Accountant CV Example & Writing Guide

As a numbers expert, you might find it particularly taxing to write your accountant CV. 

Just like accuracy and attention to detail are essential for an accountant, the same is true for writing your CV. Your CV is the first impression a hiring manager will get, so it is important to make sure it’s a positive one. The hiring manager should get a good understanding of your expertise with a quick scan of your CV.

CV guide for an accountant CV

At Resume.io we have created the perfect tools for job seekers, including a growing number of occupation-specific CV writing guides and  CV examples. We also have a handy CV builder to make the job easier. 

With this CV writing guide, and the corresponding accountant CV example, you will find the following information on how to create your masterpiece:

• How to write an accountant CV
• Choosing the right CV format for accountants
• How to add your contact information
• Using summaries
• Adding your accountancy experience
• Listing education and relevant experience
• Picking the right CV design/layout
• What the accountant market looks like, and what salary you can expect

How to write an accountant CV

Before tackling your CV, you need to have a good understanding of what sections need to be included. These are the main components:

• CV header
• CV summary (aka profile or personal statement)
• Employment history section
• CV skills section
• Education section

Make sure you fully understand the company you are applying to and write your CV with this in mind. Tailor the content and wording to the specific job requirements, considering what will be important to the hiring manager. An accountant in a large organisation will typically need more in-depth experience than someone working for an SME. 

This is the recommended formula for writing your accountant CV:

• Adapt the style and tone to suit the employer. Take a bit of time to find out more about the organisation, so you understand what recruiters are looking for in job candidates.
• Keep it short and simple; don’t exceed one page or make the layout and design too outlandish.
• Make sure appropriate keywords are used throughout your CV, as the organisation may use an applicant tracking system (ATS).

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How to write a CV

Knowing how to write a CV takes effort, but we help break down the mystery. Take a look at this detailed guide to learn more about how to structure, write, and design a job-winning CV.

Choosing the right CV format for accountants

When it comes to choosing the best CV format for an accountant, reverse chronological is generally your best pick. That’s because this format showcases your relevant employment history starting with your most recent position and working backwards through the past 10 years.

Accounting is a job based on know-how and experience so the reverse chronological format gives you the best chance of impressing the hiring manager by highlighting what you’ve learned in related roles.

However, if you are a career-changer or new to the field, you may find that this does not work for you. In that case, using a skills-based CV format may be the best strategy.

Read our guide on the different CV formats for some more guidance. You don't have to do all of the hard work yourself. You can also use our tried and tested CV templates.

Include your contact information

A striking CV header attracts the right kind of attention at first glance. It can make you look professional, organised and accessible, while everything else on the page looks inviting to read. 

Here's what you need to include: 

• Your name & title. Include your first and last name as well as the job title for which you are applying.
• Phone number. List a number where you can be contacted at any time, or give your availability in the header.
• Professional email address. Be sure to include a professional email address. Don't use a nickname or a "funny" email here.
• LinkedIn. So long as your LinkedIn is up to date, you can include a link in the CV header.

Don't include: 

• Personal details. The hiring manager does not need to know whether you are married, for example.
• Your date of birth. This can lead to age discrimination.

Make use of a summary

The CV summary is featured after your header, and this will be an introduction to who you are and why the hiring manager should be excited to read more about you. What can you offer the company? Why would they be crazy not to shortlist you for an interview?

The summary  — sometimes called the profile or personal statement — only needs to be a few statements that reflect your key areas of expertise. Use action verbs, such as 'managed, enhanced’, instead of 'was responsible for initiating, managing, enhancing.'

For example:

‘Managed the accountants for a large organisation with 500 employees’ as opposed to ‘I was responsible for managing the accountants for a large organisation with 500 employees.’  

You can find adaptable accountant CV examples summary below:

Outline your accountancy work experience

The next section will usually be your employment history unless you are a recent graduate with little professional experience. In that case, your education may come first.  

List the positions you have held in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent employment and working backwards.

Use bullet points to describe what you did in each role. It is easy to just write the job duties, but it is much more enticing for a hiring manager to know the outcomes and impact of your contributions. What difference did you make? If you can support it with stats, do it.

The aim of the game is to emphasise the impact that you had. Here are some generic bullet points that are okay but could do with more detail: 

• "Worked in a fast-paced team"
• "Excellent track record of budgeting"
• "Made smart financial decisions"

While there's nothing inherently wrong with the above statements, they don't seek to add much to your accountant CV. By digging deeper, you can add more colour to your CV and really show your value. Here are some examples:

• "Assisted with bi-monthly audits and liaised with external auditors"
• "Orchestrated budget cuts leading to 15% lower annual losses"
• "Analysed accountants and made decisions based on core principles"

Accountants are specialists, and your employment history should be in line with what the employer is looking for. Tailor your CV to suit the specific role and expertise required.

You can find an adaptable CV employment history sample below.

How to write an accountant CV with no experience

Are you new to the accountancy sector? If you have recently qualified, you can still land yourself a job. What you lack in experience you may make up in skills. As such, here are some of the things that you should focus on:

• Associations and certificates. In the world of accountancy, certificates and qualifications hold weight. Whatever certificates you have (e.g. ACA, ACCA, CIMA), you should draw attention to them. List them in your education section and your summary, too.
• Transferrable skills. If you are a career-changer, you may have held other office roles before now. Chances are, you picked up a range of essential skills there. For example, you might have learned how to use Microsoft software or become a pro at time management. Think about how your skills align with this role.
• Personal hobbies or interests. Do any of your hobbies bleed into financing? Perhaps you were the finance chair at your local sports club, for example. If you have ever dealt with money on behalf of an organisation, now is the time to shout about it.

Include the relevant key skills that make you a great accountant

An accountant, of course, needs to have strong hard skills, such as managing balance sheets and understanding profits and losses. 

In addition, though, you should mention some soft skills, such as strong communication and team abilities. Consider what skills will make you an asset to the organisation, and adapt these to suit the employer. 

Accountants are often stereotyped as quite serious professionals, who might not excel at communication. However, employers will want someone who can engage with colleagues and other departments to bring success to the organisation. Be clear about the key skills that may set you apart from other candidates. 

Check out the skills section from our CV example below.

Detail your education & relevant accountancy certifications

A prospective employer will be more attracted to candidates who are committed to ongoing learning, and there’s no better place to show that than in your CV's education section. 

For an accountant role, you will need to have a degree and certification from an accountancy body. Consider how your education will be a benefit to the role, and highlight the key aspects that might be of interest to the hiring manager. Here are some examples: 

• Degree. Bachelor’s or master’s degree in a finance-related field.
• Accountancy certificates. These may include a certificate from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the ICAEW Chartered Accountant qualification, or a qualification from the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA).
• A Levels. Should you have A Levels that align with this role, include them plus your grades. For example, if you took maths or accounting as an A Level, list it.
• Training. If you have undertaken further training — such as a course on using Sage or Xero — you should list it in this section too.

This is an accountant CV education example you can modify.

Pick the right CV layout and design for an accountant CV

The content of your CV is the most important part of it, but visual impressions also count, so you need to consider the document's layout and design. 

Hiring managers expect to be able to read your CV easily, so the layout should be clean and orderly, with each section flowing smoothly and logically into the next. 

For an accountant's CV, there’s no need to go overboard with images, icons, or eccentric colours. A professional template with a neutral colour scheme can go a long way in helping you present yourself well.

The thought of writing a CV can be daunting, but with careful planning, it can be much easier. If you are not quite sure how to get started or the best design to use, take a look at our  CV templates. Using our easy-to-use builder tool, the formatting tasks will be taken care of, so you can just focus on writing the best possible CV content. 

Accountant job market and outlook

According to research data cited by accountancytoday.co.uk , almost three-quarters (74%) of UK businesses are becoming troubled by the lack of skilled workers, while businesses within the accounting industry are understaffed by 22%. 

There is long-term demand for accountants across the UK, and if this is your chosen field, you can expect to have a choice of roles.

What type of salary you can expect in accountancy

According to Indeed, accountants can expect to make around £35,918 per year as of 2024. However, the exact amount you can expect will depend on your experience, your sector, and where in the country you are based.

Key takeaways for an accountant CV

There is a lot of potential growth for an accountant. You can move from this role into a senior accountant role, and then potentially into management. You might also move from an SME into a role with a large organisation, where the salary will typically be much higher.

However, understanding your audience is vital. You should always tailor your CV to suit the job and employer.Use keywords throughout your CV to help ensure it is not rejected by an ATS. You can find suitable keywords in the job description.

Our CV builder can help you quickly create an attractive design that will stand out to the hiring manager.