Accountant

Accountant Resume Keywords and Skills (Hard Skills)

Here are the keywords and skills that appear most frequently on recent Accountant job postings. In other words, these are the most sought after skills by recruiters and hiring managers. So try to include them on your resume where possible.

Remember that every job is different. Instead of including all these keywords on your resume, identify the keywords most relevant to the job you're applying to and include those. Use the free Targeted Resume tool to help with this.

  • Accounting
  • Financial Reporting
  • Financial Analysis
  • Account Reconciliation
  • Financial Accounting
  • Microsoft Access
  • General Ledger
  • Accounts Payable
  • Auditing
  • Financial Statements
  • Tax
  • SAP Products
  • Accounts Receivable (AR)
  • Finance
  • Internal Controls
  • Data Analysis
  • Bank Reconciliation
  • Accounting Software
  • Management
  • Fixed Assets
  • Bookkeeping
  • Tax Accounting
  • Journal Entries
  • Tax Preparation
  • MYOB
  • Budgeting
  •   Show full list

  Where on my resume do I add these buzzwords?

Add keywords directly into your resume's work experiences, education or projects. Alternatively, you can also include a Skills section where you can list your technical skills in order of your proficiency.

Only include these technical skills or keywords into your resume if you actually have experience with them.

Compare Your Resume To These Accountant Skills (ATS Scan)

Paste your resume below and our AI will identify which keywords are missing from your resume from the list above (and what you need to include). Including the right keywords will help you get past Applicant Tracking Systems (i.e. resume screeners) which may scan your resume for keywords to see if you're a match for the job.

How do I add skills to an Accountant resume?

1
Review the job posting closely.

Go through the Accountant posting you're applying to, and identify hard skills the company is looking for. For example, skills like Financial Reporting, Accounts Payable and Financial Analysis are possible skills. These are skills you should try to include on your resume.

2
Add industry skills like Microsoft Access and Accounting.

Add other common skills from your industry - such as Financial Accounting, Account Reconciliation and General Ledger - into your resume if they're relevant.

3
Add skills into your work experience.

Incorporate skills - like Management, Finance and Internal Controls - into your work experience too. This shows hiring managers that you have practical experience with these tools, techniques and skills.

4
Emphasize your communication skills.

Communication is often an important component of the role of an Accountant, so when writing your resume, include examples of how you communicated with stakeholders, team members or customers, or produced content.

5
Emphasize your accounting skills.

As the job title suggests, accounting is a pretty common skill for Accountant roles. Use the infographic for examples of how to show accounting experience.

6
Use the exact job title.

Try to add the exact job title, Accountant, somewhere into your resume to get past resume screeners. See the infographic for how to do this.

Word Cloud for Accountant Skills & Keywords

The following word cloud highlights the most popular keywords that appear on Accountant job descriptions. The bigger the word, the more frequently it shows up on employer's job postings. If you have experience with these keywords, include them on your resume.

Top Accountant Skills and Keywords to Include On Your Resume

Accountant Soft Skills

Here are common soft skills that appear on Accountant job postings. Unlike hard skills, which refer to tools, software or techniques, soft skills focus on character traits and interpersonal skills. Instead of listing these phrases on your resume, try to show them through your bullet points like in the examples below.

Tip: Do not list these words or phrases on your resume, and instead focus on the hard skills we described above.

Resume Skills and Keywords from Related Jobs

We also found variations and further specializations to your job title. Browse through the related job titles to find additional keywords that you can include into your resume.

Get your Resume Instantly Checked, For Free

Upload your resume and we'll spot the issues in it before an actual Accountant recruiter sees it. For free.

Accountant Resume Templates

Here are examples of proven resumes in related jobs and industries, approved by experienced hiring managers. Use them as inspiration when you're writing your own resume. You can even download and edit the resume template in Google Docs.

Resume Example
Senior Accountant / Accounting Executive


Resume Example
Senior Accountant / Accounting Executive


Resume Example
Professional


Resume Example
Highlights (Free)


Resume Example
Modern Two-Column


Resume Example
Clean Modern


Frequently Asked Questions

What skills should you put on an Accountant resume?

The most common skills and keywords we found on Accountant resumes and job postings were Accounting, Financial Reporting, Financial Analysis, Account Reconciliation, Financial Accounting, Microsoft Access, General Ledger and Accounts Payable.

Skills like Journal Entries, Internal Controls, Fixed Assets, Finance and Management also appeared on related job postings.

How do resume skills compare between a Forensic Accountant and a Client Accountant?

Popular skills we often see on resumes for Forensic Accountant positions include:

  • Forensic Accounting
  • Fraud Investigations
  • Accounting
  • Auditing
  • Financial Analysis
  • Financial Accounting
  • Forensic Analysis
  • Internal Controls

In comparison, skills we see on Client Accountant resumes include:

  • Account Reconciliation
  • Debt Collection
  • Accounts Payable
  • Invoicing
  • Accounts Receivable (AR)
  • Microsoft Access
  • Sage Products
  • SAP Products

What are good resume skills to include for different Accountant roles and job titles?

Depending on the specific role you apply to, you may need to emphasize different skill sets. Here are a few examples:

  • Inventory Accountant: Inventory Management, Logistics Management, Stocks, Supply Chain Management and Procurement
  • Commercial Accountant: Management Accounting, Accounting, Forecasting, Financial Reporting and Variance Analysis
  • Fixed Asset Accountant: Fixed Assets, Account Reconciliation, General Ledger, Journal Entries and Financial Accounting
  • Client Accountant: Debt Collection, Accounts Payable, Invoicing, Accounts Receivable (AR) and Microsoft Access
  • Investment Accountant: Financial Analysis, Financial Statements, Investments, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and Finance

Target your Resume to a Job Description

While the keywords above are a good indication of what skills you need on your resume, you should try to find additional keywords that are specific to the job. To do this, use the free Targeted Resume tool. It analyzes the job you are applying to and finds the most important keywords you need on your resume.

It is personalized to your resume, and is the best way to ensure your resume will pass the automated resume filters.

Start targeting your resume

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