Accounting Resume Examples & Writing Tips for 2025

Ready to elevate your financial career? Start by auditing your accounting resume. If it’s not adding up, landing interviews could be tough.

Let’s be honest—standing out in today’s competitive market is no easy feat. Credentials like CPA or ACCA are common, so they won’t necessarily set you apart.

Instead, tailor your resume to the specific role. Understand what makes the job and company unique, then match your skills to those needs. Use the job description to identify key requirements.

Positioning yourself as the ideal candidate and standing out from the crowd is a tall order. Luckily, you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, we’ll take you through every step you need to complete to craft an accounting resume that lands you that interview.

How to use this accounting resume guide

We’ve created this accounting resume guide to help you navigate the tricky world of job hunting. However, we want to make sure you get the most out of it. Use our checklist below.

What to focus on when writing your accounting resume

You’re bursting with talent! Balancing accuracy, deadlines, and compliance is no small feat. Chances are, there are many angles you could take when writing your resume. However, choosing the right one could be the difference between success and failure.

Let’s take a look at some of the things you may want to focus on in your accounting resume:

• Specific software proficiencies (e.g., QuickBooks, Excel)
• Quantifiable achievements (e.g., reduced costs by 15%)
• Relevant certifications (e.g., CPA, CFA)
• Clear communication style

Here’s a breakdown of how you can focus on the above options:

Showcase your specific software proficiencies

What specific accounting software do you use? Don’t take any of these for granted. The recruiter needs to know which you’re proficient in and how you use them in your role.

Quantify your notable achievements

Let’s talk about the bottom line because that’s what recruiters care about. Think about what your biggest bragging points are to date, and then quantify them with numbers and statistics.

Share your achievements in your work experience section. You can add bullet points below each of your positions that detail the impact your efforts had on the company—don’t be shy!

Shout about your certificates

You need certain certificates to work as an accountant—we’ll get to that in your education section. But if you’ve gone above and beyond, now is the time to talk about it. Detail any specialist certificates you have under your belt on your resume.

Including any qualifications and training can give you a competitive edge. While there are core certificates you need (i.e., CPA, CMA, EA, and a degree), you may have extras.

Make sure your resume is clear

Accountancy doesn’t have to be all smoke and mirrors. This industry can be chock-full of jargon. However, your resume needs to be clear and accessible to anyone who reads it.

Avoid overly complex language, and instead simplify your phrases. Writing in plain English means you don’t create barriers for the recruiter. Make it an easy “yes” for them.

It doesn’t end there—choose a straightforward resume layout, too.

By this point, you should have an idea of how to position your accounting resume. Let’s move on to how you can choose the perfect format.

How to choose the right resume format

Next up, let’s talk about your resume format. There are three ways you can go here.

Let’s take a look at the options:

• Reverse-chronological format: ideal for accountants with straightforward careers.
• Functional format: better for career changers or newcomers to the field.
• Combination format: works for professionals who want the best of both.

Generally speaking, we recommend using the reverse-chronological format. Recruiters expect to see this one, so there will be no surprises. Plus, it helps you showcase your career history in an easy-to-understand way.

Of course, there are other options, too. If you’ve recently qualified as an accountant or you’ve been working as a contractor, it may be better to go for a functional format instead.

You already know how to format your resume for success. Let’s move swiftly on to what content you should include in this document.

What to include in your resume header

Resume headers provide your basic contact details. If your accounting resume does its job, the recruiter will be itching to get in touch. So, make sure you get this right.

Here’s what your header needs to have:

• Your name: Simply start by adding your first and last name.
• Job title: Next, add the job title—for example, “Accountant.”
• Contact details: Write down your email address and phone number.
• Location: You don’t need to put your full address. List your city and state.

Check out our example for inspiration:

How to write a resume summary

When you’ve nailed the header, move on to the resume summary. This is a short statement that usually appears at the top of your resume. It tends to be the first thing recruiters read.

Think of your resume summary as your career highlight reel. It should include your most notable achievements and what makes you unique. Don’t be afraid to blow your own trumpet—illustrate anything that’s made you proud to be an accountant.

Let’s take a look at an example:

This summary clearly shares the candidate’s major achievements, giving big-name brands like Deloitte and Kraft Heinz. It also boasts some hard-hitting statistics. Use it as inspiration when you’re writing your accounting resume summary.

How to write a quantifiable resume experience section

Now that you’ve completed your summary, it’s time to slide some work experience onto your resume. Yes, it’s time to let the recruiter know what jobs you’ve had in the past.

Kick things off by writing the company name, location, your job title, and the dates you worked there. When the essentials are in place, use bullet points detailing your key accomplishments.

Check out the example below to get things started:

Metrics take your work experience section to the next level. Be specific about results by including statistics, such as “ensuring 100% accuracy.”

Accounting resume work experience samples

How you write this section depends on your professional strengths. While the above example is a good starting point, you should better align it with your accountancy niche.

In this next section, we’ve taken a look at three options you can consider:

Tax accounting focused

If you work in tax accounting, be sure to add a bunch of key metrics to this section. You should also show how you navigate certain processes and the legal side of taxation.

Auditing focused

Auditing and risk assurance are big businesses. If these are your specialisms, you’ll need to highlight your talents. Boast about your compliance knowledge and experience here.

Tech focused

What tech do you use to get the job done? As an accountant, there’s an array of software and tools to use. Name-check them in your work experience section.

Listing your skills on your resume

You’ve already wowed the recruiter with your summary and experience. The next thing you need to do is add skills to your resume. But which should you include?

While you might have a dazzling range of accountancy skills, you need to be selective here. Think about which of these many talents aligns best with the role you’re applying for.

Head back to the original job advert and take a peek at the core criteria. See how many of the “must-haves” you’ve already got, and toss them in your resume.

Put simply, your core competencies need to include both hard and soft skills. Feature things like the tools you use, the knowledge you have, and interpersonal skills, too.

Here’s an example of how that may work:

Best hard skills to feature on your accounting resume

Hard skills are absolutely essential for accountants. You need to know the ins and outs of the sector, including how to use technology and stay compliant with governing bodies.

Let’s take a look at some of the best hard skills to use:

Best soft skills to feature on your accounting resume

It doesn’t start and end with hard skills. In your accountancy career, you’ll come across all kinds of professionals, from business owners to junior executives.

Working with them is going to take top-notch soft skills. These may include interpersonal skills, time keeping, organization, and even conflict resolution.

Check out some examples below:

Education on a resume

Completing your education resume section is pretty straightforward. Let the recruiter know how qualified you are for the role by detailing your formal education and training.

There are different types of education you may include, such as:

Formal education

In the United States, accountants typically need to have a formal college degree. You might have a bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or a related field.

When adding this to your education section, you can also brag about any academic honors such as Cum Laude or the Dean’s list. If you include your GPA, only do so if it's above 3.5.

Core accounting credentials

Accountants also need to pass the uniform CPA exam before they can practice professionally. You’ll need to complete 1-2 years of training under another licensed CPA. Of course, the exact requirements will vary by state.

Additional certificates

It’s not merely about the basics. As an accountant, you’ll likely want to have a specialization. That’s where having extra professional certifications comes into play. Let the recruiter know all about the additional training and certificates you’ve gained in this part of your resume.

Options may include the CMA (Certified Management Accountant), the CIA (Certified Internal Auditor), and the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst).

If you need some inspiration, here’s our example:

Extra sections to include in your accounting resume

If you’ve reached this point, then you know how to write a stellar accounting resume. Why not add some extra resume sections to help elevate your application?

Give your resume some pizazz. Including additional sections could bolster your application and help you get ahead of the rest.

Language section

Speaking a second language is beneficial in whatever your profession. If you’re fluent or even just conversational, add a language section to the page.

Hobbies and interests section

Accountancy is all about balancing checks. However, adding hobbies to your resume is a quick way to show the recruiter what you’re about on a personal level.

Volunteer work section

Slipping some volunteer work onto your resume can help you fill in some gaps. If you’re lacking accountancy work experience, you might want to include this section.

Conclusion

Ready to get started? Use our guide to help you write a compelling, interview-winning accounting resume now. Our drag-and-drop resume builder tool makes the whole thing easier than ever. Simply choose the sections that work for your application.