Accounting Internship / Intern Resume Sample & Objective

Big 4 or not Big 4? Audit, forensic, tax? Are you even ready? There are so many hard choices to make and so many questions with no read-made answers when you start working in finance.

But creating a great accounting intern resume will be the easy part of your application. Just keep on reading, and you’ll find some useful tips on how to write it and land the internship that will be a great start for your career.

This guide will show you: 

• An accounting internship resume sample better than 9 out of 10 other resumes.
• How to write an accounting internship resume that will land you more interviews.
• Tips on how to put resume objective on an accounting intern resume.
• How to describe your experience on a resume for an accounting intern to get any job you want.

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See other accounting-related resume guides: 

• Tax Intern Resume Example
• Accounting Resume Example
• Accounts Payable Resume Example
• Accounts Receivable Resume Example
• Accounting Assistant Resume Example
• Accounting Clerk Resume Example
• Bookkeeper Resume Example
• Data Entry Resume Example
• Entry-Level Accounting Resume Example
• Best Resume Examples for 500+ Professions

Accounting Internship Resume Sample

Let’s get to writing an internship-winning resume:

1. Clean Up Your Resume Format

An accounting intern puts their knowledge into practice while doing some general accounting work. It ranges from entering data through financial reporting to preparing taxes. What's the goal of your resume, then? To prove that with your skillset and strong character, you’re ready to excel at it.

But before you get down to writing your resume—keep your books clean. Make sure you balance a proper resume format with its content. It’ll help you put the most important information upfront and make it easy to scan. 

Reverse-chronological resumes are the easiest to read for recruiters and Applicant Tracking Systems. So, you can’t go wrong with that.

• Create a resume header with basic contact information.
• Don’t add your social media accounts if they do you more harm than good. Read the job ad and check what character traits your hiring manager is looking for. If these two profiles are a match, swipe right and go for it. Otherwise, just drop it.
• Move up the education section of your resume and put it below the resume objective. The resume structure will change when you gain more experience. But for now, that’s where you get your bonus points. 
• Set your resume margins to 1 inch. It’ll help you keep your resume on one page.
• Choose the best font for your resume and make it 12pt.
• Go back to the job ad and see whether recruiters need a PDF or Word version of your resume. And, well, comply.

 See: Professional Resume Templates For Any Job

2. Make It With the Accounting Internship Resume Objective

Suppose you’re wondering whether a resume summary or resume objective is the right one.

High five!

You’ve done your research. Now’s the time for a thorough analysis.

The resume summary focuses on your work experience. You prove you’ve done your—in most cases full time—job well and only sprinkle it with skills. 

In the resume objective, though, you say there’s no other candidate so hardworking as you’re. You leave a lasting impression of engagement through your achievements and skills.

So—

Go for the resume objective. Confirm that you have exactly the work ethic your hiring manager wishes to have in their team.

• Again go to the job description and mark resume keywords you should use in your objective.
• Start your sentences using resume action verbs.
• Mention your best traits and skills to introduce yourself. Be bold, and don’t look back. 
• Write which position and company you’re applying for.
• Then check it like hundred times. (Yes, indeed. This one deserves a single bullet point.)
• Don’t sweat it. Be brief. 2-3 sentences max.

A solution that works long-term. Read more on: Tailoring Your Resume To The Job Ad

3. Prove You Are Worth It in the Education Section

Busy season. 

Busy season everywhere.

No matter if at school or in the first quarter of the year. You sit for long hours. You survive.

See how to show such motivation in the education section of your resume:

• Place this section before your work experience and make it worthwhile. It’s a clear indication of where you’re at in your life.
• Don’t be afraid to say you have an incomplete degree on your resume. Hiring managers expect that from their accounting interns. Just show when you’re going to graduate.
• Put relevant coursework on your resume. It adds up to your knowledge and skills. 
• Should the dean’s list make it to your resume? Sure thing. Any other honors worth mentioning on your application? Add them, too.
• You’re probably a university or college student, so include the high school you went to in your resume. It’s the highest degree you’ve completed so far.
• If you did any extracurricular activities, show them on your resume. Having no work experience didn’t mean you hadn’t had your hands full.
• One last thing. Having other internships on your resume boosts your chances of getting another one.

What about GPA? See here: GPA On A Resume

4. List Your Relevant Experience

Here we are—the most feared part of them all. 

Panicking as if you couldn’t find some records for your auditors?

Just chill.

Here’s what to do:

• No work experience, no worries. Focus on what you did. Side gigs, summer internship, part-time jobs, or work-shadowing? Any freelancing or volunteering fits perfectly on your resume.
• Now go to the job posting. Print it if you must, and look for keywords. Mark them with your highlighter. You should practice before your internship. wink
• Think of how your activities relate and start writing. Make sure to begin your bullets with strong action verbs.
• Relate. Don’t list everything that comes to your mind. You’re applying for an accounting intern position, so list only those activities that relate.
• Show you had an impact using the S.T.A.R. formula. Quantifying your results always wows the recruiters and hiring managers. Numbers attract attention and show real results.
• If you feel like highlighting the most important parts, do it. Use bolding or italicizing—but do it with balance.

That wasn’t so hard, was it?

You’ve seen us repeat relevant over and over again. See why it’s so important in a resume for internships: Perfect Internship Resume Example

5. Make a List of Skills That Make You Stand Out

Making journal entries feels like you’ve got everything together. Or just the opposite.

You a fan? Well—

You will be. 

Most intern job postings include recording entries in a general ledger or journal. If you were to keep an eye on five items when listing your skills in the accounting internship resume with no experience, do the following:

• Include soft and hard skills on your resume.
• Broken record alert—make your skills relevant to your job description and industry. You may know your way around Facebook Ads, but it’ll get you nowhere in the accounting world.
• Find the most desired skills for an intern job in the job description. No surprises here.
• Place the crucial ones at the top of your resume list of skills. This way, it’ll be pretty easy to track them.
• Pepper them all over your accounting internship resume. There’s plenty of room for proving your badass analytical skills. How about in the resume objective and education section?

Skills for an Accounting Internship Resume

• Data Entry
• Microsoft Office Skills
• Graphic Design
• GAAP
• Financial Statements
• Bank Reconciliation
• Accounts Payable and Receivable
• Invoices
• Income Tax
• Communication Skills
• Organizational Skills
• Time Management Skills
• Problem-solving Skills
• Analytical Skills
• Attention to Detail
• Logical Thinking
• Ability to Multitask
• Staying Calm Under Pressure
• Initiative
• Ownership
• Adaptability 

One last tip: find a word cloud generator, like Wordle, and copy-paste your job ad. It’ll help lots in your keyword search activity by making the most often used keywords larger.

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6. Add Other Sections to Your Resume

It’s not groundbreaking news that accountants need to learn their whole life. How else would you do your job unless staying up to date with 20+ reforms in the tax law?

Holy cow! 

You must know what you’re doing and love it, too. How you show your dedication to accounting beyond your experience and educational background?

• You can say that you’ve got some fancy licenses and certifications on your resume. When you’re 18, you can start taking the Certified Public Accountant exam. Make room for the CPA even in your resume profile.
• Don’t skip the details and hobbies & interests section in your resume. They will play to your advantage if the things you do showcase your skills.
• Accounting is the language of business. What about Spanish, Mandarin, or German? If you speak these languages, too, add them to your resume.

You’ve already got a pretty long list of things you should include in your resume. Read: What Not To Include On Your Resume

7. Write a Cover Letter to Tell Your Story

As you won’t file taxes without your SSN, you shouldn’t send your job application without a cover letter. 

It’ll lower your chances, and you’ve got only one shot. Make it count.

See what a cover letter looks like:

• Make it easy for you and use the cover letter design that you used for writing your resume.
• Use the cover letter header to introduce yourself and address your hiring manager. It’s important not to say To Whom It May Concern in the cover letter salutation. Do your due diligence and find out who you’re writing to.
• Start your cover letter with the hook that will encourage your hiring manager to keep on reading. Mention your recent accomplishment, show your enthusiasm towards the company, or say why you believe in what you do.
• Your cover letter body should say how your qualifications match the job description. Prove you’re the best candidate and make your offer.
• In the closing paragraph of your cover letter, reinstate your motivation and use a call-to-action strategy. Ask the hiring manager when you can discuss your application further.
• Now’s the space for your signature and an internship-winning trick: the postscript. One more way to make your achievements pop.
• Fit all of that into one page. Cover letters shouldn’t be long. 

Make use of those cover letters: Free Cover Letter Templates

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:

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See more cover letter templates and start writing.

That’s it! Easy, right?

Good luck on your accounting journey! You’ll smash it.

Do you think the above tips are helpful? Is there anything missing? Give us a shout in the comments section!

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Sources

• https://capd.mit.edu/resources/resume-action-verbs/
• https://www.careereducation.columbia.edu/resources/resumes-impact-creating-strong-bullet-points
• https://gardner-webb.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/ATS-Resume-Formatting.pdf
• https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-reform-news
• https://executiveeducation.wharton.upenn.edu/thought-leadership/wharton-at-work/2013/07/language-of-business/