Research Summary. We analyzed 26,000 accountant resumes to determine which ones land the most jobs. Below you'll find examples of resumes that can help you get an interview (and a job offer) from companies like Robert Half and Randstad North America. Here are the key facts about accountant resumes to help you get the job:

  • The average accountant resume is 418 words long
  • The average accountant resume is 0.9 pages long based on 450 words per page.
  • Reconciliations is the most common skill found on an accountant resume. It appears on 13.6% of resumes.
After learning about how to write a professional accountant resume, you can make sure your resume checks all the boxes with our resume builder.

Resume

Accountant Resume Example

Choose From 10+ Customizable Accountant Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Accountant templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Accountant resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

Accountant Resume
Accountant Resume
Accountant Resume
Accountant Resume
Accountant Resume
Accountant Resume
Accountant Resume
Accountant Resume
Accountant Resume
Accountant Resume
Accountant Resume
Accountant Resume
Accountant Resume
Accountant Resume
Accountant Resume
Accountant Resume

What Should Be Included In An Accountant Resume

1

1. Add Contact Information To Your Accountant Resume

Your name should be the biggest text on the page and be at or near the top of the document.

Your address doesn't need to include your street name or house number - listing your city and state works just fine.

Your email address should be professional, but not your current work email address. It's not a good look to use your work email for personal projects (job-searching).

Your social media can be included if you have a fully-fledged LinkedIn page or another social media page that showcases your relevant skill set.

Accountant Resume Contact Information Example #1

Hank Rutherford Hill

St. Arlen, Texas | 333-111-2222 | hank.hill@gmail.com

Do you want to know more?
How To Write The Perfect Resume Header
2

2. Add Your Relevant Education To The Resume

Your resume's education section should include:

  • The name of your school
  • The date you graduated (Month, Year or Year are both appropriate)
  • The name of your degree
If you graduated more than 15 years ago, you should consider dropping your graduation date to avoid age discrimination.

Optional subsections for your education section include:

  • Academic awards (Dean's List, Latin honors, etc. )
  • GPA (if you're a recent graduate and your GPA was 3.5+)
  • Extra certifications
  • Academic projects (thesis, dissertation, etc.)

Other tips to consider when writing your education section include:

  • If you're a recent graduate, you might opt to place your education section above your experience section
  • The more work experience you get, the shorter your education section should be
  • List your education in reverse chronological order, with your most recent and high-ranking degrees first
  • If you haven't graduated yet, you can include "Expected graduation date" to the entry for that school

Majors
Show More

Accountant Resume Relevant Education Example #1

Doctoral Degree In Accounting 2014 - 2016

Baruch College of the City University of New York New York, NY

Accountant Resume Relevant Education Example #2

Bachelor's Degree In Business 2014 - 2016

Pennsylvania State University Main, PA

3

3. Next, Create An Accountant Skills Section On Your Resume

Your resume's skills section should include the most important keywords from the job description, as long as you actually have those skills. If you haven't started your job search yet, you can look over resumes to get an idea of what skills are the most important.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when writing your resume's skills section:

  • Include 6-12 skills, in bullet point form
  • List mostly hard skills; soft skills are hard to test
  • Emphasize the skills that are most important for the job
Hard skills are generally more important to hiring managers because they relate to on-the-job knowledge and specific experience with a certain technology or process.

Soft skills are also valuable, as they're highly transferable and make you a great person to work alongside, but they're impossible to prove on a resume.

Example Of Accountant Skills For Resume

  • General Ledger Accounts Skills

    A general ledger account is a practice to keep a record of a company's total financial accounts. The accounts included in a general ledger lists the assets, liabilities, owners' equity, expenses, and income or revenue. It forms the basis of reporting a business's financial statements.

  • Customer Service Skills

    Customer service is the process of offering assistance to all the current and potential customers -- answering questions, fixing problems, and providing excellent service. The main goal of customer service is to build a strong relationship with the customers so that they keep coming back for more business.

  • Financial Transactions Skills

    The type of agreement held between two parties (buyer and seller) regarding an exchange of funds for an asset, is termed as a financial transaction. The financial transaction is the exchange of products, services, cash or credit, information, and other things of value among two separate entities for a common goal.

Top Skills for an Accountant

Source: Zippia.com
  • Reconciliations, 13.6%
  • General Ledger Accounts, 5.7%
  • Account Reconciliations, 5.6%
  • GAAP, 5.0%
  • Other Skills, 70.1%
Not sure which skills are really important?
3 Big Tips For Listing Skills On Your Resume
4

4. List Your Accountant Experience

The most important part of any resume is the experience section. Recruiters and hiring managers expect to see your experience listed in reverse chronological order, meaning that you should begin with your most recent experience and then work backwards.

Don't just list your job duties below each job entry. Instead, make sure most of your bullet points discuss impressive achievements from your past positions. Whenever you can, use numbers to contextualize your accomplishments for the hiring manager reading your resume.

It's okay if you can't include exact percentages or dollar figures. There's a big difference even between saying "Managed a team of engineers" and "Managed a team of 6 engineers over a 9-month project."

Most importantly, make sure that the experience you include is relevant to the job you're applying for. Use the job description to ensure that each bullet point on your resume is appropriate and helpful.

What Experience Really Stands Out On Accountant Resumes?

Dr. Kyleen Prewett PH.D.

Associate Professor of Accounting, University of Arkansas at Little Rock

If full-time employment after graduation isn't an option, students should try to find an internship, part-time work, or volunteer somewhere, while studying for and taking the CPA exam, assuming they have their 150 hours. I also recommend keeping up with current events. Demonstrating knowledge about federal and state pandemic assistance programs and new employer requirements for things like employee paid sick leave, etc. would be a plus.

If an applicant can converse about some of those things, they would demonstrate not only that knowledge, but the fact that they pay attention to business and current events.
Show more

Don't have any experience?
How To Show Your Experience On a Resume... Even When You Don't Have Any
Work History Example # 1
General Ledger Bookkeeper
Integra lifesciences
  • Prepared income statements, balance sheets, and inventory control.
  • Assisted with budget preparation for each facility and monitored the budgeted expenditures.
  • Researched unpaid checks for reissue Assist with financial quarterly reviews and annual audits by external CPA firms.
  • Prepared and processed payroll for all 50 employees.
  • Executed and approved bi-weekly Accounts Payable and Payroll check runs totaling $500k.
Work History Example # 2
Accountant
HCR ManorCare
  • Ensured compliance with company policy & procedure for AP, AR, Payroll, Resident Trust, and petty cash transactions.
  • Focused on accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, computer support and cost reporting procedures.
  • Assured that all financial processes and procedures were documented and current.
  • Processed payables, deposits, invoices and payroll in Quickbooks.
  • Implemented a new corporate process to ensure that all vendors had a W-9 on file.
Work History Example # 3
Junior Accountant
CNA Financial
  • Established and analyzed the GAAP current and deferred income tax provision for CNA consolidation on a group basis.
  • Utilized PeopleSoft software to enter accounts into a general ledger system and reconciliation software to reconcile general accounts.
  • Assisted in preparation & validation of GAAP & STAT external financial statements.
  • Supervised and implemented banking procedures related to lock boxes and bank statement reconciliation.
  • Prepared various exhibits for monthly Board of Directors Report and prepared income tax footnote for CNA Annual Report.
Work History Example # 4
Finance Specialist
RSM
  • Coordinated with project managers on company policies, T&C of contracts, rates and various compliance procedures.
  • Assisted with yearly budgets * Reduced overtime to nearly zero hours per pay period
  • Created PowerPoint presentations to present the analysis of financial issues.
  • Created logs and procedures that made processing more efficient.
  • Processed and gauged remittance, A/P and payroll and ensured financial systems were maintained accurately.
5

5. Highlight Your Accountant Certifications On Resume

Certifications can be a powerful tool to show employers that you know your stuff. If you have any of these certifications, make sure to put them on your accountant resume:

  1. Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
  2. Certified Management Accountant (CMA)
  3. Certified Resume Specialist: Accounting and Finance (CRS+AF)
  4. International Accredited Business Accountant (IABA)
  5. Project Management Professional (PMP)
  6. Certified Forensic Accountant (CrFA)
  7. Certified Accounts Payable Professional (CAPP)

6

6. Finally, Add a Accountant Resume Summary Or Objective Statement

A resume summary statement is a 1-3 sentence spiel at the top of your resume that quickly summarizes who you are and what you have to offer. In this section, include your job title, years of experience (if it's 3+), and an impressive accomplishment, if you have space for it.

Remember to address skills and experiences that are emphasized in the job description.

Are you a recent grad?
Read our guide on how to write a resume summary statement

Entry level Accountant Resume example

Professional Accountant Resume example

And if you’re looking for a high-paying job, here are jobs in the top places hiring now:

  1. Accountant Jobs In Washington, DC
  2. Accountant Jobs In New York, NY
  3. Accountant Jobs In Fort Lee, NJ
  4. Accountant Jobs In Boston, MA
  5. Accountant Jobs In Arlington, VA

Five Key Resume Tips For Writing An Accountant Resume:

1.
Relevant Experience
Make sure that the jobs, experience, and accolades that you include are relevant to the position you’re applying for.
2.
The Right Skills
This is a great time to run wild with those keywords from the job description. For example, if they’re looking for someone with experience in Financial Statements, be sure to list it in your resume’s skills section.
3.
Quantifiable Achievements
Your workplace accomplishments tell the story of the unique value you bring to an organization. Stay away from dry descriptions of job duties. Use numbers to help contextualize your achievements..
4.
ATS-Friendly
An applicant tracking system (ATS) is a piece of software employers use to collect, scan, organize, and rank applications. The key to getting your resume past ATS and into the hands of hiring managers is smart keyword usage.
5.
Impeccable Formatting
Formatting a resume so that it looks professional and attractive is important. With Zippia’s resume builder, you can put together a modern-looking resume in less than 10 minutes. Just choose a resume template that suits your style, answer some questions about your background, and you’ll have a resume that’ll pass muster with both the ATS and the hiring manager.
Not sure how to make a resume that stands out?
See sample resumes for the job you want
resume document icon

Don't Have A Professional Resume?

Accountant Jobs You Might Like

Ready To Start Your Accountant Resume?

Choose Your Current Work Experience To Start Creating Your Resume

Entry Level icon

Entry Level

Junior Level icon

Junior Level

Mid Level icon

Mid Level

Senior Level icon

Senior Level

Management icon

Management

Executive icon

Executive

Related Accountant Resume Templates

Entry Level Accountant Resume Templates

Professional Accountant Resume Templates

Accountant Resumes FAQs

How Do I Write A Resume For An Accountant?

You write a resume for an accountant by doing your research, creating an outline, listing your accomplishments, and working through several drafts. There are simple steps you can take today to begin writing an accountant's resume.

What Are The Resume Skills Of An Accountant?

The resume skills of an accountant should focus on showcasing your accounting skills, along with any hard and soft skills needed for the role. These resume skills can be listed and also highlighted in your objective statement and previous work experience.

What Is A Profile Summary For An Accountant?

A profile summary for an accountant is a brief description of your accounting specialties and career experience. The summary statement is a customized summary that serves as a helpful introduction to the rest of your resume. It should only include four to six lines of text and include your overall career goals and what you plan to bring to the table of hire.

What Is The Objective In A Resume For An Accountant?

The objective in a resume for an accountant is to discuss your goals for the job you're applying for and what you want to accomplish during your career. Typically found at the start of the resume, it sets the tone of the resume for potential employers. An objective resume can be very helpful for an accountant depending on where they are at in their career.

Search For Accountant Jobs