INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Top Executives positions are at a 8% growth rate, which is as fast as average. With that said, there are currently 2,704,400 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 209,500 to 2,913,900 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the Top Executives jobs was $107,680 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $45,850, and the highest 10% more than $208,000.
Our conclusion? The Top Executives job market is wide open for candidates.
Top director of accounting sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
What to include in your director of accounting resume experience section
Director of accounting 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 Director of Accounting resumes that got people hired at top companies. You can use them as an inspiration to build your own resume:
- Managed two different QuickBooks Pro company files with over 200 item numbers.
- Reconciled monthly bank statements for three bank accounts with incoming wire transfers up to $550,000.
- Calculated and processed biweekly payroll for 16 people using ADP software.
- Prepared and issued an average of 75 accounts receivable invoices per week, 200 per week during fourth quarter.
- Created and mailed statements and requests for payment to past due accounts.
- Entered, printed, and mailed an average of 10 accounts payable checks per week.
- Received, recorded, and deposited an average of 15 accounts receivable checks per week.
- Prepared monthly budget presentations and account status reports for our parent company, complete with bank statements, invoices, and check detail reports.
- Developed financial presentations for department managers using Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
- Managed health benefits for 16 employees.
- Utilized ADP Human Resource Management software to develop and distribute the employee handbook, performance review forms, and other human resource documents.
- Collaborated with warehouse staff for a monthly hard count on inventory levels.
- Created purchase orders based on inventory levels of over 200 SKUs, and matched them with invoices and incoming shipments.
- Performed general office duties such as filing, answering telephones, and handling routine correspondence.
- Calculated and processed biweekly payroll for 16 people using ADP software.
- Utilized ADP Human Resource Management software to develop and distribute the employee handbook, performance review forms, and other human resource documents.
- Managed health benefits for 16 employees.
- Maintained two different QuickBooks Pro company files with over 200 item numbers.
- Reconciled monthly bank statements for three bank accounts with incoming wire transfers up to $550,000.
- Prepared and issued an average of 75 accounts receivable invoices per week, 200 per week during fourth quarter.
- Entered, printed, and mailed an average of 10 accounts payable checks per week.
- Received, recorded, and deposited an average of 15 accounts receivable checks per week.
- Prepared monthly budget presentations and account status reports for our parent company, complete with bank statements, invoices, and check detail reports.
- Developed financial presentations for department managers using Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
- Collaborated with warehouse staff for a monthly hard count on inventory levels.
- Created purchase orders based on inventory levels of over 200 SKUs, and matched them with invoices and incoming shipments.
- Performed general office duties such as filing, answering telephones, and handling routine correspondence.
- Developed job descriptions, sourced and screened applicants, and scheduled and participated in interviews.
- Coordinated morale- and camaraderie-building events.
- Utilized ADP Human Resource Management software to develop and distribute the employee handbook, performance review forms, and other human resource documents.
- Calculated and processed biweekly hourly and salary payroll for 16 employees using ADP software.
- Tracked PTO and tardiness.
- Managed health benefits for 16 employees.
- Maintained two different QuickBooks Pro company files with over 200 item numbers.
- Developed financial presentations for department managers using Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
- Prepared monthly budget presentations and account status reports for the parent company, complete with bank statements, invoices, and check detail reports.
- Reconciled monthly bank statements for three bank accounts with incoming wire transfers up to $550,000.
- Prepared and issued an average of 75 accounts receivable invoices per week, 200 per week during fourth quarter.
- Entered, printed, and mailed an average of 10 accounts payable checks per week.
- Received, recorded, and deposited an average of 15 accounts receivable checks per week.
- Collaborated with warehouse staff for a monthly hard count on inventory levels.
- Created purchase orders based on inventory levels of over 200 SKUs, and matched them with invoices and incoming shipments.
- Reviewed and edited 3 or more sales presentations each week.
- Performed general office duties such as filing, answering telephones, and handling routine correspondence.
- Calculated and processed biweekly hourly and salary payroll for 16 employees using RUN Payroll ADP software.
- Utilized ADP Human Resource Management software to develop and distribute the employee handbook, performance review forms, and other human resource documents.
- Managed health benefits and tracked PTO for 16 employees.
- Developed job descriptions and led interviews for 12 new hires over 8 months.
- Maintained two different QuickBooks Pro company files with over 200 item numbers.
- Developed financial presentations for department managers using Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
- Prepared monthly budget presentations and account status reports for the parent company, complete with bank statements, invoices, and check detail reports.
- Reconciled monthly bank statements for three bank accounts with incoming wire transfers up to $550,000.
- Prepared and issued an average of 75 accounts receivable invoices per week, 200 per week during fourth quarter.
- Entered, printed, and mailed an average of 10 accounts payable checks per week.
- Received, recorded, and deposited an average of 15 accounts receivable checks per week.
- Created purchase orders based on inventory levels of over 200 SKUs, and matched them with invoices and incoming shipments.
- Performed general office duties such as filing, answering telephones, and handling routine correspondence.
- Managed two different QuickBooks Pro company files with over 200 item numbers.
- Prepared and issued an average of 75 accounts receivable invoices per week, 200 per week during fourth quarter.
- Created and mailed statements and requests for payment to past due accounts.
- Entered, printed, and mailed an average of 10 accounts payable checks per week.
- Received, recorded, and deposited an average of 10-15 accounts receivable checks per week.
- Reconciled monthly bank statements for three bank accounts with incoming wire transfers up to $550,000.
- Calculated and processed biweekly payroll for 16 people using RUN Payroll ADP software.
- Prepared monthly budget presentations and account status reports for the parent company, complete with bank statements, invoices, and check detail reports.
- Developed financial presentations for department managers using Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
- Managed health benefits for 16 employees.
- Utilized ADP Human Resource Management software to develop and distribute the employee handbook, performance review forms, and other human resource documents.
- Collaborated with warehouse staff for a monthly hard count on inventory levels.
- Created purchase orders based on inventory levels of over 200 SKUs, and matched them with invoices and incoming shipments.
- Performed general office duties such as filing, answering telephones, and handling routine correspondence.
- Calculated and processed biweekly hourly and salary payroll for 16 employees using ADP software
- Reconciled monthly bank statements for three bank accounts with incoming wire transfers up to $550,000
- Maintained two different QuickBooks Pro company files with over 200 item numbers
- Recruited, screened, and interviewed applicants
- Developed financial presentations for department managers using Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint
- Utilized ADP Human Resource Management software to develop and distribute the employee handbook, performance review forms, and other human resource documents
- Collaborated to on-board and pay 1200+ new employees with 48 hours notice. Designed and implemented procedures to integrate payroll processing of the ongoing business.
- Collected $2.5+ million receivables in less than 3 months from client that had not been paying. Established process to ensure timely future payments.
- Designed and built budget template for 23 branches for consolidation.
- Assessed and implemented process improvements, resulting in greater efficiency and higher quality financial statements.
- Supervise accounting, payroll and cash posting teams
- Produce the monthly financial statements and decreased the number of days to close by 5 days
- Lead the financial review, ESOP and 401k audits
- Work with CFO on ESOP accounting
- First full-time accounting/finance hire; helped grow the company from $250 million in assets under management to $350 million
- Personally raised over $500 thousand in private capital
- Oversee, implement, develop, and maintain all accounting procedures, processes, and systems
- Reduced monthly accounting and reporting processes by nearly 50%
- Manage reporting for both internal principals and external individual investors and funds
- Maintain adequate cash balances in all operating accounts and handle all treasury related matters
- Managed financial operation for 200 employee community non-profit
- Prepared financial statements, led annual budget process, and forecasted agency cash flow and cash savings
- Coordinated annual audit completion and audit report issuance
- Provided leadership on the Company’s treasury activities, accounting, audit, performance measurement, financial reporting, regulatory and tax compliance for over $2 billion of endowment assets.
- Administered corporate governance, budget, vendor relationships, travel management, information technology and human resources.
- Spearheaded the successful transition and brought fund administration in-house from external service providers which saved fees of at least $300,000 per year.
- Launched a cost-effective data management solution to lower the operational risk in managing a global multi-asset class portfolio which translated to a cost savings of about $200,000 per year.
- Explored strategies in reducing unrelated business income tax exposure resulting in a tax savings of over $500,000 in one state.
- Managed a team of 4 accounting/operations professionals, 2 admin assistants and 3 student interns and worked with the President to provide the staff with competitive compensation packages and support their pursuit for further degrees and certification.
- Developed financial controls that lead to an increase in the accounts receivable by 20% per year.
- Generated and analyzed financial reports.
- Responsible for all aspects of accounting and accounts payable within the department, paid all of company’s utility bills, and provided balance of accounts.
- Lead technology team in multi-year / multi-phase Workday Financials implementation including Procurement, General Ledger and Bank Reconciliation
- Automated daily Bank Reconciliation process
- Lead the creation of updated financial data warehouse and product-level financial packages
- Provided leadership, mentoring and coaching for a team of seven IT professionals
- Assisted in creating an updated chart of accounts that lead to improved financial
- Negotiated a $300,000 reduction in software license and maintenance costs
- Improved business readiness, day to day operations and regulatory compliance by developing a responsibility matrix template
- Enhanced 30%+ efficiency of company’s reporting system by performing revenue recognition, analysis, and forecasting as well as delivering correct authoritative reports.
- Generated month-end close out of accounts by conducting income and expense flux analysis for early identification and correction of posting errors.
- Accomplished 10% drop in variances by meeting with individual department heads to acknowledge and define budget reporting process.
- Monitor accounting, SEC and audit standard setting and regulation
- Ongoing maintenance of written corporate accounting policies
- Accounting standard implementation
- Document complex consolidation assessments with respect to seeded investment products, including Variable Interest Entities
- Support SEC and financial statement reporting
- Support purchase accounting, consolidations and acquisitions
- Derivatives evaluation and accounting documentation
- Evaluate and document accounting issues and policy regarding new products
- Evaluate local GAAP requirements for standalone reporting for Foreign entities
- Direct and oversee the accounting functions for General Ledger and Treasury, including the monthly close process, analysis of P&L and balance sheet, and day to day movement of cash
- Manage staff of 6 accountants and treasury personnel (staff, senior, and manager level)
- Provide daily and weekly cash forecast compared to actual for upper management oversight
- Support VP of accounting and CFO with the submission of monthly financial statements to the company's leadership and investors
- Provide support to other corporate department heads in relation to annual budget and forecasting
- Coordinate completion of annual audit of company's financial statements performed by independent auditors
- Identified & reconciled cash, AR, and intercompany accounts that previously had not been reconciled to subledger
- Developed and led implementation of cash transaction interface with the GL for over 80 bank accounts for more efficient cash reconciliation
- Implemented ISO 14001 auditing practices company wide to raise awareness of HAZMAT transportation and storage requirements
- Implemented allocation methodology to improve reporting and billing accuracy, resulting in a revenue increase of $126,502 over three months
- Changed accounting's methodology (25 mln.rub in net profit) implemented processes of management accounting and forecasting
PRO TIP
Don't make the same mistake everyone else does. What we mean is, don't list your Director of Accounting job responsibilities instead of your achievements. Recruiters know what you do. They want to know what kind of difference you can bring to their company. Focus on what you've accomplished.
Action verbs for your director of accounting resume
Recommended reads:
Director of Accounting Resume Skills’ Tips & Tricks to Impress Recruiters
Director of accounting resume skills section checklist:
- Match your hard skills to the job description;
- Add keywords to pass applicant tracking systems;
- Don’t list soft skills such as ’teamwork’ – rather, mention how they’ve helped you gain success in some other sections of your Director Of Accounting resume;
- List only skills you actually have, keep lying out of the picture.
Top Skills for Your Director of Accounting Resume
QuickBooks
SAP
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Great Plains
Sage 100
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Word
SAP Business
Showcase Report Writer
Communication
Negotiation
Critical thinking
Problem solving
Collaboration
Flexibitly
Resilience
Dedication
Empathy
PRO TIP
Don’t feel obliged to spend a separate section for your soft skills - you can weave them throughout your job experience or career summary. But, don’t just write empty words - back them with examples.
Director of Accounting Resume Header: Tips, Red Flags, and Best Practices
Checklist for your director of accounting 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
Some companies, states, and countries have policies about identifying information like photos on your Director of Accounting resume. Be sure to check all the relevant rules before submitting yours. If you’re in doubt, you can always try contacting the company’s HR department to ask for their policy.
Director of accounting resume summary best practices
Checklist: what to include in your director of accounting 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
Include a link to your portfolio in your 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.
Recommended reads:
Highlight your education, certifications, and courses
What to include in your education and courses sections:
- Your highest education degree – this includes institution, course, and duration
- Certifications and courses that have helped you gain additional expertise
- Awards you’ve received as part of your education
- Entry-level positions only: relevant classes and projects
Top certifications for your director of accounting resume
Bookkeeping in QuickBooks Online (Bookkeeping & accounting)
Bookkeeping & Accounting with QuickBooks Online. Bookkeeping & Accounting is Easy. Bookkeeping & QuickBooks software
Accounting & Financial Statement Analysis: Complete Training
Accounting & Financial Ratio Analysis made easy. Learn important accounting skills that will get your foot in the door!
Bookkeeping Basics Explained (Bookkeeping & Accounting)
Bookkeeping and accounting explained. Bookkeeping and accounting basics is easy. Simple Bookkeeping and accounting.
Accounting, Bookkeeping & Financial Analysis (Accounting)
Accounting & Bookkeeping Basics. Accounting & Financial Analysis Concepts. Learn Accounting & Bookkeeping.
SAP FICO (Financial Accounting & Management Accounting)
The course covers both configuration and end-user processes for SAP FICO module
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
There are dozens of certifications that you can claim as a Director of Accounting. 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.
Director of accounting 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.
Director of accounting resume summary best practices
Here’s our resume format and style checklist:
- Choose a traditional resume font sized 12p;
- Go for standard 1-inch resume margins;
- Match the length of your Director Of Accounting resume with your experience – choose a one-page template if you have less than 10 years of experience, and be careful with two-page templates;
- Send your resume in PDF – in this way, you’ll avoid formatting issues and potential editing from third parties.
And in case you want to go the extra mile, check out our guide for crafting a resume that stands out.
recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Sometimes you’ll want to go after a job which requires more experience than you have. Instead of using a typical Director of Accounting resume layout, you can use a creative layout. Getting noticed is the most important challenge and a creative resume layout might help you get invited for an interview as most of other accountants have boring resume designs.
other sections worth including in your director of accounting resume
Including other sections in your resume depends on the company, the position, and, ultimately, the industry. Here are some sections that will help you spice things up:
Director of accounting 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 Director of Accounting 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 director of accounting 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.
