You need to include a lot of information on your resume. So, you must present it in an easily-digestible and concise manner. Follow these steps to create a perfect resume for accountants.
Step 1: Include Your Personal Information
The first step is to write your personal information at the top of your resume. Include your full name, your telephone number, your email address, and your home address.
Step 2: Include a Personal Statement
A good personal statement will make prospective employers become hooked and want to read the rest of your resume. Write a bad personal statement, and your chances of landing the job could go out the door in a flash. Summarize yourself in two sentences of around 50 to 60 words.
Step 3: Highlight Your Key Skills
You must demonstrate you have the right skills for the position for which you are applying. If the role requires an excellent understanding of a specific accounting software package, be sure to let the interviewer know you have the experience by including it in this skills section. If you are a Certified Public Accountant, you could mention the skillset you gained from studying CPA exam review courses. Include any post-qualification experience and skills that are relevant to the position.
Step 4: Detail Your Qualifications and Education
Employers are increasingly using applicant tracking systems, which enable them to sort through thousands of resumes quickly to find the most qualified candidates. So, you must summarize your qualifications and education history on your resume. Professional certifications are of paramount importance for accountant resumes, so make sure you include details like your Chartered Accountant status and the degrees you have passed. If you have completed a master’s degree, a second master’s degree, or a Ph.D., those qualifications can add real value to your resume.
Step 5: Detail Your Employment History
Unless specifically required, it is not usually necessary to include more than three positions on your resume. Also, it is best to include job roles that have skills and experiences that are transferable to the job role to which you are applying. So, it is good to add employment roles like Payroll Accountant, but there is no need to mention your brief time of working at a supermarket when you were eighteen.
Step 6: Include Your Hobbies and Personal Interests
This section is the least important part of your resume, so there is no need to go overboard. Keep your list of hobbies and personal interests to a minimum. But this section of your resume can be helpful to show you are not the cliched no-personality accountant. It is also an opportunity for you to fill in any gaps in your experience. For example, if the job role requires leadership skills, you may not have the skills from professional experience, but you could have gained those skills from captaining a sports team.
Step 7: Write a Summary
This step is optional. If you are not making any major career shifts and are already well established in accountancy, it is best to skip this section. But if you are new to accounting or attempting to break into a new area of expertise, a well-written summary can help you to stand out and bridge the gap between your past experience and your professional hopes for the future.
Step 8: Include Your References
It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to include references on your resume. It is the last section to include on your resume. Only include relevant employers, professionals, or educators as references. State each one’s name, job title, and contact information.
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