Accounting Resume Examples, Skills and Keywords

Accountants are responsible for helping companies and private individuals keep their finances organized. Some accountants work as in-house accounting professionals, focusing on their employer’s finances. Others focus on private individual finances as independent accountants or as part of an accounting firm. There are many positions available for qualified accountants, and they have very different requirements.

No matter what type of accountant position you want, you’ll need to create a strong resume. Accountants need to have excellent attention to detail and the right education. Beyond that, a great accounting resume will look different depending on the position you want. For example, a resume for a staff accountant position will focus on different skills than a resume for a bookkeeper.

Sending the same resume to both types of jobs will, at best, lead to one employer ignoring your application. Instead, take the time to revise your resume for different positions. Hiring managers can tell if you’re submitting a generic application. A resume that’s specific to the job is much more likely to interest employers.

When you’re writing a resume, you can learn how to target the job you want by reading other people’s applications. These accounting resume examples show how to tailor your application for the three most popular accounting jobs.

Try scanning your accounting resume against your preferred job descriptions to see how it aligns with the requirements. Learn the skills and keywords to add to your resume to make it more interesting to employers.

Accountants need specific certifications and skills to do their jobs well. To find qualified candidates, many employers use applicant tracking systems (ATS). These programs look for particular accounting resume keywords. These systems collect applications that include the right accounting skills and filter out the rest. If you want your resume to be seen by a person, you need to have the right skills and keywords in your application.

Accounting salaries depend on the size of the company and the seniority of the position. Positions that require specific knowledge and skills will often pay better than less focused roles. As you advance in your career, you can expect to earn higher salaries.

Bookkeepers and accountants need to have a grounding in financial concepts. Some bookkeeper positions require nothing but a high school diploma or equivalent, but those are rare. Most bookkeeping roles need at least an associate’s degree in bookkeeping or a bachelor’s degree in finance. Some bookkeeping positions even require you to be fully qualified as an accountant, but not many.

Federal law requires most accountants to have their Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license before claiming the title. If you don’t have your license, many companies won’t hire you for an accounting job. That makes a CPA license invaluable for your career.

To receive your license, you need to meet three eligibility requirements:

• ‌Have your bachelor’s degree in a field like finance or accounting
• ‌Complete your state’s work experience requirements by working as a bookkeeper or an intern
• ‌Pass a rigorous test, the Uniform CPA Examination

‌Once you have your license, you’re qualified to work at just about any business that might want an accountant.