Resume example
Accountant resume example
Accounting managers want to see accuracy, reliability and process improvement. This example shows a staff accountant moving into a senior role, with advice on presenting month-end close, reconciliations, audits and systems work.
Sample accountant resume
Aisha Khan, CPA
Senior Accountant, Financial Reporting and Close
Summary
CPA with 5 years of experience in general ledger, month-end close and financial reporting for a $90M manufacturing business. Shortened the close from 10 to 6 business days and led two clean external audits with no material adjustments.
Experience
- Lead month-end close for 3 entities, shortening the close from 10 to 6 business days through standardised checklists and automated accruals.
- Prepare monthly financial statements and variance analysis for the CFO and board, explaining changes over 5% to budget.
- Coordinated two external audits with no material adjustments and reduced audit requests by 30% with a shared document library.
- Implemented automated bank reconciliations in the ERP, saving about 25 hours a month.
- Managed accounts payable and receivable for 400+ vendors and customers, reducing days sales outstanding from 52 to 41.
- Reconciled 35 balance sheet accounts monthly and resolved $210K of aged discrepancies.
- Supported the migration from spreadsheets to a cloud ERP, mapping the chart of accounts and testing reports.
Education
B.Com. in Accounting, Harrowgate University, 2020; Certified Public Accountant (CPA), 2022
Skills
- Month-end close
- General ledger
- Financial reporting (GAAP)
- Account reconciliations
- Accruals and prepayments
- Variance analysis
- External audit support
- Accounts payable and receivable
- NetSuite
- Excel (advanced)
- Internal controls
Recommended template: Executive. Open it in Resume Studio and replace the sample content with yours.
What accounting hiring managers look for
Accounting roles reward reliability. Hiring managers look for clean audits, a fast and accurate close, strong controls, and a track record of improving processes. Your resume should make these visible with numbers: days to close, accounts reconciled, audit findings, hours saved or errors reduced.
Say which standards and systems you work with, such as GAAP or IFRS and the ERP name, because switching costs are real and employers prefer people who already know their stack.
What to include
- Credentials after your name and in the education section (CPA, CA, ACCA, CMA)
- Size of the business: revenue, entities, transactions or accounts
- Close, reporting, reconciliation, tax or audit responsibilities
- Systems: ERP, consolidation tools and Excel skills
- Process improvements with time or cost saved
Accountant keywords for ATS
- General ledger, journal entries, month-end and year-end close
- Account reconciliation, accruals, fixed assets, revenue recognition
- GAAP, IFRS, SOX compliance, internal controls, audit
- NetSuite, SAP, Oracle, QuickBooks, Xero, Excel (pivot tables, XLOOKUP, Power Query)
Mistakes to avoid
- Typos or inconsistent number formats, which undermine the accuracy you claim
- Listing duties without the scale of the business or the results
- Omitting the ERP or accounting software you used
- Hiding a professional qualification in progress; list it with the expected date
Tailoring by accounting path
For public accounting roles, emphasise client industries, audit or tax engagements and team leadership. For corporate roles, emphasise close, reporting, forecasting and systems. If you are moving toward financial analysis, add bullets on budgeting, forecasting and business partnering.
Frequently asked questions
Should I list a CPA exam in progress?
Yes. Write "CPA candidate" and the sections passed, or the expected completion date. It shows commitment and is often a screening factor.
How important is Excel on an accountant resume?
Very. Name specific skills such as pivot tables, XLOOKUP, Power Query or macros instead of just Excel, and show them in a bullet if possible.
Should I include my GPA?
Include it for entry-level roles if it is strong, especially for public accounting recruiting. Remove it after a few years of experience.
Is a one-page resume enough for an accountant?
For most accountants with under 10 years of experience, yes. Controllers and finance managers may use two pages.