How to Create the Perfect Accountant CV
How to Create the Perfect Accountant CV
Getting a job as an accountant can be challenging, since there’s a lot of competition out there. And that’s why you have to highlight specific things that will increase your chances. Plus, if you follow the right format and optimize the CV to showcase information that grabs the recruiter’s attention, you will find it easier to grab the job you always wanted. Here are some tips to help you create an outstanding accountant CV.
Table of Contents
What is the primary purpose of an accountant’s CV?
The accountant CV is not just a list of job titles. Your focus is to communicate your abilities and show how they fit that specific job you are targeting. You want to show the company that you can contribute to cost efficiency, adequate decision making and overall financial accuracy. Employers use that CV to find people who fulfill certain technical requirements specific to the company.
What key information do you want to add in an accountant CV?
Naturally, an accountant’s CV is a bit different when compared to others, because you have to highlight specific achievements and skills. You will have general elements in it as well. However, the ideal structure for an accountant’s CV is the following:
Personal info
The CV needs to start with the full name, but also with the professional title, which could be Financial Accountant, Certified Public Accountant or anything of that nature. In this section, you also want to share the LinkedIn profile link, email address and your contact number. Date of birth, marital status and other personal info is something you want to avoid adding. Just stick to professional info.
Professional summary
Professional summary is the next section, and here you want to have a brief featuring what you achieved until now, but also your goals for the future. Focus on showcasing your core strengths and experience. That will appeal to employers that look for something very specific in an accountant.
Skills (soft and technical)
Next, you want to highlight your soft and technical skills. They can be anything from Financial Reporting, Forecasting, Budgeting, Auditing, Tax Preparation, Payroll Management, Accounting Software you use, IFRS and GAAP expertise, etc. When it comes to soft skills, you do want to include things like analytical thinking, ethical judgment, attention to detail and problem-solving.
Work experience
It’s a crucial part of any accountant’s CV, especially if you accumulated a lot of experience. A good idea here is to showcase your previous jobs, but do that in reverse chronological order. Additionally, every job needs to include the job title, company location and name, along with the employment date and key achievements/responsibilities you had.
A very interesting approach is to highlight achievements and key responsibilities. And on top of that, you always want to use action verbs, like audited, analyzed, managed, etc. That shows you had a clear role and performed all kinds of tasks, which will help make things better.
Education
Just like the work experience, show this in reverse order. You want to show the latest qualification first, and each one must include the degree, institution, completion year, and other relevant details.
Strengthening your profile with relevant coursework, academic honors, or your diploma in accounting can be a solid idea, too.
Licenses and certifications
As an accountant, the licenses and certifications you have will matter a lot. Some of the most sought-after certifications include CPA, CA, CFA or CMA, but also QuickBooks-certified user. You want to show that you are licensed as an accountant, but you also have certifications to prove your expertise and knowledge in this niche.
Memberships and awards
You want to include if you are a part of special organizations like the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants or the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. That adds more credibility to your CV. Awards also do that, so add any that are relevant.
References
In the case of references, you can have references upon request, or you can add them directly. Generally, you want to add references only if you have permission from those people. When it comes to what references to add, you can include previous clients, supervisors, employers and so on.
Formatting tips for any accountant CV
Aside from the format that we mentioned above, there are a few formatting tips to consider:
- The CV length should be up to 2 pages long, ideally just one page.
- Formatting-wise, you may want to use Times New Roman, Calibri or Arial as fonts, and the font size should be kept between 10-12.
- Use bullet points and headings, but also bold text for section titles. That’s helpful, because a lot of recruiters just skim over a CV.
- Proofread your CV before sending it. Some mistakes can appear when you create a CV, and that’s why you want to double-check all the time.
- The CV should be sent in the PDF format, unless another format is specified.
Mistakes you want to avoid
When you create an accountant’s CV, you always want to avoid listing duties without achievements. Using any generic language and not being accounting-specific is also a common mistake.
The same thing is valid when it comes to not including accounting keywords, but also overloading the text with technical jargon. Cluttering the CV and not making it easy to skim through is a mistake as well.
Conclusion
It’s never easy to create a great CV, especially in the accounting field. But that’s why you always want to take your time, assess the format above and create a great accountant CV that’s tailor-made for the job you are targeting.
Don’t overload the CV with irrelevant information, instead focus on making it very specific and focused. That’s what will grab the attention of recruiters and provide you with better results!
