #112
Brisbane, Australia
Phone: (02) #### ####
Email: YourEmail [@] YourISP.com
Objective: To use my Bachelors in Accounting from Ford University, along with the knowledge gained at my current internship, to secure an entry level position in the field of accounting.
Education:
Currently working toward my Bachelors in Accounting, at Ford University, Brisbane.Expecting graduation: May 2005.Recipient of Ford Medal of Excellence in AccountingSix-time honours recipient for scholastic achievementMember in good standing, Australia Aociation of Accountants, Junior DivisionChair of Young Accountants of Australia, Brisbane ChapterMath tutor for three freshmen per term
Experience:
Intern: Wolfe and Wilkins, Brisbane, 2004-Present
Aist staff accountants with tax work
Help auditors prepare files and paperwork for client engagements Clerk: Revenue Office, Ford University, Brisbane, 2002-2004
Part time job during university
Aisted office staff with payables, receivables, ledger and some payroll work
Skills:
Good at multitasking: still able to achieve honours with coursework, tutoring, part time job, extracurricular activities and, later, my internship.
Excellent at working on a team.
Eager to learn; I relish the opportunity to gain knowledge by working with skilled profeions, such as at my internship. Very good computer skills, able to learn new software packages quickly.
As you can see, Linda’s accounting resume changes depending on whether she is experienced in the field of accounting or just starting out.The constant is that she makes sure to stre her strongest points first.As a student, her strongest points were her coursework, excellent scholastic achievements and her internship.As a seasoned accounting pro, her years in the field and work experience clearly set her apart, so those were streed.Throughout both, she was sure to convey herself as a profeional who knew the accounting field.
Profeional resumes must be target to the job at hand and the field of work in particular.Companies will pay very close attention to resumes, with this attention to detail growing the further up the profeional scale you go.With a job like an accountant, where you’re dealing with large sums of money and the level of responsibility is great, human resources staff will take extra care with your resume.Make sure you give yourself every advantage by using profeional language unique to your field and streing your greatest strengths right away.Use these examples as a starting point for your accounting resume and you’ll be on your way to an interview for the account job of your dreams.
