functional resume accounting

Crafting a Functional Resume for Accounting Jobs

Optimize your accounting job search with a functional resume that highlights skills and experience effectively, tailored for specific roles.

A well-crafted resume is essential for standing out in the competitive field of accounting. A functional resume can effectively highlight your skills and experience, making you an attractive candidate. This format emphasizes abilities over chronological work history, which can be advantageous for those with diverse experiences or career gaps.

Key Components of a Functional Resume

A functional resume emphasizes skills and competencies, making it ideal for accounting professionals. Start with a summary statement that encapsulates your professional identity, highlighting your proficiency in accounting principles and any specialized areas such as tax accounting or auditing. A concise summary can capture the attention of hiring managers, setting the stage for the rest of your resume.

The skills section is where you can truly shine. Organize this part into categories reflecting core competencies required in accounting roles. For instance, include sections on financial analysis, regulatory compliance, and software proficiency. List specific skills such as proficiency in QuickBooks, SAP, or Microsoft Excel, and provide context or examples of how you have applied these skills in past roles. This approach demonstrates your capabilities and aligns them with the demands of the accounting industry.

Education and certifications are also integral. While the focus is on skills, your educational background and any relevant certifications, such as a CPA or CMA, should be prominently displayed. Include institution names, dates of attendance, and any honors or distinctions received.

Highlighting Accounting Skills

Showcasing your unique skill set can set you apart from other candidates. Highlight both technical and soft skills relevant to the accounting profession. Technical skills include expertise in cost accounting, budget preparation, and financial forecasting. Demonstrating proficiency in these areas indicates your ability to contribute to the financial health of an organization.

Equally important are soft skills like attention to detail, analytical thinking, and effective communication. These competencies enable you to interpret complex financial data, draw meaningful conclusions, and present findings clearly. Employers seek candidates who can provide insights that drive strategic decision-making. Weaving these soft skills into your resume narrative can paint a comprehensive picture of your professional capabilities.

Incorporate examples that illustrate your skills in action. Perhaps you developed a financial reporting system that improved accuracy or spearheaded a project resulting in significant cost savings. These anecdotes provide concrete evidence of your expertise and can make your resume more memorable to hiring managers. By framing your skills with real-world applications, you demonstrate not just ability but also initiative and impact.

Showcasing Relevant Experience

Effectively showcasing your relevant experience is paramount. This section should integrate with the skills you have highlighted, painting a cohesive picture of your professional journey. Select experiences that align closely with the requirements of the accounting roles you are targeting. These experiences should demonstrate your ability to apply your skills in real-world settings, adding depth to the qualifications you have outlined.

Curate your experiences to emphasize contributions and achievements. Instead of merely listing job titles and duties, focus on the impact you had in each role. For instance, if you helped streamline a company’s month-end closing process, detail the outcomes and efficiencies gained. By quantifying your achievements—such as reducing time spent on reconciliations by 20%—you provide tangible evidence of your effectiveness to potential employers. This approach highlights your experience and problem-solving abilities.

Consider how each experience ties back to the skills and competencies you’ve detailed earlier. Whether you have led a team through an audit, implemented new accounting software, or managed financial reporting for a large corporation, these experiences should reinforce the skills you bring to the table. This cohesive storytelling can make your resume more compelling and memorable.

Tailoring for Specific Roles

Tailoring your functional resume to specific roles can enhance your appeal to potential employers. Begin with a deep understanding of the job description and the organization’s needs. By analyzing the listed responsibilities and qualifications, you can identify the particular skills and experiences most relevant to the position. This insight allows you to emphasize those aspects of your background that align with the employer’s priorities, creating a targeted narrative that resonates with hiring managers.

For example, if the role emphasizes financial planning and analysis, highlight your background in budgeting, forecasting, and financial modeling. If the position requires expertise in regulatory compliance, draw attention to your knowledge of industry standards and any experience with audits or compliance reviews. This targeted approach increases the relevance of your resume and demonstrates your genuine interest in the role and organization.

Formatting Tips for Clarity

A well-organized resume is about both content and presentation. The design of your functional resume should facilitate easy navigation for hiring managers, allowing them to quickly identify relevant information. Select a clean, professional font like Arial or Calibri, and maintain a consistent font size throughout. Clear section headings and appropriate use of white space enhance visual appeal and make the document less daunting to read.

Consistency in formatting is important. Use bullet points to list skills and achievements, making them stand out and easier to digest. Align text uniformly, and ensure that margins are balanced to create a polished look. Highlight key sections, such as your skills and experience, using bold or italic fonts, but do so sparingly to maintain a professional appearance. This attention to detail in formatting can reflect positively on you, suggesting meticulousness and organization—qualities prized in accounting professionals.

Consider using digital tools to enhance your resume’s presentation. Software like Canva or Microsoft Word offers templates that can simplify the formatting process while ensuring a modern, professional look. These tools often provide customizable options, allowing you to tailor the design to suit the specific role or industry you’re targeting. By leveraging these resources, you can create a visually appealing resume that effectively communicates your qualifications and stands out in a crowded field.

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• • Led a team in conducting thorough analysis and preparation of monthly and quarterly financial statements, reducing reporting timelines by 25%
• • Spearheaded lease and fixed asset accounting initiatives under ASC 842, ensuring full compliance and improving the accuracy of financial records
• • Collaborated with senior management to track and report on client project labor costs, optimizing resource allocation for 10+ major projects
• • Implemented new SOX compliance strategies that improved internal control mechanisms by 30%, recognized by the internal audit team
• • Engaged with external auditors to provide necessary financial data, streamlining the audit process and enhancing transparency
• • Coordinated with the offshore team to manage fixed assets totaling over $50 million, maintaining accurate and up-to-date records
• • Managed balance sheet reconciliations, resulting in a 15% reduction in discrepancies and improved financial accuracy
• • Assisted in translating complex contract terms to relevant accounting principles, affecting the financial representation of $30 million in contracts
• • Participated in special projects to drive continuous improvement, leading to a 20% increase in departmental efficiencies
• • Conducted comprehensive compliance reporting and advised on SOX implementation across new business lines
• • Actively built relationships with key finance and non-finance business partners to enhance inter-departmental collaboration
• • Played a pivotal role in the monthly book close process, increasing analytical insights and reducing errors by 10%
• • Reviewed balance sheet reconciliations and preparation, directly contributing to a 5% improvement in month-end close timelines
• • Facilitated compliance reporting and maintained high standards of SOX adherence, recognized by department leadership
• • Initiated key improvements to the internal reporting system, resulting in enhanced data integrity and reporting capabilities

10 Functional Accounting Resume Examples & Guide for 2024

Functional accounting handles various aspects of financial management, including budget analysis, reporting, and compliance. Highlight your experience with financial forecasting, proficiency in accounting software, and ability to collaborate across departments on your resume. Consider adding analytical thinking, attention to detail, and strong communication abilities to demonstrate your capabilities. Be sure to mention successful cost-saving initiatives and your contribution to improving financial processes, which illustrate your impact on organizational efficiency.

All resume examples in this guide

Single Column

Resume Guide

Resume Format Tips

Resume Experience

Skills on Resume

Education & Certifications

Resume Summary Tips

Additional Resume Sections

Key Takeaways

One resume challenge you may encounter in functional accounting is effectively showcasing your diverse skills and experiences without getting lost in industry-specific jargon. Our guide will help you articulate your qualifications clearly and persuasively, ensuring that potential employers recognize your full value.

• Utilize real-life examples to refine your functional accounting resume;
• Effectively write the experience section of your functional accounting resume, even if you have minimal or no professional experience;
• Incorporate the industry's top 10 essential skills throughout your resume;
• Include your education and certifications to highlight your specific expertise.

If the functional accounting resume isn't the right one for you, take a look at other related guides we have:

• Credit Manager Resume Example
• Staff Auditor Resume Example
• Collector Resume Example
• Management Accounting Resume Example
• Financial Operations Manager Resume Example
• Risk Manager Resume Example
• Audit Manager Resume Example
• Financial Assistant Resume Example
• Oracle Project Accounting Resume Example
• Treasury Manager Resume Example

Simple guide to your functional accounting resume format and layout

• professional experience - use the reverse-chronological resume format;
• skills and achievements - via the functional skill-based resume format;
• both experience and skills - with a hybrid resume format .

What is more, keep in mind that your resume may be initially assessed by the ATS (Applicant Tracker System) (or the software used by companies in the hiring process). The functional accounting resumes that suit the ATS:

• have a header that includes either a role keyword or the job you're applying for;
• should be no longer than two pages;
• be submitted as PDF, unless specified otherwise.

Upload & Check Your Resume

Drop your resume here or choose a file . PDF & DOCX only. Max 2MB file size.

List your educational qualifications and certifications in reverse chronological order.

The five (plus) definite sections your resume for a functional accounting job should include are:

• Header with your headline, contact details, and/or a preview of your work
• Summary (or objective) to pinpoint how your success aligns with the role
• Experience with bullets of your most relevant achievements in the field
• Skills to integrate vital job requirements (both technical and personal)
• Your further dedication to the field, showcased via relevant higher education and/or certifications

What recruiters want to see on your resume:

• Demonstrated proficiency in accounting software (e.g., QuickBooks, SAP, Oracle)
• Strong understanding of financial regulations and tax laws
• Relevant certifications (e.g., CPA, CMA, ACCA)
• Experience in budgeting, financial reporting, and analysis
• Detail-oriented with a track record of accurate and timely financial record keeping

Essential tips for crafting your functional accounting resume experience section

The experience section is indeed the core of your functional accounting resume . It's where you present your past and current job roles. But how should you approach this crucial part?

A common error is treating the experience section as merely a list of job duties. Many candidates fall into the trap of detailing what they did without illustrating the impact of their actions.

To effectively write your functional accounting resume experience section, consider these guidelines:

• Emphasize your achievements, supported by concrete metrics such as percentages, revenue increases, or customer satisfaction rates;
• Avoid using generic buzzwords like communication, hard work, or leadership. Instead, demonstrate how these skills added value in your previous roles;
• Begin each bullet point with a strong action verb, followed by a skill, and then the result of your actions;
• Tailor your resume for each job application by selecting the most relevant experiences, responsibilities, and successes.

We have an array of resume examples that illustrate how to optimally curate your functional accounting resume experience section.

• Led a team in implementing a new financial reporting system for mid-sized manufacturing processes, improving reporting accuracy by 25%.
• Managed accounts payable and receivable, consistently maintaining records for over $10M in monthly transactions.
• Spearheaded the financial analysis for a new product launch that increased the company’s market share by 4% within the first year.
• Designed and executed operational budgets for cross-functional teams, leading to a 15% cost reduction in departmental expenses.
• Oversaw regulatory compliance reporting, reducing audit completion time by 30% through strategic process improvements.
• Negotiated with vendors to decrease supply costs by 10%, directly impacting the bottom line in a high-expenditure department.
• Conducted detailed variance analysis and monthly forecasting that helped identify a critical financial discrepancy, saving the company approximately $500,000 annually.
• Coordinated with international teams to consolidate financial statements, which improved group reporting timelines by 20%.
• Played a pivotal role in the financial due diligence process for a merger that expanded the company’s assets by $25M.
• Developed a custom, streamlined financial reconciliation process for cash flow management, enhancing operational efficiency by 35%.
• Led quarterly tax preparation and filing for a firm with annual revenues exceeding $50M, ensuring 100% accuracy with zero penalties.
• Instrumental in revamping the payroll system, which resulted in a 20% reduction in payroll processing time.
• Pioneered a real-time financial dashboard for senior management, which provided key metrics and performance indicators, boosting strategic decision-making efficiency.
• Conducted comprehensive training programs for new accounting software adoption, leading to a 50% improvement in user proficiency.
• Successfully managed the financial integration of two corporate acquisitions, maintaining continuous operation and employee satisfaction.
• Facilitated the transition of the accounting system to a cloud-based platform, allowing for a 25% increase in remote workforce productivity.
• Orchestrated a risk assessment project which identified potential savings of $200K in operational risks.
• Optimized the monthly close process, cutting the timeline by five business days and reinforcing the timeliness of financial reporting.
• Managed the transition of all financial reporting to adhere to new IFRS standards, ensuring compliance ahead of the regulatory deadline.
• Championed a financial literacy initiative among non-finance department heads that enabled better budget management across the company.
• Provided key financial insights that informed the investment strategy leading to a diversified portfolio and 18% return on investment in 2014.
• Leveraged advanced data analytics to provide predictive financial models, which aligned with company growth strategies and drove a revenue increase of $10M in 2023.
• Collaborated across departments to streamline budgeting processes, yielding a 20% quicker allocation of resources to priority projects.
• Played an instrumental role in developing a sustainable cost-cutting initiative that trimmed unnecessary expenses by $1.5M without compromising on service delivery.

Quantifying impact on your resume

• Detail reductions in processing time for month-end closings, demonstrating efficiency improvements.
• Highlight the amount of money saved through cost-cutting measures you initiated or contributed to.
• Specify the size of the budgets you have managed to showcase financial responsibility.
• Quantify any increases in revenue linked directly to your financial policies or interventions.
• Evidence the number of financial reports and analyses you've generated to display expertise.
• Mention the percentage decrease in outstanding debts due to your accounts receivable strategies.
• State the number of compliance audits you've successfully navigated to reflect adherence to regulations.
• Include figures related to any investment strategies that led to financial growth for the business.

Action verbs for your functional accounting resume

How to shift the focus from your functional accounting resume experience section to your professional profile

If you're at the start of your career journey or transitioning industries, you might be concerned about the lack of professional experience while crafting your functional accounting resume.

How can you effectively present your functional accounting resume experience section under these circumstances?

Rather than a traditional, extensive experience section, demonstrate your expertise through:

• Emphasizing your education. Your academic background might impress recruiters, especially if it includes recent, industry-relevant knowledge;
• Creating a compelling objective statement. The first few sentences of your resume should map out your motivations and career aspirations, offering insight into your goals;
• Highlighting your transferable skills. For example, if you've honed communication skills through volunteering, illustrate on your functional accounting resume how these can benefit a potential employer;
• Detailing your technical background in certifications and skills sections. As a recent graduate, your technological foundations might be particularly attractive to employers looking to develop these skills further.

It's important to remember that employers sometimes prefer candidates with less experience but who are a better cultural fit for their organization.

Recommended reads:

• When Should You Include Your High School on Your Resume?
• How to List a Major & Minor on Your Resume (with Examples)

Highlight any significant extracurricular activities that demonstrate valuable skills or leadership.

Featuring your hard skills and soft skills on your functional accounting resume

The skills section of your functional accounting resume needs to your various capabilities that align with the job requirements. List hard skills (or technical skills) to showcase to potential employers that you're perfectly apt at dealing with technological innovations and niche software. Meanwhile, your soft skills need to detail how you'd thrive within your new, potential environment with personal skills (e.g. resilience, negotiation, organization, etc.) Your functional accounting resume skills section needs to include both types of skills to promote how you're both technical and cultural fit. Here's how to create your bespoke functional accounting skills section to help you stand out:

• Focus on skill requirements that are listed toward the top of the job advert.
• Include niche skills that you've worked hard to obtain.
• Select specific soft skills that match the company (or the department) culture.
• Cover some of the basic job requirements by including important skills for the functional accounting role - ones you haven't been able to list through the rest of your resume.

Get inspired with our functional accounting sample skill list to list some of the most prominent hard and soft skills across the field.

Top skills for your functional accounting resume:

Oracle Financial Services

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Power BI

Analytical Thinking

Attention to Detail

Communication

Problem-Solving

Time Management

Team Collaboration

Adaptability

Critical Thinking

Organizational Skills

Ethical Judgment

If the certificate you've obtained is especially vital for the industry or company, include it as part of your name within the resume headline.

Maximizing your functional accounting resume: education and certification sections

To effectively showcase your industry knowledge in your functional accounting resume, it's important to properly list your education and certifications.

For the education section , ensure you include:

• Higher education degrees pertinent to the industry or those at a postgraduate level;
• The start and end dates of your education, along with the name of the institution you graduated from;
• Your GPA and relevant coursework, but only if they are impressive and applicable to the role.

Additionally, create a separate certifications section to spotlight your most notable recognitions. Another excellent place to feature a leading industry certificate is in your resume header, right after your name.

Below is a list of key industry certifications that are often sought after by recruiters

The top 5 certifications for your functional accounting resume:

• Certified Public Accountant (CPA) - American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
• Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) - CFA Institute
• Certified Management Accountant (CMA) - Institute of Management Accountants (IMA)
• Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) - Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA)
• Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) - American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)

List all your relevant higher education degrees within your resume in reverse chronological order (starting with the latest). There are cases when your PhD in a particular field could help you stand apart from other candidates.

• How to List Continuing Education on Your Resume

Best practices to your functional accounting resume summary or objective

To start, how do you know if you should include a resume summary or a resume objective ?

• Resume summaries are ideal for functional accounting professionals with more experience, who'd like to give a quick glimpse of their biggest career achievements in the top one-third of their resumes.
• On the other hand, resume objectives serve as a road map for recruiters. Candidates use the objective to show how their experience aligns with the functional accounting role they're applying for while showcasing the North Star of their career (or where they want to be as a professional in the next couple of years).

The resume summary or resume objective could be the perfect fit for your functional accounting resume. The function of both is to highlight your professionalism succinctly. So, keep your writing specific: include no more than four sentences and target your application to the role. Here's how these specific resume sections help the functional accounting candidates stand out.

Resume summaries for a functional accounting job

• Seasoned accounting professional with over 10 years of experience specializing in corporate finance and managerial accounting for Fortune 500 companies. Adept at streamlining financial processes, leading cross-functional teams in the development of insightful financial reports, and driving profitability through strategic budget boosting measures. Successfully implemented a cost-saving initiative saving the firm $5 million annually.
• Diligent CPA with a strong background in public accounting, boasting 8 years of experience with a Big Four firm. Skilled in tax strategy, compliance, and consultation for a diverse client portfolio, including multinational corporations. Recognized for leading a tax optimization project that resulted in a 20% reduction in client liabilities over the course of three fiscal years.
• Eager and motivated former IT specialist aiming to pivot into accounting, bringing a unique blend of technological know-how and a recent Masters in Accounting. Strong foundational knowledge in accounting principles, financial analysis, and data interpretation, coupled with a proven background in optimizing IT systems for financial data management at a regional bank.
• Dynamic marketing professional with 5 years of experience looking to transition into the accounting field. Equipped with an MBA with finance concentration and exceptional analytical skills honed through data-driven marketing campaigns. Known for leveraging consumer insights to boost company revenue, which increased by 15% in Q4 2021 due to my strategic input.
• Pursuing an entry-level accounting position to apply my strong numerical aptitude and keen attention to detail acquired from my Bachelor's in Accounting. Dedicated to learning and applying the latest accounting software and methodologies to contribute to the financial efficiency and success of the organization.
• Recent accounting graduate eager to apply comprehensive knowledge of accounting principles, financial modeling, and GAAP standards gained through rigorous academic training. Looking forward to leveraging my internship experience with a mid-size firm and a passion for finance to grow alongside a thriving accounting department.

More relevant sections for your functional accounting resume

Perhaps you feel that your current resume could make use of a few more details that could put your expertise and personality in the spotlight.

We recommend you add some of these sections for a memorable first impression on recruiters:

• Projects - you could also feature noteworthy ones you've done in your free time;
• Awards - showcasing the impact and recognition your work has across the industry;
• Volunteering - the social causes you care the most about and the soft skills they've helped you sustain and grow;
• Personality resume section - hobbies, interests, favorite quote/books, etc. could help recruiters gain an even better understanding of who you are.

Key takeaways

• Invest in a concise functional accounting professional presentation with key resume sections (e.g. header, experience, summary) and a simple layout;
• Ensure that the details you decide to include in your resume are always relevant to the job, as you have limited space;
• Back up your achievements with the hard and soft skills they've helped you build;
• Your experience could help you either pinpoint your professional growth or focus on your niche expertise in the industry;
• Curate the most sought-after certifications across the industry for credibility and to prove your involvement in the field.

Looking to build your own Functional Accounting resume?

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24 Accountant Resume Examples That Worked in 2024

Best for jobs requiring a traditional resume

A professional resume like this one communicates a more formal tone, but it’s unique enough to still leave a favorable first impression.

Resume Builder

Like this template? Customize this resume and make it your own with the help of our Al-powered suggestions, accent colors, and modern fonts.

Accountant Resume

• Accountant Resumes by Experience
• Accountant Resumes by Role

Writing Your Accountant Resume

A business is only as valuable as its finances, so successful organizations are built on a foundation of solid accounting practices. To be a successful accountant, you need to be diligent, organized, and an expert with numbers and financial data.

However, to get a role as an accountant, you need to rely on a completely different skill set:  resume writing . (And let’s not forget about cover letter writing! )

That’s where we come in. We’ve reviewed countless accountant resumes, distilling what works and what doesn’t into  24 accountant resume examples that you can use to help you get your next accounting job in 2024!

or download as PDF

Why this resume works

• Our special tip: avoid any images or graphics. Before a recruiter or hiring manager looks at your resume, a computer scans it for keywords, and graphics are hard for software to read. 
• We’d also recommend putting your experience in reverse-chronological order. By putting your most recent job first, employers will see how you’ve progressed in your career.
• Include the name of the company you’re applying to, the position you’re seeking, and what you hope to achieve in your next role.

Accounting Intern Resume

• When you lack paid work experience, use relevant academic or personal projects to showcase your skills, passion, and capabilities.

Accounting Assistant Resume

• In this resume, the candidate carried out a simulated audit of a fictional company and showcased multiple skills that will help them be a better accounting assistant. If you have similar experiences to talk about, you want to add them to your accounting assistant resume .

Entry-Level Accountant Resume

• Because of your limited background in accounting, don’t worry about trying to extend or fluff your minimal experience.
• Instead,  list any work experience and highlight transferrable skills , like written communication, data analysis, and research.
• Try following a  resume outline  to help you organize your thoughts and ensure you’ve put everything you need onto a single sheet of paper.
• Once you’ve completed the outline, you can use a  resume template  to format your content correctly and make it look great, too.

Junior Cost Accountant Resume

• Using a  resume objective  can be a great decision if you’re having trouble filling the page or trying to provide hiring managers with more context as to why you want the job. 
• But please be cautious and  double-check your resume  before submitting an application!
• Imagine submitting your resume for a position at Instacart and realizing you left the name of another target company in your resume objective. Facepalm anyone?

Junior Accountant Resume

• A ChatGPT resume builder can help you highlight your past accomplishments in any roles or projects that are related to finance or show your knowledge/ability to use an accounting tool. Personalize the objective as much as possible to convey why you’re so passionate about getting hired!

Senior Accountant Resume

• You can further support your work by adding metrics to  show how you’ve helped the company , especially when it comes to revenue.
• But remember that even a spellcheck system misses things, so ask a colleague to review your resume! You’ll be amazed at what they’ll catch before you turn in your application.

General Ledger Accountant Resume

• In your general ledger accountant resume, use a credible title such as “Certified Management Accountant (CMA).” Not only does this convey that you’re better than the average accountant in creating reports, but it also shows your dedication to the career at an early stage.

Project Accountant Resume

• Ready to move your resume from the backlog to the done folder? First, let’s embellish it – use a different color to distinguish the header, and then choose a larger and legible font for section subheadings. You can even bolden them to improve visibility and make the resume easier to scan.

Senior Tax Accountant Resume

• For your work history section, use numbers (and percentages, too) to back up your vast experience as a senior tax accountant. Take a look at how Kevin capitalizes on this strategy – Directing a team of six in conducting in-depth analysis…, …reducing errors by 12%, and improving financial reporting accuracy to a rating of 9 out of 10- effectively presenting himself as an outcome-oriented expert.

Payroll Accountant Resume

• Certificates like Certified Public Accountant (CPA) prove that you possess the necessary financial skills , knowledge, and experience to apply for this role! Don’t be too overconfident though. Ensure you back your certification with performance metrics that depict you as a diligent and hard worker.

Accounting Analyst Resume

• As you tailor your accounting analyst resume hoping to get the job, include your measurable impact in expediting accounts, invoices, and response to ad-hoc request processing times.

Fund Accountant Resume

• Felix’s example is the best answer to that question. Everything is displayed for the recruiting team to see and make a quick decision. Follow this lead to boost the chances of your application sailing through.

Accounting Specialist Resume

Cost Accountant Resume

• What was your impact in similar or related roles? Tap into you quantifiable achievements, such as accuracy rates, reduction in operational expenses, and workflow improvements.

Staff Accountant Resume

• Beyond just your education section, you can include your progress in a  resume objective  or a  resume summary .
• A great way to do this is through the use of action verbs like “owned,” “led,” and “advised.”
• It’s also a good idea to  show how you’ve made a positive difference  in the company. Use metrics to strut your stuff!
• For example, did you increase revenue or efficiency? Discuss it with numbers and percentages that show your impact.

Forensic Accountant Resume

• Unlike a  resume objective , a summary statement focuses on leveraging the abilities you’ve learned throughout your career.
• Make sure your summary statement includes your years of experience in accounting and the company to which you’re applying (plus the job title). 
• Start by putting your work experience in reverse-chronological order, meaning that your most recent work experience will be listed at the top of the page.
• Then you can consider things like alignment, color, and consistency. Whatever you do, make sure your resume is easy to read at a glance!

Financial Analyst Accountant Resume

• Have you joined or started a group for accountants? Maybe you’ve written a personal finance book? Or perhaps you occasionally discuss financial trends at events outside of work? These are on-point examples of using your skills in unique ways, so they’re perfect resume components.
• Focus on including projects and volunteer experience that can demonstrate essential skills (like collaboration and communication). 
• Look for similar structures, word usage, and metrics to see how you can make your resume pop.

Management Accountant Resume

• Make sure that your  management accountant resume  shows your most relevant experience. Include your most significant accomplishments, like if you’ve led any projects or saved your company a lot of money.
• Although your goal is to show your most relevant work, having a cohesive career progression is more important. Employers want to see that you’ve been consistently working.
• Look for specific skill keywords and responsibilities listed in the job description and incorporate them into your work experience and skills section to make the best impact.

Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Resume

• To keep to a single page, make your bullet points short. Ideally, every point should be  one sentence  and a  maximum of three lines long .
• List accomplishments and achievements by all means, but don’t clutter your space with empty adjectives or adverbs. Words like “successfully” and “as needed” are generally assumed, so leave them out.
• Certifications need their own section, but you don’t need to add much more than the name of your certificate. You can include the organization that offers the certificate, but most hiring managers will know that information already, so don’t stress about it.

Onboarding Accountant Resume

• However, your  resume is not your cv . As hard as it is to break up with your old jobs, it’s for the best. The best resumes include just three to six of your most relevant work experience roles. 
• Put yourself in the shoes of the hiring team reviewing 100+ resumes. What work experience would stand out and be the most relevant for the position?
• And if you’re worried about forgetting or losing information from your work history that could be relevant later on, don’t sweat it. You can create a separate document with a “master list” of work experience that you can pull from for different jobs.

Accounting Clerk Resume

• Think of the skills section of your resume as a peek into your technical prowess with accounting software. Any tools that help you do your job better are worth adding to this part of your accounting clerk resume .

Tax Accountant Resume

• In this resume example, the candidate’s last job was as a tax accountant—the same position they’re applying to. Putting it at the top highlights what you’ve been able to achieve at your previous job.

Public Accounting Resume

• Do you hold a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certification? If you’ve completed your CPA, it’s proof that you have a license and the knowledge to provide accounting services to the public.

Related resume guides

• Bank Teller
• Accounts Payable
• Financial Analyst

As an accountant, you know that precision matters. You’re expected to be an analytical expert who can produce reliable research and solve complex legal and financial problems. So, think of your resume not only as a place to highlight your experience but also as a place to demonstrate your attention to detail and high standard of work.

Boosting your resume’s potential requires special attention to these four areas: 

• Listing accounting skills 
• Formatting your accountant resume properly
• Quantifying your previous impact
• Customizing your resume to each job

List the right accountant skills

When recruiters post an  accountant job description , it’s not unheard of for them to receive upwards of 100 resumes. With the sheer number of applicants, companies can’t carefully review every accountant’s application. The applicant tracking system (ATS) software helps weed out applicants before a recruiter reviews them, which saves time and gets rid of candidates without the right experience.

Applicant tracking systems work by using algorithms that match keywords from the company to keywords in your resume. So even if you’re highly qualified for a job, your resume may be thrown out if it doesn’t include the right keywords. To avoid this, you need to know  how  to include job-appropriate  skills on your resume  (keywords). 

What are the right skills? The right skills will vary depending on the accountant role. Read this excerpt from a sample accountant job description and see if you can pick up on the essential skills: 

Greenhill is seeking a certified accountant who can tackle every level of the accounting process, from balancing ledgers to researching the law and analyzing data to ensure efficient and effective operations. This position is ideal for candidates who are jacks of all trades! Must possess strong public speaking and collaboration skills while demonstrating initiative and the capacity to conduct independent work. 

Based on this small sample, we can create a list of essential skills customized for the job.  You do  not  want to take exact words from the job description or lie about your skill level . Instead, use the accountant job description as a jumping-off point to think about the most relevant skills you possess: 

• Accounting applications: Quickbooks, ERP, Concur, Taxjar
• Tax accounting
• Expense reporting
• State law compliance
• Accounts payable/receivable
• Collaboration and communication
• Data analysis and research presentations

On other accountant job postings, you can expect to see different skills emphasized, such as:

Choose the best resume format

It’s not just about  what  you write on your accountant resume; it’s about  how  you write it. Your  resume format  is important for ensuring that your resume is visually appealing, easy to read, and easy for the ATS to recognize. For these reasons, we always suggest the reverse-chronological format to keep your most recent job experience listed at the top of your resume, but there are some other aspects of resume formatting you need to know.

Here are some other essential elements of resume formatting that you should pay attention to:

• Resume length:  Always ensure your resume is a full, single-sided page.
• Bullet points:  Break up large text sections about your work experience with classic round bullet points.
• Avoiding icons/images:  The ATS does not seem to appreciate icons/images; neither will recruiters.
• Listing the title of the position you’re seeking:  Specialize your resume for each job you apply for to show respect and genuine interest in the job. (This is especially useful for a company that may be hiring for multiple positions.)
• Objective/Summary:  Only use one when necessary (hang tight—we’re about to cover this in-depth).

Remember these formatting tips, and you’ll be confident that your resume is ATS-friendly and easy to read for recruiters. 

Understand the elusive resume objective and summary

All right, back to the objective and summary.  A resume objective  is one of the most misunderstood sections of your resume. Most people think objectives are outdated and pointless, but that’s only the case if you don’t tailor them and keep them short. 

But what exactly is a resume objective? And what’s the difference between that and a resume summary? Let’s dive in!

A resume objective and summary statement are both short, two to three-sentence paragraphs at the top of a resume to express your interest in a position or a brief career synopsis. Both require customization and should be avoided if you don’t plan on writing a new one for every job application. 

However, these two types of paragraphs differ in how they communicate interest in the job. An objective describes  the value you’ll add to a company  and  why you want the job . Objectives are best suited to accountants who are just starting their careers or going through a career change (like from a staff accountant to an accounts payable specialist). 

A  resume summary  highlights  your past work experience , leveraging it to  prove your qualifications and skills . Because the summary relies on many past job experiences, it’s only recommended for senior accountants with many years of industry experience. 

Let’s work through a few examples together, so you can better understand all the moving parts: 

Poor resume objective:  Years of experience in the industry, looking for a full-time job in the accounting field with benefits. 

• There are multiple issues at play here. First, it’s uninformative. The applicant doesn’t list anything that provides concrete evidence of their skills. Secondly, it’s not specific. They don’t mention a particular job title, applicable skills, or the company to which they’re applying. Lastly, this candidate is only focused on what the job will do  for   them . You need to mention why you’ll be an asset to the company, not what the job will provide for you personally.

Better resume objective:  Detailed junior accountant with 4+ years of experience working for Big Four accounting firms. Seeking an opportunity as a staff accountant at a smaller-scale operation like Fender Co., where my specializations in optimizing pricing through software adoption and systems streamlining would positively impact sales. 

• This resume objective makes the case that the applicant is valuable to the company by highlighting relevant skills and years of experience. Furthermore, it’s customized to the specific job the candidate is seeking, which is a major green flag for employers. 

Poor summary statement:  Experience as an accountant for 3 businesses. My role, which was providing organized, detailed work for all 3 companies, positively impacted the companies. 

• This statement is vague and confusing, not to mention it’s poorly worded. Would you trust this person with your company’s financial accounts? 

Better summary statement:  Data-driven certified accountant with specialized work in small and mid-size businesses for 22 years. Dedicated to providing services that adhere to GAAP standards while optimizing operations and financial performance. Expertise in many types of accounting software relevant to business size, including Xero, QuickBooks, Zoho, and SAP. Experience supervising and collaborating across cross-functional teams and departments while increasing ROI by 5%+ YTD. 

• This summary statement provides specific metrics, specialized skills, and a job title. It’s a great example of a strong statement that would impress a hiring team. 

Quantify your positive impact as an accountant

If you want to prove to a company that you’re an excellent accountant, you’ll want to focus on numbers. Quantifying your impact on your accountant resume provides concrete proof that you’re an asset to the company.

Fortunately, as an accountant, there are many ways to quantify your impact, such as:

• Internal company operations:  Have you worked with company executives to propose financial incentives to improve employee retention? Have you instituted software adoption that reduced error rates? 
• Leadership:  Do you manage, mentor, or collaborate with a team? Do you work across several departments? 
• Work with vendors:  Do you assess vendor invoicing or review vendor statements? Do you manage accounts payable for vendors? 
• Clients:  How many clients do you advise if you work with individual clients? How long have you retained these clients? 
• Revenue:  How much revenue does the company you work for generate? How many assets do you oversee? How much have you saved in potential penalty costs? 
• Reductions in error rates:  Have you reduced errors during employment at your past jobs? Do you use specific types of software to minimize mistakes? 

Based on the above, check out these examples that demonstrate how metrics can fuel your bullet points: 

• Proactively identified and communicated potential problem areas related to a client’s reporting issue, saving the client $2K+ in penalty fees
• Supported management in executing an employee equity compensation plan to improve employee retention by 11%
• Led a team of 2 junior accountants, providing mentorship and feedback through weekly 1:1 sessions
• Reconciled vendor statements in QuickBooks, investigating and correcting any discrepancies within 48 hours 

Optimize your accountant resume for each job

Unfortunately, you can’t just have one copy of your resume that you submit for every accountant job application. Every application deserves a tailored resume.

With the job description in view, these are the areas you’ll need to pay special attention to:

• Objective/summary statement:  Remember how we encouraged you to include specific company names? One of an applicant’s worst mistakes is failing to change the company name on multiple job applications. Make sure you read over your statement (if included) before submitting your resume, changing the job title, skills, and company name.
• Skills:  To customize your skills section, read the job description. Often, hiring managers will overtly say what skills are important for the specific accounting job (but be careful not to plagiarize). 
• Job description bullet points:  Are you applying to a job that needs you to interface with clients? Or maybe you’ll be working behind the scenes with data? Think about how you can shift how you discuss your work experience to highlight what’s important for each particular job. 

We know it’s frustrating to focus on customizations when you want to submit multiple applications in a short amount of time. Consider creating a document with a master list of job description bullet points and skills, sorted into groups based on the skills you need to highlight (e.g., one section that demonstrates your accuracy, another for client interactions, another for public speaking, etc.). Then, you can pick and pull things from this document to create fully customized resumes in no time. 

For now, we think you’ll find something to help you get started on your accountant resume, no matter the exact role: 

Accountant resume 

• Do you have experience in general ledger (GL) accounting? 
• Remember, you don’t need to include all of these accounting skills in each position, but they must be covered at least once somewhere on your accountant resume. 

Senior accountant resume 

• Underscore things like extensive improvements in efficiency rates, accuracy, and year-to-year financial growth. 
• Have you collaborated with upper management to set company-wide standards or implement internal policies or financial work incentives? 
• Highlight your ability to step into leadership and mentorship roles. 

Accounts payable resume 

• Hone in on what matters by discussing payment processing and review, tracking business expenses (such as vendor invoices), and ensuring GL and GAAP compliance. 
• Highlight your attention to detail and how it has saved revenue for companies you’ve worked for in the past.

Entry-level accountant resume 

• You can leverage almost any job position to highlight particularly relevant skills in accounting. For example, a restaurant server can still balance payments, check receipts against bills, etc. 
• Read the job description carefully, noting what skills are most important to the hiring team and emphasizing your capacity to work in accounting based on their requirements. 

Staff accountant resume

• Your staff accountant resume should focus on general ledger maintenance/oversight, tax revenue billing, accounts payable/receivable, reports, and general record-keeping. 
• Don’t forget to showcase your potential for job advancement down the road by highlighting any aspects in which you provided management/supervisory work. 

Final takeaway for improving your accountant resume

The hardest part of writing your accountant resume is getting started, so congratulate yourself on starting your resume journey! You’re one step closer to creating your best-ever accounting resume. We’ve laid out all the essential tips, including optimizing your skills section, formatting, metrics, and resume customizations, so you can write an amazing resume in no time. 

We also have a host of tools to make resume writing easier. See how your resume stacks up against our AI-powered tips. Or, if it’s time to  write your resume  for the first time, you can use our  resume builder  with built-in formatting standards and corresponding recommendations to keep the process stress-free, easy, and quick—leaving you time also to craft a killer  accountant cover letter  for your dream role. 

No matter what stage you’re at, we’re here to help, and we wish you the best of success!