How to write an effective resume for an accountant?

A resume is a mandatory document required for employment. Thanks to its content, the employer forms the first impression of the applicant. A competent resume is the key to getting the desired position, and therefore every accountant should know the principles of writing a resume. Today in our article we will talk about the general rules for filling out this document.

When writing a resume for an accountant job, you should adhere to several generally accepted rules and principles in the business community.

First of all, you need to remember that resume is a business document... When looking for a candidate for a vacancy, an employer looks at hundreds and thousands of resumes. Those applicants who correctly structure and organize the data of their resume will stand out favorably against the general background.

So, as a general rule, you cannot write a resume in the form of an essay, as a free text. All information should be organized and titled. Traditionally, a resume includes several standard sections:

• title (usually the document is titled as "Resume" or indicate the surname, name and patronymic of the applicant);
• personal information (in this subsection you need to describe your marital status and the presence / absence of children, tell about the place of residence, indicate the age);
• education (in chronological order, you must indicate all educational institutions that you graduated from);
• work experience (it is recommended to focus the employer's attention on 3-5 positions and places of work);
• key skills and abilities of a professional nature;
• work achievements;
• personal qualities and characteristics;
• Additional Information.

The most important are the sections that describe your education, previous work experience, and professional skills and qualities. Particular attention should be paid to completing these sections.

The presence of typos, as well as various grammatical, spelling and punctuation errors is unacceptable in the resume. If the employer discovers such flaws in your personal document for employment, then your candidacy will be immediately screened out, and you yourself will not be perceived as a professional.

Due to this it is very important to be careful when filling out the resume. Before sending the document to the employer, make sure that there are no errors in the text. To do this, re-read the document several times. If possible, ask relatives or friends to do this.

When writing a resume, it should be remembered that this document belongs to the category of formal business. Accordingly, when filling out a document, in no case should you use vernacular or colloquial expressions. It is also prohibited to use artistic devices such as comparisons, metaphors or epithets. Write briefly, succinctly and to the point.

The accountant's resume must be completed as succinctly as possible. This position belongs to the category of corporate, respectively, the use of additional symbols, pictures, emoticons or images is considered unacceptable. Use minimal design elements, and also give preference to restrained shades of a neutral color palette, do not use neon tones.

When applying for a job, applicants for the position of an accountant are looking for resume templates, on the basis of which they could compose their own document. This tactic is correct. However, in no case should you completely rewrite the examples from the Internet, you should personalize and individualize your working document as much as possible.

The business community believes that the optimal resume size is this is 1 page. In some cases, employers also accept a 2-page document. When writing your resume, keep in mind that the employer receives a large number of documents from tens and hundreds of applicants.

The resume should contain only such information that directly relates to the position for which you are applying. So, for example, an accountant does not need to write that he has experience as a waiter or salesman. Also do not indicate unnecessary details of your personal life (for example, place and year of marriage).

It is an important and difficult task to correctly compose a competent document required to get a job. The perfect resume is what sets you apart from the crowd. If you follow all of the above rules, your chances of getting a job increase significantly.

The column "Desired salary" is optional in the resume, however, more and more jobseekers include it in the document for employment. In doing so, you should be as honest and open as possible. At the same time, assess your skills, abilities and work experience soberly. So, for example, a graduate who only recently received a diploma should not write a high salary, indicate the average amount.On the other hand, an experienced specialist can count on increased material rewards.

In order to determine the most optimal salary, study the labor market and evaluate what amounts other employers are offering to jobseekers. Print the arithmetic mean and write it down in your resume.

Education for an accountant is of key importance, since only a specialist who has the appropriate diploma can hold this position. In the column "Education" you need list all the educational institutions you graduated in chronological order - it can be both secondary specialized institutions (colleges, vocational schools, vocational schools) and higher educational institutions (institutes, universities, academies).

When describing your learning experience you should indicate not only the full name of the educational organization, but also your specialization, as well as the time of study. In some cases, your employer may ask you for a graduation transcript with grades or a copy of your grade book.

In addition to traditional education, you can enter information about the additional courses, trainings, master classes you have taken in this section. Remember that an accountant must constantly improve his qualifications and strive to improve his professional skills and abilities. You can also attach copies of diplomas, certificates, diplomas.

In order for an accountant to be able to professionally perform his work functions and duties, he must have a number of key characteristics. Moreover, they relate to both the professional and personal spheres. Let's take a look at some of them.

When writing a resume, you should indicate only their positive personal qualities. At the same time, it is advisable to avoid mentioning negative character traits. At the same time, it is recommended to give specific examples of the application of this or that quality, as well as to be prepared for the fact that the employer may ask a similar question in the process of conducting a personal interview.

In professional activity, an accountant will need such qualities as:

• analytical mind (without this it will not be possible to carry out work functions);
• communication skills (in the course of work you will constantly communicate with clients, colleagues and bosses);
• stress tolerance;
• the ability to make decisions and be responsible for them;
• attentiveness;
• punctuality;
• discipline;
• teamwork skills.

Thus, not every person will be able to work as an accountant, but only those who have a certain warehouse of character.

Special skills, knowledge and skills are required to complete the work tasks of an accountant. Among them, it is important to highlight the following:

• processing of statements;
• preparation of reporting documents;
• ability to work in the "Bank-Client" system;
• control over sales operations with VAT;
• the ability to calculate wages;
• interaction with tax authorities;
• the ability to work in specialized programs (for example, 1C);
• development of local acts on company expenses;
• skills in keeping a cash book;
• the ability to make estimates;
• knowledge of the regulations and instructions of the Central Bank of Russia;
• ability to work with primary documentation;
• inventory control and so on.

The optimal combination of individual character traits and professional skills will help the specialist to carry out his functions at the highest professional level.

In addition to all other information about yourself, in your resume, you should tell about your achievements. This should directly relate to the professional accounting field. You can describe your achievements from previous jobs or even your student days. Valuable achievements of an accountant include:

• victory in a professional competition;
• development of your own methodology or technology;
• fulfillment of tasks set by the employer;
• optimization of work processes;
• increased workflow activity;
• successful passing of tax audits;
• transition to a new computerized accounting system;
• graduation from the university with honors.

If you have no work experience, you just recently graduated from an educational institution and are a novice accountant, then you cannot immediately apply for the position of an accountant. In this case, it is best to apply for the position of assistant. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that even in this case, you will have to write a resume.

Since you have not yet accumulated professional experience, then in the column "Work experience" you should write about internships and practices that you took in the learning process (which is a prerequisite for obtaining a state-recognized accountant diploma).

When filling out a professional resume, it should be borne in mind that each accounting specialization has its own specific nuances. Accordingly, the necessary notes must be made in the columns of the document.

• If you are applying for the position of an accountant for primary documentation, then you should demonstrate skills related to its design and completion. For example, you might talk about how in your previous job you invented your own system for organizing such papers.
• Bank teller accountant Is a specialist who deals with cash. In this case, you will have to demonstrate an increased level of responsibility.
• If you want to take the position of materialist accountant, then in the resume you should demonstrate knowledge of the principles of depreciation, material table, etc.
• Lead accountant must have leadership qualities.
• Accountant-economistt must know not only accounting, analysis and audit, but also the principles of functioning of the economic system of the state.
• Accountant calculator must know mathematics well.
• Accountant in charge of inventory items (or accounting for goods and materials), must have knowledge of the categories of such values.

In addition, there are such specializations as sales professional, fixed assets accountant and some others. The knowledge and skills of these professionals must also be appropriate for their workload.

A cover letter is an optional document when applying for the position of an accountant. However, some employers may require you to provide it. To understand if you need to write a cover letter, you should read the vacancy carefully (usually the employer specifies this requirement).

Transmittal letter should not be a copy of your resume... This document can be more voluminous and wider... As a general rule, a cover letter should consist of a description of your personal qualities as well as professional experience. So, for example, you can tell the employer why you decided to choose the profession of an accountant, what attracted you to this company, and what your personal characteristics help you in the course of performing professional functions (it is very important to give specific situations and examples).

This document, like the executive summary, must have a certain structure... So, in the introductory part, you need to say hello to the employer and introduce yourself. Then you should go to the main part, and after - to the conclusion.

Your characterization as an accounting professional plays an important role when applying for a new job. It should be attached to the resume. In this case, fit only positive feedback from previous employers.

In the recommendation, your previous employer should tell you about how you showed yourself as a professional accountant, what functions and tasks you performed, for what scope of work you were responsible. The maximum length of a letter of recommendation is 1 page.

Accountant is an important and necessary profession in the modern world. In this regard, employers approach the selection of personnel for this position with special attention, increased requirements are put forward for accountants. Thus, if you want to get the position of an accountant, you need to correctly and competently write the resume required for employment. If you follow our advice, you will definitely get your dream job.