Free Downloadable Accounting Resume Templates and Expert Writing Tips

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The maintenance and regulation of financial transactions rely on qualified individuals like appraisers, auditors and accountants due to their great attention to detail and excellent analyzing skills. These specializations need to be appropriately reflected on your resume to grab the recruiter’s attention. We’ve created job-specific resume examples in customizable templates to help you craft the perfect resume.

Best Free Downloadable Resume Templates for Accounting Jobs

  • Advertise Resume TemplateDownload

    Advertise

    The resume template above can be easily downloaded and customized using any word processing software. Move the sections around and change the resume’s structure to fit your content appropriately.
  • Bar Chart Resume TemplateDownload

    Bar Chart

    This unique resume template works well for an accounting professional as it specifies the expertise in a subject using a bar chart. Customize the colors on this template to make your content pop out.
  • Blocks Resume TemplateDownload

    Blocks

    This standard template dedicates areas for each section of the resume. Paired with writing tips for each part of the resume, you can use them as a guide to craft an interview-ready resume.
  • Column Mix Resume TemplateDownload

    Column Mix

    The resume above has a loose structure with no defined headings. The entries of each section are divided into columns, with a focus on aesthetics rather than detailed information.
  • List of Expertise Resume TemplateDownload

    List of Expertise

    The template above uses a classic format with emphasis on the skill section, covering the entire right column of the resume. The blue-green design combination is interchangeable on a word processor of your choice.
  • Marquee Resume TemplateDownload

    Marquee

    In this free downloadable resume template, your skills are the stars of the show. Match them to the job posting skills and let them wow recruiters.

9 Accounting Resume Examples

Resumes fall under different categories depending on the level of experience and work history a person has.

The three resume formats commonly used are chronological, combination and functional. Here are a few examples for each category to help you choose a suitable format for your resume.

Chronological Resume

We recommend a chronological resume to candidates with more than ten years of professional work experience. This format showcases the individual’s long and detailed work history advocating for their knowledge in the field.

By highlighting and validating your extensive industry experience, chronological resumes will help you stand out to recruiters looking for experienced individuals. Below are three examples of chronological resumes:

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    Account manager Chronological Resume ExampleUse this Template
    1. Account manager: Using a chronological resume, you can showcase your previous accounting experience. William Harris summarizes his role-related abilities and then details them in the work history section.
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    Appraiser Chronological Resume ExampleUse this Template
    2. Appraiser: This role requires the candidate to have good research skills to determine the value of real estate assets. The example above keeps it short by explaining her expertise concisely while letting her reputed work history do all the talking.
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    Director of finance Chronological Resume ExampleUse this Template
    3. Director of finance: The role of a finance director oversees the company’s financial health and assesses its growth over a long period. The reverse-chronological work history helps recruiters quickly backtrack to your first job to see your incremental growth and determine your capability for the position.

Combination Resume

A combination resume equally emphasizes the candidate’s skills and experience. It is best-suited for career changers to showcase theirr required job-related skills and simultaneously display related work experience.

Candidates from a different field seeking an accounting position can mention their transferable skills for the new job in an “essential skills” section. For example, a real estate broker looking to be an account broker can list the essential skills required to maintain client relationships. Refer to the examples of a combination format below:

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    Account broker Combination Resume ExampleUse this Template
    1. Account broker: A broker works as a middle man to negotiate a deal between clients and companies beneficial to both parties. Phyllis Baker uses the combination format appropriately by having two skill sections to compensate for her lack of extensive work history.
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    Staff accountant Combination Resume ExampleUse this Template
    2. Staff accountant: This role is an entry- to mid-level position ideally suited for a combination format. The example above, by James Wilson, extends the skills section to support his five years of formal work experience.
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    Underwriter Combination Resume ExampleUse this Template
    3. Underwriter: This specialized job evaluates the risk of giving a loan to an entity and is responsible for approving that loan. By placing skills above the work history section, the candidate from the example above makes sure the recruiter knows her knowledge in the field before reading any further.

Functional Resume

Functional resumes work best for entry-level job seekers and recent graduates. Its format highlights the candidate’s skill set over their job experience.

Due to its highly customizable nature, this resume format is tricky for online job portals that use applicant tracking systems (ATS) like Oracle or Greenhouse to screen candidate’s resumes. Only consider using this format if applying to a small firm or a family-owned establishment where an ATS is unlikely to be used. Check out our example functional resume crafted for an accounting position below:

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    Auditor Functional Resume ExampleUse this Template
    1. Auditor: This job requires a detail-oriented candidate to check financial documents thoroughly for accuracy and maintain compliance with laws and regulations. The accounting resume example features the top three job-relevant skills applicable to the candidate by framing them as work history entries.
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    Project accountant Functional Resume ExampleUse this Template
    2. Project accountant: Recently graduated entry-level candidates can significantly benefit by managing a small-scale project account. This role is the perfect breeding ground to learn record maintenance. Use a functional resume to apply for a job in small firms and accrue the required knowledge and experience needed for future endeavors.
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    Staff Auditor Functional Resume ExampleUse this Template
    3. Staff Auditor: Staff auditors assess their employee’s financial data instead of going through client records. Joe Morgan showcases knowledge of audit practices with job-related achievements and instances through this resume.

What Can You Earn as an Accounting Professional?

An accounting team is necessary to run any business and comprises various roles, all suited to handle specific tasks. This makes it difficult to determine an accounting professional’s wage as they vary across positions. However, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salaries of accountants and auditors in different industries across the United States are as follows:

National based on industry
Average hourly wage
Average annual wage
Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping and Payroll Services
Average hourly wage
$40.89
Average annual wage
$85,050
Management of Companies and Enterprises
Average hourly wage
$39.79
Average annual wage
$82,770
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals
Average hourly wage
$34.33
Average annual wage
$71,420
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals
Average hourly wage
$32.91
Average annual wage
$68,460
Real Estate
Average hourly wage
$37.68
Average annual wage
$78,370

Top Accounting Skills for Your Resume

All resumes need a skills section which highlights your abilities to fulfill the responsibilities of your role. Make sure that you add a good mix of soft, hard and technical skills throughout your resume in the following sections:

  • Professional Summary: Enhance the opening statement or the professional summary of your resume by mentioning a soft skill or a hard skill such as: "detail-oriented" or "prepared the annual business budget and forecasted company expenditure."
  • Skills Section: This section must list six to eight of your top skills. They can include a variety of soft, hard and technical skills like communication, organized bookkeeping and proficiency in QuickBooks. Make sure not to repeat these skills in different sections.
  • Work History: The section in your resume that can benefit the most with the addition of skills is the work history. Include hard skills specific to your job profile when writing your achievements and accolades. Pick these skills from the online job posting as recruiters search for resumes using their job description keywords.

We’ve compiled a list of the top accounting skills for each category that you can access below:

Soft skills

The skills that assess your sociability and work style are called soft skills. The top soft skills recommended for an accounting professional are:

  • 1. Detail-oriented
  • 2. Organizational skills
  • 3. Strategic planning
  • 4. Problem-solving
  • 5. Communication skills
  • 6. Multitasking
  • 7. Critical thinking
  • 8. Time management
  • 9. Mathematical and deductive reasoning
  • 10. Leadership skills

Hard skills

Hard skills are learned through education or professional experience. These comprise administrative tasks like writing records, bookkeeping, budgeting and planning events. Some common hard skills you can use in an accounting resume are:

  • 1. Financial statement preparation
  • 2. Financial report analysis
  • 3. Company budgeting
  • 4. Preparing invoices
  • 5. Forecasting company expenditure
  • 6. Policy renewal
  • 7. Insurance management
  • 8. Risk management
  • 9. Bookkeeping
  • 10. Payroll processing

Technical skills

Technical skills are the knowledge and abilities to perform tasks requiring mechanical or digital tools. An accounting professional has access to several applications to work on their job effectively. It may benefit your job search to include knowledge of standard accounting software on your accounting resume. Examples of these accounting programs include:

  • 1. QuickBooks
  • 2. Xero
  • 3. FreshBooks
  • 4. Microsoft Office
  • 5. Oracle NetSuite ERP
  • 6. Sage Business Cloud Accounting
  • 7. Zoho Books

Best 5 Certifications for Your Accounting Resume

Certifications can help your accounting resume stand out from the rest of your competition. Below are a few accounting certifications that can add to your resume’s credibility:

  • Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
  • Certified Management Accountant (CMA)
  • Certified Internal Auditor (CIA)
  • Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
  • Certified Financial Planner (CFP)

Improve Your Writing Speed With a Resume Builder

Use our Resume Builder to access resume templates with pre-written content catering to your job profile. You won't have to worry about structuring your resume with our tool. Enter your details according to the prompts and your resume will be ready in a short time.

Accounting Build a Resume
Refined

This simple layout features a traditional font and the clever use of section borders to help each section of your resume stand out.

Accounting Build a Resume
Standout

This distinctive two-column resume template identifies your name and professional experience in a bold color and clean presentation.

Accounting Build a Resume
Original

A clever design that breaks each of your professional accomplishments into distinct sections while following a format that will pass applicant tracking systems.

Accounting Build a Resume
Acclaimed

The elegant initials, simple header and strategic use of bullet points in this template help keep your professional accomplishments well-organized.

Accounting Build a Resume
Accentuate

The bold use of a colorblocked heading paired with an elegant resume layout helps your name and contact information stand out.

Accounting Build a Resume
Insightful

This structured design combines a two-column approach with bullet points to highlight your key accomplishments and professional history.

Accounting Build a Resume
Whitespace

A traditional template uses a crisp combination of dark text and thin borders to radiate professionalism. Your name sits prominently above your professional history.

Accounting Build a Resume
Knowledgeable

This template’s design features plenty of whitespace neatly divided by gray bars to make the information on your resume easy to read for employers.

Accounting Build a Resume
Remarkable

This two-column resume conveys a very clear breakdown of its sections that allows a hiring manager to quickly scan your resume.

Accounting Build a Resume
Bold

The subtle color accents in this template add visual pizzazz in a classy way, a great option for most traditional industries.

Accounting Build a Resume
Emphasized

This resume’s modern design and bold use of color make it pop. Its uniqueness is well-suited to those seeking jobs in creative industries.

Accounting Build a Resume
Centered

Everything about this template is assertive from the boxy layout to its all-caps heading text that gives the impression that you’re all about business.

Accounting Build a Resume
Pacific

The understated contact information at the top puts attention front and center on your professional summary, skills, work experience and education sections.

Accounting Build a Resume
Artistic

The subtle use of red alongside black gives this template a bold feel while still featuring plenty of white space to make it easy to read.

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FAQ

What are the top three skills of an accounting assistant?

A professional working in the accounting department could be an auditor, appraiser or accountant. All these three professions require a different skill set to work efficiently. The top-recommended skills every accounting assistant must have are:

  • Attention to detail
  • Organizational skills
  • Communication skills

What do accounting assistants mention under a summary statement?

A resume’s professional summary statement should display the candidate’s capability and experience in the field. To catch the recruiter’s attention, remember the following tips:

  • Include one or two skills, preferably from the company’s job description.
  • Identify the requirements for the job and mention how you can fulfill their needs.
  • Describe instances or achievements that display your ability to perform well on the job.

What are examples of accounting duties?

An accounting team manages a company's finance and budgets its expenses accordingly. A few duties picked out from a few accounting jobs are:

  • Preparing financial statements
  • Analyzing the financial report
  • Creating a company budget
  • Preparing invoices
  • Forecasting overall company expenditure
  • Managing and updating company insurance

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