Are you seeking a career as an accountant? Well, you are in luck!
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of accountants and auditors is projected to grow 10% from 2020 to 2030, much faster than the average for all occupations.
A growth of this magnitude can provide ample opportunities for job seekers across the United States.
But with the increasing competition in the job market, it is important to have a well-formatted accountant resume that stands out from the crowd.
In 2023, the accountant resume format is evolving, with new trends and best practices emerging to help job seekers showcase their skills and experience effectively.
By the end of this blog, you will have a clear understanding of how to create a standout accountant resume through plenty of accountants' resume examples and tips.
Check out the following FAQs and give your accounting career the boost it deserves!
- What should be included in an accountant resume format?
- What are some formatting tips for accounting resumes?
- What are some accounting resume mistakes that you should avoid?
Also, you can click here to take a long jump straight to one of our accountant resume templates.
Key Components of an Accountant Resume
First things first, your accountant resume format should always follow a reverse-chronological order i.e. all your details should be in descending order with the most recent information stated first.
Now, let us take a step-by-step look at the key components of an accountant resume format:
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Contact Information: The resume header is the contact section of your resume which includes your name, phone number, email address, and a link to your LinkedIn profile. Make sure to use a professional email address and format your phone number clearly with calling codes and hyphens or spaces.
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Professional Summary: A resume summary is a brief statement at the beginning that summarizes your relevant experience, skills, and career goals. A strong and effective accountant resume summary highlights your unique qualifications with the use of action verbs.
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Work Experience: Each of your work experiences must include your job title, company name, and job duties through bullet points. Make sure to use the tense right based on whether it is your present role or past, and also focus on professional achievements rather than just responsibilities.
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Key Skills: Emphasize your accountant resume skills in this section. Extract keywords from the job description, along with industry-related keywords, and use them wisely in this section as well as your work experience. Some relevant skills and tools you may want to include in your resume are - financial auditing, bank reconciliation, tax preparation, QuickBooks, Oracle Beehive Migration, etc.
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Education and Certifications: Include all your relevant degrees and certifications. These qualifications should ideally be divided into two separate sections. Make sure to include the name of your degree, authorizing institution, duration of the course, and relevant coursework.
Formatting Tips for Accounting Resumes
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Length and Font: A good accountant resume should generally be one page in length and should use a professional, easy-to-read font such as Arial or Times New Roman. Consider using a font size of 11 or 10.5 in case you have a lot of details to fit in, else you can go for 12.
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Use of Keywords: Utilizing keywords relevant to the accounting field is significant, such as "tax accounting" or "financial statements''. Make sure to also select keywords that showcase your soft skills, such as "collaborative" or "detail-oriented".
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White Space and Design: Use white space and a clean design to make your resume visually appealing and easy to read. Add a touch of color (not too bright) to your section headings as it can help direct the recruiter’s attention to their choice of section.
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Formatting Dates and Numbers: Be consistent throughout your resume with the format for all dates and numbers. Make use of symbols or icons to represent data, such as a dollar sign for financial figures or an ‘&’ sign to avoid repetition or to shorten your bullet points.
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Hyperlinking: Apart from your LinkedIn URL, you can also include hyperlinks to other relevant sites and pages that may be beneficial for your target job. Always hyperlink keywords within your resume. For example, if you published a blog on ‘branches of accountancy’, write this phrase and hyperlink the same.
Mistakes to Avoid on Your Accountant Resume
First of all, avoid common mistakes like typos, grammatical errors, unprofessional email address, and irrelevant work experience.
By avoiding these common mistakes, you can ensure that your accountant resume format and content are free from blunders.
Now let us understand some specific mistakes that can lessen the overall impact of your accounting resume. These mistakes include:
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Omitting Relevant Accounting Certifications: If you have relevant accounting certifications, such as a CPA or CMA, be sure to include them on your resume. These certifications can set you apart from other applicants and demonstrate your knowledge and expertise in the field.
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Neglecting to Mention Your Experience with Financial Statements: If you have experience with financial statements, make sure to highlight this on your resume. This is particularly important if you are applying for a job that involves preparing financial statements or analyzing financial data.
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Forgetting to Quantify Your Achievements: When describing your work experience, make sure to quantify your achievements whenever possible. For example, instead of simply saying you "improved accounting processes," say that you "streamlined accounting processes, resulting in a 25% reduction in errors and a 20% increase in efficiency."
By avoiding these accounting-specific mistakes, you can ensure that your accountant resume format is flawless and it presents you in the best possible light to potential employers.
Accountant Resume Format: Sample Resume
Check out more of our accounting sample resumes:
Accounts Receivable Resume Sample
Accounting Assistant Resume Sample
Accounting Clerk Resume Sample
Key Takeaways
- Your accountant resume format should be clear and concise to highlight your accounting skills and experience.
- Tailor your resume work experience and skills to the specific accounting job you are applying for.
- Highlight your relevant accounting certifications and experience with accounting software and financial statements.
- Quantify your achievements whenever possible to demonstrate your impact and accomplishments rather than just your responsibilities
- Watch out for common resume mistakes such as typos, irrelevant work experience, and failing to highlight your accounting skills.
You can create a compelling resume within no time with Hiration’s all-encompassing ChatGPT-powered resume builder. If you have any queries, you can write to us at support@hiration.com.
