Do you want a new accounting position but cannot get one? The trouble is that you aren’t receiving calls for an interview.
If you have the skill sets demanded by the jobs you’re applying for but can’t get into one, your resume isn’t doing its job. That’s because you’ve made one or more basic resume writing mistakes.
Writing a resume is an art. It’s about marketing yourself in a short space with limited viewing time. It has to represent you as a person, your work experience, accomplishments, skills, and the potential that you bring to a new employer.
This article will present resume writing tips for accountants to prepare a professional resume that will get you noticed among hirers.
Table of Content
Tips for writing your dream Accounting Resume
1. Keep a list of all jobs
Keep a comprehensive list of all the jobs you’ve held throughout your career and the contact information of previous employers. You can use this master list to assist you in resume writing London and cover letters by providing a structure to build on when writing about the most relevant positions.
If you don’t already have one, make one now to refer to it while updating your resume.
Employers want proof that you have the necessary experience to perform the job. The problem arises when you fail to demonstrate that knowledge.
Ensure to provide enough content in the experience section of your resume to make it stand out. Keep a close look at what you’ve written. Is it clear what you did and for whom you did it?
2. You don’t demonstrate your progression
For example, you’re looking for accounting positions that require 7 to 10 years of experience. It’s right in your range, and your dream job is in a management role with a team of 12. You send your resume out and receive no response. Why?
Your resume appears to be a roll call of responsibilities, with the same standard “Supervised a team” under each job. There seems to be no growth. You must be more detailed and provide every bit of information that illustrates your improvement.
3. You don’t detail your specialties
The employer has requested specific practice areas and industry experience. Your resume is plain and generalist, making it difficult to tell that you have certain specialities. It stops the recruiter from checking all of the required boxes.
Ensure your resume emphasises your areas of expertise and the industries you serve. Industries receive resumes that do not contain such relevant information. Make it a point to add it to your resume.
This strategy makes it simple for the recruiter to figure out who you are professionally and whether you fulfil the job’s requirements.
4. Showcase your key achievements
In addition to detailing your job responsibilities, highlight your achievements and promotions.
For instance, stating that you “inspected accounting systems” is acceptable. However, go a step further and include a statistic demonstrating how you assisted your company in increasing efficiency or reducing expenses.
Were you in charge of new methods or assisting with software implementation? What did you save the company in terms of time and money?
Including results will determine to your potential employer that you are a problem solver who appreciates the worth of your position.
5. You don’t include your tech ability
Employers are using the advantages of technology in accounting jobs, and they’re looking for employees who can assist them. You may work remotely, full-time or part-time, and it’s critical to show you can do so.
Too often, candidates assume that the employer will ‘know’ that they can use the necessary equipment. Put your technical abilities in a separate section where you can see them and check them off. Be detailed about the software you can utilise and the remote working and project tools you can employ.
6. Keep it short and precise
You’ve certainly had a long and impressive career. Yet, it all needs to be covered in your resume so the HR manager can get a complete picture of who you are. The issue is that when you do this, you risk your resume becoming more like the next epic historical novel.
A resume should ideally be only one page long. You may need to go to two pages if you have more experience and a longer career. But how do you keep your resume short?
● Use it to write in reverse chronological order about your most recent experience. Employers are primarily interested in your accomplishments in the past few years.
● Remember to emphasise the most important talents and remove those not required or assumed by later knowledge and experience.
● Keep the job, roles, and responsibilities short.
7. Match the employer’s keywords
Many organisations use computer software to select individuals who aren’t a good fit based on keywords in their applications. Because of this filter, your resume may never reach a hiring manager.
Look for keywords and action verbs like “diagnose,” “financial compliance,” and “sales forecasting” in the job description. In your resume, use these keywords whenever possible. The more closely your keywords match, the more likely you will rise to the top of the stack.
8. Keep in mind that the format should be neat and consistent
Don’t throw away all of your valuable experience because of a few minor formatting errors on your resume. Consider the case where one bullet point ended with a period, but the other did not.
Similarly, even though the phrase is the same, you use a hyphen here but not there. These formatting mistakes will stand out like a sore thumb on your resume, and recruiters will notice them.
Adding white space and margins between information is another important technique for keeping your resume clean and readable. Although there is limited space on a one-page summary, you don’t need to fill every inch of the page with material. White space on your resume can make it easier to read and inspire hiring managers to review more of your qualifications’ essential aspects.
9. Determine whether you require a unique resume for different jobs
Before giving any application, you should ask yourself, “Have I made it as easy as possible for this employer to see that I’m qualified?”
You may need a different version of your resume to demonstrate your qualifications if you’re looking for a position with special requirements. On a case-by-case basis, decide which resume fits the best.
A resume is often the initial step in obtaining an interview with a potential company. Ensure your resume has the essential information, is organised to showcase the most critical information, and is thoroughly reviewed for errors. Once you’ve polished and finalised your resume, you should receive more callbacks, interviews, and job offers.
10. Include only the most relevant data, and prioritise it
Even if you have a lot of professional or educational experience, keeping your resume as short as possible without missing important details is crucial. Hiring managers don’t have much time to read each resume.
According to research, hiring managers spend only 6 seconds on each resume. It’s possible that outdated or unnecessary information on your resumes, such as jobs held more than ten years ago or small degrees and accomplishments, will distract them from crucial information.
Try including only the most relevant work experience, accomplishments, education, and talents to the employer. You can identify the essential characteristics by carefully reading the job description. You should place critical information on your resume to highlight crucial skills and achievements.
11. What should not be included in a finance resume?
Your resume aims to get the attention of hiring managers, recruiters, and potential finance employers. Examine it with this in mind, looking for any information irrelevant to the position or firm. Keep the majority of your resume focused on your financial experiences and accomplishments.
If you have gaps in your resume, you can fill them with other experiences as long as they are relevant or provide context to your work ethic.
Final thoughts
Resume writing UK is difficult, but you must excel at this skill to get your dream job. The best resume writing tips mentioned above may assist you in writing the perfect resume, and always keep in mind that preparing one is a continuous process.
Continue to improve your resume as you progress until you get employed. If you’re still unsure, various resume writing ideas and samples are available online.
To summarise how to write an outstanding resume, keep it short and accurate. In your story, make every word count. Maintain a lean and precise resume. Do this, and the critical information will pop off the page, waking the reviewer up from their sleep, giving you a call for an interview where you can demonstrate your worth.
