# Accountant resume example (2026) with keywords Canonical: https://resumark.app/resume-examples/accountant/ Updated 18 October 2026 **Short answer:** An accountant resume should name your certification (CPA, or your progress toward it), the parts of the accounting cycle you own, and the systems you use, then show results such as a faster close, clean audits or automated work. Match the post's terms exactly: GAAP, month-end close, reconciliations, ASC 606, NetSuite or SAP. ## Accountant resume sample ![Sample accountant resume for fictional candidate David Kim, CPA, Senior Accountant, in the Classic template, showing summary, experience at Northwind Manufacturing, skills and education](https://resumark.app/img/examples/accountant.webp) *Classic template. The person, employers and contact details are fictional.* **David Kim, CPA** Senior Accountant david.kim@example.com · (612) 555-0138 · Minneapolis, MN ### Summary CPA with 6 years in corporate accounting for manufacturing and SaaS companies. Owns month-end close, account reconciliations and audit support, and automates manual work in NetSuite and Excel. ### Experience **Senior Accountant**, Northwind Manufacturing, Minneapolis, MN · May 2022 – Present - Own month-end close for 3 entities; shortened the close from 9 to 6 business days - Prepare journal entries, accruals and balance sheet reconciliations for 60+ accounts - Primary contact for the annual external audit; delivered PBC requests on schedule with no material adjustments - Automated the fixed asset roll-forward with NetSuite saved searches and Excel **Staff Accountant**, Fabrikam Software, St. Paul, MN · Jul 2019 – Apr 2022 - Managed ASC 606 revenue recognition for about 400 subscription contracts - Reconciled bank, AR and deferred revenue accounts monthly - Supported SOX control testing and documented 15 key controls ### Skills GAAP, Month-end close, Account reconciliation, Journal entries, Accruals, Revenue recognition (ASC 606), Audit support, SOX compliance, NetSuite, Excel (pivot tables, XLOOKUP), QuickBooks ### Education **BS Accounting**, Lakeshore State University · 2019 ### Certifications - Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Minnesota Board of Accountancy (2021) ## What recruiters scan for in a accountant resume - Credentials: a CPA license or eligibility, plus the CMA or other certifications if relevant. - Scope: entities, accounts, company size, public or private, and which parts of the close you own. - Systems: your ERP (NetSuite, SAP, Oracle, QuickBooks) and how deep your Excel goes. - Results: days cut from the close, audit outcomes, errors caught, processes automated. ## Top 25 accountant resume keywords These are the terms that come up again and again in accountant job posts. Use the ones you genuinely have, spelled the way the post spells them. | Group | Keywords | |---|---| | Hard skills (14) | GAAP, Month-end close, Account reconciliation, Journal entries, Accruals, General ledger, Financial statements, Revenue recognition (ASC 606), Accounts payable, Accounts receivable, Fixed assets, Audit preparation, SOX compliance, Variance analysis | | Tools (6) | NetSuite, SAP, QuickBooks, Oracle, Excel, BlackLine | | Soft skills (5) | Attention to detail, Analytical thinking, Deadline management, Integrity, Communication | See [how to find the right keywords in a job post](https://resumark.app/blog/resume-keywords/), or use the [free ATS keyword checker](https://resumark.app/ats-resume-checker/). ## Accountant resume summary examples ### Junior Staff accountant with a BS in accounting and 1 year on a public accounting audit team. CPA candidate with two exam sections passed, strong in Excel and reconciliations. ### Mid-level CPA with 6 years in corporate accounting for manufacturing and SaaS companies. Owns month-end close for 3 entities, audit support and ASC 606 revenue recognition, and automates manual work in NetSuite and Excel. ### Senior Accounting manager and CPA with 12 years in public and corporate accounting. Leads a team of 5, owns the consolidated close and external audit, and implemented BlackLine to standardize reconciliations. ## Accountant resume bullet examples Start with a strong verb, name the tool or method, and end with a result. Swap in your own numbers. 1. Own month-end close for 3 entities and cut it from 9 to 6 business days 2. Prepare journal entries, accruals and reconciliations for 60+ balance sheet accounts 3. Lead the annual external audit, with no material adjustments in 3 years 4. Automated the fixed asset roll-forward with NetSuite saved searches and Excel 5. Managed ASC 606 revenue recognition for about 400 subscription contracts 6. Documented and tested 15 SOX key controls with internal audit 7. Built a monthly variance analysis that flagged $85K in duplicate vendor payments 8. Reconciled bank, AR and deferred revenue accounts every month 9. Helped migrate from QuickBooks to NetSuite, mapping the chart of accounts and historical balances 10. Trained 2 staff accountants on close procedures and reconciliation standards ### Before and after | Before | After | |---|---| | Responsible for month-end close. | Own month-end close for 3 entities and cut it from 9 to 6 business days by reordering tasks and automating accruals. | | Did reconciliations. | Reconcile 60+ balance sheet accounts monthly and clear aged reconciling items within 30 days. | | Helped with the audit. | Primary contact for the external audit; delivered every PBC request on schedule, with no material adjustments. | | Worked in Excel. | Built a variance analysis in Excel that flagged $85K in duplicate vendor payments, all of which were recovered. | ## How to write the skills section - Lead with your ERP and Excel; name the Excel features you use (pivot tables, XLOOKUP, Power Query). - Show CPA status after your name and in a certifications section. If you are a candidate, say how many sections you have passed. - Separate technical accounting (ASC 606, ASC 842, consolidations) from everyday skills so specialized roles spot it. ## Common accountant resume mistakes - Listing the whole accounting cycle without saying which parts you own. - Leaving out company size, entity count, or public versus private. - Writing CPA when you are eligible but not licensed. Say CPA candidate or CPA eligible instead. - Using vague verbs such as assisted and helped for work you led. **Check your resume against a real accountant job post.** Paste a accountant job post and your resume into Resumark to get a 0–100 match score, the keywords you are missing, and a tailored rewrite that never adds skills you do not have. [Start in your browser](https://app.resumark.app/) · [Get the iPhone app](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6743080996) ## Related guides - [Data analyst resume example](https://resumark.app/resume-examples/data-analyst/) - [Project manager resume example](https://resumark.app/resume-examples/project-manager/) - [How to tailor your resume to a job description](https://resumark.app/blog/tailor-resume-to-job-description/) - [How to find resume keywords in a job post](https://resumark.app/blog/resume-keywords/) - [Free ATS-friendly resume templates](https://resumark.app/templates/) - [Free ATS resume keyword checker](https://resumark.app/ats-resume-checker/) ## Frequently asked questions ### Should I put CPA after my name on a resume? Only if you hold an active license. If you have passed the exam but are not licensed yet, write CPA eligible or list your passed sections in the certifications section. Employers verify licenses. ### What is the difference between a staff and a senior accountant resume? A staff accountant resume shows accurate execution: entries, reconciliations, payables and receivables. A senior accountant resume adds ownership: running parts of the close, reviewing others' work, leading audits and improving processes. ### Which software should an accountant list? Your ERP (NetSuite, SAP, Oracle or QuickBooks), Excel, and any close or reconciliation tools such as BlackLine or FloQast. Match the names in the job post exactly.