INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPA positions are at a 7% growth rate, which is as fast as average. With that said, there are currently 1,392,200 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 96,000 to 1,488,200 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the CPA jobs was $73,560 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $45,220, and the highest 10% more than $128,680.
Our conclusion? The CPA job market is wide open for candidates.
Top CPA sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
How to write a CPA resume experience section
CPA Resume’s Job Experience Checklist:
- Use 4-6 bullet points per job title;
- Don’t go further than a decade behind when describing your job history, unless you’re applying for an executive position;
- Combine job responsibilities as well as achievements with numbers in results when you describe your past work;
- Start each sentence with a power verb and avoid overused buzzwords;
- Use either C-A-R or S-T-A-R methodology, when describing your experience.
The work experience samples below come from real CPA resumes that got people hired at top companies. You can use them as an inspiration to build your own resume:
- Strategically structured the new Ramada Ponce Hotel’s accounting office to produce accurate financial reporting and comply with Wyndham Worldwide standards.
- Provide free tax assistance to unemployed workers due to economic recession.
- Provide free tax assistance through the I.R.S. Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program for persons with low-to-moderate income and through the I.R.S. Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program for persons age 60 and older.
- Strategically restructured financial reporting of a non-profit organization in accordance with GAAP. Thanks to this financial report our client obtained a funding for a project.
- Assisted in the analyzing and reviewing of individual clients information before it was presented to the auditor
- Aided in the preparation of analysis and responses required by the audit by organizing and inputting all data
- Analyzed workpapers received from the auditor
- Acted as a Manager on Audit engagements (Precious Metal industry, Software, International Sports Federations, Watches, Swiss Universities, Baking Industry, Temporary Staffing and Permanent Placement industry).
- Kept a very good team spirit instead of pressure and tight deadlines
- Efficient approach of the audit
- Extremely proactive attitude
- Client oriented
- Provide CPA services and consult on a project basis in Finance, Accounting and Tax for private and corporate clients, as well as for international consulting companies.
- Oversee month- and year-end closings, monitor client accounts, analyze a wide variety of accounting and statistical data, prepare reports and present findings and recommendations.
- Prepare financial statements, tax returns and process payroll.
- Lead corporate valuation, mergers, acquisitions and divestitures.
- Research complex accounting and tax questions to assure accuracy and compliance with US GAAP and IRS regulations.
- Use knowledge of software and system functionality to advise clients on software selection, upgrades and implementation.
- Provide Agreed-Upon Procedures and subject matter opinions.
- Coach, develop and motivate client accounting personnel.
- Exceeded sales goals in FY08 and FY09
- District Manager of the quarter for Q3 2009 at 254% of plan
- Provided clients with strategic guidance to assist them in better managing business life cycles and achieving growth.
- Managed relationships with 300 CPA firms in North Dallas.
- Lead Hub Integrated Activity Plan as part of regional VTA
- Consult key hub & markets stakeholders on brand plans & activities
- Define HUB brand ativation strategy and PoS guidelines/toolkits
- Develop cycle activation plan across markets
- BTL agency management & briefing responsibility
- Manage, mentor and train team members
- Accountable for customer marketing A&P management
- Remise à niveau importante du Parc sportif plongée.
- Développement et création des ventes Clubs de Plongée France International en lien avec Gilles GUERVIN, missions à Paris.
- Augmentation du CA sur cette cible
- Participation pour la promotion des ventes au salon de la plongée.
- Financial statement and compliance assurance shareholder for large governments and not-for-profits, healthcare, schools, and construction contractors, including A-133 and NSF/NIH
- Operational and technical lead on Metro Nashville annual audit
- Member, Tennessee Society of CPAs Government Conference and Construction Conference Committees
- Member, Government Finance Officers Association Special Review Committee
- Managed due diligence for 3 equity financing rounds raising $26.5M in 2005, $19M in 2007 and $14M in 2008.
- Managed the company budget and budgeting process including $30M in expenses, revenue, headcount & cash flow projections.
- Implemented an accounting and planning system with operations.
- Worked on the 2008 acquisition of Intel's RFID business.
- Worked on the 2008 M&A sale of Impinj's memory business to Virage Logic for $5.2M (now acquired by Synopsis).
- Hired by and reported directly to the CFO, started as an intern.
PRO TIP
The person reading your CPA resume will be busy, make sure you never waste their time with fluff.
Action Verbs for your CPA Resume
Recommended reads:
CPA Resume Skills’ Tips & Tricks to Impress Recruiters
Resume Skills Section Checklist:
- Ensure your hard skills section (including technologies) are exactly matching the job description.
- Don’t simply list your soft skills. Apply the “show, don’t tell” principle - let your job achievements speak for themselves.
- Find a way to showcase your skills beyond the skills section.
- Your resume’s skill section is important to ATS systems - so don’t skip it.
Top Skills for your CPA resume
- Sprinklr
- QuickBooks Online
- ProConnect
- SAP
- Microsoft Office Suite
- MS Suite
- SAP
- Excel
- QuickBooks
- Communication
- Negotiation
- Critical thinking
- Problem solving
- Collaboration
- Flexibitly
- Resilience
- Dedication
- Empathy
PRO TIP
When picking skills to feature in your resume, make sure they'll be relevant to the position you’re applying to. The point of listing skills is for you to stand out from the competition. Stay away from repetitive, meaningless skills that everyone uses in their resumes. Or else, they’ll backfire and make you look like an average candidate.
Recommended reads:
CPA Resume Header: Tips, Red Flags, and Best Practices
CHECKLIST For Your CPA Resume Header
- Your name and surname in a legible and larger resume font
- The job title you’re applying for or your current job title as a subheading to your name
- Link to your portfolio or online profile, such as LinkedIn
- Address (City and State for the US; just your city for rest of the world)
- Email address
- Headshot (required or welcomed in the EU; not required and sometimes frowned upon in the US)
Stick to popular email providers such as Gmail or Outlook. And use these professional formats to create your username:
- first.last@gmail.com
- last.first@gmail.com
- firstlast@gmail.com
- f.last@gmail.com
- first.l@gmail.com
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Include a link to your portfolio in your CPA resume header. Most companies will require that you include one in your resume, and even if they don’t, it’s an excellent opportunity to directly show them your proudest projects.
CPA Resume Summary Best Practices
Checklist: What to include in your CPA resume summary:
- Years of experience;
- Highlight top 3 skills and proficiencies;
- One big professional accomplishment you’re most proud of, that you can tie with the aforementioned skills;
- Use short, direct sentences - but no more than three - to keep the HRs interested.
Resume Summary Formula:
PRO TIP
Read the job description carefully and understand what the hiring company is exactly looking for. After that, write your summary accordingly while highlighting your potential and ability to be the best at that job.
Recommended reads:
Listing Your Education, Certifications and Courses
Resume Education Section Checklist:
- Ensure your hard skills section (including technologies) are exactly matching the job description.
- Don’t simply list your soft skills. Apply the “show, don’t tell” principle - let your job achievements speak for themselves.
- Find a way to showcase your skills beyond the skills section.
- Your resume’s skill section is important to ATS systems - so don’t skip it.
Top Certifications for your CPA resume
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
There are dozens of certifications that you can claim as a CPA. But, some are more effective than others. That’s why you mustn’t include every certificate other applicants might have. Try instead to earn and list a few of the difficult ones.
CPA Resume: Additional Writing & Formatting Tips
There are three basic resume formats you can choose from:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional resume format;
- Hybrid (or Combination) resume format;
The most optimal format for your particular case will depend on your years of experience, as well as whether you’re switching industries or not.
Reverse chronological resumes are best suited for experienced individuals who are sticking to their industry. The experience section takes a central place, and its bullets contain your responsibilities and achievements, coupled with numbers and results.
Functional resumes are used by less experienced jobseekers or career changers. Note that it’s not a format that recruiters prefer, as most are used to the classic chronological alignment. Instead of a list of job titles, functional resumes focus on your skills, and through what experiences you gained them.
Hybrid resumes are great for both experienced and entry-level candidates, as well as career changers. They combine the best of both worlds - most often in a double column format, where one side of the content is focused on your experience, whereas the other - on your skills, strengths, and proudest moments.
CPA Resume Summary best practices
Here are more resume tips regarding your layout and style:
- Clear and legible 12p resume font size;
- Use 10’’ resume margins - that’s default for a great resume design;
- Use a one-page template resume length if you’ve got less than 10 years of experience; otherwise, opt for a two-page resume;
- Save your resume as PDF before sending it to the recruiter.
To take it a step further, check out how your resume can stand out without leaning too much on the creative side.
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Test your draft CPA resume by sending it out to peers and mentors in your circles. Ask them to review it as if they are hiring you for a project and implement the feedback afterwards.
Other sections to include in your resume
Depending on the type of company (corporation or start-up; innovative or traditional), job seniority level and your location, you may want to include more sections to your CPA resume:
CPA Resume: How to Make Yours More Creative & Stand Out
When you send your resume to a potential employer, chances are it's the fiftieth one they've seen that day. That's why you need to make your CPA resume stand out for the right reasons. That means showing your personality, not just your professional experience. Employers are far more likely to remember a candidate who seems like a genuine person and not a robot. Do this by including your passions (which is also a great place to demonstrate skills on a resume), share your favorite books, or even what your usual day looks like.
What Makes a Great CPA Resume: Key Takeaways
- Choose a resume layout that sends the right message across and fits your current career situation;
- Create a resume header that shows your desired job title, and easy to find contact numbers;
- Be specific about your experience, accomplishments and future goals in your summary;
- Feature detailed metrics and specific examples that show the impact you made in your previous roles when describing your experience;
- List soft skills backed by examples;
- Add all of your technical skills and certifications that you have and match the job description;
- Show off a dash of personality in your resume that will demonstrate your culture fit and the right mix of hard and soft skills.
