Creating the perfect resume for accounting and finance roles is all about going above and beyond qualifications and credentials. Learn how to sell yourself to employers the right way with our in-depth resume guide.

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Accounting and finance are highly competitive areas where applicants require all sorts of skills and qualifications even to get their foot in the door. Fortunately, if you're entering a profession in this sector, you already have one of the essential skills required to produce a great resume, that being attention to detail.

Now, let's dive right into exploring our handy tips, real-world examples, and compelling templates:

• Formatting your accounting & finance resume effectively
• Crafting an engaging resume summary or objective 
• Showcasing the most relevant accounting & finance skills 
• Outlining notable work experience and critical finance projects 
• Choosing the right additional sections for your resume 
• Avoiding typical resume mistakes
• Understanding the difference between a resume and a cover letter
• Learning about the average salary and job outlook for accounting & finance roles
• Uncovering useful resources for job-hunting accountants and financiers

1. Use the right resume format for your accounting & finance resume

While embarking on your resume crafting journey, an essential first step is choosing the right resume format. There are three main types: reverse chronological, functional, and hybrid. Remember that your choice will vary based on your work experience and career trajectory. 

• Reverse chronological: This is the most traditional and favored format. It lists your work experience from the most recent going backward. For seasoned accountants with a clear work history, this format serves you well. For example, if you're a senior accountant applying for a financial controller position, you'd start with your current senior accountant role, then list previous roles in descending order of recency. 
   
• Functional: This format focuses on your skills and accomplishments, rather than a timeline of your work experience. This setup can be beneficial if there are significant employment gaps in your history or if you're shifting career paths. Imagine you're a business analyst aiming to shift into a finance role, you'd highlight transferable skills like data modeling or financial planning.
   
• Hybrid: As the name suggests, it's a combination of the chronological and functional formats, spotlighting both your skills and chronological work history. This works well for those with some relevant work experience and specific skills like financial analysis or cost accounting which should be showcased. For instance, if you're an accountant with consulting exposure, weave in your consulting projects in chronological order whilst emphasizing your financial troubleshooting abilities.

Onto the next step, crafting an engaging objective or summary for your accounting & finance resume!

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2. Craft a compelling resume summary or objective

Let's cut to the chase. If you're a seasoned professional with notable accomplishments, go for a resume summary. Conversely, if you're a recent graduate or making a career shift, opt for a resume objective. 

A resume summary should demonstrate your proven expertise. It should encapsulate your years of experience, areas of proficiency, key accomplishments and strengths, all within a couple of sentences. Avoid generic descriptions and aim for specifics.

Why is it weak? This is too vague and doesn't inform the recruiter about your unique skills or accomplishments.

Why does it work? Here, you’ve highlighted your credentials, specific skills, and a metrics-backed achievement that adds punch.

A resume objective, on the other hand, outlines your career aspirations and what you aim to bring to the company. Unlike the summary, it focuses on your potential rather than your past.

Why does it fall flat? This statement is lackluster and doesn’t convey any promise to the prospective employer.

Why is it effective? This statement is compelling, promising potential value to the company with details about skills and specialities. 

Remember — quantity matters less than quality and relevance. Make every word count. Next up, highlighting your most desirable accounting & finance skills!

3. Choose relevant hard and soft skills for your resume

It's easy to break down your experience and suitability for the job into qualifications and certificates. Still, it's just as easy to overlook the fact that the hiring manager will often have to work with you. Furthermore, they might rely on you to interact with clients, represent the company, and otherwise showcase skills that extend beyond competency in finance and accounting.

In accounting and finance, in particular, you're expected to have certain hard skills. It's fair to assume you'd be unable to do the work you list in your previous experience without them. The tiebreaker often comes down to soft skills. 

Remember, there's no one-size-fits-all resume. Tailor your CV to each role, highlighting relevant skills and experiences that align with the job description. With the right balance of detailing your qualifications and showcasing your personality, you're well on your way to designing a resume that leaves a lasting impression!

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4. Craft the perfect accounting and finance work experience resume section

If you work in accounting and finance and want to take the next step in your career, your resume must be practical and eye-catching. Your main job is setting yourself apart, so while you want to confirm that you do indeed meet the baseline, you also want to show employers why you stand out from the crowd. And you can do that in a well-written work experience section.

It's not always easy to do this with the typically analytical mind of a finance professional, but don't be afraid to sell yourself to employers as something special, especially when you have the track record and qualifications to prove it!

Why is it ineffective? This work experience section lacks substance. The use of passive language does little to demonstrate the candidate’s active role in the tasks described. The lack of details, absence of quantifiable achievements, and vague descriptions don't paint a clear picture of the applicant's ability or impact. It's essential to provide specific information about tasks handled, skills applied, and results achieved within the role.

Why does it work? The candidate effectively exhibits the scope of their internship role at RBC, detailing their tasks, responsibilities, and achievements. They've quantified their successes, using numbers to illustrate the impact made on key decision-making and revenue generation. On top of that, they've proved collaboration with different departments, which points towards their teamwork skills. 

When it comes to nailing the work experience section of your finance resume, think of it as your stage. It's where you reveal your career story, your wins, and the value you bring to the table. Make sure your story is compelling and focused, with number-backed triumphs and showcases of great teamwork. 

Avoid bland phrases and generic duties. Instead, pack your story with action and let your achievements take the spotlight.

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5. Make your education and certificates stand out

Speaking of making your qualifications stand out, that's the next most important tip for anyone in accounting and finance roles. In this industry, it's easy to assume you've got the basics covered. If you need a particular certificate to operate legally or to work with financial products, everyone will believe that you've got them or you wouldn't be applying in the first place.

They'll qualify you for the job, but they won't necessarily land it on your behalf. Think about what sets you apart from everyone else, and that could catch the eye of a potential employer. Then, make sure there's no chance at all they could miss it on your resume because you've made it the highest priority.

This might include:

• The most recent certifications that other applicants may not yet have had the time to acquire
• Widely recognized certifications from top institutions
• Specialist qualifications that are particularly relevant to the job in question

Think about which of your qualifications will matter the most in a competitive sense, and draw as much attention to them as possible.

6. Choose relevant extra sections for your resume

So, you've nailed the basics on your resume — the resume or objective, skills, work experience, and education sections are on point. But here's the thing: you're not just a summation of your work history. It's the extra elements that help you stand out and illustrate the fuller picture of who you are.

Think about it: does a past experience showcase your leadership, attention to detail, or teamwork skills? If yes, it might be worth including. Here are three extra sections to consider:

• Volunteering: Giving back isn't just good karma; it speaks a lot about your character and work ethic. For instance, if you’ve served as a treasurer for a local charity, it’s a relevant showcase of your ability to handle finances and contribute to a larger mission.
• Certifications: Having certifications beyond the compulsory can underscore your dedication to professional growth. Examples for a finance role might include a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) designation, a Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst certification or a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) certification, depending on the role and your career aspirations.
• Languages: In today's global market, speaking more than one language is a valuable skill. If you're fluent in French along with English, it enhances your merit especially if the company has offices in French-speaking regions or clientele from there.

Remember, there’s a fine line between padding your resume and enhancing it. Every section you add should have a purpose and resonate with the job description. Keep it relevant, engaging, and authentic. Next, let's steer clear of those common resume pitfalls.

7. Avoid common mistakes in your accounting & finance resume

Creating your resume is just the first step; a significant part of the battle involves avoiding the common mistakes that can diminish your chances. Here are those pitfalls and how to steer clear of them:

• Spelling and grammatical errors: These can easily ruin your first impression. Run spell-check, read it aloud, or have a friend take a look. For example, don't write 'it's' when you mean 'its', or mix up 'principal' and ‘principle’!
• Vague terminology: Particularly in finance, being specific and precise is key. Don’t merely state “handled accounting tasks"; instead, specify "oversaw accounts payable/receivable and reconciled balance sheets on a monthly basis".
• Lack of numbers: The finance industry is heavily quantified. Wherever you can, use numbers to show your accomplishments. Instead of "Contributed in cost-saving", expand it to "Identified inefficiencies and reduced operational costs by 15%".
• Failure to tailor your resume: Every job and company is different and seeks different qualities. Align your resume with the job description. If a role specifically asks for skills in budget forecasting or risk management, make sure those skills are prominently showcased in your resume.
• Too much jargon: While it's important to convey your technical capabilities, don't alienate a non-technical recruiter with excessive jargon. Strike a fine balance.

Navigating around these common pitfalls puts you one step ahead in the application process. But a resume isn’t all you’ll need. Next, let's unravel the difference between a resume and a cover letter.

8. Accounting & finance resume vs cover letter

When applying for roles in finance, you'll likely produce two critical documents: the resume and the cover letter. But these two aren’t interchangeable; in fact, they serve distinct purposes.

A resume is a concise overview of your career trajectory, spanning education, work experience, skills, and relevant extras. It’s like a cinema trailer, providing a glimpse into the wide-ranging aspects of your professional life.

On the other hand, a cover letter is more like a deep dive into specific parts of your career that align well with the job description. It's your chance to tell a compelling story about why you're the ideal fit for the role and how your experiences and skills directly serve the company's objectives. It's less about ticking boxes and more about painting a cohesive, engaging narrative.

In short, the resume is your highlight reel, while the cover letter brings colour, context and depth to your application. Together, they make a powerful duo in your job-hunting toolkit.

9. Average salary and job outlook for accounting and finance professionals

Taking a deep dive into the accounting and finance job domain requires a glance at the potential returns and growth prospects these roles promise. Let's tap into some critical data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

According to the BLS, accountants enjoyed cushy average salaries of nearly $78,000 a year as of May 2022. This underlines the high regard businesses have for accountancy roles.

Shifting our gaze to the future, prospects appear sunny. Job opportunities for accountants and auditors are projected to grow by 4% from 2022 to 2032, mirroring the average growth across all occupations.

Each year is likely to surface approximately 126,500 fresh job openings for accountants and auditors, considering both new roles and vacancies arising from retirees or exiters.

All in all, with solid earnings and a steady job growth forecast, the road ahead in accounting and finance is paved with promising opportunities. So gear up and set your career wheels in motion!

10. Valuable job search resources for accounting & finance professionals

Landing your dream role in accounting & finance requires more than just updating your resume — it involves knowing where to look. Here's a rundown of useful platforms and resources to help you scout for the right opportunities.

1. LinkedIn: Not just for networking, LinkedIn is a treasure trove of job postings. Use their job search feature to filter opportunities by location, industry, and role type.
2. Indeed, Glassdoor, Simply Hired: These websites are an abundant resource for job listings. They allow you to set up customized job alerts so you can be the first to know about new openings.
3. Accounting.com: Tailored specifically for accounting roles, it offers a comprehensive listing of job opportunities in this field.
4. Finance job fairs and networking events: Keep an eye out for industry-specific job fairs and networking events. They offer an excellent opportunity to meet potential employers and industry insiders face-to-face.
5. Professional associations: Membership in professional organizations like the American Accounting Association or the Financial Management Association can provide access to exclusive job boards and industry updates.
6. Career counseling and placement services: If you're in school or recently graduated, take advantage of your institution's career services, which often include job listings and career counseling.

Ultimately, the key is to incorporate both online and offline job search strategies in your search. Time to kickstart your hunt and land that dream accounting or finance role!