A cost analyst oversees a company’s expenses in terms of production, purchases, and labor. They do this to identify inefficiencies and elaborate a plan that could provide cost-effective solutions for the organization. Additionally, cost analysts should provide periodic reports for upper management.
To become a cost analyst, you should have a deep understanding of finances, math, accounting, and data analytics. That’s why they usually have a bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or Administration. However, the degree requirement can also be replaced by equivalent work experience.
Additional cost analyst responsibilities include conducting market research, forecasting costs, and creating budgets. They play a huge role in financial decision-making, so they’ll help managers identify the best course of action for transitions and changes.
This is a role that requires strong analytical thinking and business acumen. Your potential employer might be seeking someone with intuition and financial experience that helps them make more informed decisions. That’s why you should demonstrate this in your resume by mentioning your achievements in the industry.
If you’d like to learn more interesting tips to enhance your resume, take a look below. We’ve prepared some insightful tips and two customizable templates for your cost analyst resume.
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A cost analyst collects financial information to conduct audits of internal and external expenses. They analyze this information to identify irregularities and inefficiencies in operations. Additionally, they estimate the costs of production and provide recommendations to improve cost efficiency.
They can work in multiple fields, but they mostly work in manufacturing and supply chain. If you’d like your resume to stand out, highlight your data analytics skills.
Financial software automates processes and improves your reporting metrics. It can save cost analysts a lot of time that they can use on more significant tasks such as data interpretation and representation. You should mention on your resume those accounting tools that you are familiar with. Some of the most common ones include GeneralCOST Estimator, QuickBooks, and SAP.
There are numerous certifications in finance or accounting that can help you demonstrate your potential. Some of the most relevant ones are the Certified Management Accountant and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). These credentials are validated by highly renowned organizations. Therefore, they’ll provide you with authoritativeness and reliability.
The senior cost analyst is responsible for conducting complex financial research and analysis on organizational expenses. They contribute to the organization by helping it deliver more accurate budgets and forecasts. Their goal is to reduce costs for projects and maximize profitability. This is a high-level position, so it is crucial to demonstrate business acumen and seniority on your resume.
As a senior cost analyst, you are usually expected to have advanced training in finance, accounting, or math. That’s why it is essential to highlight your academic value on your resume. You can mention your bachelor’s degree, but it’s also a good idea to include any courses and certificate programs that you have completed.
A good way to indicate seniority is by mentioning your achievements. Yet, you want to seem reliable and show proof of these accomplishments. That’s why including metrics is a good idea. That way you can demonstrate a tangible impact on previous projects.
We interviewed several hiring managers at companies like Amazon, IBM, and Deloitte to find out what they look for in cost analyst resumes. Based on their insights and our own research, we've put together these tips to help you create a strong resume that will get noticed by employers in this field.
Employers want to see that you have the analytical skills to break down complex financial data and identify cost-saving opportunities. Use specific examples to show how you've applied these skills in your past roles.
Avoid using generic phrases that don't provide any real insight into your abilities:
While a summary on a resume is optional, it can be a great way for cost analysts to provide additional context and highlight their most relevant skills and experience. A well-written summary can grab the attention of hiring managers and showcase your value as a candidate. However, it's important to avoid using an objective statement, as these are outdated and ineffective.
When crafting your summary, focus on your key strengths and accomplishments that align with the cost analyst role. Use metrics and specific examples to demonstrate your impact in previous positions. Keep your summary concise and targeted, avoiding generic buzzwords or soft skills.
The work experience section is the heart of your resume. It's where you show potential employers what you've accomplished in previous roles and how you can add value in the role you're applying for. When writing your work experience section as a cost analyst, focus on highlighting your most relevant and impressive achievements, rather than simply listing your job duties.
Your cost analyst resume should be concise and direct while illustrating your value. To achieve this, you must use the appropriate vocabulary that helps you describe your work experience with a few characters. This is when action verbs come in handy. They can help you explain your responsibilities in previous jobs by using one word.
Now, the accuracy of action verbs will also depend on your word choice. You must use the appropriate action verbs for your profession. Notice how “negotiated,” “budgeted,” and “audited,” sound suitable for your work experience. If you’d like to see more action verbs for your cost analyst resume, check our selection.
For a full list of effective resume action verbs, visit Resume Action Verbs.
Your cost analyst resume should have a combination of hard skills, financial techniques, and tools that you are familiar with. It is important to focus on technical skills, such as administration, cost analysis, financial planning, and budgeting. Additionally, you should demonstrate your knowledge of financial techniques such as cost-benefit analysis, account reconciliation, and earned value management.
Make sure to also include the cost analysis software you use, such as SAP, Microsoft Dynamics, or IBM’s cost analysis tool. This is important because these tools automate repetitive tasks and help you create more accurate reports. If you need more ideas as to what skills to include in your cost analyst resume, take a look at our selection.
You can include the above skills in a dedicated Skills section on your resume, or weave them in your experience. Here's how you might create your dedicated skills section:
This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Cost Analyst job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more 'important' it is.
Thank you for the checklist! I realized I was making so many mistakes on my resume that I've now fixed. I'm much more confident in my resume now.
