Accounting plays an integral role in order to successfully operate and run any type of business. Aside from helping employers evaluate the performance of their business, it also aids with the creation of budget and future projections. Not only that; accounting also helps in making wise decisions to prevent and avoid common business mistakes, including overspending, underspending, and plateauing. Hence, many firms invest in employing accounting professionals who will manage this aspect.
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for accountants, including auditors, was $73,560 in May 2020. The bureau also projects that employment of accountants and auditors would increase by 7% from 2020 to 2030, which is as fast as the average for all occupations. The report also predicts that approximately 135,000 vacancies for accountants and auditors are open every year on average. Many of these opportunities are likely to arise as a result of the need to replace employees who have shifted to other occupations or left the workforce for other reasons.
That being said, it’s important that you plan ahead and grab the opportunity to land a staff accountant position. And to achieve this, you will need a right tool that highlights what you can bring to the table, starting with your staff accountant resume.
What is a Staff Accountant?
Staff accountants, usually part of the administration department, take charge of the company’s overall accounting and financial procedures. From tax preparation, payroll, to audits, they are responsible for maintaining and improving a healthy accounting and financial profile to guarantee the business’ compliance with local, state, and federal regulations and financial laws. Thus, it’s crucial that employers must thoroughly screen candidates applying for this position as the latter will handle one of the company’s important business elements.
What are the Duties of a Staff Accountant?
Staff accountants’ duties and responsibilities still depend on the office, department, or company they work for, and they are primarily in charge of maintaining financial records of a business. The following are some of the duties staff accountants fulfill regularly:
- Manage and maintain financial reports and general ledger accounts;
- Prepare journal entries, analyses, and account reconciliations and assist with monthly close processes;
- Develop and assess annual operating budgets and performance projections;
- Conduct complex account analysis and account reconciliation;
- Compile billing, accounts, and/or budget data;
- Handle documentation for accounts payable, purchasing, and treasury;
- Comply with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP);
- Use accounting software, billing system, spreadsheet, and presentation software;
- Recommend strategies to reduce costs and increase revenue
- Process functional and benefits expense allocations, prepaid expenses amortization, fixed assets depreciation, and monthly accruals
How Do You Become a Staff Accountant?
In order to secure a staff accountant position, you must possess the following requirements and qualifications employers are looking for in a job candidate:
- Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance
- Experience as a staff accountant or relevant role in accounting
- Knowledge of an accounting information system as well as Microsoft Office Word and Excel
- Strong mathematical, analytical, critical thinking skills
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- Ability to read and analyze financial reports
- Strong understanding of US tax regulations
Expert Tip:
Qualifications give you an edge over other candidates. Hence, if you already have the qualifications stated above, it is highly recommended to showcase them on your staff accountant resume, especially if they are listed in the job posting.
What to Include on Your Staff Accountant Resume
Aside from the skills, qualifications, and credentials listed above, there are also other important information you must not forget when creating your staff accountant resume. These will not only help your job search tool stand out among other job candidates; they will also increase the chances of catching the hiring manager’s attention and beating the applicant tracking systems (ATS).
Contact Information
Beginning with the top of your staff accountant resume, put your first and last name, complete mailing address with ZIP code, phone number, and email address. Make sure you write your correct contact information to avoid missing job interview invites. Moreover, you may also include your LinkedIn profile URL, if you have one. Got licenses or certifications? Including them on this part is strongly recommended.
Specific Target Job
Specifying your target position gives hiring managers and recruiters an understanding of what job position you are applying for.
Qualifications Profile / Summary of Qualification
Highlighting your qualifications, skills, experience, and expertise through resume summary helps you boost your hiring chances. Keep in mind that headhunters only spend an average of five to seven seconds to review an applicant’s resume. Hence, make sure that it contains all information indicating why you’re the perfect fit for the position.
Expert Tip:
As you write your summary, use compelling resume titles and headlines to grab the hiring manager’s attention instead of the resume objective-type statement.
Staff Accountant Skills
Like any other professionals, staff accountants have a lot of skills to offer. Thus, it’s important that you know and select what skills you should put on your staff accountant resume to make it more effective.
Work Experience
Present your work experience in reverse-chronological order, listing first your most recent job position down to your first job. Put the company names and their locations, your job titles, and your employment dates. Meanwhile, enumerate your job descriptions, notable contributions, and accomplishments using bullets. Doing so allows hiring managers to scan and review your work history without leaving important details.
Education
Academic background plays a key role in boosting an applicant’s job application document. That said; make sure your education section on your staff accountant resume is well-presented. List your complete degree and course title, school name and its location, and the dates of your graduation. Additionally, you can spice up this part by mentioning your awards, honors, recognition, and scholarships you received throughout your academic years.
Training, Certifications, and Licenses
Are you a certified public accountant or holding other certifications and licenses relevant to the industry? Don’t forget to include them. Highlighting such credentials on your staff accountant resume—the training, seminars, and workshops you’ve participated in—can impress hiring managers and recruiters.
Other Possible Information to Include on Your Staff Accountant Resume
Listing your professional affiliations, activities, technical skills, and projects handled, if there are any, gives you advantage and lets you stand out among other job hopefuls.
How to Write Your Staff Accountant Resume
Apart from knowing the necessary information to include on your staff accountant resume, it’s also crucial to learn how to write a job-winning resume. Here are some tips to heed shared by our expert resume writers.
1. Use a simple yet attractive design and layout.
Resume design and layout can make or break your job application. Hence, instead of using too much designs and fancy font styles—which will make your resume cluttered, having a simple yet compelling and easy-to-read resume can increase the chances of getting your resume in the pile of accepted applications.
2. Choose the best resume format.
There are different resume formats that will speak of one’s qualifications, skills, and work experience. If you already have experience in accounting, a resume in chronological resume is your best choice. Meanwhile, if you don’t have experience or other relevant information to showcase, you can opt to use other resume formats and highlight what you can bring to the table.
3. Highlight your staff accountant skills.
To get the hiring manager’s affirmative response, be sure to showcase your skills and abilities as a staff accountant. Aside from the industry-specific skills, enumerating your soft skills and attributes is a plus. These include analytical, communication, and decision-making skills.
4. Incorporate resume keywords.
Resume keywords allow hiring managers to easily assess if the candidate is best fit for the position. Therefore, spread them not only in the skills section but also throughout your staff accountant resume. Plus, putting resume keywords increases the chances of passing the company’s ATS.
Expert Tip:
Job-related or industry-specific words and phrases appear in job postings as resume keywords. Thus, double-check that your job search tool matches the job post.
5. Present concrete data and examples.
Instead of listing plain information, it’s better to use strong action words and provide examples when describing your skills, job descriptions, and accomplishments. Doing so will help you stand out from a pool of job seekers.
6. Proofread your staff accountant resume over and over again.
Before submitting your resume to your target company or posting to different job boards, don’t forget to read it over and over again. Proofreading your resume will help you spot and correct errors such as grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes. Furthermore, having a keyword-rich, error-free resume can boost your chances of getting job interview invites.
Good News! Resume Professional Writers offers free resume review to help you improve your resume.
Staff Accountant Resume Example
Below is an example of a staff accountant resume prepared by one of our expert accounting resume writers, which would give you an idea how an interview-generating should look and guide you in writing your job application tool.
Note: You may check out our different accounting resume examples for more ideas.
Secure Job Interviews Fast with the Help of Our Staff Accountant Resume Writers
Needless to say, writing a resume is not as easy as you might think. It requires not only skills in writing but also knowledge of resume writing standards. Hence, in order to secure job interviews in today’s competitive job market, you will need to craft a job application tool that is well-presented, error-free, and keyword-rich to entice hiring managers and beat the bots.
But fret no more! Resume Professional Writers is here to help. We are composed of a team of expert resume writers, career coaches, and industry professionals dedicated to aiding job seekers land their dream careers. Take your next step in achieving your career goals with our best accounting resume writing services. Contact us today!
