Staff Accountant Resume Examples

As long as the IRS exists, so will the need for staff accountants. With a relatively high median income and job security even in times of recession, this is a great time to be a staff accountant. To stand out in this competitive environment, you’ll need a resume that shows off your strongest credentials and your most impressive achievements. Our staff accountant resume examples show you how to identify and showcase the job-specific qualifications and skills that are most in-demand to help you get the  accountant role you want.

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What Is a Staff Accountant?

Staff accountants are financial professionals serving organizations of all sizes. The responsibilities undertaken by staff accountants include bookkeeping, preparation of financial documents and even assisting with payroll. The exact responsibilities vary based on the size of the business and the staff accountant’s position relative to other accounting professionals in the organization.

What Makes This a Great
Staff Accountant Resume Example?

Staff accountant roles can be very competitive, which is why it’s important to learn how to write a resume that highlights your best skills and experience. Using a staff accountant resume example can simplify the process by showing you exactly how to write and organize your document. Here’s how staff accountant resume examples make the resume writing process easier:

  • Helps you find the right language. The best resumes utilize the keywords and phrases that capture the skills and experience that are most sought-after by recruiters. In the staff accountant resume example above, for example, the job seeker includes a list of key accounting skills and a detailed work history to show what she will bring to the table. Using a resume builder makes this even easier. Our tool suggests pre-written text written by certified resume writers to help you craft a powerful document quickly.
  • Assists in identifying the right resume format. When you are applying for a job, the resume format you choose should reflect your professional level. In this staff accountant resume example, this mid-career professional has chosen a combination resume format, which best showcases her skills and seven years of experience. Candidates with more or less professional experience might do better with a different resume format.
  • Suggests appropriate templates. Choosing the right template for your staff accountant resume is important for making a great first impression. Accounting is considered a conservative field, so choosing a more traditional design will serve you well. This staff accountant resume sets a professional tone through the use of muted colors. Professionals in other fields might opt for a more modern or creative resume template.

3 Staff Accountant Professional Summary Examples

Summarizing your professional experience down to just a few sentences can be challenging. We offer inspiration via our staff accountant resume examples. Use these to write your own unique professional summary. Here are a few examples to get you started:

  1. Recent graduate who has completed four summer accounting internships seeks full-time junior accountant position. Graduated in the top 5% of class. Eager to put classroom knowledge and on-the-job experience to use in an office setting.
  2. Experienced staff accountant with project management experience. Two years of experience as a project manager at a Fortune 500 company and two years as a staff accountant at a startup. Well-versed in the bookkeeping and budgeting needs of small- and medium-sized businesses.
  3. Accounting professional with ten years of experience balancing books of a family business as a staff accountant. Proven ability to produce accurate work. Currently pursuing a CPA designation.

3 Staff Accountant Work Experience Section Examples

Professional accomplishments and metrics are key to creating a compelling work history section for your resume. Learning to incorporate them into a resume takes some practice. Our staff accountant resume examples provide ideas for phrases you can use as-is or customize to suit your needs. Here are three examples of compelling work experience content:

  1. Increased data accuracy by 80% for all accountants after designing and implementing new accounting tools alongside the IT team
  2. Completed monthly, quarterly and year-end account reconciliations for 12 departments
  3. Liaised with the staff auditor to collect all necessary financial documents for review

 

Top Skills for Your Staff Accountant Resume

Many employers now use applicant tracking systems (ATS) that automate the resume review process. Including the keywords bots are most likely to look for is critical to getting your resume into the hands of a human recruiter. Here are some important hard and soft skills employers seek in a staff accountant candidate:

Hard Skills

  • Proficiency in GAAP and Quickbooks
  • General ledger accounting
  • Projections and analysis
  • Payroll tax law compliance

Soft Skills

  • Attention to detail
  • Teamwork
  • Communication
  • Time management

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Staff Accountant FAQs

How do you list accounting degrees on a resume?

The resume format you choose determines the position — and therefore prominence — of your accounting degree. Employers expect staff accountants to have bachelor’s degrees, and entry-level candidates should consider a functional resume format to emphasize it. More experienced workers should put more focus on their work experience and accomplishments. The staff accountant resume example above demonstrates how to list your accounting degree.

How do you write a professional summary for a staff accountant?

Your professional summary should be between two- and five-sentences long. It does not need to include all the information below, but this is a good start:

  • Level or years of experience
  • Type of accounting experience gained
  • Career highlights that might improve employability as an accountant
  • Possession of a CPA designation or interest in obtaining one
  • Readiness or eagerness to work specifically as a staff accountant

How do you write accounting experience on a resume?

Accounting is a results-based profession founded on numeracy, so metrics play an indispensable role in your work experience section. You must be able to quantify some of your work experience. Here are some areas where metrics come in handy:

  • Dollar amount handled when completing reconciliations
  • Dollar value of invoices created for the employer
  • Dollar value of large sums of money saved over time due to discovered errors
  • Estimated percentage increases or reductions to show improvements