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Being an accounting assistant requires a particular set of skills. You're often the backbone of the accounting department, handling data entry, invoice processing, and overall financial record keeping. The job requires meticulous attention to detail, great numerical skills, and often, a good handle on certain software like Quickbooks or Excel. Lately, due to increased digitalization, many accounting assistant roles may also require familiarity with cloud-based tools and software.
As you craft your resume, remember that hiring managers are keen to see your technical skills, your ability to work with a team, and examples of how you've added value in past roles, such as improving processes or saving company resources. Specificity is key, so provide quantifiable achievements whenever possible.
As an accounting assistant, you'll likely be using a variety of accounting and data management software. Specify which programs you're familiar with, like QuickBooks, MS Excel, or any other cloud-based accounting tools, as this can be a key deciding factor for hiring managers.
When drafting the experience section, don't just list your routine tasks. Instead, highlight achievements and improvements you've brought about, ideally using specific numbers. For example, "Implemented a new data entry method that improved efficiency by 20%".
In an accounting assistant role, you’ll be doing basic accounting tasks such as record keeping, cash handling, and billing to help support your company. You may be able to get this job straight out of school, but some companies may require a few years of accounting experience. Use a resume like this one to showcase the experience you do have, giving specific examples of achievements that illustrate your organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
Recruiters like to see consistency in resumes, and if you have a lengthy work history within a specific role, you’ll be a desirable candidate for that position. Having held previous accounting assistant positions (including ones of increasing seniority), you’ll have gained many relevant and transferable skills for your new job.
Most companies want to hire accounting assistants who at least hold a bachelor’s degree in a relevant subject area (such as applied business, accounting, or finance). Be sure to mention your finance-related educational background and credentials on your resume.
As a hiring manager who has recruited accounting assistants at companies like Ernst & Young, Deloitte, and KPMG, I've reviewed hundreds of resumes. The following tips will help you create a strong accounting assistant resume that stands out to hiring managers. These tips complement the resume examples provided earlier.
Hiring managers look for specific accounting skills on your resume, such as:
Make sure to include these skills in your resume, especially in a dedicated 'Skills' section. Provide examples of how you've used these skills in your work experience section too.
Avoid simply listing generic skills like 'attention to detail' or 'organized'. Instead, be specific about your accounting skills and how you've applied them.
When writing your accounting assistant resume, the summary section is optional. While it's not a must-have, a well-written summary can provide valuable context about your career goals and highlight your most relevant qualifications. However, avoid using an objective statement, as it's an outdated practice that doesn't add much value to your resume.
If you choose to include a summary, make sure it complements the rest of your resume without repeating information already covered in other sections. Use this opportunity to mention your target job title and incorporate relevant keywords that are likely to be picked up by applicant tracking systems (ATS).
The work experience section is the heart of your resume as an accounting assistant. It's where you show hiring managers that you have the skills and experience to excel in the role. In this section, we'll break down the key steps to writing a compelling work experience section that will grab the attention of employers and help you land your next accounting assistant job.
When describing your work experience, use powerful action verbs that are relevant to accounting and showcase your skills. Weak, generic verbs like 'helped' or 'assisted' don't give a clear picture of your contributions.
Instead of this:
Use strong accounting verbs like:
The education section of your accounting assistant resume should be concise and relevant. It's an opportunity to showcase your academic background and any specialized training that qualifies you for the role. Here are some key tips to keep in mind when writing your education section.
The skills section of your accounting assistant resume is where you showcase your top abilities that are relevant to the job. Hiring managers quickly scan this section to assess if you have the right mix of accounting skills, software proficiencies, and industry knowledge. A well-crafted skills section can make the difference between your resume being shortlisted or rejected.
Here are some tips to write an effective accounting assistant skills section:
Here are examples of popular skills from Accounting Assistant job descriptions that you can include on your resume.
This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Accounting Assistant job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more likely you should include it in your resume.
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