Because the accounting industry is expected to continue booming for the next eight years, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook, it’s important to hit the right notes on your resume with an accounting employer to avoid getting weeded out.
Read on to find out how you can enhance your accounting resume so you will stand out from the pack.
1. List a Concise Accounting Career Objective and Profile on Your Accounting Resume.
It’s very important to be clear about what job you’re seeking on an accounting resume. When employers review your accounting resume, they need to know immediately what accounting position you’re applying for and why you qualify.
In doing this you should make sure you’re familiar with the lingo of the particular accounting job area you hope to work in. Know the exact title and spelling of the accounting job you hope to attain. Also, keep the accounting job ad near when you write your resume. The language in that job ad should be found on your accounting resume when employers review it. This, in essence, should imply that you fit the accounting job description.
Your accounting career objective should be brief and simple, stating the name of the accounting job you want. In your profile section that should come below it, make sure to create a brief professional snapshot of your accounting career experience and qualifications. This should only be a couple sentences, and it should specifically address the needs of the job ad. Using bullets can also make the profile more readable.
2. Update Your Past Job Titles to Address the Job at Hand on Your Accounting Resume.
Usually, once we get started at a job, our job responsibilities can expand and transition to some very relevant job experience. For example, if your title was ''executive assistant'' but you ended up handling a series of accounts payable functions and managed receivables and collections, you should more accurately reflect that experience by calling yourself an ''accounting assistant.''
This is not lying, as most people might fear. It’s all about clarity. If an accounting employer browses your resume and sees ''executive assistant,'' chances are he or she will gloss over it and miss all the great accounting experience you attained during that job.
Your job, as the resume writer, is to ensure that each job, description, and title speaks to the job at hand. This, ideally, will lead the accounting employer to call you in for an interview.
3. Flaunt Your Education and Special Skills on Your Accounting Resume.
In today’s accounting job market, it’s more important than ever to have the certification to back you up. You should always list your accounting education and/or certifications toward the top of your accounting resume, unless you’ve been out of school for more than five years. In that case accounting education and certification can appear below the employment section.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook, accounting education and certification will elevate accountants and auditors in their careers during the next eight years. The report states:
''In the aftermath of the accounting scandals, professional certification is even more important to ensure that accountants’ credentials and knowledge of ethics are sound. Regardless of specialty, accountants and auditors who have earned professional recognition through certification or licensure should have the best job prospects. Applicants with a master’s degree in accounting or a master’s degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting also will have an advantage.''
The report adds that proficiency with accounting and auditing computer software or expertise in specialized areas will make accounting job seekers more attractive to accounting employers, so make sure this experience is listed loud and clear on your accounting resume.
