accounting manager Sample

Businesses big and small rely on Accounting Managers to lead and manage accounting departments. When you have built a career on leading a team of accountants and ensuring all accounting tasks, like reporting and budgeting, are completed accurately, you end up with a set of skills that are in high demand. Having those skills is great, but translating them into a compelling resume can be challenging. 

You already know that your resume is one of the most important documents you’ll ever own. It serves as the key to open doors that will secure your personal financial future – which, as an Accounting Manager, you know is extremely important. The competitiveness of the accounting job market demands that your resume be compelling. It must showcase your skills in accounting, but it also has to prove that you’re a good leader. 

To help guarantee that you have the tools you need to craft an interview-winning resume, the ZipJob team has prepared an Accounting Manager resume example. Here, you’ll find that sample resume along with a host of tips and tricks to help you write a document that will make you stand out from the crowd of other Accounting Manager job seekers.

How to write a resume

Before you can put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard), to write your Accounting Manager resume, you have to do a bit of research and list making first. Because of the use of artificial intelligence (AI) by job seekers to write low-quality resumes and the use of applicant tracking systems (ATS) by companies to weed out candidates, you have to create something that truly stands out. 

What does the company want in a new hire?

The first thing you have to do is analyze job descriptions to find keywords that mirror what prospective employers are looking for in new staff members. It may seem tedious to read the job descriptions, especially since some of them can be quite long, but it is imperative that you cull out relevant keywords and phrases and use them on your resume. This is called tailoring your resume. 

Are you a doer or an achiever?

Once you get a good list of keywords that you’ll need to use in your new resume, it’s time to make a list of career achievements. There isn’t a hiring manager alive who will care what you were responsible for doing at previous jobs. All they want to know is what you did and the value you brought to previous companies. That gives them a hint at what you’ll be able to bring to the table for their team. 

The most crucial component of listing achievements, especially for someone in finance or accounting, is to use numbers to quantify your achievements. For each job you’ve held, ask yourself, “What was the one thing you accomplished that you were most proud of?” That is actually a multi-part question:

• What were you most proud of?

• What was going on?

• What did you do about it?

• What was the result?

If that looks like the STAR method, it’s because it is and gives you a chance to highlight your impact. Here’s what it looks like:

• Ho-hum resume bullet: “Ensured compliance with tax regulation by leveraging knowledge of IRS codes and SOX mandates.”

• Achievement-based bullet: “Streamlined digital documentation systems and trained 10 staff members on tax regulations to reduce tax compliance issues by 25%. 

The second bullet suggests that there were compliance issues that you resolved by taking specific actions that brought about measurable results. 

Pick the right format for your Accounting Manager resume

Now that you have an idea of what needs to be included in your new resume, it’s time to write it. You should know that there are three widely accepted resume formats – well, technically two, because while one of them is still accepted, there is a stigma attached to it. They are:

• Reverse-chronological

• Hybrid (sometimes called Combination)

• Functional (this is the one with the stigma)

For people who have a steady and progressive career in Accounting, you should use the reverse-chronological format. Choose the hybrid if you’re changing careers and need to focus on skills and qualifications rather than let your work experience do all the talking. 

In the reverse-chronological format, the information is broken into distinct sections that’ll get past the ATS every time. On top of that, it’s what hiring managers want to see. They’re used to that format and can quickly skim through it to get the details about your career they need to determine if they want to call you for an interview. 

Keep it concise

A hiring manager spends less than 10 seconds scanning a resume – when you write something on your Accounting Manager resume, make sure it’s going to be something worthy of those seconds. Your best bet is to keep your resume to one or two pages. The actual length will depend on how much experience you have.

• One page: Use one page if you are a new graduate or have less than five years of experience.

• Two pages: After you get five years of experience under your belt, and especially as you approach 10 years, then you’ve earned the second page.

Accounting Manager resume example 

In the world of seeing-is-believing, we have an Accounting Manager resume example that you can use. It doesn’t matter if you use it as a template or take advantage of the verbiage on it for inspiration in wordsmithing your own experience, just be sure to follow the layout as closely as possible to ensure you end up with a document that will get past the ATS and impress a hiring manager. 

Key hard & soft skills for Accounting Manager

One thing you’ll notice about that Accounting Manager resume example is that it isn’t focused only on the tasks you need to do to get the job done. It has a good balance of hard and soft skills. Yes, prospective employers want to know that you can work with balance sheets, cash flow statements, accounts receivable, and accounts payable. But they also want to get an impression of your ability to solve problems, work with others, and lead a team. 

It’s imperative that you present a well-rounded skill set that combines technical expertise with interpersonal and leadership skills. This lets hiring managers know that you can manage the financial aspects but also navigate the complexities of things like office politics and ever-changing business needs. 

Hard skills for your Accounting Manager resume include:

• Financial analysis

• Technical competence (Accounting software)

• Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)

• Tax expertise

• Audit

• Compliance

Soft skills for your Accounting Manager resume include:

• Leadership

• Communication

• Problem solving

• Teamwork

• Adaptability

By using a blend of hard and soft skills you’ll give yourself a competitive edge in a highly competitive field. 

Summary & last words

Your Accounting Manager resume shouldn’t be a simple list of skills and experiences. Rather, it should be written in a way that highlights your qualifications for a role. When you extoll the achievements from your career, your resume becomes a powerful tool that showcases the unique value you bring to new jobs. Remember, though, you have to strike a balance between hard and soft skills and use the STAR method to quantify your achievements.

Introduction to ZipJob: Professional resume writers

Precision, compliance, and financial insight are paramount to success in the world of finance and accounting. Your resume should shine as a beacon for hiring managers who seek someone to fill a role that can handle those mountains. As such, it is a good idea to partner with a professional resume writer. ZipJob has a team of resume writers who possess expert knowledge on what it takes to impress Accounting Manager recruiters and hiring personnel. 

Why you should make use of our resume writing services to land your next job as Accounting Manager

When you work with one of the writers at ZipJob, you end up with a resume that stands as a testament to your dedication and commitment to financial excellence. Together, you and your writer can craft a document that stands as your professional brand. Another key aspect of working with ZipJob to get a new resume is that we use the same technology that companies  use to weed through candidates. That means, the resume you walk away with is guaranteed to get through the ATS companies use.  

Resume writing service for Accounting Manager: Let us write your resume

The ZipJob team of resume writers understands that your career is one of the most important aspects of your life. Let us help you craft a resume that not only meets industry standards but also sets you apart as a top candidate for Accounting Manager positions.