We can define Accountants as professionals who generally work in small to large corporates and manage financial transactions, document them, and prepare basic to complex financial reports. This can be a perfect career for you if you like working with big numbers and understanding any business from the basics. In this article, let’s take a look at what becoming an accountant is like and the points that you must include in your resume to land a dream accounting job.

What does an Accountant do?

Accountants have various tasks when it comes to starting a career, but all of them have one common aspect, Financial Transactions. Whether you work for a small trading company or a big multinational firm, a cooperative, or a non-profit organization, recording, analyzing, and reporting financial transactions is a must. Most of your time is spent on making sure that the financial transaction reports of an organization are accurate and up-to-date.

• Depending on your organization and job description following are the major roles that you need to perform: 
• Post and process journal entries to ensure all transactions are recorded 
• Assist with reviewing expenses, payroll records, etc.
• Update financial data in organizational databases  
• Prepare and submit weekly/monthly reports to seniors
• Document the summary of the financial transactions 
• Preparing tax returns and ensuring that taxes are paid properly and on time
• Co-ordinating various accounting and managerial functions 
• Assisting with annual audit preparations
• Contributing to the development of new or amended accounting systems, programs, and procedures 

Now, let’s move towards resume writing for an accountant. You can learn from the below-mentioned five resume writing tips to create the best accountant resume which reflects your educational background, professional skills, and corporate experience in performing an accounting function.

01. Properly mention your education & certifications

Having a well-known degree in Management or Accounting & Finance can improve your resume a lot and can give you the best first impression. 

You must also include any certification you have earned through various workshops and training, reflecting that you have learned practical exposure rather than relying only on an academic degree. It can also make an impression on your potential employer that you are ever in search of practical knowledge and guidance which is essential for your career development. 

If you want potential employers to notice your achievements and certifications, list them in a separate section so that they are easily visible. You need to mention the following information for better visibility:

• Name of the certification/degree
• Name of the organization that awarded it
• Date earned
• Exam grade/percentage (If required)
• If the course is online, “Online Course” should be mentioned

02. Write a Strong Resume Objective

One of the most powerful ways to start a resume is by mentioning its objectives. It should generally consist of three to five sentences and introduce your professional background in summarized form.

Here is an example of a resume objective written for a Fresher Accountant:

I am a Fresher Accountant with basic knowledge of business taxation, bookkeeping, and management. I have also learned the compliance and financial functions of a business practice. I am looking forward to developing my career in Corporate Accounting and Finance.

You can include the below-mentioned points to create a persuasive and crispy resume objective:

1. What are the accounting & taxation functions that you have performed
2. What are the most important business skills that you have developed
3. What is the career choice you have made and what roles you would like to pick

You have to put your resume objective at the top of your accounting resume so that potential employers will notice it right away and make the first impression of yours.

03. Mention that you have Relevant Accounting Skills

You need to have various skill sets to advance professionally in the accounting department of a business. These include hard skills such as data entry and accounting practices as well as soft skills like communication, employee management, etc.

Moreover, as an accountant, you need to mention more technical learnings and experiences. For example, if you have learned and practiced systems like manual accounting or cash-based accounting, it’s best to mention them.

You should also mention your software-based skills to do the job effectively. For example, mention your knowledge of MS Excel and Word, Software like Tally Prime and Busy Accounting, and experience with using communication tools like Any-desk and Google Suite.

Some of the hard skills required for an Accountants are:

• Knowledge of compliance and regulations
• Financial Reporting Framework
• ERP Software (Tally Prime, Busy, etc.)
• Cost analysis

As an accountant, you need to learn and showcase your soft skills. These are the skills that are connected with your work ethic and interactions among colleagues.

For example, you need enterprise-level skills to adhere to tax deadlines and reconciliations. You must also document the relevant financial transactions (in both physical and digital forms) like sales & purchase bills, cheques, receipts, etc.

Additionally, better communication skills are required to advance your accounting career. It is regarded as the most essential soft skill because an accountant has to deal with and interact with multiple stakeholders like debtors, creditors, banks, regulatory authorities, etc.

Below, you can find several other soft skills required for your career:

• Teamwork skills
• Leadership Skills
• Management Skills
• Problem-solving skills
• Trustworthiness
• Professionalism
• Time Management Skills
• Critical Observation
• Analytical Skills

04. Use proper numbers to showcase your Professional Career

Accounting is a profession that deals with a lot of calculations and numbers. Your resume should also show the same, but with a proper timeline and dates. You must also mention exactly how much time you have committed to internships, training, job-related work, and so on.

Below are some examples of ways to use proper numbers to quantify your accounting resume:

• Number of months/years you have worked as an Intern
• Number of clients that you have handled
• Size of financials you have worked on
• Number of tax filings you have assisted/executed

Below, we have provided you with an example of how to quantify your resume with relevant numbers:

• Worked for 6 months as an intern in the audit department of ABC Company and 9 months in the finance department of XYZ Company
• Successfully handled and managed 7 small to mid-level clients while at ABC Company
• Assisted in Filing 5 VAT & TDS Returns during the time at XYZ Company Limited

By using these kinds of hard numbers, you develop authenticity and proof for your potential employer. It provides trust as well as a good impression on your resume.

05. Prepare Single Page Resume

Try to fit everything on a single page. Yes, it is a bit challenging but gone are the days when job seekers as well as potential employers used to prefer a CV instead of a resume. A resume is often described as a document that must showcase your abilities, experiences, and qualifications relevant to a particular posting or job profile. It means employers are only looking for the skillsets and qualifications that matter to them the most.

This means we may have to prepare separate resumes for a separate set of job profiles and employment opportunities.

But can my every detail be covered in a single page?

The answer is yes. We have provided you with an example of a resume that you can download and edit in Canva. It is a single-page professional resume and includes “Contact Info”, “Skills Summary”, “Personal Profile”, “Work Experience”, “Education History” and “Awards Received” sections.

We suggest you download the format and edit it in Canva as per your basic details.

Best of Luck with your career!