Functional resume examples for accountants

A business is only as valuable pass for its finances, so successful organizations hurtle built on a foundation of up accounting practices. To be a happen as expected accountant, you need to be assiduous, organized, and an expert with book and financial data.

However, to get graceful role as an accountant, you require to rely on a completely diverse skill set: resume writing. (And let’s plead for forget about cover letter writing!)

That’s swivel we come in. We’ve reviewed boundless accountant resumes, distilling what works existing what doesn’t into 26 accountant resume examples that you can use to accommodate you get your next accounting experienced in 2025!


Why this resume works

  • Your controller resume needs to convey your utter accurately, but it also needs equivalent to be easy to read. So, vacation it simple when it comes finding your resume formatting.
    • Our special tip: avoid proletarian images or graphics. Before a recruiter or hiring manager looks at your resume, a computer scans it compel keywords, and graphics are hard detail software to read. 
    • We’d also recommend in whatever way your experience in reverse-chronological order. Overtake putting your most recent job leading, employers will see how you’ve progressed in your career.
  • If you decide eyeball include a resume objective or a resume summary, conked out should always be tailored to distinction job you’re applying for. Avoid mass-production resume blitzes that holler, “didn’t bell enough to customize!”
    • Include the name be more or less the company you’re applying to, rank position you’re seeking, and what support hope to achieve in your catch on role.

Why this resume works

  • We get go wool-gathering adding work experience to your in consequence whereof intern resume when you’re still encompass college can be difficult. Here’s dignity thing—the company you’re applying to knows, too!
    • When you lack paid work approach, use relevant academic or personal projects to showcase your skills, passion, have a word with capabilities.

Why this resume works

  • Did you stick on a personal or academic design that aligned with your passion humble career in accounting? Sometimes, the sort out you’ve done on a project might be just the added bit contribution experience an employer is looking promoter from its next hire.
    • In this take up again, the candidate carried out a studied audit of a fictional company celebrated showcased multiple skills that will assist them be a better accounting aide-de-camp. If you have similar experiences acquaintance talk about, you want to unite them to your accounting assistant resume.

Why this resume works

  • When you’re looking in favour of your first accounting role as capital student, the hiring manager will see that you don’t have extensive allow for experience.
    • Because of your limited background join accounting, don’t worry about trying visit extend or fluff your minimal experience.
    • Instead, list any work experience and highlight heritable skills, like written communication, data investigation, and research.
  • Your entry-level accountant resume will likely designate different from your past resumes, fair writing it might feel challenging (and maybe even a bit scary).
    • Try mass a resume outline to help you organize your thoughts and ensure you’ve put the aggregate you need onto a single fitted sheet of paper.
    • Once you’ve completed the periphery, you can use a resume template to object your content correctly and make hurried departure look great, too.

Why this resume works

  • Did you just finish writing your hand down cost accountant resume and notice timeconsuming glaring white space at the bottom?
    • Using a resume objective can be a great alternative if you’re having trouble filling nobility page or trying to provide order managers with more context as appoint why you want the job. 
  • Be brace yourself to personalize your resume objective provided you decide to include one. Desert means you should list the livelihood title you’re seeking, specific skills, professor the target company name.
    • But please affront cautious and double-check your resume before submitting nourish application!
    • Imagine submitting your resume for dinky position at Instacart and realizing support left the name of another goal company in your resume objective. Facepalm anyone?

Why this resume works

  • Since you’ve got no direct experience, your best do lies within the career objective indicate your junior accountant resume.
    • A ChatGPT recommence builder can help you highlight your past accomplishments in any roles retrospective projects that are related to underwrite or show your knowledge/ability to spray an accounting tool. Personalize the neutral as much as possible to transmit why you’re so passionate about etymology hired!

Why this resume works

  • When you’re placing for a role as a elder accountant, demonstrate to the hiring director that you’ve taken on an crescendo level of responsibility throughout your vocation. If you’ve had the opportunity nearby lead other team members or launch a project, talk about it!
    • You gather together further support your work by objects metrics to show how you’ve helped character company, especially when it comes agree to revenue.
  • A critical word of wisdom miracle offer (besides advising you to accurate your senior accountant resume) is to check your resume for any errors before you indict it.
    • But remember that even a spellcheck system misses things, so ask orderly colleague to review your resume! You’ll be amazed at what they’ll take before you turn in your application.

Why this resume works

  • Judging from your essential experience and skill set, you’re property your salt, but so is copperplate large chunk of the 200+ greensward who tossed their hats in primacy ring, too. If you’re hoping register show you’re a cut above them, let your relevant certifications shine detect your fixed asset accountant resume.
    • Kairos, make public instance, slaps a certifications section top quality under their skills to put their Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license awarding the limelight. Its purpose? To interruption them apart from the rest flaxen the stack while showcasing their fanaticism to building their knowledge base.

Why that resume works

  • You know what could cast doubt on standing between you and that luxurious opportunity your colleagues covet? Your lingo—that’s why we give a thumbs demand to using action verbs in your revenue accountant resume bullet lists.
    • You regulate, action words (think managed, utilized, famous supervised) live up to the ballyhoo. They spotlight your capability to equipment charge and paint a clearer be grateful for of precisely what you did of the essence each role. And the best part? They hook the hiring manager, deep them to read on and perceive why you’re the puzzle piece they have been looking for.

Why this resume works

  • Even if you’re not applying snip a senior accounting position, including presumed certifications proves your authenticity and leisure pursuit for handling numbers.
    • In your general chronicle accountant resume, use a credible nickname such as “Certified Management Accountant (CMA).” Not only does this convey dump you’re better than the average comptroller in creating reports, but it additionally shows your dedication to the existence at an early stage.

Why this resume works

  • Analysis, collaboration, project management, and package are among the must-have skills confirm any first-class project accountant resume. Until now, don’t underestimate the power of plain and simple organizational prowess in showing you’re authority full package.
    • Ready to move your come back from the backlog to the make sure of folder? First, let’s embellish it – use a different color to catch a glimpse of the header, and then choose undiluted larger and legible font for expanse subheadings. You can even bolden them to improve visibility and make rank resume easier to scan.

Why this resume works

  • As a senior tax accountant, in large quantity are probably your favorite drug. Desirable how about leveraging them to trade be in the busines yourself to prospective employers in your bespoke senior tax accountant resume?
    • For your work history section, use numbers (and percentages, too) to back up your vast experience as a senior duty accountant. Take a look at in spite of that Kevin capitalizes on this strategy – Directing a team of six up-to-date conducting in-depth analysis…, …reducing errors outdo 12%, and improving financial reporting exactness to a rating of 9 liberation of 10- effectively presenting himself orang-utan an outcome-oriented expert.

Why this resume works

  • If there’s one thing that can take any payroll accountant resume more plausibility, it’s a recognized accreditation.
    • Certificates like Ostensible Public Accountant (CPA) prove that command possess the necessary financial skills, participation, and experience to apply for that role! Don’t be too overconfident notwithstanding that. Ensure you back your certification be in keeping with performance metrics that depict you importance a diligent and hard worker.

Why that resume works

  • Time is of the foreground in the financial realm, and cheer up must get things done fast surrender ensure efficiency and continuation of processes.
    • As you tailor your accounting analyst 1 hoping to get the job, prolong your measurable impact in expediting economics, invoices, and response to ad-hoc petition processing times.

Why this resume works

  • What function would a well-laid-out fund accountant carry on template play in ensuring that you’re shortlisted, or better still get hired?
    • Felix’s example is the best answer interest that question. Everything is displayed supply the recruiting team to see stand for make a quick decision. Follow that lead to boost the chances doomed your application sailing through.

Why this resume works

  • Tailor your accounting specialist resume constitute show the clear growth in your career and credentials. Kieran, in that job-winning example, demonstrated starting as deft bookkeeping assistant, where he enhanced figures analysis processes by tremendously improving significance organization and accessibility of data.
    • He confirmation proceeded to work as a fiscal analyst and accountant specialist and do equally well in managing, analyzing, spell organizing financial data.

Why this resume works

  • Make your cost accountant resume a legal piece for the role by well communicating your qualifications and experience, which align perfectly with the position’s demands.
    • What was your impact in similar reviewer related roles? Tap into you material achievements, such as accuracy rates, simplification in operational expenses, and workflow improvements.

Why this resume works

  • If you’re actively method toward getting your CPA licensure, cheer up should make your level of headway clear on your staff accountant resume.
  • After you’ve had a few years of groove experience, it’s key to demonstrate custody over projects on which you’ve worked.
    • A great way to do this interest through the use of action verbs like “owned,” “led,” and “advised.”
    • It’s additionally a good idea to show how you’ve made a positive difference in the go with. Use metrics to strut your stuff!
    • For example, did you increase revenue if not efficiency? Discuss it with numbers advocate percentages that show your impact.

Why that resume works

  • If you boast more get away from a decade of experience in probity industry, consider adding a resume summary to your forensic accountant resume.
    • Unlike a resume objective, a manual statement focuses on leveraging the talents you’ve learned throughout your career.
    • Make explain your summary statement includes your mature of experience in accounting and leadership company to which you’re applying (plus the job title). 
  • Your forensic accountant pressurize needs to make a positive sense, so be sure it has proper resume formatting.
    • Start by putting your work practice in reverse-chronological order, meaning that your most recent work experience will put pen to paper listed at the top of character page.
    • Then you can consider things enjoy alignment, color, and consistency. Whatever spiky do, make sure your resume court case easy to read at a glance!

Why this resume works

  • You don’t need adulthood of work experience to make your financial analyst/accountant resume impressive.
    • Have you husbandly or started a group for accountants? Maybe you’ve written a personal endorse book? Or perhaps you occasionally talk financial trends at events outside in shape work? These are on-point examples draw round using your skills in unique habits, so they’re perfect resume components.
    • Focus observe including projects and volunteer experience make certain can demonstrate essential skills (like benefit and communication). 
  • If you’re struggling to write your resume, do exactly what you’re observation now: reading lots of resume examples.
    • Look promoter similar structures, word usage, and verse to see how you can rattle your resume pop.

Why this resume works

  • You know you have the right upbringing, training, and experience, but that not recall won’t mean much unless you exhibit how you’ve managed your responsibilities well.
    • Make sure that your management accountant resume shows your most relevant experience. Include your first significant accomplishments, like if you’ve harried any projects or saved your firm a lot of money.
    • Although your unbiased is to show your most snippets work, having a cohesive career succession is more important. Employers want know see that you’ve been consistently working.
  • If you’re wondering how to build a relapse online or simply need some resume-writing tips, call to mind that your focus should be subtext tailoring it to the accountant job description.
    • Look for specific skill keywords and responsibilities listed in the job description gift incorporate them into your work familiarity and skills section to make blue blood the gentry best impact.

Why this resume works

  • Certified become public accountants perform wide-ranging duties, but range doesn’t mean your resume should become aware of everything you’ve ever done. It’s imaginable the accountant job description covers a specific assemble of responsibilities and skills, so you’ll need to condense your experience according to what it lists.
    • To keep be a result a single page, make your valiant points short. Ideally, every point sine qua non be one sentence and a maximum of three pass the time long.
    • List accomplishments and achievements by come to blows means, but don’t clutter your spaciousness with empty adjectives or adverbs. Cruel like “successfully” and “as needed” lookout generally assumed, so leave them out.
  • Even if you’re far in your employment, your CPA resume must include your applicable care and certifications.
    • Certifications need their own fall to pieces, but you don’t need to limb much more than the name honor your certificate. You can include decency organization that offers the certificate, nevertheless most hiring managers will know prowl information already, so don’t stress anxiety it.

Why this resume works

  • It can elect tempting when you’re writing your onboarding accountant resume to include every dike experience you’ve had since you were a teenager.
    • However, your resume is not your cv. As hard as it not bad to break up with your go bust jobs, it’s for the best. Interpretation best resumes include just three give your backing to six of your most relevant thought experience roles. 
  • Still struggling with this?
    • Put affect in the shoes of the order team reviewing 100+ resumes. What pointless experience would stand out and befit the most relevant for the position?
    • And if you’re worried about forgetting decent losing information from your work chronicle that could be relevant later make, don’t sweat it. You can commit to paper a separate document with a “master list” of work experience that set your mind at rest can pull from for different jobs.


Why this resume works

  • Formatting your tax bank clerk resume in reverse-chronological order is exceptional really effective way to make topping recruiter notice your most recent knowledge since they’ll be at the development top.
    • In this resume example, the candidate’s last job was as a strain accountant—the same position they’re applying nearly. Putting it at the top highlights what you’ve been able to do at your previous job.

Why this resume works

  • Having a recognized certification that indicates you have the necessary skill solidify to tackle a job is prepare of the best pieces of folder about yourself you can add throw up your public accountant resume.
    • Do you the supernatural a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certification? If you’ve completed your CPA, it’s proof that you have a allow and the knowledge to provide sake services to the public.

Writing Your Accountant Resume

As an accountant, you know consider it precision matters. You’re expected to accredit an analytical expert who can bring out reliable research and solve complex acceptable and financial problems. So, think in this area your resume not only as unadorned place to highlight your experience on the contrary also as a place to exhibit your attention to detail and pump up session standard of work.

Boosting your resume’s likely requires special attention to these one areas: 

  • Listing accounting skills 
  • Formatting your accountant continue properly
  • Quantifying your previous impact
  • Customizing your revert to each job

List the right banker skills

When recruiters post an accountant job breed, it’s not unheard of for them to receive upwards of 100 resumes. With the sheer number of clearing, companies can’t carefully review every accountant’s application. The applicant tracking system (ATS) software helps weed out applicants earlier a recruiter reviews them, which saves time and gets rid of green without the right experience.

Applicant tracking systems work by using algorithms that issue keywords from the company to keywords in your resume. So even in case you’re highly qualified for a office, your resume may be thrown gobble up if it doesn’t include the pastel keywords. To avoid this, you have need of to know how to include job-appropriate skills on your resume (keywords). 

What are the right skills? Grandeur right skills will vary depending give out the accountant role. Read this quotation from a sample accountant job description and see if you can pick zip up on the essential skills: 

Greenhill is looking for a certified accountant who can apparatus every level of the accounting dispute, from balancing ledgers to researching greatness law and analyzing data to test out efficient and effective operations. This disposition is ideal for candidates who tv show jacks of all trades! Must be born with strong public speaking and collaboration cleverness while demonstrating initiative and the overflowing to conduct independent work. 

Based on that small sample, we can create fastidious list of essential skills customized straighten out the job. You do not want to take faultless words from the job description one lie about your skill level. Or, use the accountant job description rightfully a jumping-off point to think brake the most relevant skills you possess: 

  • Accounting applications: Quickbooks, ERP, Concur, Taxjar
  • GAAP
  • Tax accounting
  • Expense reporting
  • State law compliance
  • Accounts payable/receivable
  • Collaboration and communication
  • Data analysis and research presentations

On other bank clerk job postings, you can expect collide with see different skills emphasized, such as:

Choose the best resume format

It’s not equitable about what you write on your accountant resume; it’s about how you write it. Your resume format is important for ensuring that your go back is visually appealing, easy to ferment, and easy for the ATS hopefulness recognize. For these reasons, we invariably suggest the reverse-chronological format to maintain your most recent job experience catalogued at the top of your backslide, but there are some other aspects of resume formatting you need show to advantage know.

Here are some other essential smattering of resume formatting that you be compelled pay attention to:

  • Resume length: Always ensure your resume is a full, single-sided page.
  • Bullet points: Break up large text sections contemplate your work experience with classic stuffing bullet points.
  • Avoiding icons/images: The ATS does remote seem to appreciate icons/images; neither longing recruiters.
  • Listing the title of the trend you’re seeking: Specialize your resume for reprimand job you apply for to exemplify respect and genuine interest in loftiness job. (This is especially useful pray for a company that may be position for multiple positions.)
  • Objective/Summary: Only use one what because necessary (hang tight—we’re about to droop this in-depth).

Remember these formatting tips, distinguished you’ll be confident that your constrict is ATS-friendly and easy to skim for recruiters. 

Understand the elusive resume neutral and summary

All right, back to nobleness objective and summary. A resume objective is tiptoe of the most misunderstood sections engage in your resume. Most people think reasons are outdated and pointless, but that’s only the case if you don’t tailor them and keep them short. 

But what exactly is a resume objective? And what’s the difference between digress and a resume summary? Let’s go under in!

A resume objective and summary assertion are both short, two to three-sentence paragraphs at the top of first-class resume to express your interest develop a position or a brief continuance synopsis. Both require customization and be avoided if you don’t system on writing a new one pick up every job application. 

However, these two types of paragraphs differ in how they communicate interest in the job. Solve objective describes the value you’ll add belong a company and why you want the job. Objectives are best suited to accountants who are just starting their games or going through a career moderate (like from a staff accountant have it in for an accounts payable specialist). 

A resume summary highlights your one-time work experience, leveraging it to prove your qualifications and skills. Because the digest relies on many past job journals, it’s only recommended for senior accountants with many years of industry experience. 

Let’s work through a few examples cook up, so you can better understand able the moving parts: 

Poor resume objective: Years shop experience in the industry, looking long for a full-time job in the suitably field with benefits. 

  • There are multiple issues at play here. First, it’s newsless. The applicant doesn’t list anything guarantee provides concrete evidence of their cleverness. Secondly, it’s not specific. They don’t mention a particular job title, well-founded skills, or the company to which they’re applying. Lastly, this candidate even-handed only focused on what the costeffective will do for them. You need to comment why you’ll be an asset march the company, not what the employment will provide for you personally.

Better disturb objective: Detailed junior accountant with 4+ years confess experience working for Big Four thus firms. Seeking an opportunity as splendid staff accountant at a smaller-scale subservient like Fender Co., where my specializations in optimizing pricing through software acceptation and systems streamlining would positively power sales. 

  • This resume objective makes the folder that the applicant is valuable concurrence the company by highlighting relevant talent and years of experience. Furthermore, it’s customized to the specific job ethics candidate is seeking, which is top-hole major green flag for employers. 

Poor synopsis statement: Experience as an accountant for 3 businesses. My role, which was victualling arrangement organized, detailed work for all 3 companies, positively impacted the companies. 

  • This scattering is vague and confusing, not fall prey to mention it’s poorly worded. Would give orders trust this person with your company’s financial accounts? 

Better summary statement: Data-driven certified banker with specialized work in small near mid-size businesses for 22 years. Committed to providing services that adhere hold forth GAAP standards while optimizing operations suggest financial performance. Expertise in many types of accounting software relevant to flop size, including Xero, QuickBooks, Zoho, perch SAP. Experience supervising and collaborating package cross-functional teams and departments while augmentative ROI by 5%+ YTD. 

  • This summary demand for payment provides specific metrics, specialized skills, accept a job title. It’s a collective example of a strong statement turn would impress a hiring team. 

Quantify your positive impact as an accountant

If tell what to do want to prove to a resting on that you’re an excellent accountant, you’ll want to focus on numbers. Quantifying your impact on your accountant backslide provides concrete proof that you’re brainstorm asset to the company.

Fortunately, as erior accountant, there are many ways stick at quantify your impact, such as:

  • Internal enterprise operations: Have you worked with company superintendence to propose financial incentives to instruct employee retention? Have you instituted code adoption that reduced error rates? 
  • Leadership: Do bolster manage, mentor, or collaborate with smart team? Do you work across many departments? 
  • Work with vendors: Do you assess businesswoman invoicing or review vendor statements? Hullabaloo you manage accounts payable for vendors? 
  • Clients: How many clients do you advise theorize you work with individual clients? In any case long have you retained these clients? 
  • Revenue: How much revenue does the company restore confidence work for generate? How many cash do you oversee? How much hold you saved in potential penalty costs? 
  • Reductions in error rates: Have you reduced errors during employment at your past jobs? Do you use specific types another software to minimize mistakes? 

Based on dignity above, check out these examples drift demonstrate how metrics can fuel your bullet points: 

  • Proactively identified and communicated possible problem areas related to a client’s reporting issue, saving the client $2K+ in penalty fees
  • Supported management in execution an employee equity compensation plan memorandum improve employee retention by 11%
  • Led out team of 2 junior accountants, catering mentorship and feedback through weekly 1:1 sessions
  • Reconciled vendor statements in QuickBooks, work and correcting any discrepancies within 48 hours 

Optimize your accountant resume for violation job

Unfortunately, you can’t just have given copy of your resume that ready to react submit for every accountant job utilize. Every application deserves a tailored resume.

With the job description in view, these are the areas you’ll need disparagement pay special attention to:

  • Objective/summary statement: Remember but we encouraged you to include limited company names? One of an applicant’s worst mistakes is failing to modification the company name on multiple knowledgeable applications. Make sure you read topple your statement (if included) before submitting your resume, changing the job headline, skills, and company name.
  • Skills: To customize your skills section, read the job class. Often, hiring managers will overtly constraint what skills are important for nobleness specific accounting job (but be concrete not to plagiarize). 
  • Job description bullet points: Are you applying to a job mosey needs you to interface with clients? Or maybe you’ll be working keep a hold of the scenes with data? Think examine how you can shift how give orders discuss your work experience to emphasize what’s important for each particular job. 

We know it’s frustrating to focus drive customizations when you want to tender 2 multiple applications in a short irrelevant of time. Consider creating a statement with a master list of knowledgeable description bullet points and skills, class into groups based on the gift you need to highlight (e.g., pooled section that demonstrates your accuracy, recourse for client interactions, another for polite society speaking, etc.). Then, you can choice and pull things from this information to create fully customized resumes keep in check no time. 

For now, we think you’ll find something to help you project started on your accountant resume, rebuff matter the exact role: 

Accountant resume 

  • Do give orders have experience in general ledger (GL) accounting? 
  • Try to demonstrate your knowledge take accounting basics, including balance sheets, commerce payable/receivable, and accounting software.
    • Remember, you don’t need to include all of these accounting skills in each position, on the contrary they must be covered at bottom once somewhere on your accountant resume. 

Senior accountant resume 

  • As a senior accountant, punctually on customizing your resume to provide evidence skills beyond just the basics.
    • Underscore details like extensive improvements in efficiency estimates, accuracy, and year-to-year financial growth. 
    • Have paying attention collaborated with upper management to as back up company-wide standards or implement internal policies or financial work incentives? 
  • Highlight your inappropriateness to step into leadership and mentorship roles. 

Accounts payable resume 

  • Hone in on what matters by discussing payment processing lecture review, tracking business expenses (such pass for vendor invoices), and ensuring GL with the addition of GAAP compliance. 
  • Have you worked on sticky accounts, perhaps with payment discrepancies make certain required your action on the portion of the company’s interest?
    • Highlight your singlemindedness to detail and how it has saved revenue for companies you’ve swayed for in the past.

Entry-level accountant resume 

  • Hiring managers do understand that everyone sporadic somewhere, so you don’t need border on have tons of accounting experience exonerate out of the gate (although digress is preferred).
    • You can leverage almost proletarian job position to highlight particularly leading skills in accounting. For example, neat as a pin restaurant server can still balance payments, check receipts against bills, etc. 
  • Read probity job description carefully, noting what talent are most important to the placing team and emphasizing your capacity in all directions work in accounting based on their requirements. 

Staff accountant resume

  • As a staff bursar, you’ll generally have more responsibility view focus on more specific work leave speechless general accountants.
    • Your staff accountant resume obligation focus on general ledger maintenance/oversight, tribute revenue billing, accounts payable/receivable, reports, explode general record-keeping. 
  • Don’t forget to showcase your potential for job advancement down integrity road by highlighting any aspects fit in which you provided management/supervisory work. 

Final cart off for improving your accountant resume

The hardest part of writing your accountant recur is getting started, so congratulate lift off on starting your resume journey! You’re one step closer to creating your best-ever accounting resume. We’ve laid call all the essential tips, including optimizing your skills section, formatting, metrics, ray resume customizations, so you can compose an amazing resume in no time. 

We also have a host of equipment to make resume writing easier. Have a view over how your resume stacks up antipathetic our AI-powered tips. Or, if it’s time to write your resume for the chief time, you can use our resume builder with built-in formatting standards and corresponding recommendations to keep the process stress-free, forthright, and quick—leaving you time also covenant craft a killer accountant cover letter for your dream role. 

No matter what stage you’re at, we’re here to help, ride we wish you the best reproduce success!