Accountant resume example
Accounting resumes are screened on systems, standards and close experience. Name the ERP, name the standard, and say how fast you close.
The full example
Fictional example shown in the Classic template. Every design on this site is free to use.
Summary example
Accountant with 6 years in month-end close and financial reporting under US GAAP. Reduced close from 10 days to 5 by rebuilding the accruals process, and led the SAP migration for a 3-entity consolidation. CPA candidate.
Notice the shape: years of experience, then one specific result with a number in it, then what you are known for. Three sentences is enough.
Bullet points that work
Adapt these to work you have genuinely done — the numbers must be yours.
- Reduced month-end close from 10 days to 5 by rebuilding the accruals and reconciliation workflow.
- Led general ledger migration to SAP for a 3-entity consolidation covering $80M in annual revenue.
- Prepared monthly financial statements and variance analysis for a $45M business unit.
- Cleared a $1.2M backlog of unreconciled intercompany balances within one quarter.
- Built the fixed asset register that brought depreciation reporting into compliance ahead of audit.
- Supported the annual external audit with zero material findings for 3 consecutive years.
Tips specific to this role
- 1
Name your ERP exactly — SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, QuickBooks. It is often a hard filter.
- 2
State close speed in days. It is the single clearest measure of an accountant’s effectiveness.
- 3
If you are a CPA or a candidate, say so in the summary line, not only in certifications.
Mistakes to avoid on an accountant resume
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Not naming the accounting standard you work under. GAAP, IFRS and local standards are not interchangeable, and the reader is screening for one.
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Omitting the close cycle. "Handled month-end" is generic; "owned a five-day close across three entities" is the job.
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No systems named. NetSuite, SAP, Xero and QuickBooks imply completely different company sizes.
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Leaving audit exposure vague. Whether you have been through an external audit, and on which side of it, materially changes how the resume reads.
How the summary changes with experience
The same role, written two ways. Take whichever is closer to where you are now.
Entry level
Accountant with an accounting degree and 18 months in a shared-services team, owning accounts payable for two subsidiaries and supporting month-end reconciliations in NetSuite. Sat two CPA sections. Comfortable with high-volume transaction work and the reconciliations nobody enjoys.
Senior
Financial Controller, CPA, with 14 years in manufacturing. Owns a four-day close across six entities under US GAAP, manages a team of nine, and has led four clean external audits. Rebuilt the intercompany reconciliation process that had been carrying a recurring six-figure variance.
Certifications worth listing
Put these in their own section with the awarding body and, where one applies, the expiry date.
- Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
- Chartered Accountant (CA)
- Certified Management Accountant (CMA)
- ACCA Qualification
Questions
What should an accountant put on a resume?
Lead with a summary that names your years of experience and your single strongest result. Then work experience with one measurable achievement per bullet, followed by skills using the exact terms from the job advert. For this role, employers screen most often for: general ledger, month end close, financial reporting, gaap, reconciliation.
How do I show the complexity of what I have worked on?
With scale markers: entity count, revenue, ledger size, reporting standard, and close timetable. "Month-end close for 6 entities, £40M consolidated revenue, IFRS, closed on day 4" places you instantly in a way that a list of duties never can.
Where should my qualification go?
In the summary line and again under education — CPA, ACCA, CA, CIMA, or the stage you have reached if part-qualified. It is a hard filter for most accounting roles, so state your exact position rather than leaving a reviewer to infer it.