5 Accounting Analyst Resume Examples & Guide for 2024

Companies are fighting each other over who gets to hire the best accounting analyst.

And the reason for that is evident:

Anyone can add numbers together and put them in an Excel sheet — but that’s not what your role is about.

Recruiters need someone who can look beyond metrics and extract real meaning.

Your knowledge exceeds that of a mathematician who can only add and subtract. You interpret financial data, identify problems, and provide solutions.

You’re a magician with the spell that turns numbers and data into well-informed decisions.

Therefore:

The door is open for you as an accounting analyst to have the career of your dreams.

The field offers lots of opportunities for advancement. So, you’re a few steps away from landing the job you’ve always wanted.

But then comes your competition…

Anyone can make the same claims as you, making it impossible for recruiters to tell you apart.

That’s why you need a compelling accounting analyst resume to get you hired.

In this article:

We’ll show you how to make an outstanding resume for your job application. And we’ll teach you how to tailor it to prove that you’re the best candidate the recruiter can hire.

You'll learn in this guide:

• How to write an accounting analyst resume that gets you hired
• The right resume format and sections to grab recruiters attention and keep them engaged
• Best tricks to separate yourself from the pack by featuring the right experience
• Most sought-after resume skills and qualities for accounting analysts

Looking for Related Resumes?

• Financial Analyst Resume
• Finance Resume
• Auditor Resume
• Banking Resume

How to write an accounting analyst resume

The secret to getting hired for accounting analysts is this:

Look at your resume from your recruiter's perspective.

How?

Imagine for a moment that you're on the other side of the job-hunt:

You're a hiring manager with a deadline to recruit a new employee.

You have 200 resumes in your inbox that you need to go through. And your boss wants you to pick an excellent candidate to handle accounting and taxes.

Where do you start?

Your criteria are going to be clear and precise.

You've stated what you want in a candidate for in the job application. So, you have precise characteristics to look for.

Now, let's snap back to reality.

Your resume must check all the boxes inside the recruiter's mind for "perfect candidate."

And to do that, you have to read through the job description carefully and identify the company's needs.

Ask yourself:

Why is the company hiring? What can I bring to the table? And how do I show that on my resume?

Get these questions answered before you start writing your resume. While at it, try to identify the main keywords used in the job offer to use in your language.

Next, you need to pick a resume format.

A reverse-chronological format works best with accounting analyst resumes. It's easy to scan, which allows it to draw attention to your experience in progressive order.

So:

Start by listing your latest position at the top, then go back in time from there. And use bullet points to speak about your different duties.

How to write an attention-grabbing resume header

The resume header doesn't contain a lot of relevant information about you. And it won't help in evaluating the competence of different applicants.

Yet:

It's a vital part of any job-winning resume.

If you want to be seriously considered for any job application, you must create an attention-grabbing header.

Your goal at this point is to get the recruiter to read the rest of your resume. So, you must give them the exact information they need to learn about you.

Your contact details should include:

• Full name
• Address
• Phone number
• Job title
• Linkedin profile

Let's look at some examples:

The example above is okay.

But, it contains some minor mistakes that could cost you a positive first impression.

For starters:

The email address looks unprofessional and too casual for a serious work environment. You want hiring managers to take you seriously if you want to be considered for a job interview.

"What if I already have a professional email address?" You may ask.

It's easy!

You can create a new one within a few minutes and use it in your job hunt.

Stick to a professional email provider such as Outlook, Gmail, or iCloud. And try out different variations of your first name / last name until you find one that's available.

Next:

You don't have to include your full street address and zip code.

Instead, stick to the "city, state" format — which recruiters are used to seeing in resumes.

More importantly:

It would be a huge plus to your resume if you included a link to your LinkedIn profile in the header. That shows your authenticity and gives hiring managers an easy way to learn more about you and your career.

Here's a better example:

The right way to feature experience on an accounting analyst resume

Your experience section is the highlight of your accounting analyst resume.

It's the favorite part for recruiters because it helps them make well-informed hiring decisions.

Now, here's the thing:

There are two mistakes you should avoid when featuring your work experience.

First:

Many candidates describe their expertise in meaningless terms and generic duties. They don't pay attention to what the company is looking for or why it's hiring.

Any applicant can claim to be able to handle financial reports. All accounting analysts can balance sheets and update company accounts.

These are basic accounting tasks that anyone with a degree can do.

What you want to do instead is differentiate yourself from the crowd. And to do that, you need to identify the hiring company's pain points and struggles.

Why is the company hiring in the first place?

Once you get that answered, you can list role-specific duties that appeal to recruiters. Then, highlight how your presence contributed to different achievements.

Second:

Most of your responsibilities as an accounting analyst aren't easily measurable. So, listing them as they are makes you just another wolf in the pack.

For example:

Ensured accurate financial assessments

Great!

But what does that mean to your employer? And what would be the outcome if someone with less experience handled that task badly?

These answers aren't clear to the hiring manager.

They know they have to find the best applicant. But, that's hard for them to do in a pile of hundreds of resumes, all making the same promises.

You need to prove why you're the best by giving numbers and data. Showcase your greatest achievements and career wins with precise metrics.

To put it in simple terms:

Quantify what you're bringing to the table.

Let's look at a quick example of an accounting analyst experience section:

The duties listed above are part of your job as an accounting analyst. But they violate our two main rules for writing an experience section.

They're generic and barely tell recruiters why they should hire you.

To fix that:

You must use action verbs in your sentences instead of "responsible for" or "helped in." Action verbs allow you to highlight a direct correlation between you and the task at hand.

Also:

Be sure to include your most significant skills and qualities within sentences.

Are you an expert in a certain technology? Or maybe you're a great communicator who can turn complex data into tangible solutions?

Mention those skills when listing your duties to take your resume to the next level.

And remember:

Use precise metrics and data to bolster your claims.

Don't just show the actual task. Instead, highlight how getting it done helped the company achieve further success.

You don’t even have to be a hiring manager to notice the difference between the two sections.

The second example is a lot stronger and gives recruiters a reason to hire you.

What are the most important skills for accounting analyst resumes

The biggest mistake applicants make here is this listing generic skills.

They look on Google for a list of skills to add to their resume. Then they copy-paste a few ones and move to writing the next section.

But…

The rest of their resumes won't matter because this section has already put an end to their job hunt.

Why?

Because they showed recruiters clear signs of despair.

Hiring managers have been dealing with resumes for decades.

They can tell the difference between generic and job-specific skills on a resume.

So…

If you list irrelevant skills, they'll skip your profile at the drop of a hat.

Recruiters expect to see two types of skills in your resume skill section:

• Technical skills
• Soft skills

Technical skills are super-specific to your job position and will help you handle lots of tasks efficiently. They’re measurable and can be acquired through practice and repetition.

On the other hand:

Soft skills are based on your personal attributes and personality, which makes them easily transferable across different industries. But, they’re harder to teach and can’t be measured easily.

Both types are vital and can make a huge difference in landing you the job of your dreams.

Here are some examples of technical and soft skills you can feature on your resume:

Key takeaways

• Pay close attention to the details within the job description because they’ll give you the answers to getting hired
• Choose a modern layout and keep it organized into the smaller sections we discussed in this guide
• Make a short, engaging header to spark the recruiter’s interest and keep them reading
• Feature job-specific duties in your experience section to showcase your relevant experience and prove that you’re the best applicant
• Highlight your greatest soft and technical skills and keep them specific to your new job to make your resume more compelling