Accountant Resume Example
An accountant resume is evaluated on general ledger ownership measured by month-end close efficiency, not routine reconciliations lacking scale or volume.
This resume is for accountants who manage full-cycle accounting and complex reconciliations but aren't yet responsible for department-wide financial strategy or managing entire teams. Professionals moving from corporate accounting or into financial analyst roles will find this structure useful.
- Ownership of full-cycle general ledger maintenance and month-end closing procedures
- Evidence of process improvements that reduce reporting timelines or error rates
- Mastery of GAAP compliance and internal control procedures within a corporate environment
- Summary emphasizing technical proficiencies and core accounting functions
- Experience section highlighting specific volume and accuracy metrics
- Skills list categorized by software and functional accounting domains
Imani Adams
Summary
Experience
- Managed the general ledger for the commercial banking division, overseeing $420K in monthly journal entries with 99.8% accuracy.
- Accelerated the month-end close process from 7 days to 5 days by automating reconciliation templates in Excel, saving 16 hours of manual labor per month.
- Mentored 1 junior accountant on GAAP compliance and internal audit procedures, ensuring consistent application of accounting standards across the team.
- Directed annual audit support for a $350M portfolio, resolving 45+ auditor inquiries and eliminating material weaknesses in financial statements.
- Performed daily account reconciliations for 12 high-volume clearing accounts, identifying and resolving $85K in long-standing discrepancies.
- Prioritized the redesign of the fixed asset tracking system over manual spreadsheet updates, reducing data entry errors by 32%.
- Refined the journal entry process for payroll taxes, decreasing processing time by 25% while maintaining strict adherence to GAAP.
Education
Skills
General Ledger · Excel · Account Reconciliation · Financial Reporting · GAAP · Month-End Close · NetSuite · Journal Entries · Audit Support · SAP · Oracle · Fixed Assets · Internal Controls
What makes this resume effective
- This resume meets the hiring bar for accountants by demonstrating general ledger ownership, process automation, and successful audit coordination.
- At Regions Bank, Imani Adams reduced the month-end close from 7 to 5 days, which signals the high-level efficiency recruiters look for in this role.
- See how the bullet for the $350M portfolio at Regions Bank anchors the candidate's experience in a high-stakes environment by quantifying resolved auditor inquiries.
How to write better bullet points
Responsible for monthly bank reconciliations and journal entries.
Reconciled 12 high-volume clearing accounts monthly and identified $85K in long-standing discrepancies.
It replaces a generic task description with specific volume and a concrete financial outcome.
Helped with the year-end audit.
Directed annual audit support for a $350M portfolio, resolving 45+ auditor inquiries and eliminating material weaknesses.
It demonstrates leadership and a measurable impact on the audit's success rather than passive involvement.
Used Excel to make the closing process faster.
Accelerated the month-end close by 2 days by automating reconciliation templates in Excel, saving 16 hours monthly.
It quantifies the exact time saved and the specific method used to achieve the efficiency.
Accountant resume writing tips
- Quantify your accuracy rate or volume of journal entries to prove reliability in high-pressure environments.
- Detail specific software automations, like Excel templates, that saved time during the month-end close.
- Highlight your role in successful audits by listing the number of inquiries resolved or weaknesses eliminated.
Common mistakes
- Listing accounting tasks like 'reconciled accounts' without mentioning the volume or frequency, which fails to show the scale of your responsibility.
- Omitting the specific accounting software used, such as NetSuite or SAP, making it harder for recruiters to verify technical fit.
- Neglecting to mention process improvements, which makes you look like a task-doer rather than a professional who adds value to the team.
Frequently asked questions
Is this resume right for someone with 2 to 5 years of experience? Yes if you have full-cycle general ledger ownership. No if your experience is limited to entry-level clerk tasks without month-end exposure.
Yes if you have full-cycle general ledger ownership. No if your experience is limited to entry-level clerk tasks without month-end exposure.
Yes, if you have moved beyond basic data entry into full-cycle accounting responsibilities. No, if you are still in an entry-level clerk role without general ledger ownership or exposure to month-end procedures.
What if my background is in a small business rather than a large bank? Yes, because the focus is on reconciliation complexity. Smaller firm accountants should emphasize their breadth of responsibility and close impact.
Yes, because the focus is on reconciliation complexity. Smaller firm accountants should emphasize their breadth of responsibility and close impact.
The structure remains effective as long as you focus on the complexity of your reconciliations and your impact on the financial close. Accountants in smaller firms should emphasize their breadth of responsibility across all GAAP functions.
What if I don't have specific time-saving metrics? Focus on the volume of accounts managed or reporting accuracy. Metrics like a 99.8% accuracy rate demonstrate reliability and attention to detail.
Focus on the volume of accounts managed or reporting accuracy. Metrics like a 99.8% accuracy rate demonstrate reliability and attention to detail.
Focus on the volume of accounts managed or the accuracy of your reporting. In this resume, Imani Adams highlights a 99.8% accuracy rate, which is a powerful metric that any professional in this role can track.
How much should I change before applying? Keep the structure but update specific ERP systems and portfolio sizes. Ensure the skills section reflects the exact software in the job description.
Keep the structure but update specific ERP systems and portfolio sizes. Ensure the skills section reflects the exact software in the job description.
Keep the structure of the experience bullets but update the specific ERP systems and portfolio sizes to match your history. Ensure the skills section reflects the exact software mentioned in the job description.
What do hiring managers focus on at this level? They prioritize technical GAAP knowledge and the ability to work independently. Evidence of improving workflows and handling large datasets is key.
They prioritize technical GAAP knowledge and the ability to work independently. Evidence of improving workflows and handling large datasets is key.
Recruiters look for candidates who can work independently and improve existing workflows. They prioritize evidence of technical GAAP knowledge and the ability to handle large datasets accurately as shown in the Regions Bank examples.
Related resume examples
Get a Accountant resume recruiters expect
Use this example as a base and tailor it to your job description in seconds.
Generate my resume