Bookkeeper Resume Example & Writing Guide
- What is a bookkeeper?
- Why use this bookkeeper resume example?
- How to write a great bookkeeper resume
- Which skills are relevant for a bookkeeper resume?
If you’re looking for a bookkeeping job, you’ll need a stand-out resume to succeed in a competitive job market. Whether you’re a new or experienced bookkeeper, our resume example and style guide can help you make your next career move.
What is a bookkeeper?
Bookkeepers deliver accurate, up-to-date financial information to business owners and managers to aid critical decision-making and strategic planning. Bookkeepers can work in diverse company settings or build their career as a freelancer with a portfolio of clients.
Why use this bookkeeper resume example?
While there are many job opportunities for bookkeepers, there is also a lot of competition out there. Our resume guide and example will help you create a bookkeeping resume that highlights the most important details from your work history in full alignment with the job you want.
Your resume will likely be reviewed by a financial professional, so showcasing the breadth of your financial expertise is vital. Our resume example ticks all these boxes in terms of a compelling professional summary and a succinct work experience section, as well as all-important contributions, education, credentials, and affiliations.
The expertise section showcases your core proficiencies (e.g., accounts payable and receivable, expenses tracking and reimbursement, and compliance) and is kept to six key areas to maximize impact. Placing this section at the beginning of your resume ensures it stands out to the hiring manager. Check the job description for specific skills and experience when creating this section and include competencies that apply to your background. These keywords also ensure your resume is optimized and performs well when parsed by an Applicant Tracking System (ATS).
The professional experience section balances paragraphs with bullet points to make the tangible contributions stand out in the initial scan of the resume. This is followed by a more in-depth review of specific responsibilities in the paragraph section. Achievements are a key reason this resume example and style guide is on point. Hiring managers, recruiters, and clients will be looking for a bookkeeper who can aid critical decision-making and deliver results.
How to write a great bookkeeper resume
Start your resume with your contact information, including your full name, city, state, phone number, and professional email address. If you have a LinkedIn profile, you can include the associated link after the other contact details. Just make sure the profile content is consistent with your resume.
Your professional summary comes next. It should be a compelling snapshot of your skills and experience in bookkeeping that spark a hiring manager’s interest. Here you need to emphasize the breadth of your financial expertise, as well as the soft skills that make you an outstanding bookkeeper (e.g., analytical skills, communication, and attention to detail). Include an expertise section after your profile, which showcases your core technical proficiencies.
The all-important work experience section follows. Start with your current or most recent job and work back to earlier roles, covering no more than 15 years of experience. When describing your core responsibilities, use action verbs at the start of each sentence, such as analyze, identify, or reorganize. Follow up with contributions to highlight the financial impact of your work, your ability to drive improvement, and your application of regulatory compliance.
Education and professional certifications are of great interest to recruiters. List your college degrees and industry-specific training and certifications in reverse chronological order. Most bookkeepers will have professional affiliations and technical skills, so these should be listed in sections following your education.
Ensure you proofread your entire resume before you submit your job application. Spelling errors, typos, and grammatical mistakes show a lack of attention to detail, which is not the professional image you want to project as a bookkeeper.
Which skills are relevant for a bookkeeper resume?
When outlining your skills as a bookkeeper, make sure they are relevant to the job opportunity by checking the job ad. Here are some hard and soft skills to include in your resume:
Accounts payable and receivable
General ledger coding
Expense tracking
Sales tax accrual
Month-end closing
Regulatory compliance
Process optimization
Vendor relationship management
Data analysis
Communication skills
Teamwork
Detail-oriented
Summary example
Experienced and effective Bookkeeper with 15+ years of experience performing and supervising full service bookkeeping functions. Well versed in vendor relationship management and customer service with the ability to positively impact any team. Dependable and versatile with a strong foundation in General Ledger reconciliations, implementing accounting processes and maintaining accounting compliance. Assertive and diplomatic, with the ability to enforce policies and maintain relationships.
Employment history example
Accounts Payable Analyst at Williams Construction, Houston, TX
2013 - Present
Ensure corporate guidelines are met for invoice payment by researching requirements and performing final checks on all processed and batched invoices. Regularly communicate with vendors and suppliers to maintain relationships while continuing to enforce compliance with requirements and finalize corrections. Track and process all expense reimbursements and ensure all requests are compliant with policy. Interface with Treasury Department to request funds for three corporate entities and ensure all funding is coded and allocated correctly.
Selected Contributions:
Direct up to three accounts payable clerks in order to coordinate an on-time close to month-end.
Substantially decreased late fees and disconnections by reconciling past due balances and communicating with vendors.
Ensured compliance with corporate expense policy by verifying all expenses and escalating non-compliant expenses.
Accounts Payable Supervisor at Central Energy Services, Houston, TX
2008 - 2013
Oversaw the correct processing and coding of invoices and expenses company-wide to ensure timely and accurate month-end close, productive vendor relationships, and effective communication with management.
Selected Contributions:
Decreased department labor by resolving past due bills, reducing phone calls and maximizing resources.
Dramatically cut costs through elimination of inactive or unused utility, phone and cable service contracts.
Trained and supervised three accounts payable clerks in company policy, software and vendor relations, and problem resolution.
Tracked recurring monthly utilities and expenses across several locations and ensured proper coding on invoices.
Reorganized AP procedures to prevent penalties for late payments and to reduce monthly accruals.
Bookkeeper at Secure Packaging Technologies, Houston, TX
2007 - 2008
Updated financial records and communicated with vendors during a severe economic downturn. Established accounting processes, organized office, and established vendor communication procedures to prevent account suspensions.
Education example
Bookkeeper Certification (Adjusting Entries, Error Correction, Inventory, Payroll, Internal Controls) at the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers
Accounting / Office Specialist Certification at Houston Community College
Accounting, Human Resources, Core General Studies at Houston Community College
Skills example
Accounts Payable and Receivable
Expense Tracking and Reimbursement
Timely Month-End Close Procedures
General Ledger Coding
Sales Tax Accrual
Problem Resolution
