--- title: "How to Write an Accounting and Bookkeeping Resume" description: "How to write a accounting resume: section order, what hiring managers look for, bullet structures with placeholders, action verbs and mistakes to avoid." url: "https://mcc-solutionsnj.com/career-services/how-to-write-an-accounting-resume" --- Career guide # How to write a resume for accounting and bookkeeping jobs Accounting managers and controllers read resumes for accuracy, systems and scope: which parts of the cycle you handled, in which software, for what size and type of business. They also notice a resume with a misaligned date or a typo, because the job is about catching exactly those things. 🌙 We're off the clock. Your job search isn't. Order tonight and send your resume; a person starts on it after we open in the morning. [See career services](/career-services) Be precise about your role in each process. "Prepared" a reconciliation, "reviewed" one and "owned" the month-end close are different levels, and an experienced reader will ask. Use the verb that matches what you actually did. ## What people hiring in accounting and bookkeeping usually look for In general terms. Every employer is different, so read each posting closely. - The accounting functions you handled: accounts payable, receivable, payroll, reconciliations, month-end close, reporting or tax support. - Software: accounting systems, spreadsheets and payroll tools, named as [accounting software] until you fill in the real names. - Scope: company type and size, number of entities or accounts, transaction volume, if you know it. - Accuracy and controls: reconciliations, approvals, audit support and how you caught and fixed errors. - Deadlines met: month-end, quarter-end and year-end tasks and filings you supported. - Credentials or coursework you hold, such as a degree, certificate or professional credential, with the year. ## How to structure a accounting resume - **Core skills by function.** AP, AR, payroll, reconciliations, close and reporting, plus software. This is what most readers scan for. - **Experience by cycle.** Open each job with the company type and your part of the cycle, then the processes you ran. - **Software in its own line.** Accounting systems and spreadsheet skills, specifically (for example the functions you use). - **Credentials.** Degree, certificate or professional credential with the year; "in progress" if not finished. Three layouts cover most situations, each in one column with standard headings: - **Accounting Professional:** Clerks, specialists and staff accountants with in-house experience. Order: Summary, Core Skills, Accounting Experience, Education and Credentials. - **Bookkeeper and Client Work:** Bookkeepers serving several businesses or clients. Order: Summary, Client Work (Bookkeepers), Accounting Experience, Core Skills, Education and Credentials. - **New Graduate:** Accounting graduates and career changers whose education and skills lead. Order: Summary, Education and Credentials, Core Skills, Accounting Experience. ## Example bullet structures These are structures, not real results. Replace every [placeholder] with your own facts, and leave out any number you can't back up. - Processed [number] vendor invoices per [week or month] in [accounting software], coding to the right accounts and matching to [purchase orders or receipts]. - Reconciled [number] bank and credit card accounts each month and investigated differences until they tied. - Prepared [journal entries, accruals or schedules] for the month-end close of a [company type] with [number] entities. - Managed receivables for [number] customers, sending statements and following up on balances over [number] days. - Processed [weekly or biweekly] payroll for [number] employees in [payroll software] and reconciled payroll accounts. ### Action verbs for this field **Processing** Processed, Recorded, Posted, Coded, Entered **Review and control** Reconciled, Reviewed, Verified, Investigated, Corrected **Reporting and close** Prepared, Closed, Reported, Accrued, Summarized ## Summary structures - [Role] with [number] years of [AP, AR, payroll or full-cycle] experience for [company type]. Skilled in [accounting software] and [spreadsheet skills]; known for accurate, on-time closes. - Full-cycle bookkeeper for [number] [small businesses or clients] in [industries], from transaction entry through monthly financial statements. More structures by situation (career change, returning after a layoff, new graduate) are on our [resume summary examples](/career-services/resume-summary-examples) page. ## Common mistakes - Using "managed" or "owned" for a process you prepared or assisted with. - Listing software without saying what you did in it. - Leaving out the size or type of the business, which tells the reader the complexity you handled. - Any typo or mismatched date. Proofread line by line. - Including confidential client names or financial figures from past employers. ## Do it yourself, or have it done Templates ### Accounting and Bookkeeping Resume Template Pack Accounting Professional, Bookkeeper and Client Work, New Graduate, plus the full bullet guide with every verb and structure. $15. [See the template pack](/toolkits/accounting-bookkeeping-resume-template-pack) Or the [Accounting and Bookkeeping Job Search Bundle](/toolkits/accounting-bookkeeping-job-search-bundle) with the Job Search Kit, $25. Done for you ### Have your resume rewritten Upload your current resume and answer a short intake; a person reviews and delivers the finished files. We never add facts you didn't give us. [See the resume rewrite](/career-services/resume-rewrite) ## Questions **What should a bookkeeper resume include?** The functions you handle, the software you use, the kinds and number of businesses you keep books for, and how far you take the books (entry, reconciliation, statements). **How do I show accuracy without numbers?** Describe the controls you used: reconciliations that tied, reviews, errors you caught and how you fixed them. **Should I list my spreadsheet skills?** Yes, specifically. Name the functions and tools you use, not just the program. Other resume guides: [warehouse and logistics](/career-services/how-to-write-a-warehouse-resume), [hospitality and food service](/career-services/how-to-write-a-hospitality-resume), [government and federal](/career-services/how-to-write-a-federal-resume), and the [career services](/career-services) page. Got laid off? See [what to do after being laid off](/career-services/what-to-do-after-being-laid-off). General information, not career, legal or employment advice. We are not career counselors, and nothing here promises interviews, offers or a particular result. ## Rather have your resume written for you? [See the resume rewrite](/career-services/resume-rewrite)[Call (908) 444-6373](tel:+19084446373)