Accounting Assistant Resume: Sample, Job Description & Tips
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There’s something special about people who “speak” Excel fluently. It’s like a modern-day superpower. Unfortunately, that wouldn’t be enough to land you a job in the Big 4.
You know what could? Good strategy. And that strategy should start with your next accounting assistant resume. Whatever companies you’re aiming at, getting your resume right is your golden ticket to dream job interviews. Want to write one?
This guide will show you:
- An accounting assistant resume example better than 9 out of 10 other resumes.
- How to write an accounting assistant resume that will land you more interviews.
- Tips and examples of how to put skills and achievements on an accounting assistant resume.
- How to describe your experience on a resume for an accounting assistant to get any job you want.
Want to save time and have your resume ready in 5 minutes? Try our resume builder. It’s fast and easy to use. Plus, you’ll get ready-made content to add with one click. See 20+ resume templates and create your resume here.
Sample Accounting Assistant Resume—See more resume samples here.
Interested in other finance-related jobs? Look at our dedicated guides:
- Accounting Clerk Resume
- Accounts Receivable Resume
- Accounts Payable Resume
- Accounting Resume
- Accounting Intern Resume
- Tax Intern Resume
- Bookkeeper Resume
- Entry Level Business Analyst Resume
- Payroll Resume
- Best Resume Examples for All Professions
Accounting Assistant Resume Sample
Brian Watkins
Accounting Assistant
brian.watkins@email.us
504-319-9453
Summary of Qualifications
Energetic accounting assistant with 2+ years of experience in financial administration. Skilled in data processing and documentation analysis. At Paymax Co. helped to increase work efficiency by 10% by implementing a new documentation workflow system. Knowledgeable of QuickBooks and MS Excel proficient, seeking to leverage great organizational and analytical skills at XYZ.
Work Experience
Accounting Assistant
Paymax Co., New Orleans, LA
July 2018–January 2019
Key Qualifications & Responsibilities
- Processed company documentation, such as invoices and payment checks.
- Managed all purchase orders and monitored company budget by controlling project expenses.
- Performed administrative tasks, including filing, reporting, tagging fixed assets, etc.
- Completed the general ledger with payroll entries.
- Maintained flawless communication with the management.
- Analyzed QuickBooks data for accuracy.
Key Achievements
- Designed a documentation workflow system that increased administrative efficiency by 10%.
Accounting Assistant
Smith Financial Services, New Orleans, LA
March 2017–June 2018
Key Qualifications & Responsibilities
- Assisted tax accountants in preparing tax returns and financial statements.
- Communicated with clients on a daily basis and ensured excellent customer service.
- Managed shipments and sales orders.
- Prepared invoices, expense reports, and payment memos.
- Compiled and analyzed company documentation for accuracy.
- Performed data processing in MS Excel.
- Ensured good information workflow between tax preparers and management.
Key Achievements
- Maintained 100% accuracy of the company monthly financial reports over the course of 6 months.
Education
BA, Finance and Management
New Orleans College of Business Administration
2015-2018
Skills
- Soft skills: Communication, critical thinking, attention to detail, multi-tasking, organization.
- Hard skills: Financial statements, account analysis, QuickBooks, MS Excel, accounting terminology, mathematics.
Certifications
- Accounting Software Application Course
- Certified Financial Planner
Here’s how to write an accounting assistant resume that proves you’re a vital asset:
1. Choose the Best Format for Your Accounting Assistant Resume
In accounting, one small mistake can cause big problems.
What’s the formula for a problem-free workflow?
A system.
It's the easiest way to avoid errors and be consistent.
If you want to write a resume that lead's recruiters' eyes and highlights your top strengths, you need a system, too.
Follow these resume formatting rules to achieve this:
- Begin with a professional resume header that holds your resume contact information.
- Use easily navigable resume parts and big headings.
- Choose an ideal resume format. In almost all situations, a chronological resume format works best as it puts your recent achievements up front.
- Pick the best resume fonts. Stick to the classics to keep things formal.
- Leave enough white space on the page.
Pro Tip: Unless the job offer states differently, choose a PDF as your resume file format. PDFs are machine-readable so they always pass an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) test.
2. Write a Compelling Accounting Assistant Resume Objective or Summary
Accounting assistant jobs are highly sought-after.
By students, recent graduates, and retrainees—to name a few.
If you want to stand out from the crowd, you need a resume intro as striking as nine figures!
How to write one?
Start with a catchy professional profile: a resume summary or resume objective.
If you already have experience in the accounting business, write a professional summary. It will help you present your key achievements.
If it’s your first accounting assistant job, go for a professional objective. It’s more suitable for entry-level accounting resumes and positions as it highlights your skills and motivation.
3. Create the Perfect Accounting Assistant Job Description for a Resume
What are the experience requirements for accounting assistant positions?
Well, most companies don’t expect loaded spreadsheets.
Since accounting assistant vacancies are usually entry level, there’s a lot of on-the-job training going on.
Nevertheless—
To compete with hundreds of other candidates, you need to have a resume experience section that shines.
Here’s how to do it right:
- Read the job ad closely and tailor your resume to the company’s expectations.
- State your latest or current job first and move back in time.
- For each position list your job title, company name, location, and dates worked.
- Use a bullet point list to describe your responsibilities. Make each entry 6-7 bullets long.
- Start each bullet point with some resume action verbs, such as managed, coordinated, performed, provided, etc.
Pro Tip: If you don’t have any accounting experience to put on your resume, think of other jobs you’ve done so far that may be relevant. Data processing gigs or voluntary bookkeeping? These really count.
Creating a resume with our builder is incredibly simple. Follow our step-by-step guide and use content from Certified Professional Resume Writers to have a resume ready in minutes.
When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and our ATS resume checker will tell you exactly how to make it better.
4. Make Your Accounting Assistant Resume Education Section Great
To become an accounting assistant, you need a minimum of a high school diploma but in most cases, it’s not enough.
What companies also ask for is relevant coursework that follows Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
Present both your formal education and the courses you attended in the education section on your resume to boost your chances of winning an interview.
How?
- If you already have some accounting experience, you can stick to listing your degree, school name and location, and graduation year. Plus—any finance or accounting courses you took.
- If it’s your first accounting job, elaborate on what you’ve learned. List your GPA (if upwards of 3.5), any courses, conferences, extracurricular activities, and academic achievements.
Pro Tip: Studying for a BA or an MA in accounting just now? That’s a great time for gaining some accounting assistance experience. Put your college program on a resume with a note “currently studying.”
5. Highlight Your Accounting Assistant Skills
Whether it’s a standard nine-to-five or a part-time, accounting assistants face a lot of challenges.
To close the books on time—
You need a solid base of skills.
Use the list below to pick and highlight your key accounting assistant skills for a resume:
Accounting Assistant Examples of Skills
- Financial statements
- Payroll
- MS Excel and Access
- Profit and loss
- Mathematics
- QuickBooks
- Invoices
- Communication
- Critical thinking
- Organization
- Multitasking
- Independence
- Customer service
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment
Remember, if you can add valuable qualifications that are highly relevant it will only boost your chances of success. For example, Excel for accountants is a qualification that will meet this criteria.
However, accounting is not all about technical skills. A great accounting assistant also needs a considerable amount of soft skills. Try to find the balance between the two.
By reviewing 11 million resumes made in our builder, we discovered that:
- Accounting assistants include an average of 15 skills on their resumes.
- Among the top skills frequently listed by administrative assistants are data entry, invoicing and billing, Microsoft Excel, account reconciliation, and file and database management.
- Accounting assistants tend to create resumes spanning about 2 pages in length.
6. Add Other Sections to Your Accounting Assistant Resume
Consider adding the following sections to your accounting assistant resume:
- Activities
- Membership
- Language skills
- Achievements and awards
- Volunteer experience
- Hobbies and interests
Pro Tip: Put hobbies on your resume to show the recruiter more than your professional self. However, avoid irrelevant or generic interests, such as playing the guitar or reading books.
7. Attach an Accounting Assistant Resume Cover Letter
Should you submit a cover letter?
You should, especially when targeting entry-level positions.
It turns out that about 50% of recruiters expect a cover letter alongside your resume.
Use the tips below to write your cover letter before the tax season begins:
- Pick the right format for a cover letter.
- “Hook” the recruiter with a cover letter intro.
- Make an offer to the employer and show them how you can help.
- In your cover letter closing include a call to action.
Pro Tip: Does the cover letter word count matter? Don’t make it drag forever like an Excel sheet. Instead, keep it short and divide into neat paragraphs that fit into one page.
That’s it!
Here’s a job-winning sample resume for an accounting assistant. Now, it’s time to write your own.
Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:
See more cover letter templates and start writing.
Are you writing an accounting assistant resume for the first time? Or perhaps you’re a seasoned pro eager to help the rookies out? We’d love to hear from you, leave your comment below!
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