9+ Senior Accountant Resume Examples + Writing Guide
Exceed the competition with our senior accountant resume examples. We have well-written samples, tips and resume designs you can customize to help you win the job!
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Senior accountant resume
summary examples
An engaging professional resume summary or career objective is a must in this competitive job market because, on average, a hiring manager scans a resume in just seven seconds.
A strong resume summary consists of two to three sentences that sell your top accounting skills and noteworthy accomplishments. It should be placed right under your contact information, so it’s the first section recruiters see.
The more quantifiable achievements and impressive statistics you include in this section, the better. Think of it like a “greatest hits” list of your work accomplishments.
Let’s compare these two senior accountant professional summaries so you can understand what to include and what to leave out:
Good example:
“Senior Accountant with 10+ years of experience in financial management and analysis. Skilled in financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting and variance analysis. Proven track record of driving cost savings and process improvements, resulting in increased profitability and efficiency.”
Why this example passes:
- Features the candidate’s success statistics to grab attention. Quantifiable achievements detail how big the results you deliver are, e.g., test scores, passing rate and more.
- Shows career length, 11 years.
- Mentions employer-desired skills: student motivation and interactive lessons.
Bad example:
“Experienced Senior Accountant with a passion for numbers. Skilled in managing accounts and working with clients. Looking to use my skills to contribute to a successful team.”
Why this example fails:
- Doesn’t include any numbers that quantify senior accountant’s performance
- Uses vague descriptions and skills.
- Doesn’t include years of accountant experience.
The fastest way to write your
professional summary
Writing exciting phrases for your resume profile isn’t always easy for even the most senior-level accountants. That’s why you should try our Resume Builder!
This digital tool automates the writing process and gives you line-by-line text phrases to select and add to your resume! Our career experts crafted these phrases to be clear, engaging and customizable.
- 1
Enter the details about the job title you held. The builder comes preloaded with auto-suggested phrasing written by resume experts.
- 2
Pick from these suggested phrases that best frame your experience and customize them to your liking!
- 3
You can choose the summary phrases that best frame your experience—it’s like having a professional do it for you!
Senior accountants know there’s no room for error, especially not in your resume. So, if you’re serious about a role, you should leave nothing to chance and use our professional resume-writing services!
A career expert will consult with you to help you make critical choices and write a job-tailored resume for you!
The reviews are in!
See what they’re saying about us on Trustpilot.
Senior accountant resume work
experience examples
For senior accountants, the work experience section is the number-crunching portion of your resume.
To write a good resume, you must list your past jobs in reverse chronological order, share bullet points describing your achievements and business statistics, and include action verbs that make your resume’s language more direct and concise.
These qualities make it easy for applicant tracking systems (ATS) to scan your resume and pass it to an actual recruiter. Many companies use ATS to filter candidates, so if you want to ensure your resume meets their standards, upload your document to our ATS Resume Checker.
Good example:
Robins & Steiner, LLC | Providence, RI | 03/2017 – Present
- Managed the financial records of 10+ clients, ensuring accuracy and compliance with all applicable regulations.
- Streamlined the accounts receivable process, resulting in a 20% reduction in overdue payments.
- Prepared financial statements and reports for management review and board meetings.
Why this example passes:
- Uses numbers and percentages to illustrate the accountant’s impact.
- Good use of strong words and active language.
- References accounting keywords like “accounts receivable process” and “financial statements.”
Bad example:
Atlas Accounting | Redmond, WA | 4/2022-present
- Worked as senior accountant.
- Assisted with accounts receivable and accounts payable.
- Processed invoices.
- Prepared financial reports.
Why this example fails:
- Lacks numbers or statistics.
- Describes general tasks, not teaching achievements or career highlights.
- Uses active verbs but doesn’t focus on results.
Senior accountant resume skills examples
Here are 18 sample soft skills and hard skills for senior accountants:
- Database Management
- Database Administration
- Financial Reporting
- Information Protection
- Budget Administration
- Policy Enforcement
- Expense Tracking
- Team Training
- Audit Support
- Account Updates
- Payroll Oversight
- Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
- Staff Oversight
- Recordkeeping
- Training and development
- Financial statement review
- General ledger accounting
- GAAP compliance
You should sprinkle skills and abilities throughout your resume. Include them in your professional summary, work experience blurbs and a dedicated skills section.
Examples of additional resume sections
All senior accountant resumes should have at minimum five sections: contact information, professional summary, work experience, skills and education. You may want to add sections like “Licenses” or “Technical Training” you’ve undergone for your profession.
Here are some examples of optional senior accountant resume sections that you could add to provide greater detail:
- Languages
- Certifications
- Professional affiliations
- Additional skills
- Core qualifications
- Awards
- Projects
- Accomplishments
- Hobbies and interests
Play by the books and only add sections to your resume if they’re relevant. Any material on your resume that doesn’t speak directly to the needs listed in the job post or ad doesn’t belong.
Examples of resume formats
Accountants understand the value of organization and how you organize and format a resume is incredibly important for showcasing your strongest attributes. There are three standard resume formats: chronological, functional and combination formats.
If you’re applying for a senior-level accounting job, you should skip the functional format. Chronological formats are much better suited for senior accountants because they focus on your depth of work history. Combination formats may be appropriate if you have less than 10 years in your career.
How to choose a resume format
0-3
Years of experience
Functional formats
- Focuses on skills.
- Best for first-time senior accountants who lack work experience.
- Good for people re-entering workforce.
- May omit dates in the work history section.
Organization:
- Skills listed above work experience.
3-10
Years of experience
Combination formats
- Balances skills and work history.
- Ideal for mid-career senior accountants.
- Suitable for career changers and people seeking promotion.
Organization:
- Skills next to or above work experience.
10+
Years of experience
Chronological formats
- Put the most focus on work history.
- Best for senior accountant with a long, steady career.
- Most popular format.
- Preferred by recruiters.
Organization:
- Work experience listed above skills.
Once you know the best format for your resume, it’s easy to pick a senior accountant resume template. Our professionally designed resume templates are preformatted layouts that ensure your resume looks amazing!
Don’t forget your senior accountant cover letter
A cover letter works hand-in-hand with your resume to make a stronger case for why you deserve the job.
Due to their financial importance, senior account must establish trust, confidence and enthusiasm with an employer by including a well-written cover letter.
A cover letter is a space to show your career growth in terms of responsibility or tell a story of when you took an initiative that achieved big profits.
As you rely on digital tools like your calculator, write your document using an automated aid like our Cover Letter Generator.
The builder automates the entire process of creating a cover letter into a series of easy-to-follow prompts. It also suggests text that you can customize using effective best-practice business language.
For more ideas, check out some senior accountant cover letter examples. It’s always good to see how your competition writes to surpass them.
Cover letter templates are helpful if you want your document to look great but aren’t a professional designer yourself.
See also How to Write a Cover Letter. It’s the complete guide to nailing each sentence of your cover letter with next-level writing tips!
Similar resume examples
Are you searching for different roles in the accounting industry? Here are a few resumes to check out.
More senior sccountant resume examples
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