| Are you an experienced staff accountant looking | | | | problem solving skills. |
| to write or improve your resume or just starting | | | | If you have a lot of experience, you can call the |
| your career and need a resume for your new job | | | | experience category "Professional Experience," but |
| search or summer internship? This resume tutorial | | | | if you are just starting out, it might be best to call |
| will give you useful advice and sample resume | | | | this category "Work History." Depending on your |
| sentences to help you put your resume together. | | | | experience or number of jobs held, the following |
| First, you need to communicate your objective. It | | | | should help you to think about the areas of your |
| could be a typical "Objective" category that reads | | | | job function that should be covered in your staff |
| something like this: "Seeking to secure a position | | | | accountant resume: |
| as a staff accountant." | | | | * Manage Accounting Department reporting |
| Better yet, you should use an "Objective | | | | directly to Controller. |
| Statement" that prominently states the position | | | | * Prepare consolidated financial statements and |
| you are seeking such as STAFF ACCOUNTANT. | | | | SEC reports. |
| If you are looking for your first staff accountant | | | | * Conduct audits across health care and |
| position, you can add a short blurb on the line | | | | technology industries. |
| above such as "Position of Interest" or "Seeking | | | | * Instituted a financial reporting system that met |
| the following position" in plain text so it does not | | | | GAAP standards. |
| compete with the objective statement, which | | | | * Established financial applications for MAS90 |
| should be centered, all caps, about 15 point font | | | | mainframe system. |
| size, and bold so the reader sees it immediately. | | | | * Performed account reconciliations and general |
| The next category should be your Summary of | | | | ledger entries. |
| Qualifications category. You can introduce this | | | | * Improved processes in relation to internal audits |
| important part of your resume with a statement | | | | compliance. |
| instead of using a Summary of Qualifications | | | | * Posted to General Ledger accounts and |
| heading. This statement can read something like | | | | performed cash flow analysis. |
| this: Seeking to secure a position as a staff | | | | * Monitored proper controls and systems to |
| accountant offering the following qualifications: | | | | effectively manage inventory levels. |
| The first line of your Summary of Qualifications | | | | * Prepared monthly financial statements and |
| section should indicate your years of experience in | | | | reports (variance analysis and sales). |
| a given field. The rest should continue outlining | | | | * Ensured tax, legal and company compliance with |
| your qualifications such as educational credentials, | | | | payroll issues. |
| specialized knowledge, and technical skills. You can | | | | * Analyzed business performance to maximize |
| include a line about your attributes, but do not | | | | operations. |
| make it the focus. Hard facts are more important. | | | | * Maintained weekly cash flow management and |
| Here is how these sections should read: | | | | reporting activities. |
| Eight years of accomplished experience in the field | | | | * Prepared reports, budgets, payroll, sales taxes. |
| of accounting. | | | | * Issued invoices, purchase orders and shipping |
| * Bachelor's degree in Accounting; minor in | | | | charges. |
| International Finance. | | | | Following your experience section, you should list |
| * Experience in GAAP Accounting and monthly | | | | your education, accounting credentials, and |
| closing processes. | | | | computer skills. For visual appeal, consider adding a |
| * Four years of general accounting staff | | | | border around your resume if it is one page and |
| supervision. | | | | choose Verdana pt. 10 for your font for a neat, |
| * Technically astute with solid analytical and | | | | clean look. |