Senior Accountant Resume Example 2023 (Guide & Tips)

Senior accountants need to highlight their accounting skills. A senior accountant resume example will also showcase previous jobs, including any benefits that you may have brought to the previous job by improving their accounting processes. If you’ve received any awards or you have any other qualifications, it’s also a good idea to highlight these components of your experience.

The first element to note is that the structure of any resume will at least partially depend on the resume format you use. A functional resume will emphasize your skills, while a combination resume will emphasize both your skills and your experience. A chronological resume will usually emphasize experience. With an ample amount of work experience, senior accountants will typically want to use a chronological resume.

 

The first section on your resume is your resume header. This header should include your contact information such as name, phone number, location, email address and professional job networking links, like your LinkedIn.

 

The next section is your resume summary. This is a 2-3 sentence short paragraph highlighting your best achievements and qualifications. A resume objective focuses more on career goals so it is more suited for people with less experience than those writing a senior accountant resume.

 

The skills section will include a variety of important skills that you’ve learned throughout your career. Format your skills as bullet points so they are easy to read. Here are some skill statements  to consider:

• Ability to perform audits
• Preparing journal entries and general ledger accounts analysis
• Quickly spotting discrepancies
• Understanding fixed assets and cash flow
• Forecasting future trends
• Implementing internal controls
• Problem-solving
• Knowledge of spreadsheet and accounting software (Oracle, QuickBooks, ERP, SAP, Checker, Excel)
• Knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
• Ability to perform financial analysis and manage financial reporting
• Handling accounts payable and accounts receivable
• Account reconciliation and bank reconciliation
• Managing a balance sheet
• Year-end and month-end close
• Compiling monthly financial statements

It’s important that you have both soft skills and hard skills to be successful as a senior accountant. Bookkeeping is an important part of an accountant role, but to do a complete accountant job, you also need to work well with other staff accountants, including junior accountants, and have generalized skills like problem-solving and thinking well on your feet. 

 

Next is your work experience section. Include up to 10 years of experience here. This doesn’t have to just include experience as a senior accountant but can also include work as an accounting manager or any other accountant role within a company.

 

In this section,  include your professional education. You’ll typically need at least a bachelor’s degree, which you may have in a financial field or a related field like business administration. You should also include your certifications. Typically, senior accountants will be a CPA, or Certified Public Accountant.

Here are some tips for writing your senior accountant resume:

 

Do:

• Read the job description before you apply for the job. Every employer is looking for a slightly different person, so reading the job description will help you present yourself well to a hiring manager.
• Make full use of your LinkedIn profile. Include any information that you can’t fit in your resume.
• Use the ResumeHelp resume builder to create your resume. The resume builder will help you quickly and easily create a more professional resume, allowing you to send the perfect resume every time.

Don’t:

• Apply as a senior accountant without first going through the process of being a junior accountant. You need that work experience to be taken seriously.
• Include every piece of experience you have as an accountant. You’ll typically only need to include 10 years of experience, maximum.
• Include any samples with identifying information from previous jobs. You should never show financial statements or similar items as part of your job interview.