[ RESUME EXAMPLE · 3 ROLES · 12 KEYWORDS TUNED ]
Accountant Resume Example
This accountant resume example shows a CPA moving from staff accountant to owning a full-cycle close for a multi-entity business. It leads with the CPA credential, quantifies close cycle time, reconciliation volume, and audit findings, and uses common accounting posting terms such as GAAP, month-end close, NetSuite, and SOX. Load it into the free builder, swap in your numbers, and run the ATS check before you apply.
Marcus Feld, CPA
Senior Accountant
marcus.feld.cpa@email.com · (414) 555-0126 · Milwaukee, WI · linkedin.com/in/marcusfeldcpa
Summary
CPA with 8 years in corporate accounting across manufacturing and distribution. Cut the month-end close from 10 business days to 5 and managed 120+ monthly reconciliations across 4 entities with zero audit adjustments in the last two cycles. Fluent in NetSuite, SAP, and GAAP revenue recognition.
Experience
Senior Accountant · Lakeside Distribution Co.
Feb 2021 – Present
Milwaukee, WI
- Own the full-cycle month-end close for 4 entities, cutting cycle time from 10 business days to 5.
- Manage 120+ monthly balance-sheet reconciliations with zero audit adjustments across two annual audits.
- Led the NetSuite implementation for the accounting team, migrating 6 years of GL data with no downtime.
- Reduced DSO from 52 to 39 days by redesigning the AR aging and collections workflow.
Staff Accountant · Badger Manufacturing Inc.
Jun 2018 – Jan 2021
Waukesha, WI
- Prepared monthly journal entries, flux analysis, and account reconciliations for a $90M revenue manufacturer.
- Reconciled 45 bank and credit-card accounts monthly, resolving an average of 30 discrepancies per close.
- Supported the annual external audit, delivering requested schedules 2 days ahead of deadline both years.
Audit Associate · KPMG
Aug 2016 – May 2018
Milwaukee, WI
- Executed financial-statement audits for 12 mid-market clients across manufacturing and distribution.
- Tested internal controls over financial reporting (ICFR) for 3 SOX 404 engagements.
- Identified a $180K revenue-recognition error that led to a restatement and a control fix.
Education
B.B.A. Accounting, University of Wisconsin–Madison — Graduated with distinction · Beta Alpha Psi honor society
2016
Skills
GAAP · Month-end close · Account reconciliation · NetSuite · SAP · Financial reporting · SOX compliance · Revenue recognition · Accounts receivable · Flux analysis · General ledger · Advanced Excel
Certifications
- Certified Public Accountant (CPA) — Wisconsin · Wisconsin Accounting and Examining Board · 2018
What a accountant resume has to show in the first six seconds
The CPA credential, placed to be seen
For most corporate and public accounting roles the CPA is the primary filter. Put 'CPA' after your name in the header, reference it in the summary, and list it with the issuing state and year in a certifications block. If you are sitting for the exam, state the sections passed and the timeline — it still clears many screens.
Close cycle and reconciliation volume
Controllers hire on how fast and how clean you can close. State the number of business days to close, the count of entities and reconciliations you owned, and the audit result. 'Cut the close from 10 days to 5 across 4 entities with zero audit adjustments' is the single strongest line an accountant can write.
ERP fluency, named by system
NetSuite, SAP, Oracle, and QuickBooks are not interchangeable — migration and training are expensive, so screeners filter on the exact platform. Name the systems you have closed in and, where true, implementation or admin work. 'ERP experience' misses the keyword; 'NetSuite GL and revenue modules' hits it.
Technical accounting vocabulary
GAAP, revenue recognition (ASC 606), SOX 404, ICFR, and flux analysis signal that you can handle judgment calls, not just data entry. Use the precise standard and control language the posting uses, because both the ATS and the hiring manager match on those exact terms.
Four ways accountant resumes get filtered out
✕ Describing tasks instead of close performance.
FIX → 'Responsible for reconciliations and journal entries' is the job description. Replace it with results: close cycle days, reconciliation counts, discrepancies resolved, audit outcomes. The reader wants speed and accuracy numbers.
✕ Burying the CPA.
FIX → The CPA is the first filter. Put it after your name, in the summary, and in a dated certifications section. If it is in progress, list sections passed and the expected completion date.
✕ Generic system names.
FIX → Name the exact ERP — NetSuite, SAP, Oracle — and the modules you used. 'Accounting software proficiency' misses the keyword screens that route applications to a human.
✕ One resume for public and industry roles.
FIX → Public accounting screens for audit, ICFR, and client count; industry screens for close ownership, reconciliations, and ERP. Reorder your bullets to lead with what the posting weights, then run the checker here to confirm the keyword overlap before you submit.
Common questions
Do I need a CPA to get an accounting job?
Not for every role, but it is the single most common hard filter for senior, public, and reporting positions. If you hold it, feature it prominently. If you are working toward it, list the sections passed and your timeline — many screeners treat 'CPA candidate, 3 of 4 sections passed' favorably.
How do I quantify accounting work that feels routine?
Every close has measurable dimensions: days to close, number of entities and reconciliations, dollar volume, discrepancies resolved, and audit findings. 'Reconciled 45 accounts monthly, resolving 30 discrepancies' turns routine work into evidence of accuracy and throughput.
Should I list every ERP and tool I have touched?
Lead with the systems you have actually closed in, and name the modules. A focused list of two or three platforms you can defend beats a long inventory that reads as padding. Mirror the exact platform the posting names if you have used it.
How do I explain a move from public accounting to industry?
Frame it as depth over breadth: public accounting gave you audit, controls, and multi-client exposure; industry lets you own the close end to end. Translate your audit language into ownership language — 'tested controls' becomes 'own ICFR and SOX compliance'.
How do I tailor this example to a specific job posting?
Copy the example into the builder, replace the content with your own, then paste the job posting into the ATS checker. It lists the posting's keywords you are missing — add the truthful ones to your skills and bullets, and re-scan. As a rough rule of thumb many people aim for a match around 80%, but there is no universal passing score — treat it as a 'looks strong' guideline, not a guarantee or a target every employer shares.