As a business analyst in accounting, articulating your diverse expertise in both financial analysis and business strategy on a single resume can be a significant challenge. Our guide provides tailored strategies to effectively showcase your dual skill set, ensuring your application stands out to potential employers.
- Which sections do you need to include in your resume to meet recruiters' requirements;
- How to write your business analyst accounting resume experience section - even if you have don't have little to no work experience;
- Real-life professional examples to guide you how to write the most important business analyst accounting resume sections;
- Adding even more sections so your business analyst accounting resume stands out with professionalism and your personality.
We've also selected some of the best (and most relevant) resume guides for the business analyst accounting role you're applying for:
- Accounts Payable Resume Example
- Loan Officer Resume Example
- Financial Management Specialist Resume Example
- External Auditor Resume Example
- Internal Audit Manager Resume Example
- Loan Processor Resume Example
- Financial Counselor Resume Example
- Cost Accounting Resume Example
- Project Accounting Resume Example
- Hotel Accounting Resume Example
Enhancing your business analyst accounting resume: format and layout tips
"Less is more" - this principle is key for your business analyst accounting resume design. It emphasizes the importance of focusing on why you're the ideal candidate. Simultaneously, it's crucial to select a resume design that is both clear and simple, ensuring your qualifications are easily readable.
Four popular formatting rules (and an additional tip) are here to optimize your business analyst accounting resume:
- Listing experience in reverse chronological order - start with your most recent job experiences. This layout helps recruiters see your career progression and emphasizes your most relevant roles.
- Including contact details in the header - make sure your contact information is easily accessible at the top of your resume. In the header, you might also include a professional photo.
- Aligning your expertise with the job requirements - this involves adding essential sections such as experience, skills, and education that match the job you're applying for.
- Curating your expertise on a single page - if your experience spans over a decade, a two-page resume is also acceptable.
Bonus tip: Ensure your business analyst accounting resume is in PDF format when submitting. This format maintains the integrity of images, icons, and layout, making your resume easier to share.
Finally, concerning your resume format and the Applicant Tracker System (ATS):
- Use simple yet modern fonts like Rubik, Lato, Montserrat, etc.
- All serif and sans-serif fonts are friendly to ATS systems. Avoid script fonts that look like handwriting, however.
- Fonts such as Ariel and Times New Roman are suitable, though commonly used.
- Both single and double-column resumes can perform well with the ATS.
Be mindful of regional differences in resume formats – a Canadian layout, for instance, might vary.
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Bold the names of educational institutions and certifying bodies for emphasis.
Recruiters' preferred business analyst accounting resume sections:
- A header with relevant contact information and headline, listing your current job title
- A resume summary or objective pinpointing what is most impressive about your expertise (that aligns with the role)
- An experience section highlighting the specifics of your responsibilities and achievements
- A skills sidebar to intertwine job advert keywords with your unique talents
- An education and certifications sections to serve as further accreditation to your professional experience
What recruiters want to see on your resume:
- Proficiency in accounting software and systems such as QuickBooks, SAP, Oracle or Microsoft Dynamics
- Understanding of accounting principles, financial statements, and reporting standards (GAAP or IFRS)
- Experience with financial analysis, budgeting, and forecasting
- Demonstrated ability to translate complex financial data into actionable business insights
- Knowledge of relevant financial regulations and compliance requirements
The experience section or the essence of your professional business analyst accounting resume
Recruiters always have and always will appreciate well-written business analyst accounting resume experience sections.
The experience section is perhaps the most crucial element of your professional presentation, as it needs to answer job requirements while showcasing your technical expertise and personality.
Create your best resume experience section yet by:
- Selecting only relevant experience items to the role you're applying for;
- Always ensure you've listed a metric to quantify your success alongside each experience item;
- Create a narrative that showcases your business analyst accounting career succession: this goes to show the time and effort you've invested in the field to build your experience from the ground up;
- Within each experience bullet, consider a problem you've solved, the skills you've used, and the bigger impact this has made in the organization.
Take a look at how other real-life professionals have curated their experience with the business analyst accounting samples below:
- Analyzed financial records and processes to identify inefficiencies, leading to the implementation of a new software system that reduced errors by 25%.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams for the monthly close process, enhancing reporting accuracy and cutting down close time by 15%.
- Managed a project to automate expense reporting, which led to a 30% decrease in processing time and bolstered compliance with corporate policies.
- Developed financial models to support strategic planning, influencing the reallocation of a $5M budget towards more profitable business segments.
- Led the quarterly forecast process, integrating market trends to improve forecast accuracy by 20%.
- Spearheaded the transition to a new accounting software suite, training 40+ team members and ensuring a seamless migration.
- Conducted variance analysis to monitor and report on $10M worth of projects, identifying cost-saving measures that reduced project budgets by an average of 10%.
- Enhanced data visualization by implementing innovative dashboard reports, which improved management decision-making capabilities.
- Played a key role in a working capital optimization project that improved cash flow by $2M through strategic accounts receivable and payable management.
- Optimized budgeting process for IT expenditures, saving the company $500k annually through more accurate allocation of resources.
- Provided insightful analysis for a $30M revenue stream, which contributed to a 5% increase in profitability due to better pricing strategies.
- Orchestrated a large-scale data cleanup initiative, improving data integrity and operational efficiency across the accounting department.
- Identified and recommended cost-reduction opportunities, resulting in a sustained reduction of operational expenses by $1M annually.
- Led the analysis component of a multimillion-dollar enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation, aligning system functionality with business processes.
- Authored regular reports for executive leadership detailing financial performance against targets and highlighting areas requiring intervention.
- Implemented a revised forecasting technique that anticipated market changes, enhancing the company's ability to adjust plans rapidly and achieve a 4% increase in revenue.
- Played an instrumental part in the due diligence process for a merger, which increased the company's market share by 8%.
- Designed and introduced a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) for the finance department to measure and improve the fiscal health of the organization.
- Facilitated the integration of accounting data from newly acquired subsidiaries, ensuring consistent financial reporting standards across the entire corporation.
- Developed a risk assessment model that reduced financial exposure by 15% through better identification of potential credit risks.
- Headed a successful initiative to reduce month-end closing cycle time by 3 days, increasing departmental efficiency and timeliness of financial reporting.
- Managed the implementation of a new billing system that resulted in a 20% increase in on-time payments from customers.
- Performed in-depth cost-benefit analysis for proposed investments, providing pivotal data that guided the executive team's funding decisions.
- Established a comprehensive internal audit procedure that increased the detection of discrepancies by 40%, significantly enhancing financial control measures.
- Pioneered the development of a financial reporting framework that consolidated multiple data sources, improving report generation efficiency by 50%.
- Drove cross-departmental collaboration to streamline the accounts payable process, accelerating payment cycles and improving supplier relationships.
- Coordinated with the IT department to enhance accounting database security, successfully mitigating risk exposure from potential cyber threats.
- Orchestrated a successful cost reduction strategy by analyzing vendor contracts and renegotiating terms, saving the company $300k per year.
- Introduced a new budgeting methodology that aligned with strategic priorities, fostering a more effective allocation of a $20M annual spend.
- Collaborated with IT to automate the fixed asset management process, reducing manual data entry time by 70% and minimizing errors.
Quantifying impact on your resume
- Highlight your experience with financial modeling and include specific types of models you've developed or improved, such as cash flow forecasts or budgeting models.
- Document the size of budgets you've managed or contributed to, indicating a clear sense of scale and your comfort with managing substantial financial resources.
- Mention any instances where your data analysis directly influenced strategic business decisions, quantifying the outcomes when possible.
- Showcase your efficiency improvements by stating how you have automated or streamlined financial processes, specifying the time and costs saved.
- Quantify the success of your financial projections by mentioning how closely they aligned with actual outcomes over time.
- Detail your experience in reducing financial risk for the company by mentioning specific mitigation strategies you've implemented.
- If you've been involved with mergers and acquisitions, enumerate the deal sizes or the value you contributed to due diligence or integration efforts.
- Include metrics that you regularly report on, demonstrating your understanding and use of key performance indicators (KPIs) in business context.
Action verbs for your business analyst accounting resume
What can candidates do about their resume, if they have no experience
Job requirements can sometimes be answered by other elements you could make more prominent in your business analyst accounting resume.
Thus, you'd be substituting your lack of experience with your relevant:
- Education with details of skills you've obtained that align with the job
- Internships and short-term jobs that are once more dedicated to putting your expertise in the spotlight
- Skills section answering basic and - potentially - more specific job qualifications
- Strengths or accomplishments to show the unique value you present, even as a candidate with less or no professional experience in the industry.
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List your educational qualifications and certifications in reverse chronological order.
Featuring your hard skills and soft skills on your business analyst accounting resume
The skills section of your business analyst accounting resume needs to your various capabilities that align with the job requirements. List hard skills (or technical skills) to showcase to potential employers that you're perfectly apt at dealing with technological innovations and niche software. Meanwhile, your soft skills need to detail how you'd thrive within your new, potential environment with personal skills (e.g. resilience, negotiation, organization, etc.) Your business analyst accounting resume skills section needs to include both types of skills to promote how you're both technical and cultural fit. Here's how to create your bespoke business analyst accounting skills section to help you stand out:
- Focus on skill requirements that are listed toward the top of the job advert.
- Include niche skills that you've worked hard to obtain.
- Select specific soft skills that match the company (or the department) culture.
- Cover some of the basic job requirements by including important skills for the business analyst accounting role - ones you haven't been able to list through the rest of your resume.
Get inspired with our business analyst accounting sample skill list to list some of the most prominent hard and soft skills across the field.
Top skills for your business analyst accounting resume:
Microsoft Excel
SQL
Tableau
Power BI
SAP
Oracle Financial Services
QuickBooks
Financial Modeling
Business Intelligence Tools
Data Visualization
Analytical Thinking
Communication
Problem Solving
Attention to Detail
Time Management
Team Collaboration
Critical Thinking
Adaptability
Negotiation
Project Management
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If you failed to obtain one of the certificates, as listed in the requirements, but decide to include it on your resume, make sure to include a note somewhere that you have the "relevant training, but are planning to re-take the exams". Support this statement with the actual date you're planning to be re-examined. Always be honest on your resume.
Education section and most popular business analyst accounting certifications for your resume
Your resume education section is crucial. It can indicate a range of skills and experiences pertinent to the position.
- Mention only post-secondary qualifications, noting the institution and duration.
- If you're still studying, highlight your anticipated graduation date.
- Omit qualifications not pertinent to the role or sector.
- If it provides a chance to emphasize your accomplishments, describe your educational background, especially in a research-intensive setting.
Recruiters value business analyst accounting candidates who have invested their personal time into their professional growth. That's why you should include both your relevant education and certification . Not only will this help you stand out amongst candidates, but showcase your dedication to the field. On your business analyst accounting resume, ensure you've:
- Curated degrees and certificates that are relevant to the role
- Shown the institution you've obtained them from - for credibility
- Include the start and end dates (or if your education/certification is pending) to potentially fill in your experience gaps
- If applicable, include a couple of job advert keywords (skills or technologies) as part of the certification or degree description
If you decide to list miscellaneous certificates (that are irrelevant to the role), do so closer to the bottom of your resume. In that way, they'd come across as part of your personal interests, instead of experience. The team at Enhancv has created for you a list of the most popular business analyst accounting certificates - to help you update your resume quicker:
The top 5 certifications for your business analyst accounting resume:
- Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP) - International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA)
- Certification of Competency in Business Analysis (CCBA) - International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA)
- Certified Analytics Professional (CAP) - INFORMS
- Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) - CFA Institute
- Certified Public Accountant (CPA) - American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
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The more time and effort you've put into obtaining the relevant certificate, the closer to the top it should be listed. This is especially important for more senior roles and if the company you're applying for is more forward-facing.
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Your business analyst accounting resume top one third: choosing between a resume summary or an objective
The top third of your resume is crucial, as recruiters might focus only on this section rather than reading the entire document. Therefore, it's important to carefully decide whether to include a resume summary or an objective.
- The resume summary encapsulates your most significant experiences, key achievements, and skills in the field. Ideal for candidates with substantial relevant experience, the summary previews what recruiters will find in the rest of your resume.
- The resume objective outlines your professional aspirations. It describes your career goals for the coming years and how you envision your role evolving in the prospective company. The resume objective is suitable if you have less professional experience and wish to emphasize various soft skills such as motivation, vision, and planning.
Explore some of the best examples of resume summaries and objectives from real-life professional resumes in the industry.
Resume summaries for a business analyst accounting job
- Seasoned Business Analyst with over 7 years' experience in accounting, adept at streamlining financial processes for Fortune 500 companies. Proficient in using advanced data analysis tools to drive cost reduction and efficiency improvements, and lauded for leading a project that saved a previous employer $2M annually through strategic vendor negotiations.
- Dedicated Financial Specialist transitioning to a Business Analyst role, armed with 5 years of robust experience in budget management and strategic planning within the healthcare sector. Recognized for developing a dynamic budget model that reduced overhead costs by 15% and keen to apply analytical acumen to optimize accounting operations in a new industry.
- Ambitious professional pivoting to business analysis with a solid foundation in project management, holding 10 years of tangible results in the construction sector and a reputation for delivering projects under budget. Eager to leverage a keen eye for data-driven decisions to identify financial insights and opportunities in the accounting domain.
- Accomplished Accountant with 12 years of experience eager to harness extensive knowledge of risk management, financial reporting, and regulatory compliance in the role of a Business Analyst. Instrumental in redesigning the accounting system for a mid-size retail firm, resulting in a 30% improvement in month-end closing times.
- Aspiring to develop a career in business analytics, this recent MBA graduate with a specialization in Finance offers fresh perspectives on data interpretation and financial modelling. Driven to apply classroom knowledge and capstone project experience, which concentrated on predictive financial analytics, to generate actionable insights for strategic decision-making.
- An enthusiastic graduate with a B.S. in Business Administration looking to delve into the challenging world of business analysis and accounting. Bringing to the table rigorous academic training with a focus on quantitative analysis and a commitment to apply theoretical frameworks to practical financial problems while continuously learning and contributing to organizational growth.
More relevant sections for your business analyst accounting resume
Perhaps you feel that your current resume could make use of a few more details that could put your expertise and personality in the spotlight.
We recommend you add some of these sections for a memorable first impression on recruiters:
- Projects - you could also feature noteworthy ones you've done in your free time;
- Awards - showcasing the impact and recognition your work has across the industry;
- Volunteering - the social causes you care the most about and the soft skills they've helped you sustain and grow;
- Personality resume section - hobbies, interests, favorite quote/books, etc. could help recruiters gain an even better understanding of who you are.
Key takeaways
- The format and layout of your business analyst accounting resume should reflect on both your career and what matters most to the job you're applying for;
- Use the resume summary and objective to hint at your most prominent accomplishments;
- Always be specific about your experience and consider what value each bullet you curate adds to your business analyst accounting application;
- Consider how your academic background and technical capabilities could further showcase your alignment to the role;
- Your soft skills should contribute to your overall business analyst accounting profile - aligning your personality with skills and results.
