These days, the career options for accounting professionals are more widespread and varied than before. Accountants can find themselves going between several positions at the same company or even bounce between several different firms during the span of their career.
Of course, none of this could happen without a good resume. Whether you’re looking to break into the world of accounting and finance for the first time, or if you’re a seasoned vet looking for a change who maybe hasn’t updated their resume in a while, we’ve got some tips here to show you what employers want in a resume, and how you can best show yourself off:
Identify Your Goals
The first and best place to start is to identify what positions you’re going for, and what you’re bringing to the table. Are you a new college graduate looking to move into your first professional accounting role? Or are you an experienced manager looking for new challenges and opportunities after spending ten years with one company? Figuring out what you want to do is going to have a huge impact on how your resume will look.
Focus On Your Qualifications
Once you’ve determined the position(s) you want to go for, the next step is to spotlight the qualifications that are most relevant to the position you want. If you’re trying to land a job with a big accounting firm, they’re probably going to be less concerned about your typing speed and extracurricular activities as they are with your education and work experience. Conversely, if you’re looking to get more into a partner/management role, you’re going to want to highlight any experience you’ve had down those paths already over your standard accounting work.
Emphasize Your Accomplishments
With the talent pool as crowded as it is these days, you’re really going to have to make sure you stand out. Indicate to your potential employer what you’re good at and what you’ve managed to do for previous employers, whether you’ve saved them from audits, helped with revenue growth, or worked to streamline financial operations overall. Quantifiable accomplishments are always going to stand out more than a simple job description.
Mine Your List Of Skills
The more specific your list of skills are, the better. Larger companies tend to use special resume filters to scan for specific phrases and keywords to indicate your qualification for the position, and digging deep into your work history to find relevant skills and any sort of experience worth mentioning.
Bear these tips in mind, and wherever your career takes you you should be prepared and ready to go!
