Resume Tips

Resume Tips for Ideal Accounting Resumes

Here are three key tips to make sure that your accounting resume is noticed:

1) Make it Accountant Like

You are an accountant who is proud of being able to handle precision work under pressure. Your resume should reflect a sense of precision in its every aspect, from language to layout, and, since attention to detail is the hallmark of an accountant’s success, details such as proper alignment of entries and bullet points and choice of typeface should never be neglected. The language of your accounting resume should be clear and concise, conveying the exact responsibilities and nature of each position you held in as few words as possible. Layout should be crisp and linear so that the resume can be read as easily and quickly as possible. Every bullet point should be properly aligned and all bullet shapes should be consistent. The typeface should be a clear and straight one such as Arial or Verdana. After all, your resume will eventually fall into the hands of a senior accountant – and it must therefore appeal to her sense of precision and organization which is what landed her the position that she now holds!

2) Accentuate the Positive

Just about every accounting resume has some information that may have a negative edge to it. Many an accountant has worked for a firm that has gone bankrupt or otherwise made him redundant for reasons beyond his control – and despite the fact that his work for that defunct or reorganized firm was exemplary at all times. When mentioning such positions in an accounting resume, stress the achievements and the accomplishments and make it clear with one or two words, such as merged or bought out, that the reason for your termination was in no way connected with your performance, without drawing too much attention to the fate of the company. Your resume is about your achievements, and most corporate failures are not the responsibility of even the most senior accountants.

3) Make Sure Your Resume Matches the Position You Seek

Make sure that every description of your skills and experience is in sync with the description of the position you are applying for – while maintaining 100% accuracy and honesty. If you are applying for a position in taxation or compliance, and you indeed have held positions that included these aspects of the accounting profession, make sure your resume stresses your exact responsibilities and achievements regarding these fields. You may have reorganized the accounts receivable department as part of a compliance project – but you should stress the compliance project, mention that you held the ultimate responsibility for it and then mention that you achieved compliance with shareholder regulations by reorganizing the accounts receivable department. If you are using the same experience to apply for a position where your experience in accounts receivable is key, reword your resume and skills to stress accounts receivable.

To be certain that your resume is indeed professional and focuses on your goals, have it read and reviewed by a third party such as a colleague or friend who has accounting or human resources experience. This review is beneficial whether you wrote your own resume(s) or used the services of an accounting resume writer).