What to Put on Your Accounting Resume

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Your accounting resume might be packed with content, but if you’re missing any of the following items, consider yourself at a disadvantage.

When you’re vying for a new job in accounting, you need to be prepared to spend a certain amount of time updating your resume. Because employers are typically bogged down by countless applications, you’ll want yours to be crisp, impressive, and to the point. That means avoiding some mistakes at all cost.

But sins of omission can be just as bad as those of commission. So whatever you do, make sure you include the following information when preparing a resume for a job in accounting.

Systems information

Landing a job in accounting can depend on your technical know-how (e.g., your Excel skills or familiarity with accounting applications), as well as your experience with certain digital programs. For example, if you’re applying to a job in accounting at a large company, it’s important that you note your experience with systems like Oracle and SAP – including the specific ways in which you used them – on your accounting resume.

Because employers are typically bogged down by countless applications, you’ll want yours to be crisp, impressive, and to the point.

At the other end of the spectrum, if you’re after a job in accounting at a smaller or niche firm, like a start-up, figure out the systems they use and describe any relevant experience you’ve had with them. 

Identify key projects and initiatives

When you’re applying for a job in accounting, it’s crucial that you include not only the previous companies you’ve worked at or the titles you’ve held, but also that you elaborate upon the specific projects and initiatives you’ve delivered, as well as the outcomes you achieved.

Let’s say, for example, that you restructured a team in a past role. You’ll also want to specify the ways in which you went about this, as well as the positive impact on the company.

Employers are mining your resume to find past work experiences that match their own needs. 

Highlight experience at similar companies

Employers are mining your accounting resume to find past work experiences that match their own needs. If you can demonstrate that, in a previous role, you solved a problem similar to one your prospective employer is currently dealing with, this will go a long way towards pushing your resume to the top of the pile.

Editing your resume for each job in accounting that you apply to can be a fairly labour-intensive process. But understanding how to filter out unnecessary information and highlight the kinds of things that will merit serious consideration from employers is something that can take your accounting career to the next level.

Let us know what you think! At Clarity Recruitment, we’re always interested in hearing from accounting and finance professionals like yourselves, who are ready for new, exciting opportunities that can take their careers to the next level. And be sure to follow us on Twitter (@clarityrecruits) and connect with us on Facebook for more great tips and advice!