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Accounting officer skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted experts
Carol Sullivan,
Thomas King
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical accounting officer skills. We ranked the top skills for accounting officers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 7.8% of accounting officer resumes contained cpa as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills an accounting officer needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 accounting officer skills for your resume and career

1. CPA

Here's how accounting officers use cpa:
  • Recorded a 1031 exchange transaction and discussed with CPA and legal console for proper tax and accounting treatment.
  • Prepare and review schedules required for firm s CPA and work closely with Principal partner.

2. External Auditors

Here's how accounting officers use external auditors:
  • Act as primary interface with corporate banking institutions, external auditors and outsourced tax professionals.
  • Developed responses to audit information requests and maintained a positive relationship with external auditors.

3. Payroll

Payroll is the sum of all the compensation that an organization has to pay to employees at a specified time. Payroll is managed by the finance or HR department while small business owners may handle it themselves. Payroll isn't fixed as it varies every month due to sick leaves, overtime, etc.

Here's how accounting officers use payroll:
  • Standardized balancing methods for semi-weekly payroll and quarterly payroll tax returns gaining consistency among four banks.
  • Analyze and record payroll accounts receivable and other miscellaneous payroll adjustments.

4. GAAP

Here's how accounting officers use gaap:
  • Guided domestic and international management in system issues and application of GAAP and international accounting standards.
  • Manage budget activities, knowledge of GAAP; provide fiscal information for entire Department using personal and accounting software.

5. Reconciliations

Here's how accounting officers use reconciliations:
  • Compiled and analyzed financial data used to prepare entries to general ledger accounts, documented business transactions, and completed reconciliations.
  • Completed general ledger and demand account reconciliations for parent company and all subsidiaries.

6. Oversight

Having oversight of someone means to monitor a process or a situation. If someone has oversight of something, they are responsible for the completion of the project. Oversight is usually given to experts as they monitor their juniors or newbies as they go through a project.

Here's how accounting officers use oversight:
  • Provided oversight over the timely and accurate processing of claims for the California Underground Storage Cleanup Fund.
  • Provided oversight and technical guidance to 12 departments within the prison.

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7. 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 officers use general ledger accounts:
  • Performed account analysis and research on general ledger accounts to ensure accuracy of balances and proper documentation.
  • Compile, analyze and reconcile financial information for general ledger accounts.

8. Internal Controls

Here's how accounting officers use internal controls:
  • Developed comprehensive training programs, established foundation of internal controls and executed changes within 60 days.
  • Developed and implemented effective internal controls under SOX 404 utilizing best practices methodologies.

9. Treasury

Here's how accounting officers use treasury:
  • Worked in general accounting and treasury operations.
  • Directed cash and treasury management activities.

10. Balance Sheet

Here's how accounting officers use balance sheet:
  • Prepared monthly balance sheet certifications.
  • Prepare monthly balance sheets, income statements, loan balance report, and quarterly reporting package to the parent company.

11. Internal Audit

Internal audit is an evaluation process that ensures that a company's risk management, governing body, and other internal processes are running effectively. People who perform internal audits must be highly qualified, have experience, and knowledge to work accordingly with the international standards and the code of ethics.

Here's how accounting officers use internal audit:
  • Prepared supporting schedules for internal auditors and coordinated quarterly reviews and year end audits.
  • Performed various internal audit/research projects to increase efficiency and profitability.

12. SOX

Here's how accounting officers use sox:
  • Project Sponsor for Oracle 11i implementation and application owner; leader of entity-wide SOX compliance; and technical accounting change management.
  • Recruited and supervised a team of nine consultants to implement compliance with The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2001 (SOX).

13. Financial Management

Here's how accounting officers use financial management:
  • Reviewed and approved project billings in the Financial Management System and Special Payment Invoices Processing analysis.
  • Combined strong financial management excellence with the ability to push daily operations to consistent profitability.

14. Journal Entries

Journal entries can be defined as an act of keeping or making records of any transactions either economic or non-economic. The journal entries are made in the accounting systems of an organization. The entries are filled with two main fields; debit and credit. The debit and credit must be equal at the end of a journal entry else it is not considered correct. The journal entries also keep the date of transactions and the names of the accounts that were affected by the transactions.

Here's how accounting officers use journal entries:
  • Monitored and reconciled various accounts and monthly accruals and prepared month-end adjusting journal entries as required.
  • Perform expense analysis for closed cases and determine if reimbursement or collection applies, and make necessary adjustment journal entries.

15. Financial Data

Here's how accounting officers use financial data:
  • Accumulated and reported financial data in accordance with generally accepted accounting principals and provided financial information for internal and external reporting.
  • Prepared and monitored operating budgets by establishing schedules; collecting, analyzing, and consolidating financial data and recommending plans.
top-skills

What skills help Accounting Officers find jobs?

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

What skills stand out on accounting officer resumes?

Carol SullivanCarol Sullivan LinkedIn profile

Associate Professor, The University of Texas Permian Basin

Microsoft Office is most important in my professional opinion, but also Accounting software like QuickBooks is important. Computer literacy is really important, especially if employees continue to work remotely.

What soft skills should all accounting officers possess?

Thomas King

Department Chair, Director, Master of Accountancy Program, Professor, Accountancy, Case Western Reserve University

The ability to develop working relationships with a wide range of colleagues who have diverse skills.

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

Thomas King

Department Chair, Director, Master of Accountancy Program, Professor, Accountancy, Case Western Reserve University

The ability to extract information from unfamiliar data sets and then explain conclusions reached in a clear, persuasive manner.

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

Janet Tarase

Lead Accounting Faculty / Accounting Department Chair, Red Rocks Community College

Students that need to take a gap year have several opportunities to make that year count. They should consider doing one or more of the following three things:

Work on honing your soft skills, which include: critical thinking/problem solving, oral/written communication, teamwork/collaboration, technology/digital literacy, leadership, professionalism, time management, organizational, and confidence. These talents are desired by employers and also will help you succeed in your educational aspirations
Take free classes offered online through organizations like edX at EDX. Even Harvard is offering free classes, check out:
Onlinelearning
Also expand your global views or overcome those challenges you may be facing by checking out Ted Talks at Ted
Look for a job (full or part-time) or internship in your chosen career field. Even entry-level positions can allow you to see how this job fits into the larger picture or you could ask to shadow someone for a day. Since I am in the accounting field, I suggest contacting Accountemps; their website is: RobertHalf Occasionally, you can also receive job and skill enhancement training through Accountemps.

What type of skills will young accounting officers need?

Dr. Lilac Nachum Ph.D.Dr. Lilac Nachum Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Professor, International Business, Baruch College, City University New York

In light of the changes described in #1, the most apparent skills would be those related to digital employment. These will relate to both new opportunities, created digitally, as well as the transformation of brick and mortar jobs online. The former requires skills such as online management of supply chains, digital marketing, online sale, and the likes. These new jobs might require in addition to digital skills also heavy doses of creativity and entrepreneurship as new products and industries are being created and developed. In relation to the latter, the jobs themselves might be well established and familiar for some graduates but their delivery would be transformed in significant ways and require advanced digital skills related to the implementation of these activities.

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

Dr. JP Krahel Ph.D.Dr. JP Krahel Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Associate Professor of Accounting, Accounting Department Chair, Loyola University Maryland

First, Excel. It's the most basic, essential tool for the accounting professional. If you can come in on Day 1 knowing essential keyboard shortcuts, proper formula and reference use, and how to format a spreadsheet properly, you'll have an immediate advantage over your peers.

Second, believe it or not, is writing. People think that accounting is all about numbers, but really, it's less about the math (which Excel does for you) and more about being able to explain the deeper meaning behind the results. Can you explain complex depreciation methods to an audit client? Give bad news to a tax client in an understandable way? These are big deals.

Third is data analytics. Given the immense volume of data now available to firms, someone who can extract, clean, and present that data using modern software tools will have an edge. It's really another form of communication, and one that early-career accounting professionals would do well to familiarize themselves with before entering the workforce.
Do you want to know more?
Read more about what experts have to say about accounting officer

List of accounting officer skills to add to your resume

Accounting officer skills

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

  • CPA
  • External Auditors
  • Payroll
  • GAAP
  • Reconciliations
  • Oversight
  • General Ledger Accounts
  • Internal Controls
  • Treasury
  • Balance Sheet
  • Internal Audit
  • SOX
  • Financial Management
  • Journal Entries
  • Financial Data
  • Sarbanes-Oxley
  • Cash Management
  • Financial Analysis
  • Fixed Assets
  • ERP
  • Income Statement
  • Due Diligence
  • Tax Returns
  • Cash Flow
  • Financial Systems
  • Financial Operations
  • Bank Reconciliations
  • QuickBooks
  • IFRS
  • Senior Accounting
  • Management Reports
  • Financial Reports
  • Accounts Receivables
  • Bank Accounts
  • Human Resources
  • Direct Reports
  • Financial Transactions
  • Transfer Pricing
  • Variance Analysis
  • ACH
  • Risk Management
  • Bank Statements
  • Accounts Payables
  • Grants Management
  • Wire Transfers
  • IPO
  • Regulatory Reports
  • FDIC
  • Audit Schedules
  • IRS

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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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