When describing your work experience, use strong action verbs that are specific to the payroll accounting industry. This helps to highlight your relevant skills and experience, and makes your resume more impactful.

Some examples of strong payroll action verbs include:

• Reconciled payroll discrepancies and ensured 100% accuracy of payroll processing for 500+ employees
• Audited payroll records and identified $50K in overpayments, resulting in significant cost savings for the company
• Implemented new payroll software that reduced processing time by 30% and improved overall efficiency

Notice how these examples not only use strong action verbs, but also include specific metrics and results to quantify the impact of the action.

Whenever possible, use specific metrics and numbers to quantify your accomplishments and demonstrate the impact you've made in your previous roles. This helps to make your resume more compelling and convincing to employers.

Here are some examples of how to effectively use metrics in your work experience section:

• Processed payroll for 1,500 employees across 5 states, ensuring 100% accuracy and compliance with state and federal regulations
• Reduced payroll processing time by 20% by implementing new automation tools and streamlining processes
• Identified and corrected payroll errors, saving the company over $25,000 in potential penalties and fines

In contrast, here are some examples of work experience descriptions that lack specific metrics:

• Processed payroll for a large number of employees
• Improved payroll processing efficiency
• Corrected payroll errors

While these descriptions convey the general responsibilities of the role, they don't provide any concrete evidence of the impact or results achieved.

If you've been promoted or taken on increasing levels of responsibility in your previous roles, be sure to highlight this in your work experience section. This demonstrates your ability to grow and advance within an organization, and shows employers that you have the potential to do the same in a new role.

Here's an example of how to effectively showcase your progression:

Payroll Manager, XYZ Company, 2018-Present
- Oversee payroll processing for 2,000+ employees across multiple states
- Manage a team of 5 payroll specialists and provide training and guidance
- Implement process improvements that have reduced errors by 15% and increased efficiency by 20%

Payroll Specialist, XYZ Company, 2015-2018
- Processed bi-weekly payroll for 500+ employees
- Assisted with year-end reporting and tax filings
- Identified and corrected payroll discrepancies, ensuring 100% accuracy

In this example, the progression from Payroll Specialist to Payroll Manager is clear, and the increasing levels of responsibility and impact are highlighted.

When applying for a specific payroll accountant position, it's important to tailor your work experience section to the requirements and preferences outlined in the job description. This shows employers that you have the specific skills and experience they are looking for, and increases your chances of getting an interview.

Here are some tips for tailoring your work experience section:

• Use keywords and phrases from the job description in your bullet points and descriptions
• Highlight experience and accomplishments that are most relevant to the specific role and company
• Emphasize any experience with the specific payroll software or systems mentioned in the job description

Processed payroll for a large healthcare organization
Assisted with benefits administration and open enrollment
Maintained employee records in HRIS system

While this experience is relevant to payroll in general, it doesn't specifically match the requirements of the job description.

Processed multi-state payroll for 1,000+ employees using ADP Workforce Now
Collaborated with HR team to ensure accurate and timely processing of new hires, terminations, and other employee changes
Reconciled payroll accounts and generated reports using Microsoft Excel

This tailored version highlights experience with the specific software mentioned in the job description (ADP), as well as relevant collaborations with HR and proficiency with Excel.