Accounting Assistant resume example & writing guide

If you’re organized, detail-oriented, and good with numbers, a career as an accounting assistant might be for you. Companies of all kinds need accounting assistants to help maintain their financial well-being. An expertly-crafted accounting assistant resume can help you place your numeracy skills in the forefront and stand out as the ideal accounting professional for their team.

This resume guide, along with the corresponding accounting assistant resume example, will cover the following topics:

• What an accounting assistant resume should include

• Advice on each section of your resume (summary, work history, education)

• Adding relevant key skills to your resume

• Choosing the right resume template for an accounting assistant

What should your accounting assistant resume include?

Your accounting assistant resume must showcase your organization, reliability, numerical aptitude, and commitment to delivering accurate and timely reports and materials. An employer will be trusting you with sensitive financial information, so you also need to highlight your attention to detail, reliability, and teamwork skills.

You want to present your skills and qualifications in a clear, concise, and easy-to-read format, so that a potential employer can find what they’re looking for quickly and without problems.

Your accounting assistant resume should contain the following elements:

• A resume header with your contact information

• A resume summary

• An employment history section

• An education section

• A resume skills section

How can you create a professional summary?

An accounting assistant holds a lot of responsibility and requires a specific set of skills, so you need to present yourself accordingly. The professional summary is your resume’s balance statement, where you outline your core skills, experience, and—most importantly—the value you would bring to the company, all within two to three sentences. 

It’s a way to articulate your professional values, training, and strengths, and how that correlates to your practical professional experience. This could include your computer skills, tax expertise, or ability to maintain accurate financial records. It all counts!

If you wish, you can highlight your core skills with an Areas of Expertise list below your professional summary. This is a set of bullet points that illustrate your unique skill set, and can be a great way to communicate your transferable skills if you’re new to the field.

See our adaptable accounting assistant resume summary below:

How should you describe your work experience as an accounting assistant?

The work history section is where you outline why you’re the right accounting assistant for the job. List your work experience in reverse chronological order, placing your most recent position first and working backwards, and include your job title, employment dates, and key job responsibilities. 

But don’t just list what you did each day; focus on the impact that you made. Under each entry, include a few bullet points outlining your accomplishments in that role, using quantifiable data such as facts and figures.

For example, if you’re great at increasing efficiency in an accounting department, you could list this as an accomplishment:

• Managed a high volume of invoicing using QuickBooks, reducing manual entry efforts by 25% and improving turnaround time by one week.

When you work with numbers, it should be fairly easy to come up with concrete examples of the impact that your work has had. Be sure to use the job description as a guide to tailor your resume to the position and show off your experience and qualifications that meet the requirements the company is looking for.

Take a look at the adaptable accounting assistant resume employment history section below:

Include an appropriate accounting assistant resume education and certifications section

Even if you don’t have a bachelor’s degree in accounting or a CPA license, your education section is still valuable. A potential employer will scan your education to see if you have the relevant training they’re looking for. 

When crafting your education section, consider the following tips:

• Keep it simple and straightforward. Make a list of your degrees with only the relevant information, such as the name of your school, location, degree, and date earned.

• List your education in reverse order. Like your work experience, list your most recent or advanced degree on top.

• Include any certifications you’ve completed or are working towards, such as Certified Public Bookkeeper (CPB) or Certified Accounting Assistant (CAA). Not only may the employer be specifically looking for them, but they also demonstrate your commitment to professional development and growth.

Which key skills are relevant for an accounting assistant resume?

Both skills and experience are important when it comes to landing an accounting assistant position. So how do you align your skills with the job description and incorporate them into your resume?

The “key” is keywords. When you scan the job description, it will most likely feature keywords that you can include verbatim or find related skills that you currently have. Keywords are important for getting your resume noticed in a number of ways. 

Large companies often utilize applicant tracking system (ATS) software that scans resumes for specific keywords and ranks them by how closely they match the job description. The more keywords you include, the higher you’ll rank. (Just don’t go overboard!) To learn more, check out our article on resume ATS optimization.)

If you need a little assistance, career.io’s resume templates provide a key skills list with common skills for an accounting assistant. But don’t limit these to your skills section. Incorporate your skills throughout your resume by showing how you’ve used them on the job in your summary and work history. 

For an accounting assistant, a few key skills might include:

• Bookkeeping

• Accounting software

• Data entry

• Audit support

• Analytical skills

• Attention to detail

• Problem solving

• Ability to work under pressure

• Integrity and confidentiality

• Teamwork

• Invoice processing

How to select the most impactful accounting assistant resume template

An accounting assistant resume should be professional, organized, and concise—just like you.

An effective resume should use a streamlined, modern resume design that is easy for a hiring manager to scan. 

Since accounting tends to be a more conservative field, stay away from graphics or creative fonts, although a pop of color is fine. The sample accounting assistant resume below is clean and simple with clearly defined sections.

An accounting assistant resume also shouldn’t be longer than one page. If it’s spilling onto two or more pages, some editing is probably in order.

We have a variety of great resume templates to choose from in our resume builder, so start by selecting the resume layout that best fits your profession. Need some help? Find the perfect resume with our 100+ available resume examples.

Copyable accounting assistant resume example

Key takeaways for writing an accounting assistant resume

1. Your accounting assistant resume must showcase your organization, reliability, numerical aptitude, and commitment to delivering accurate and timely reports and materials.

2. Tailor your resume for each position you apply for by including relevant keywords in each section. Check the job description for keywords that align with your current skills.

3. Use a clean, organized resume layout to showcase your professionalism, organization, and attention to detail.

4. Use our online resume builder to craft your accounting assistant resume with adaptable templates and AI-powered content. Make your life easier and the job application process faster!