INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Fund Accountant 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 Fund Accountant 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 Fund Accountant job market is wide open for candidates.
Top fund accountant sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
How to write a fund accountant resume experience section
Fund accountant resume experience: checklist
- Use either chronological or reverse-chronological format when listing your previous jobs;
- Mention only relevant positions that add value to your resume;
- Briefly state the challenges you’ve faced and how you’ve overcome them;
- Highlight the results from your efforts (for bonus points, add numbers, percentage rates, etc.);
- Forget about buzzwords! Use power verbs instead.
Use the examples below to build your own experience section!
- Back Office - Responsible for the production of periodic NAV for a specific fund range
- Front Office - Responsible for trade placement and authorization on behalf of the company's clients
- Worked on three client/funds on-boarding projects involving complicated fund structure setups and support with HedgeShpere
- Calculation of Net Asset Values
- Processing of trades, cash, income and expenses on a daily basis
- Preparation and processing of payments
- Review of underlying portfolios
- Cash and position reconciliations
- Produced and verified financial statements for the Wells Fargo 529 Plans to ensure accuracy for audit purposes.
- Prepared and reviewed proofs of account balances while reconciling and monitoring the general ledger activity for funds.
- Generated ratios in relation to subscription and redemption of funds from the transfer agent and ensured their correlation with account balances.
- Booked, settled and tied out trades for all securities, allocated cash dividends to securities, verified market rates, reviewed income distribution, analyzed fluctuations of securities as formulated by NAV at the end of the day to ensure accuracy of mutual fund for timely submission to NASDAQ on a daily basis.
- Gained a better understanding of market movements and inter-related fund processes while utilizing macros in MS- Excel and MS-Access.
- Met divisional goals for NAV Security yield, accuracy of record keeping and timeliness set by Management.
- Analyzed and projected potential ex-dates for underlying securities owned by Wells Fargo Fund of Fund
- Developed a VBA Macro, which facilitated the process of NAV calculation and monitoring of funds
- Calculating the net asset values of funds
- Monitoring discrepancies and resolving them professionally.
- Working with COO, CFO and other staff to set up fund accounting, systems and management company books
- Aiding in firm set up including documentation and other areas.
- Overseeing management company books and working with prime brokerage firms on trades and financial matters
- Striking monthly NAV, oversight of Investor Relations process and responsibility for daily P&L process.
- Report and Reconcile the most complex trading book in Asia according to HSBC fund administrator.
- Prepared financial statements - NQ, NSAR, NCSR, N-MFP & 24f-2 Reports.
- Performed compliance monitoring and reporting.
- Complete a monthly compliance checklist in accordance with 1940 Act, IRS & prospectus rules and regulations
- Calculate & bill monthly management fees and expenses such 12b1 fees
- Prepare and maintain fund budgets
- Interact with rating agencies by releasing portfolio holdings or providing fund information.
- Experienced with Bloomberg, IDC, PAM, Confluence
- Process corporate actions for mutual & hedge funds.
- Trained Corporate Action team on how to process various transactions.
- Reviewed & added security pricing valuations into the accounting system.
- Entered new securities into accounting system.
- Updated interest & dividend rates for short term securities & mutual funds
- Accurately & timely calculated NAVs with a 99% effective rate.
- Coordinated with both fund accounting and hedge fund teams on a daily basis.
- Prepared daily and monthly reconciliations.
- NAV processing of funds holding futures, options, swaps & foreign securities
- Provided financial accuracy in daily trading, general ledger activity and pricing of funds
- Responsible for processing Bloomberg SMF and FX Tolerance reports daily.
- Prepare timely and accurate Net Assets Values, yields, distributions, and other fund accounting output for subsequent review.
- Record accurately, and in accordance with the Department policies and procedures, such accounting records as securities positions, corporate actions related, and journal entries.
- Reconcile various accounts, or reviewing reconciliations prepared by others, and promptly researching and correcting any variances.
- Identify exceptions and problems affecting accounting records and prices, communicating same to management, and assisting in their resolution.
- Write reports periodically to management on Fund activities and other related issues.
- Institutional fund accounting processes also include preparing, reconciling and distributing reports to/from marketing, separate custodians and investment management.
- Daily completion of large multi-class, multi-currency portfolios
- Accuracy and attention to detail upholding the company's zero tolerance error policy
- Ensured daily deliverable of SLA’s meeting defined targets
- Continuously collaborated with fund team to problem-solve client issues and pitch solutions
- Researched, developed and implemented new processes for completing performance reports; promoted to the management of two funds
- Won scholarship to write CFA Level 1 exam
- Performing month-end closing activities including accounts reconciliation
- Ensuring completeness and reasonability of General Ledger records, including fixed assets, accruals, and provisions.
- Preparing and reviewing high quality sets of reconciliations and reporting packs to be used in financial statements (including Profit and Loss, Balance Sheet, Schedule of Investments) for reporting cycles.
- Completing Net Asset Value calculations ensuring accuracy and timeliness. Monitoring P&L for reasonability.
- Reviewing outsourced work prepared by Vendor.
- Daily interaction with internal Client based in Ireland.
- Resolving & escalating queries and issues within agreed deadlines.
- Working to tight deadlines in order to finalize client deliverables.
- Ad hoc communication with Client based in US.
- Participating in internal project initiatives, testing and implementation of new platforms.
- Ensuring transactions are carried out according to corporate policies and statutory regulations.
- Responsible for the core processes and areas of risk within the business area and working with management team to mitigate them.
- Responsible for Pricing process.
- Verification of Collateral & Cash Accounts; monitoring discrepancies and resolving them.
- Complex Corporate Actions processing. Verification to Brokers and BBG.
- Processing accruals and prepayments.
- Support of daily transactions reconciliation.
- Vendor training for transition purposes.
- New employee’s onboarding and training.
- Monitored and adjusted the accuracy of OEICS, UTs, SICAVs to validate the resulting daily Control fund price calculations to mitigate the downstream risks within investments
- Conducted market price controls/checks for official NAV sign off, analysed portfolio movement (portfolio holdings, trading, capital activity) and ONA movement (distribution, income, expenses, fees, corporation tax and realised gain/loss)
- Reconciled and investigated accuracy of fund prices against Bloomberg, Corporate Actions processed. Maintained accrued expenses on P&L, ledger production and TB review
- Provided oversight and control function for fund expenses for UK Retail OIEC, Institutional OEIC, UTs and Investment Trust fund ranges, reviewing accrual
- Responsible for delegation and oversight of daily controls to new team members and assisting with technical queries from Investment management, RFP groups, Portfolio managers.
- Provided training to various groups within the fund accounting department raising the awareness on control issues
- Redesigned the process of recognising dividend income from third party providers in the correct financial year of the funds in accordance with the SORP, carried out relevant training to the team.
- Enhanced excel based controls to ensure scalability of processes by analysing large volumes of data to identify anomalies.
- Produced regulatory reports analysing and interpreting Financial Statements in accordance with the relevant SORP, prepared disclosure schedules under IFRS 7
- Provided oversight function for fund expenses; carry out P&L and TB review
- Mentored and trained new members in the department as part of corporate wide strategic initiative
- Reported into Head of Fund Accounting and the project manager on a weekly basis. Derived a training plan using dashboard reporting to monitor, control and progress against defined objectives and output of the project.
- Acted as the department point of contact for a major Income/Capital account merger. Scoped in detail the requirements and actions required for a successful completion of the project. Organised several meetings with various departments including the Custodian to effectively communicate the requirements within our division.
- Preparing month end reports for 5 different trading funds with a high quality performance.
- Central contact point for all issues relating to any of my 5 funds, liaising with clients, addressing their concerns and queries in a timely and efficient manner.
- Ensuring all performance fee and equalisation records were up to date, dealing with auditors including the preparation of accounts and supporting schedules.
- Meet strict deadlines each month for all funds.
- Guaranteeing all NAV (Net Asset Value) portfolios are accurate and the accounting records are up to date.
- Calculation of NAV portfolios and production of detailed supporting accounting records for a portfolio of complex trading funds.
- Ensured the timely payment of invoices in line with client budgets
- Disseminated daily fund values to client and Irish Stock Exchange
- Completed daily reconciliations of held securities and cash breaks
- Fulfilled regulatory requirements for the Central Bank of Ireland
- Preparation of reconciliation reports, Maintaining a strong relationship with investment managers, investors, auditors, brokers and other key fund participants
- Operations: Documentation of SOP, Training offshore team during migration, Guiding junior fund accountants, Process streamlining
- Others: Key member of corporate internal event team responsible for event publicity
- Daily fund completion of large multi-class, multi-currency portfolios
- Daily peer reviews to ensure adherence to standards and procedures
- Ensured daily deliverable of SLA’s meeting defined targets
- calculating the net asset values of funds, ensuring that prices are accurate and delivering to the client in a timely manner
- analyzing and controlling financial data, monitoring and resolving any potential issues
- reporting to the client
- being the central point of contact for all accounting support functions
- testing new functionalities, introducing new processes
PRO TIP
Don't make the same mistake everyone else does. What we mean is, don't list your Fund Accountant 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 fund accountant resume
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Fund accountant resume: the skills section!
How to write a strong fund accountant resume skills section?
- Make sure to include all types of skills - soft, hard, technical;
- Focus on skills that show your expertise in the field;
- Check the job description for keywords and make sure to add them to your resume – this will help you pass ATS;
- Leave room for discussion – elaborate on some of your strongest skills in other sections of your resume
Top skills for your fund accountant resume
SimCorp Dimension
Advent Geneva
Microsoft Office
HedgeSphere
SAP-CO
Oracle Hyperion Planning
SAP
Oracle ERP
IBM SPSS
Communication
Negotiation
Critical thinking
Problem solving
Collaboration
Flexibitly
Resilience
Dedication
Empathy
PRO TIP
Add a Talent Section to your resume, where you can pick your top 3 soft skills and describe how you used them to complete a project or balance departmental communication.
Fund accountant resume header: tips, red flags, and best practices
Checklist for your fund accountant 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
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PRO TIP
Some companies, states, and countries have non-discrimination policies about what kind of information can be included on your Fund Accountant resume. This might include a photo (which is often included in a resume header and might be on personal web pages you link to). You can always email the company’s HR department to ask about their policies before you apply.
A career summary for your fund accountant resume
Things to include in your fund accountant resume summary:
- Your total years of experience in the industry;
- 2-3 of your most remarkable achievements so far;
- How your experience relates to the position you’re applying for;
- A very brief description of your strengths.
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.
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Fund accountant resume: the education section
Things to include in your resume's education section:
- Your highest education degree – including course, year of graduation, institution;
- Awards received as part of your education;
- Extracurricular activities that have helped you gain relevant skills;
- Certifications that have helped you master new skills and increase your expertise;
- Entry-level applicants only: relevant courses and projects.
Top certifications for your fund accountant resume
Invest in Stocks Like a Pro Investor by a Pro Investor!
Succeed as a Stock Picker or Financial Analyst by an Award Winning MBA Prof., worked @ Goldman, Hedge Funds & in VC
Cryptocurrency Investment Course 2022: Fund your Retirement!
Complete A-Z Guide to Bitcoin, Blockchain, Ethereum, Altcoins, Metaverse, NFT, DeFi & Meme coins for your retirement!
Level 1 - Mutual Fund Investing Masterclass
Learn the basics of mutual funds, different types, key terms, players and operational aspects to get investment ready
Institutional Fundraising: Selling a Fund (Alternat. Assets)
How to properly market, sell and negotiate provisions for alternative asset funds (Private Equity/Hedge Fund/other)
Fundamentals of Hedge Funds
Exploring the core concepts, inner workings, calculations and activities in hedge funds
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PRO TIP
If you hold a certain major and a minor, your majors should be mentioned first.
Choosing the right format for your fund accountant resume
In general, there are three basic formats for your resume:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional skills-based resume format;
- Combination (or Hybrid) resume format.
Some things to consider when choosing the right format for your Fund Accountant resume include the stage of your career, whether you have all the right skills required for the job or are looking for an industry change, and what field you’re looking to grow in.
The reverse-chronological resume format is the most common one. It lets you describe your most recent job and then move backward. This makes it great for people who have around or less than 10 years of experience and are looking to highlight only their work-related skills and qualities.
If you’re just starting your career journey and reverse-chronological resumes sound too demanding, go for the functional resume format. It’s ideal for showcasing your strengths, personal qualities, skills, education, and the courses you’ve taken, without putting too much pressure on experience and expertise.
Don’t worry if neither of these sounds suitable for you – the hybrid or combination resume format will surely match your needs. It’s similar to the reverse-chronological, but with a catchy twist. Combination or hybrid resumes are great for showcasing both your experience and work-related skills and your personal qualities. Add a “What my day looks like” section for enhancing the jaw-dropping experience!
Here are some more things worth remembering when it comes to formatting your Fund Accountant resume:
- Choose standard 1-inch resume margins;
- Go for traditional resume fonts sized 10-12p;
- Match the length of your Fund Accountant 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 – use them only when applying for executive positions;
- Save your resume in PDF to avoid formatting issues and potential unauthorized editing.
Tired of getting rejected? Check out this article on how to craft a resume that stands out!
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PRO TIP
If you feel that you don’t have high chances in a particular company, due to lack of relevant experience, then you can still consider using a creative layout. That might help you get noticed and invited for an interview, as most of the other applicants will have boring resume designs.
Other sections suitable for your fund accountant resume
Depending on the position and the industry, you can spice your resume up by adding some more sections. They will help the recruiter get a glimpse of who you are as a person, besides all your job-related skills and qualities.
Here are some examples:
How to add creativity to your fund accountant resume
Gone are the days when creative resumes were frowned upon by recruiters!
What’s more, the right amount of creativity will make recruiters remember you and want to learn more about who you are – both as an individual and as a professional.
There are two ways to build a creative resume - add creative sections or go for a more creative design approach in general. Go for whatever suits you, the position, and the industry most!
What makes a great fund accountant 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.
