Accounting Clerk Resume Example, Job Description, & Skills

Your accounting clerk resume has to work like Intuit. Why? Because accounting clerk jobs are dropping. The culprit is those oh-so-clever software tools like QuickBooks and Xero. They let office clerks and remote workers do the books. Your mission? Show you’re worth your weight in tax breaks.

This guide will show you:

• Accounting clerk resume example better than 9 out of 10 other resumes out there.
• Step-by-step instructions to help you write a resume for accounting clerk jobs.
• Tips on how to write a great accounting clerk job description for a resume.
• List of accounting clerk skills for a resume.

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Need a special kind of accounting resume? See these guides:

• Accounting Manager Resume Sample
• Accounting Resume Sample
• Senior Accounting Resume Sample
• Accounting Assistant Resume Sample
• Entry-Level Accounting Resume Sample
• Accounting Intern Resume
• Staff Accountant Resume Sample
• Tax Accountant Resume Sample
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Resume Sample
• Best Examples of Resumes for Any Job

Accounting Clerk Resume Example

Here’s how to write a resume for accounting clerks step-by-step.

1. Start With the Right Format for an Accounting Clerk Resume

Why does format matter in an accounting clerk resume? Think of it this way: a big jump in travel expense is a red flag, right? So is a massive drop in advance tax payments. If the IRS sees those, they may do an audit. Well, bad resume formatting is a red flag for your job search. It looks lazy.

Here’s how to format an accounting clerk resume template:

• Format: the reverse-chronological resume format is key. It shows your BDO-level successes first.
• Fonts: use resume fonts like Arial or Didot for a professional look.
• Font size: 11–12 points.
• Resume headings: 13–14 points
• Line spacing: 1–1.15.
• Overall look: each section should have bullet points and white space between.
• Resume margins: 1 inch all around.
• File type: use PDF resumes for jobs that don’t say not to. PDFs don’t garble your resume layout when employers zoom in.

Include these resume parts:

• Header: list the right contact information.
• Summary: give a quick rundown of your resume’s key points.
• Experience: add your best accounting clerk accomplishments.
• Education: show relevant schooling and coursework.
• Skills: focus on the ones the job ad stresses.
• Other sections: include a bookkeeping certification if you have one.

Do you find the chronological resume format too ordinary? See our guide: How to Pick the Best Resume Format

2. Add Experience to Your Accounting Clerk Resume

Listing experience in a resume for accounting clerks is tricky. Too many applicants botch it. They just say what they did. Well that’s nice, but it’s not what employers care about. They want to know how well you did it. You have to target your resume with key accomplishments to make employers notice.

To tailor your resume:

• Put your most recent job title first.
• Include the business name and the dates you worked (months too).
• Write a 2-line accounting clerk job description.
• Add 3–6 bullet points. (More in recent jobs, less in older ones)
• Pack those bullets with accomplishments. That’s compelling!
• Use the PAR (Problem-Action-Result) formula to tell an engaging story.

See these accounting clerk resume samples:

Accounting Clerk Job Description for a Resume

Wow. Those are night and day. One will get phone calls and the other will get crickets. But they’re both the same person! Her problem in example #2 is that she didn’t use action words. She also blanked on the accomplishments, and failed to add numbers. Was she a decent clerk? We don’t know.

To show experience in an entry-level accounting clerk’s resume, use non-accounting clerk jobs. But—make them fit the job posting’s requirements and duties. So if they want collaboration, and you’ve worked with teams in waitressing or retail jobs, there’s your job-magnet accomplishment.

See these entry-level accounting clerk resume examples:

Entry-Level Accounting Clerk Resume Samples [Experience]

That first example is pure gold. The applicant wasn’t an accounting clerk, but she built the right skills. Employers will see that at a glance. They’ll hire her over other entry-level clerks. That won’t happen if she uses example #2. Employers will see that one and think, “But I don’t need a teacher.”

Pro Tip: Are accounting clerk jobs really shrinking? You bet they are. But what’s not shrinking is remote accounting work. Remote jobs are harder to get but oh so cushy. 

When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional resume template here for free.

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When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and our resume checker will tell you exactly how to make it better.

Got experience questions? See our guide: How to Show Experience on a Resume

3. Make Your Education Section Count

Education isn’t a placeholder in an accounting clerk resume. It’s a way to get employers interested. List your degree, school’s name, plus the date you graduated. But you should also show a couple Ernst & Young-worthy successes from your school years. That will generate more interviews.

See these examples of a resume for accounting clerk jobs:

Accounting Clerk Resume Example [Education]

That resume education section is short and shows actual skills. It adds relevant areas of study. It also shows you were champing at the bit to do some real-world work. But what if your degree is in creative writing or basket weaving? You can still find key achievements in it that prove transferable skills.

Pro Tip: Have you been out of school since red ink was a thing? Then list your degree without extracurricular activities. Then add an extra work accomplishment or two.

Want the education section of your resume for accounting clerk jobs to sparkle? See our guide: How to Put Your Education on a Resume

4. Pick the Right Accounting Clerk Skills for a Resume

There’s nothing clear-cut about listing accounting clerk skills in a resume. Not if you want the job. Too many clerks just copy-paste a list of skills they googled. To get hired, go through the job ad like it’s got a $5 million error in it. That’s where you’ll find the skills you should include.

Start with this list of skills for accounting clerk resumes:

Accounting Clerk Resume Skills (Hard Skills)

• Record Keeping
• Interest Calculation
• Bank Account Management
• MS Excel
• MS Office Skills
• QuickBooks
• Month-end Close
• Accounts Receivable (AR)
• Accounts Payable (AP)
• Payroll

Accounting Clerk Skills (Soft Skills)

• Interpersonal Skills
• Teamwork and Collaboration
• Written and Verbal Communication
• Active Listening
• Attention to Detail
• Problem Solving
• Time Management
• Organizational Skills
• Critical Thinking

But those might not work for the hiring manager.

Here’s how to pick the best accounting clerk skills for your resume:

1. Create a list of the accounting clerk skills and resume keywords in the job ad.
2. Make a list of your accounting clerk skills.
3. Find places where the two lists agree. Those are your job-getters.
4. The magic trick: use your bullet points to prove you excel at them.
5. Include soft skills and hard skills to make your phone start working.

See this accounting clerk resume example:

Pretend the company wants financial record-keeping, year-end reporting, and billing.

Accounting Clerk Resume Examples [Skills]

Accounting clerk skills on a resume like that will make the manager want to meet you. The key? You used the right skills, but you added resume action words to make it readable. Then you showed real-world accounting clerk accomplishments. Last, you used numbers like 50+ to make it pop.

Pro Tip: What if the controller didn’t list required skills in the job ad? You can use phone calls or LinkedIn to do a few fast informational interviews. Knowledge is power.

Want a bigger skills list to make your accounting clerk resume? See our guide: +30 Best Examples of What Skills to Put on a Resume

5. Add Other Sections to Your Accounting Clerk Resume

What other sections do you need in a resume for accounting clerk jobs? Well—you want to prove you’re the kind of employee that bosses brag to their friends about. You can do that in a resume! Show you’re PwC-ready with a few accomplishments you racked up outside of work. Those show energy to spare.

Choose from:

1. Resume Licenses & Certifications

Do you need certifications in an accounting clerk resume? Not at all. But if you’re writing an entry-level resume, those certs can pick your application up out of the bankrupt zone. Here are a few to think about:

• Bookkeeping
• QuickBooks
• Xero
• Certified Payroll Professional
• Accounts Receivable
• Accounts Payable

2. Resume Volunteer Work

Have you done free accounting work or volunteered to build homes for the homeless? Those things show you’re more than just a couch potato. They spark phone calls.

3. Languages on a Resume

Do you speak a language like Spanish or Italian? You don’t need to show those on your resume, BUT—add them if the biz’s clients speak them too.

3. Professional Associations

Associations like NBA and AIPB aren’t just a good idea. They open up new job opportunities for on-site and remote work. They also show you care on a resume for accounting clerk jobs.

4. Conferences

Have you attended cons like Payments or the NABA convention? They show you’re not just marking time until the buzzer sounds.

5. Awards and Honors

Did you get employee of the month or a nice kudo from a past employer? Those are clues you’ll do a good job in your next role.

See these accounting clerk resume samples:

Accounting Clerk Resume Examples [Other Sections]

That first example will have them hoping you don’t take another job.

Pro Tip: How long should a resume be for accounting clerk jobs? A one-page resume is your best bet. Can’t fit it all in one page? Cut out the boring parts until it sings.

Got a thin resume? You can put hobbies in it to stretch it out. See our guide: List of Hobbies & Interests for a Resume or CV

6. Write an Accounting Clerk Resume Objective or Resume Summary

You need a resume profile up top. That’s because most employers won’t read your carefully prepared resume. They’ll glance at one job, at your skills section, and move on. You need a summary to show them in brief why they should keep reading past the heading.

Here’s how to write a career summary:

1. Begin with an adjective like QuickBooks certified or efficient.
2. Add your title. (accounting clerk)
3. List your years of experience. (1, 2+, 5)
4. Say what you’ll do in the new position.
5. Add the organization’s name.
6. Include your most marketable achievements.
7. Proofread to make sure you’ve summarized your resume.

These two career summary examples show how:

Accounting Clerk Resume Summary

See what’s going on here? The last of those accounting clerk resume samples is too basic. It’s got lots of skills and resume adjectives. If the hiring team believes them all, you’re in. But they won’t. But they’ll devour that first example. It’s got all the right details and numbers.

A career objective is similar to a career summary, but it’s for newbies. In an entry-level accounting clerk resume, you can’t cite real-world experience. But you can list successes from high school, college, an associate’s degree, volunteer work, or even a job waiting tables.

These two examples light the way:

Entry-Level Accounting Clerk Resume Objective

Let’s reconcile those. The first example shows you’re QuickBooks certified. It adds a specific way you want to help this employer. It also shows you can do it with an achievement from a non-accounting job. But that second example is flat broke. The hiring manager would have to risk a lot to hire you.

Pro Tip: You can add a few bullet points to your paragraph-style resume summary. That’s called a summary of qualifications. It shows off your best skills at a glance.

Is this your very first resume? See our guide: First Resume with No Work Experience

7. What About an Accounting Clerk Cover Letter?

Do accounting clerk resumes need cover letters? Yes. If you apply to 20 jobs, 11 of them might not read your letter. But according to 2023 HR statistics, 9 will toss out your resume, if you don’t write one. And who doesn’t want to double their chance of getting interviewed? But you have to show your job-readiness with key details.

To write your cover letter:

1. Format your cover letter first.
2. Use the hiring manager’s name to start your accounting clerk cover letter.
3. Make the opening sentence of your cover letter grab them.
4. In the middle, show accomplishments.
5. Offer something at the end of your cover letter.

See how to write a cover letter for accounting jobs: Accounting Cover Letter: Sample and Guide

Pro Tip: Do you know someone at the business? That’s a great way to start a cover letter for accounting clerk jobs. Referrals are magic when it comes to getting hired.

Want your accounting clerk resume and cover letter to earn their keep? See our guides: How To Write A Cover Letter in 8 Simple Steps and How to Make a Resume: A Step-by-Step Guide

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:

Create my cover letter now

See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Key Takeaway

Here’s a recap of how to write an accounting clerk resume:

• Format your accounting clerk resume template in reverse-chronological order.
• Find accounting clerk skills in the online job posting.
• Make your job experience section first. Customize it like a 1099 with the right achievements.
• To stand out like a tax break, add numbers to your bullet points.
• In your education section, show relevant coursework and accomplishments.
• Add bonus resume sections that show QuickBooks certifications or foreign languages.
• Write an accounting clerk cover letter to give your application a fighting chance.

That’s it! Now, we’d love to hear from you: 

• What’s the most frustrating part about writing an accounting clerk resume? 
• Are you pulling hair out trying to think of your achievements?
• Does the thought of writing an accounting clerk cover letter make you sweat?

Let’s chat below in the comments, and thanks for reading!

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