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Accounting assistant skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Alex Yen Ph.D.,

Lynne Zelenski Ph.D.

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical accounting assistant skills. We ranked the top skills for accounting assistants based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 13.0% of accounting assistant resumes contained data entry as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills an accounting assistant needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 accounting assistant skills for your resume and career

1. Data Entry

Data entry means entering data into a company's system with the help of a keyboard. A person responsible for entering data may also be asked to verify the authenticity of the data being entered. A person doing data entry must pay great attention to tiny details.

Here's how accounting assistants use data entry:

Processed weekly reimbursements for employees Other responsibilities: data entry, alphabetical and numerical filing, photocopying, administrative duties.
Provided technical assistance with the preparation and data entry of annual budget information.

2. Customer Service

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.

Here's how accounting assistants use customer service:

Provided quality customer service to external/internal customers
Performed general bookkeeping, accounting and administrative functions with the ability to work quickly and efficiently while providing excellent customer service.

3. Reconciliations

Here's how accounting assistants use reconciliations:

Supported senior leadership, preparing financial and administrative reports while completing monthly, quarterly and annual bank reconciliations.
Assist administrative staff with corporate purchasing card reconciliations and corporate travel administration, including expense report processing.

4. Purchase Orders

Here's how accounting assistants use purchase orders:

Reviewed supporting documentation including purchase orders for accuracy, completeness and required approvals and entered data into accounting system.
Reviewed all necessary invoice requests ensuring validity of pricing and consistency with purchase orders.

5. Credit Card Payments

Here's how accounting assistants use credit card payments:

Consolidate credit-card payments and refunds * Prepare payroll documents including associate hours worked and gratuity payments.
Prepared and processed daily customer credit card payments and provided complete reporting.

6. General Ledger Accounts

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.

Here's how accounting assistants use general ledger accounts:

Reconcile several daily key and high risk general ledger accounts identifying differences and providing supporting documentation to the Accountants for certification.
Prepared monthly reconciliations of general ledger accounts for review and analyzes general ledger accounts for accuracy, making corrections as needed.

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7. QuickBooks

Here's how accounting assistants use quickbooks:

Uploaded reconciled receipts into QuickBooks for easier access and detailed information on expenses.
Prepared corporation financial statements by compiling annual business transactions into QuickBooks.

8. Expense Reports

Here's how accounting assistants use expense reports:

Prepare end-of-month capital and operating expense reports and generate operating expense variance analysis.
Processed executive expense reports and physician payroll ensuring timely, accurate payments.

9. Bank Deposits

Any money that a customer chooses to leave with their bank account is a deposit. Deposits can vary in amounts and different banks have limits on the deposits their customers can have as a minimum. Banks charge customers for deposits especially when a teller is used by the customer to deposit money into their account.

Here's how accounting assistants use bank deposits:

Recorded payments received and prepared bank deposits to ensure accurate and timely processing of accounts receivable.
Prepared bank deposits, assisted with preparation and shipment of annual meeting registration materials.

10. Accounts Receivables

Here's how accounting assistants use accounts receivables:

Transformed the yearly/ monthly-end aging reports by accurately analyzing data and recommending improvements in accounts receivables by 41%.
Executed process improvements by restructuring administrative processes to improve accuracy and efficiency of accounts receivables.

11. ACH

Automated Clearing House, ACH is a computerized electronic network to process, coordinate and manage transactions (credit and debit) and automated money transfers between banks and other financial institutions without the use of paper checks, electronic transfers, credit cards, or cash networks. The ACH network is regulated by the federal government and managed by the National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA).

Here's how accounting assistants use ach:

Retrieved/processed ACH files of customer transactions for payroll deposits and withdrawals impacting credit union accounts.
Coordinated with Treasury and other internal departments to insure transactions are accurate before submitting ACH.

12. Account Reconciliations

Here's how accounting assistants use account reconciliations:

General ledger related assistance including account reconciliations
Researched and completed offsets with other accounting departments, including void/reissues, making necessary general ledger entries and account reconciliations.

13. HR

HR stands for human resources and is used to describe the set of people who work for a company or an organization. HR responsibilities revolve around updating employee records and carrying out management processes like planning, recruitment, evaluation, and selection processes. HR is a key contributor to any company or organization's growth as they are in charge of hiring the right employees, processing payrolls, conducting disciplinary actions, etc.

Here's how accounting assistants use hr:

Reported suggested process improvements and evaluations to HR and upper management for acquisition companies.
Assisted HR manager setting up new-hires while maintaining confidentiality.

14. Balance Sheet

Here's how accounting assistants use balance sheet:

Analyzed and reconciled balance sheet accounts to ensure transactions are recorded accurately and account balances are accurately stated.
Prepared internal financial account reconciliation with accurate and appropriate recording and analysis of balance sheet and income statement.

15. PowerPoint

Here's how accounting assistants use powerpoint:

Generated weekly PowerPoint productions of material, payroll and equipment maintenance expenses for executive and sales meetings.
Create sales confirmation correspondence for customers using Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.

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What skills help Accounting Assistants find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on accounting assistant resumes?

Alex Yen Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Accounting, Stonehill College

As mentioned above, the ability to work with "big data" is highly valued by CPA firms these days. So recruiters are looking (on resumes) for experience working with "big data" and experience with the tools to analyze data and communicate results, like Excel, Power BI, SAS, Python, and Tableau.

But public accounting is also a people business and CPA firms also value leadership, communication skills, leadership, and the ability to work in teams. Resume items like having a leadership position in a campus organization or having a customer-facing position in retail or food service will signal to recruiters that a student is developing these skills. But having the position is just the start. Once in a formal interview, recruiters will want to hear anecdotes and specifics from students about how they leveraged a leadership position into success for the organization or how students worked with others to overcome challenges in their organization or work.

Finally, and I am not sure how it can be communicated on a resume, CPA firm recruiters are looking for students who are eager to learn more and want to continue to expand their skill set. The idea that a student is fully formed and has learned everything s/he will ever need to know for their job while they were in college is a faulty assumption. Students cannot feel that now they have their degree that they can coast. The economy is constantly changing in terms of technology, new industries being created, globalization, and changing tax and regulatory laws, and accountants will need to keep up with these developments to be able to audit companies and to advise their clients. For example, in technology, the programs mentioned above that are in vogue today could be obsolete in 3 to 5 years, requiring accountants to learn new programs. The openness and ability to adapt and be a lifelong learner is critical for accountants entering the profession and recruiters are looking for graduates with that mindset.

What soft skills should all accounting assistants possess?

Lynne Zelenski Ph.D.

Director of Academic Services, Michigan State University

Communication skills, both written and verbal. Accountants need to be storytellers and be able to explain and interpret accounting information to non-accountants. Employers also emphasize the importance of leading and working in teams.

What hard/technical skills are most important for accounting assistants?

Frank Longo

Assistant Professor of Business, Centenary University

Proficiency with emerging technology is an attention-getter. We should note that the Certified Public Accountants Exam will contain three sections by 2024, including Data Analytics, Tax Compliance and Planning, and Information System and Controls. A basic knowledge will be required in each of these, and the CPA candidate will identify one area of the above for more detailed testing. This change in knowledge requirements reflects the skills employers see as most important to hire. Using technology in any of these areas can move a candidate to the top of the hiring list. We should emphasize that the job candidate does not need to be an expert in each area, but the ability to effectively use technology in one area is important. Employers are looking for the ability to use technology in information security, business processes, information systems, IT audits, data analytics, and tax planning but not all of them.

Keep in mind that successful firms performed audits, prepared tax returns, advised clients on data security, and much more during the pandemic, and they often did so remotely. This can be expected to continue into the future.

What accounting assistant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Dr. Mohamed Abualhaija

Associate Professor of Accounting, Eastern Oregon University

Accounting students and graduates possess competencies that make them highly effective and trainable in related roles. Their attention to detail and analytical skills allow them to address challenges holistically and examine the wider influence on multiple components. They also have a comprehensive knowledge of various software and technologies, which makes it easier for them to adjust to changes in the workplace and advancements in technology. Moreover, accounting graduates and students demonstrate their practical knowledge and problem-solving skills by applying academic concepts to real-world scenarios. Employers can immensely profit from their capacity to handle challenges and thrive on difficult tasks. They have a unique combination of soft skills and technical knowledge that make them especially prepared for success in different business and commerce sittings.

What type of skills will young accounting assistants need?

Nava Cohen Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, New Jersey City University

With so many employees working from home, it's never been more important to be aware of the most in-demand skills for the future of work.
Data and analytics skills become increasingly valuable. Companies are looking for accounting and finance professionals with predictive model forecasting skills, advanced revenue analytics, cost optimization, SQL programming, real-time model development, and data visualization.

People with healthy analytical and critical thinking abilities to suggest innovative solutions and ideas and solve complex problems will be needed to navigate the human/machine division of labor. It's crucial for accounting students to learn technology skills to stay relevant and competitive in the job market today. Despite their education, many accounting graduates do not have the necessary technical skill sets. As firms are looking for people with data analysis and data analytics, they hire more non-accountants out of school.

With technology leading the way in the accounting industry, it's essential to keep your soft skills up to date. All workers will need to adapt as demand grows for work requiring socioemotional (initiative-taking, growth mindset), creative, and higher cognitive skills. According to a Deloitte's study, while we've recently seen strong attention on technical skills, two-thirds of jobs will be soft-skill intensive by 2030.

Creativity is the most in-demand soft skill of the future since technology is replacing many mundane, process-related jobs. But machines currently can't compete with humans on creativity. In this constantly changing work environment, developing a growth mindset - improving continually - is an important skill. Moreover, having strong interpersonal skills should never be underestimated. Whether it's communicating effectively with co-workers or working with clients, communication is essential to the future of work. People should improve their ability to share effectively with others, which means being able to say the right things, using the right tone of voice and body language. People with high emotional intelligence will also be in demand. As our world and workplaces become more diverse and open, young graduates must have the skills to understand, respect, and work with others, despite differences in race, culture, age, gender, sexual orientation, political or religious beliefs, etc. This ability to understand and adapt to others improves how people interact within the company and leads to a more inclusive and successful company. These soft critical skills could be the deciding factor in your success.

The future of work will be about skills. Interestingly, it will be about hard skills and a broader and more holistic mindset. Employers look for more than just task-oriented or technical skills. It is our job and opportunity to incorporate these soft skills and technical skills into the curriculum and classrooms, to lead students toward successful careers and increase diversity amongst our workforce.

What technical skills for an accounting assistant stand out to employers?

Jodi Olson

Assistant Accounting Professor, Winona State University

Accountants serve many industries and sectors, so a broad range of technical skills is required to be ready to meet the needs of employers. Graduates must be technically competent in areas such as accounting information systems, tax preparation, auditing, managerial/cost accounting, financial reporting, and financial statement analysis. Also, graduates are expected to have general business acumen in areas such as management information systems, business law, operations, strategic management, and ethics. All these skills are important for graduates, but the pandemic has made the accounting systems and management information systems skills operative in allowing graduates to deliver their other areas of technical expertise.

Do you want to know more?

List of accounting assistant skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for an accounting assistant resume and required skills for an accounting assistant to have include:

Data Entry
Customer Service
Reconciliations
Purchase Orders
Credit Card Payments
General Ledger Accounts
QuickBooks
Expense Reports
Bank Deposits
Accounts Receivables
ACH
Account Reconciliations
HR
Balance Sheet
PowerPoint
Financial Data
Bank Accounts

Tax Returns
Sales Tax
Vendor Statements
Administrative Tasks
Vendor Invoices
Customer Accounts
Accounts Payables
Process Invoices
Payable Invoices
Financial Transactions
W-9
Fixed Assets
Credit Memos
Collection Calls
Wire Transfers
Delinquent Accounts
Vendor Accounts

Computer System
ADP
CPA
Process Payroll
Accounts Payable Processing
Credit Card Statements
General Ledger Entries
Vendor Payments
Journal Vouchers
Payable Checks
Customer Invoices
Payable Functions
Customer Payments
W-2
Payroll Taxes
Cash Application

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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