If you are embarking upon your job search, you probably figured out the importance of presenting a stellar resume. For many people, knowing their resume can make all the difference creates a lot of stress. Getting good resume advice can help you begin composing your own resume. However, many jobseekers encounter difficulty trying to apply all the guidelines they see.
Our staff accountant resume sample paints the proverbial picture that is worth a thousand words. Reviewing an example of good resume writing can lead to a better understanding of what resume writing tips try to tell you. Additionally, our resume builder provides yet another valuable resource as you strive to perfect your resume.
Jeremy Henderson
100 Broadway Lane
New Parkland, CA, 91010
Cell: (555) 987-1234
j_henderson@example.com
Professional Summary
Detail-oriented Staff Accountant who has a track record of conducting accurate audits and providing reliable spreadsheets. Adept and providing budgeting numbers, working on revenue projections and compiling payroll information. Specializes in budget reports and income summaries.
Core Qualifications
- Exceptional computer spreadsheet skills
- Strong analytical abilities
- Able to translate data from large spreadsheets
- Works well in groups up against tight deadlines
- Performs very well in pressure situations
- Always checks calculations before submitting any work
Experience
Staff Accountant, March 2011 – February 2015
Gene’s Manufacturing – New Cityland, CA
- Assisted in compiling all monthly payroll spreadsheets and creating a summary for management.
- Worked closely with departmental managers during budget season.
- Part of a special team that would develop a quarterly revenue summary for management.
Staff Accountant, June 1998 – April 2005
Bridget Incorporated – New Cityland, CA
- Developed spreadsheets for departmental managers that tracked budget usage.
- Worked closely with executive team to help create inventory tracking sheets that were summarized each quarter.
Education
1998 Bachelor of Science, Accounting
Greenwich University – New Cityland, CA
Why Is This a Good Staff Accountant Resume Sample?
This resume sample gets off to a strong start with a great professional summary. The applicant follows the formatting convention for a summary, using three sentences without pronouns to deliver a compact message showcasing his qualifications. He includes top skills such as budgeting as well as core deliverables such as accurate audits.
The next section should cover essential skills, which some resumes headline as core qualifications. The staff accountant resume sample draws attention to professional skills that help this staff accountant deliver top job performance. In this mix of specialized and general skills, the applicant takes care to relate the general skills to performance in his field. For example, instead of just stating he is organized, he tells employers he works well in groups to complete projects on tight deadlines.
The experience section you see here demonstrates proper formatting and use of bullet points to mark each sentence. The applicant includes relevant employer information, including its name, location, his position, and dates of employment.
This staff accountant resume sample also presents a great example of enhancing a work history section by leaving something out. This applicant shows a six-year employment gap. In his situation, many jobseekers feel tempted to include an explanation on their resumes, which would be a mistake. If you have an employment gap, resist the desire to fill it with an explanation or a whimsical description of your activities during this time. You may instead choose to include a brief explanation in your cover letter or prepare to address this issue during your interview.
In addition to relating major job duties, your work history section should contain any special achievements or projects. The applicant in our sample included selection for a special team; other types of accomplishments could include delivering outstanding results, receiving professional recognition or successfully overcoming an unusual challenge.
Why You Need a Strong Staff Accountant Resume
Accountants of all types can expect their field to expand, according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. The BLS cites increasing globalization, proliferation of tax regulations, and economic growth as major factors leading to increased demand in this field. Thus, while accountants may see more job openings, they may face employers who look for specific skills they deem necessary for success in this changing environment.
Your resume should clearly demonstrate that you have the right qualities to perform your job. Staff accountants must possess organizational skills that include attention to detail and the ability to understand and analyze large quantities of data. Use this staff accountant resume sample to assess your own resume and make necessary changes.
Costly Staff Accountant Resume Mistakes To Avoid
Even a great resume can fall flat when the jobseeker neglects to get rid of glaring errors. Meticulously review your resume to ensure freedom from substantive and formatting mistakes. This includes typos and sloppy formatting. Remember to check your facts carefully, as any inaccuracy concerning your employment may strike potential employers as an attempt to mislead them.
In addition to general resume missteps, consider the demands of your particular field. Staff accountants must possess a heightened attention to detail and an awareness of the importance of compliance with highly complex rules. Your resume should embody these qualities in its neatness and lack of errors. As you do not work in a creative industry, resist any impulse to embellish your resume with fonts, spacing, or illustrations, as any of these tend to project a lack of seriousness.
Following the example of our staff accountant resume sample, do include general interpersonal and organizational skills. Some in-demand skills include teamwork, communication, and working well under pressure.
Conclusion
Approaching resume composition methodically and using the right tools can help you come up with an outstanding job application employers will notice. Both formatting and content affect how employers view your application, so using an example such as our staff accountant resume sample can help you perfect both aspects of your own.
Staff Accountant Resume Questions
1. What’s the best length for a staff accountant resume?
Your resume has to house a lot of information. It may seem daunting to fit all of your professional experiences, skills, and accomplishments on a single page, but often that’s exactly what hiring managers want to see. The staff accountant resume sample shows a great use of a single page. Of course, not everyone has to stick to the one-page rule.
Remember, you can break certain resume writing rules if it makes sense for your experience. If you have between 10 and 25 years of related experience, you may get more out of a two-page document because it gives you adequate space to detail your work history.
2. Which skills are the best to list on a staff accountant resume?
You can find out which skills the hiring manager most wants to see by reading through the job description. Every company may look for different qualities in an employee, so the skills list for a staff accountant may not be universal. However, you can use the staff accountant resume sample and the following list to get a good idea of skills you could include if they’re applicable to you.
Accountants need to be analytical, good with math, organized, and detail oriented to be successful. You may also want to point out your communication, leadership, computer, and teamwork skills.
3. What sections should you include in your staff accountant resume?
Every resume should point out the specific skills and experiences important to an employer. This means you may have several versions of your resume with different sections. If you look at the staff accountant resume sample, you can see the main areas you may want to include.
4. What goes in the header of a staff accountant resume?
Most often, hiring managers expect to see professional summary, skills, experience, and education sections. Your document should always include a header full of contact information. Depending on your experience and what the recruiter wants in a candidate, you could also include awards, hobbies and interests, certifications, and professional affiliations and memberships.
The header gives you the perfect space to showcase your contact information. The staff accountant resume sample provides a great example of what you should include. The header should always list your full name, the city and state you live in, a good telephone number, and a professional email address. If applicable, you may also include a link to a professional website or online resume.
5. What’s the best way to list certifications on your staff accountant resume?
As an accountant, your certifications, licenses, and trainings can set you apart from the competition. While the staff accountant resume sample doesn’t list any certifications, you should include this information if applicable. The best way to emphasize this experience is to create a special certifications section on your document. However, you can also incorporate this education-like experience into your education section. You can effortlessly learn how to list your certifications if you use our resume builder.