Accounting Resume Tips:
The design of your accounting resume must highlight the most important information about your accounting experience, skills and education. At first glance this information forms the image that employers have of your accounting skills and abilities.
Preliminary Requirement :
Research about your accounting career alternatives and organizations of interest before starting your resume.
Organize your thoughts and ideas into your accounting resume.
Look at other resume guides' accounting resume samples.
Avoid using "I" throughout your resume.
Resume Template
Contact Information :
Full name
Campus and permanent addresses
Telephone numbers
Email address
Objective : A concise statement in your resume that tells the reader about your career goals and/or expresses interest in a specific job or vacancy. Your objective may include:
A general or specific job title such as an entry-level position, graphic designer.
Any qualifications you wish to state up front such as computer competencies, years of experience, education, or skills such as management, organization, communication, or leadership.
Summary of Qualifications : Recommended for experienced professionals. This section should consist of a minimum of three, and preferably no more than ten, "bullet points", each describing an accomplishment in terms of results.
Example : Experienced accounting manager with five years experience in accounting. Strong accounting management skills with extensive knowledge in statistical processes.
Accounting Education : In reverse chronological order required information includes:
Degree(s) and major
Date of graduation (month and year)
Universities you attended
Location of universities (city and state)
Any certifications of licenses related to your degree
Accounting Skills : Mention all your accounting related skills which makes your resume outstanding.
Accounting Experience : List the most recent first. Emphasize your accounting related accomplishments and contributions.
Activities : You may want to list your significant student and community activities including organizations, clubs, student government, athletics, and professional affiliations. You may use action verbs to describe your responsibilities and accomplishments just as you did in the Experience section. section.
Use Keywords : Use extensively accounting related keywords and action verbs to describe your skills and accomplishments. Try to use Action Verbs when constructing your statements :
Action Verbs
accelerate advise analyze approve arrange assemble assist build collect complete
conceive conduct control coordinate create delegate detect develop direct discover
distribute edit deliver demonstrate design eliminate establish evaluate examine expand
expedite formulate generate implement improve increase influence install instruct lead
maintain manage motivate obtain operate order organize originate oversee participate
perform pinpoint plan prepare present process produce program promote propose
protest prove provide purchase receive recommend record reduce reinforce reorganize
represent research revamp review revise schedule select sell setup solve
streamline structure study supervise support teach test train write
It is the content of your accounting resume, the descriptions that you include in your skills and abilities, that determine how many accounting interview calls you generate. For example consider the following :
"Maintained records for accounts receivable and accounts payable accounts." can be made more effective by putting it in this way "Managed over 1,000 accounts receivable and payable accounts working directly with the Chief Financial Officer."
Optimize your sentences for effectiveness and use "management oriented" words :
"Gave work assignments to staff of entry level accounting clerks." can be better written as "Directed work flow, supervised and trained accounting staff performing posting to general ledger, accounts receivable and payable accounts."
A much better statement than "Seeking an entry level position in the accounting field." would be
"Seek an Accounting position utilizing my experience : "Managing a department and accounting for up to $250,000 in monthly claims."
Use as many key words and skill headings as possible. For example :
Management of A/R Accounts
Billing and Collections
Supervision of Accounting and Administrative Staff
Balance Sheet and Management Status Reports