Accountant Resume Example
Accounting resumes are filtered on certification (CPA) and software/standard keywords (GAAP, reconciliation, close process), then judged on accuracy, timeliness, and process-improvement evidence.
ATS keywords for accountant resumes
Applicant tracking systems search for these terms first; work the ones that genuinely apply to you into your summary, skills, and experience bullets.
Example achievement bullets
Real accountant resumes lead with scope and a measurable result, not a list of duties. Use these as a pattern, not a template to copy verbatim.
- Managed month-end close for a $40M revenue entity, reducing close timeline from 10 business days to 5.
- Reconciled 200+ general ledger accounts monthly with zero material discrepancies across 3 consecutive annual audits.
- Identified a billing reconciliation error that recovered $85K in unbilled revenue.
- Automated the accounts payable approval workflow, cutting processing time per invoice by 40%.
Common accountant resume mistakes
- Omitting CPA status/progress and GAAP experience, both frequent hard filters in accounting ATS screens.
- Describing tasks ("handled reconciliations") instead of scale and accuracy outcomes (account count, discrepancy rate, close speed).
- Not naming the accounting software used (QuickBooks, NetSuite, SAP), which is commonly keyword-matched.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be a CPA to get past the resume screen?
Not for every role, but many mid-to-senior accounting postings filter on it directly. If you're actively pursuing it, list "CPA candidate" or your exam progress, since ATS keyword matching often still credits partial matches.
How do I quantify accuracy in accounting work?
Reference discrepancy rates, audit outcomes (clean audits, findings resolved), close-timeline speed, or dollar amounts recovered/reconciled, all of which are standard, credible metrics in this field.