Certified public accountant resume examples from 2026
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How to write a certified public accountant resume
Craft a resume summary statement
A well-written resume summary is basically an elevator pitch. You are summing up your skills and experience in a few sentences to wow recruiters, hiring managers, and decision makers into giving you an interview. Here are some tips to putting your best foot first with your resume summary:
Step 1: Start with your current job title, or the one you aspire to. Are you a passionate manager? A skilled analyst? It's a good starting point.
Step 2: Next put your years of experience in certified public accountant-related roles.
Step 3: Now is the time to put your biggest accomplishment or something you are professionally proud of.
Step 4: Read over what you have written. It should be 2-4 sentences. Your goal is to summarize your experience, not recite your resume.
These four steps should give you a strong elevator pitch and land you some certified public accountant interviews.Please upload your resume so Zippia’s job hunt AI can draft a summary statement for you.
List the right project manager skills
Your Skills section is a place to list all relevant skills and abilities. Here is how to make the most of your skills section and make sure you have the right keywords:
- You often need to include the exact keywords from the job description in your resume. Look at the job listing and consider which of the listed skills you have experience with, along with related skills.
- Include as many relevant hard skills and soft skills as possible from the listing.
- Use the most up to date and accurate terms. Don't forget to be specific.
Here are example skills to include in your “Area of Expertise” on a certified public accountant resume:
- CPA
- Customer Service
- IRS
- State Tax Returns
- Payroll Tax Returns
- Financial Statement Preparation
- Audit Reports
- Reconciliations
- Income Tax Returns
- QuickBooks
- Partnership Tax Returns
- GAAP
- Journal Entries
- Real Estate
- Balance Sheet
- General Ledger Accounts
- Financial Reports
- Tax Planning
- Bonds
- Bank Reconciliations
- Sales Tax Returns
- Internal Controls
- Individual Tax Returns
- Tax Software
- Tax Season
- Bank Accounts
- Tax Research
- Taxation
- Financial Data
- Tax Return Preparation
Zippia’s AI can customize your resume for you.
How to structure your work experience
Your employment history is arguably one of the most important parts of your resume. It shows you have experience and foundation in your field to successfully master the certified public accountant position. Here is how to most effectively structure your work experience:
- List your most recent experience first, followed by earlier roles in reverse chronological order. Employers care about your most recent experience the most.
- Start with your job title, company name, city, and state on the left. Align dates in month and year format on the right-hand side.
- Include only recent, relevant jobs.
How to write certified public accountant experience bullet points
Effective job bullet points do more than just describe your job duties. Instead, they should be specific and measurable accomplishments. Here are some strategies to mastering job bullet points:
- Use strong action verbs like Led, Built, or Optimized.
- Follow up with numbers when possible to support your results. How much did performance improve? How much revenue did you drive?
- Wrap it up by explaining the actions you took to achieve the result and how you made an impact.
Here are effective examples from certified public accountant resumes:
Work history example #1
Associate Auditor
Ryder System
- Assisted in the creation of the Branch SOX audit program for each of the 5 different lines of businesses.
- Related any concerns to supervisors.
- Communicated expectations of team prior to review and communicate progress through written and verbal communication.
- Managed division-wide ISO 9K certification program that encompasses over 50 defense and civilian contracts.
- Audited and updated firmware on Alcatel-Lucent RF communication products.
Work history example #2
Certified Public Accountant
Ernst & Young
- Passed CPA Exam in 1988.
- Managed the largest expatriate tax account within the office.
- Led company-wide strategic team to design, develop and launch the first online consulting platform among big 4 public accounting firms.
- Earned Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation.
- Coordinated and managed US GAAP and HGB (German GAAP) financial audits for US and US/ German clients.
Work history example #3
Certified Public Accountant (Part-Time)
The Oldham Group
- Processed advertising reservations accurately through the Admarc System.
- Prepared payroll for local LLCs.
- Processed payroll for fulltime museum employees and contract employees.
- Trained/assisted staff with accounting procedures to provide accurate account balances.
- Complied with regulatory agencies in the preparation of payroll and sales taxes.
Work history example #4
Assistant To The Controller
Robert Half International
- Suggested and assisted in implementing procedures to increase efficiencies to the month end close process.
- Worked with accounts payable, accounts receivable and payroll.
- Finalized 800+ time sheets through Lotus Notes electronic forms and generated reports.
- Performed reconciliations for Ceridian's HRO payroll clients.
- Applied the use of the Peachtree and MAS 90 computer programs to process company transactions.
Zippia’s AI can customize your resume for you.
Add an education section to your resume
Here is the best way to format your education section:
- Display your highest degree first.
- If you graduated over 5 years ago, put this section at the bottom of your resume. If you lack relevant work experience, the education section should go to the top.
- If you have a bachelor's or master's degree, do not list your high school education.
- If your graduation year is more than 15-20 years ago, it's better not to include dates in this section.
Here are some examples of good education entries from certified public accountant resumes:
Bachelor's Degree in accounting
University of Houston, Houston, TX
2012 - 2015
Bachelor's Degree in accounting
Strayer University, Washington, DC
1999 - 2002
Highlight your certified public accountant certifications on your resume
Certifications can be a crucial part of your resume. Many jobs have required certifications.
Include the full name of the certification, along with the name of the issuing organization and date of obtainment.
If you have any of these certifications, be sure to include them on your certified public accountant resume:
- Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
- Certified Management Accountant (CMA)
- Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA)
- Certified Resume Specialist: Accounting and Finance (CRS+AF)
- International Accredited Business Accountant (IABA)
- Chartered Certified Accountant (ACCA)
- Certified Forensic Accountant (CrFA)
- Basic Life Support for Healthcare and Public Safety (BLS)
- Nationally Certified Medical Office Assistant (NCMOA)
- Certified Financial Planner (CFP)