Research Summary. We analyzed 3,821 certified public 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 Beech Valley Solutions and Ernst & Young. Here are the key facts about certified public accountant resumes to help you get the job:

  • The average certified public accountant resume is 418 words long
  • The average certified public accountant resume is 0.9 pages long based on 450 words per page.
  • Cpa is the most common skill found on a certified public accountant resume. It appears on 48.0% of resumes.
After learning about how to write a professional certified public accountant resume, you can make sure your resume checks all the boxes with our resume builder.

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Certified Public Accountant Resume Example

Choose From 10+ Customizable Certified Public Accountant Resume templates

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

Certified Public Accountant Resume
Certified Public Accountant Resume
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Certified Public Accountant Resume
Certified Public Accountant Resume
Certified Public Accountant Resume
Certified Public Accountant Resume

What Should Be Included In A Certified Public Accountant Resume

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1. Add Contact Information To Your Certified Public 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.

Certified Public Accountant Resume Contact Information Example #1

Jane Moore

Montgomery, AL 36043| 333-111-2222 | jane.moore@email.com

Do you want to know more?
How To Write The Perfect Resume Header
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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
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Certified Public Accountant Resume Relevant Education Example #1

Bachelor's Degree In Accounting 2014 - 2016

University of Houston Houston, TX

Certified Public Accountant Resume Relevant Education Example #2

Bachelor's Degree In Accounting 2014 - 2016

Strayer University Washington, DC

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3. Next, Create A Certified Public 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 Certified Public Accountant Skills For Resume

  • 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.

  • IRS Skills

    IRS stands for internal revenue services. It helps many compliant taxpayers become conversant with the law regarding taxes; it ensures the minority who refuse to comply with paying taxes pay the required amount.

  • Journal Entries Skills

    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.

  • Real Estate Skills

    Real estate is land that has buildings on it. This kind of property consists of permanent improvements either natural or man-made, which include, houses, fences, bridges, water trees, and minerals. There are 4 types of real estate namely; residential real estate, commercial real estate, industrial real estate, and vacant land.

Top Skills for a Certified Public Accountant

Source: Zippia.com
  • CPA, 48.0%
  • Customer Service, 22.1%
  • IRS, 7.5%
  • State Tax Returns, 4.7%
  • Other Skills, 17.7%
Not sure which skills are really important?
3 Big Tips For Listing Skills On Your Resume
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4. List Your Certified Public 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 Certified Public Accountant Resumes?

Dr. Hassan Niazi

Assistant Professor of Accounting, Kansas Wesleyan University

Although each employer values experiences differently, some experiences on a resume may stand out more than others. Experiences that show competence with different types of technologies, especially those pertaining to remote, flexible, and collaborative work environments, are essential. Additionally, experiences as a team lead and collaborating with remote teams or providing them training are also very important. These experiences do not necessarily have to be in a workplace setting and can be acquired in an academic or even personal setting. However, relevant prior work experience is the most valued part of a resume as it provides assurance about prior understanding and familiarity with professional workplace environment and its demands, policies, and expectations.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
Public Accountant
U.S. Cellular
  • Supported auditors for ensuring SOX compliance.
  • Participated in preparation of Fixed Assets life, location and class examination as part of SOX compliance process.
  • Prepared payroll, monthly journal entries and account recons.
  • Developed the various billing processes (cost type, progress billings, etc.)
  • Maintained and supported CPA operations using JAVA, C++, Sybase and Oracle software.
Work History Example # 2
Junior Accountant
Robert Half International
  • Processed and received payroll reports and calculated overtime.
  • Provided continuity in Quickbooks while Transtech was implementing a new ERP system (Syteline).
  • Entered client transactions into QuickBooks/CS Accounting Software.
  • Worked on assignments for small business clients, organizing and correcting bookkeeping accounts and bringing records up-to-date using QuickBooks and Excel.
  • Ensured - compliance for FOB Destination invoicing with GAAP and SOX and FIFO calculation.
Work History Example # 3
Public Accountant
Bechtel
  • Processed bi-weekly domestic project payroll and monthly international project payroll.
  • Monitored the status of the A/P Hold Report and initiate resolution of outstanding issues delaying vendor payment.
  • Assisted ownership in the purchase of another CPA firm.
  • Implemented streamlined procedures to improve efficiency.
  • Provided assistance in responding to IRS inquiries.
Work History Example # 4
Audit Assistant (Part-Time)
Deloitte
  • Analyzed quarterly client accounting records for the interim period in adherence to US GAAP.
  • Worked closely with teams of varying sizes to improve communication and multi-tasking abilities.
  • Researched extensive professional guidance to develop fundamental knowledge of U.S. GAAP in accordance with AICPA and PCAOB pronounced auditing principles.
  • Worked closely with employees from Deloitte Australia to perform a half-year review.
  • Performed AICPA audit and OMB A-133 Single Audit concurrently for ETS.
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5. Highlight Your Certified Public 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 certified public 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. Certified Forensic Accountant (CrFA)
  6. Basic Life Support for Healthcare and Public Safety (BLS)
  7. Nationally Certified Medical Office Assistant (NCMOA)
  8. Certified Financial Planner (CFP)

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6. Finally, Add a Certified Public 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

Five Key Resume Tips For Writing A Certified Public 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 Income Tax Returns, 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
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Certified Public Accountant Resumes FAQs

How Do You Put Certified Public Accountant On A Resume?

You put certified public accountant on a resume in several ways, including in your name title, profile summary, under certifications, in the education section, and/or skills section.

We recommend adding certified public accountants into the heading or profile section of the resume and describing specific skills and experience related to working as a certified public accountant.

Should I Put My Cpa License Number On My Resume?

Yes, you should put your CPA license on your resume in either your name title or in the profile summary, in addition to including it in the education or certification section of your resume. Regardless of where it is added, we recommend supplementing the title by including core skills and experience related to working as a CPA.

Should You Put Cpa After Your Name On A Resume.

Yes, you should put CPA after your name on a resume. However, there is no industry rule that says you have to add CPA after your name on a resume. In fact, there are lots of places you can mention being a CPA on a resume including in the profile summary or education/certification section.

What Are The Duties Of A Certified Public Accountant?

The duties of a certified public accountant are to examine, calculate, prepare, conduct, advise, and manage financial information for clients. The main duty of a certified public accountant is to provide financial management advice for businesses and individuals.

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