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Finance assistant skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted experts

Curtis Nicholls Ph.D.,

Stacy Bibelhauser Ph.D.

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical finance assistant skills. We ranked the top skills for finance assistants based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 20.6% of finance assistant resumes contained customer service as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a finance assistant needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 finance assistant skills for your resume and career

1. 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 finance assistants use customer service:

Scheduled appointments and acted as a customer service representative for families inquiring upon various information pertaining to the financial aid process.
Provide financial counseling for customers declined for financing, to ensure an experience of professionalism, customer service and education.

2. 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 finance assistants use data entry:

Modified screens to more efficiently facilitate data entry and maximized form production with innovative programming techniques.
Calculate time and data entry of all payroll related information into ProBusiness payroll system.

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 finance assistants use payroll:

Assisted Business Administrator with financial tasks, including payroll and all aspects of contribution management.
Created departmental procedures manual which resulted in improved efficiency and accuracy of all payroll processes.

4. Purchase Orders

Here's how finance assistants use purchase orders:

Verified and assisted with collecting inventory data to ensure adequate stock available and created/processed purchase orders when necessary to replenish stock.
Performed administrative and clerical duties such as budget development and execution, vouchers and certification and purchase order preparation.

5. Financial Assistance

Financial assistance refers to governmental assistance one may receive for a variety of reasons. This help is typically in the form of money, whether a loan, scholarship, grant, or reduced taxes provided to an individual or organization. One of the more common forms of financial assistance is student loans, which offer many prospective students a chance for higher education.

Here's how finance assistants use financial assistance:

Formulated Temporary Financial Assistance funds to assist homeless veteran families or veteran families at-risk for homelessness sustain or obtain stable housing.
Reviewed and evaluated documentation to determine eligibility for a wide variety of federal, state and district financial assistance programs.

6. Credit Card

A type of card issued by banks and other financial institutions, that enable users to manage and borrow their finances is called a credit card. The funds borrowed from a financial institution through a credit card are meant to be paid back along with certain amounts of interest imposed by the bank.

Here's how finance assistants use credit card:

Ensured timely and accurate performance of credit card emulation and imported spreadsheets to Microsoft Access, further illustrating exceptional technical skills.
Initiated financial transactions through auditing and applying employee credit card expenses to provide exemplary customer service consistent with mission and policy.

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7. 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 finance assistants use journal entries:

Collaborated with various departments to ensure general inventory, invoicing and journal entries were properly recorded.
Provided inventory accounting support, posted journal entries, and reconciled major inventory accounts.

8. PowerPoint

Here's how finance assistants use powerpoint:

Create PowerPoint presentations for business unit directors and Board members based on financial analysis results.
Utilized computer extensively to generate reports and presentations using Excel, Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.

9. General Ledger

Here's how finance assistants use general ledger:

Analyzed general ledger accounts and other accounting details and provided information to management on profitability and other facets of operations.
Reconciled MTD report with internal tracking, reconcile general ledger detail reports with internal tracking utilizing FilemakerPro database.

10. Expense Reports

Here's how finance assistants use expense reports:

Provided administrative support including answering phones, maintaining monthly expense reports, tracking correspondence, and preparing travel arrangements.
Handled the accounting responsibilities for three divisions including auditing expense reports, reconciliations of inter-company balances and monthly reporting.

11. Financial Transactions

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.

Here's how finance assistants use financial transactions:

Monitor budgets and payroll records, and review financial transactions, ensure expenditures are authorized and budgeted within departmental accounts.
Performed, ensured administrative financial transactions were filed, disseminated, posted appropriately and accurately.

12. 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 finance assistants use hr:

Monitored expected end dates for consultants and followed up with manager and HR to confirm dates and coordinated extensions or terminations.
Ensured the productive and efficient flow of AP, AR, and HR operations across all subsidiaries of the company.

13. Financial Data

Here's how finance assistants use financial data:

Key contributions: Assisting the financial cost manager Organizing financial documents Inputting costs into the financial database Communicating with the other departments
Extracted financial statements and other financial data from QuickBooks using Microsoft Excel and provided quarterly financial reports inclusive of budget deviations.

14. Office Equipment

Here's how finance assistants use office equipment:

Utilized office equipment, including fax machines, photocopiers, scanners, and videoconferencing and telephone systems.
Operate office equipment including but not limited to phone, fax, copier, scanner, etc.

15. Vendor Invoices

Here's how finance assistants use vendor invoices:

Monitored and analyzed 60 vendor invoices/day for conformance the various policies and regulations among the university, state and federal requirements.
Processed Internal and external invoicing, financial analysis of vendor invoices and receivables.

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What skills help Finance Assistants find jobs?

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

What skills stand out on finance assistant resumes?

Curtis Nicholls Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Accounting, Co-director of the Student Managed Investment Fund, Bucknell University

The obvious trends are going to become more pronounced: coding and technology-related skills. I think we are going to see an elevation in the coding expectations. In the future, I expect employers to begin providing coding assessments to potential candidates. This is a common feature of engineering and finance jobs, and I think we will see it with respect to claims about coding prowess.

Data skills will also continue to become more prevalent across all business disciplines. Employers are looking for experience with large data sets, data visualization software (e.g. Tableau, PowerBI, Alteryx, etc.) and statistical analysis. Data has become a major currency, and employees' ability to utilize data for decision making will be critical to success in the employment marketplace.

Beyond the obvious, I think the pandemic has also shifted focus to skills surrounding resilience and motivation. I've heard employers during the pandemic express surprise at the disparity of responses to the pandemic: some employees made the pivot to remote work seamlessly, others required significantly more support. Skills that demonstrate resilience, such as group work, honors programs, etc. will become more important.
I would encourage job seekers to highlight skills learned during the pandemic. I would anticipate a regular interview question inquiring about how the job seeker used their extra time during the pandemic. The most common answers will likely include lots of Queen's Gambit and Tiger King, but employers will look for answers surrounding the development of new skills or acquired certifications. Imagine the employer's thoughts when you suggest that you used the extra time to pursue a lifelong dream such as learning to play the piano or guitar. If you missed the early pandemic window of opportunity, take advantage now!

This line of questions may precede a dangerous trend for employers to look for indications of mental strength. I find this possibility disheartening as we could see employers screening employees with mental health challenges at a time when the solidarity of a job could provide much needed structure.

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

Stacy Bibelhauser Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Western Kentucky University

Do your very best on every task you are asked to do and do not act as if a task is beneath you. You do not know who is watching, and your attitude and work ethic on each and every job will be noticed by those who are around you.

What type of skills will young finance assistants need?

Angela Robbins Ph.D.

Associate Professor of History, Meredith College

History majors are in high demand in government, business, and non-profits because of the knowledge and skills they gain in the classroom. History majors, in particular, are especially good at contextualizing-that is, explaining how an event or discussion fits within the big picture. This includes how things that are going on today-such as the Capitol riot on January 6-connects to the Constitution, the balance of powers, the way democracy works, and related issues such as the implications of propaganda and misinformation. This goes well beyond merely expressing an opinion or debating two sides of an issue. Students of history do their research and practice skills of analysis, collecting and scrutinizing evidence rather than taking something at face value or only relying on a single source. We take sources apart to evaluate the credentials of their creators and search for bias. We examine sources from various creators so we take into account multiple experiences and points of view. Then we synthesize-or bring the sources together-in order to communicate what it all means. These skills are desired by employers and translate well into many careers and work environments. Seeking good evidence to answer questions and solve problems, whether that's in the classroom today or working with clients later, is a skill that employers highly value.

Students are practicing other skills that are necessary to success in the workplace, whether that will be in person or online. Time management, seeing a project through from start to finish, hosting and contributing to meetings, working on a team-whether it's two people or ten-and creating appropriate types of presentations to communicate ideas are all things our students can tell their employers they will come in with so they can hit the ground running. In addition, our majors develop self-awareness, empathy, and an appreciation of diverse opinions and approaches to problems through investigation of the life experiences of historical figures and their classroom discussions with classmates. Certainly, every employer wants you to learn the specifics within their sector, but these skills are fairly universal and will benefit majors as they move from the classroom to career.

What technical skills for a finance 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.

What soft skills should all finance assistants possess?

Dr. Jennifer Thayer

Assistant Professor of Accounting, Socrates Award for Excellence in Teaching Recipient, Clarksville Chamber of Commerce APSU Distinguished Faculty Award for Community Service Recipient, Accounting Society at Austin Peay Advisor, Austin Peay State University

From speaking with employers in the industry, the number one soft skill seems to be written and spoken communication. Many current students need to hone their written communication skills to avoid "text speak" when communicating with potential employers and/or clients. Other important soft skills include problem-solving, collaboration, adaptability, and willingness to deal with failure and/or criticism. Especially in the world of COVID and ever-changing work environments, the importance of adaptability and problem-solving have only been highlighted. Since most work environments involve people working in teams, effectively collaborating with others and accepting criticism are vital skills.

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

Dr. Jennifer Thayer

In addition to general accounting knowledge, critical thinking, data analytics, and advanced Microsoft Excel abilities are some of the most important skills. Clearly, having a solid foundation in general accounting knowledge is necessary to be a candidate for a job in the accounting field. However, possessing the ability to critically think and analyze data and use Microsoft Excel beyond the basics, such as pivot tables, will only improve a candidate's chances.

Do you want to know more?

List of finance assistant skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a finance assistant resume and required skills for a finance assistant to have include:

Customer Service
Data Entry
Payroll
Purchase Orders
Financial Assistance
Credit Card
Journal Entries
PowerPoint
General Ledger
Expense Reports
Financial Transactions
HR
Financial Data
Office Equipment
Vendor Invoices
QuickBooks

FAFSA
Front Desk
Bank Deposits
Bank Reconciliations
Federal Regulations
Computer System
Medicare
Financial Aid Programs
Bank Statements
Financial Aid Applications
Administrative Tasks
Financial Analysis
Accounts Receivables
Travel Arrangements
Accounts Payables
Title IV

Bank Accounts
Scheduling Appointments
Student Accounts
Balance Sheet
Financial Aid
Telephone Calls
Tax Returns
PeopleSoft
Customer Accounts
Loan Applications
Fixed Assets
ACH
Invoice Management
Grants Management
Student Loans
ADP

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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