Stand Out from the Stack with These Resume Must-Haves
When it comes to landing your next role in accounting, your resume is your foot in the door. It’s not just a list of jobs and skills—it’s a snapshot of your value as a professional. And with recruiters sorting through hundreds of resumes a week, yours has to speak clearly and quickly.
So, what exactly are recruiters looking for on an accountant’s resume? At Accountingfly, we connect top accounting talent with remote and hybrid roles across the country. Based on hundreds of resume reviews, here are the accounting resume tips recruiters want every candidate to follow.
1. A Clear, Concise Format
Recruiters spend an average of 6–10 seconds scanning a resume before deciding whether to dig in further. That means your resume must be:
-
Easy to read font
-
Well-organized with consistent formatting
-
No longer than 1–2 pages (unless you’re applying for senior leadership roles)
Pro tip: Use bold headers, bullet points, and white space to guide the reader’s eye. Clean formatting is one of the foundational accounting resume tips recruiters want everyone to master.
2. Licensure and Credentials Front and Center
If you’re a CPA, put that at the top, next to your name or in a prominent certification section. Recruiters are actively filtering for credentials like:
-
CPA
-
CMA
-
EA
-
MBA (when relevant to the role)
This is one of the accounting resume tips recruiters want most: don’t bury your credentials. They can make or break your fit for a role.
3. Job Titles that Align with Career Trajectory
Recruiters are looking to see progression. If you’ve held multiple accounting roles, they want to see that you’ve taken on more responsibility over time.
Use clear job titles. If your internal title was vague or industry-specific (e.g., “Financial Ninja”), adjust it to match standard terminology like “Senior Accountant” or “Controller.” Consistency and clarity are key accounting resume tips recruiters want you to follow to avoid confusion and show growth.
4. Relevant, Quantified Experience
Generic job duties like “handled monthly close” don’t tell your story. Instead, show your impact with specific, measurable results. Recruiters want to see how you contributed to your team or company and what outcomes you achieved.
Here’s what that looks like:
✅ “Reduced monthly close process from 10 days to 5 through workflow automation”
✅ “Managed $3M in AR, reducing DSO by 15% year over year”
✅ “Led an international team of 12 tax preparers across 3 time zones, increasing output by 25% during peak season”
✅ “Support 25 clients with tax prep and planning”
This is one of the most important accounting resume tips recruiters want candidates to apply: Don’t just say what you did—show the difference you made.
5. Software and Tech Skills
Accounting software proficiency is a non-negotiable in many roles. Be specific:
-
QuickBooks Online, Xero, Sage, Netsuite
-
Lacerte, UltraTax, ProSeries, CCH Axcess
-
Microsoft Excel (bonus points if you know Power Query or Pivot Tables)
-
Karbon, Canopy, Jetpack Workflow
-
Bill, Gusto, Zoho
List relevant software clearly. Highlight certifications or advanced use to stand out—this is one of the accounting resume tips recruiters want to see, especially for remote and tech-forward roles.
6. Industry or Niche Specialization
Have you worked in a specific vertical like construction, nonprofits, SaaS, or healthcare? Recruiters want to see that, especially when clients are looking for someone who understands their industry.
Include industry specialties or client types in your experience descriptions. It’s one of the subtle but essential accounting resume tips recruiters want professionals to embrace for niche positions.
7. Where Do You Want to Work? (Be Clear About Your Work Style and Location Preferences)
Recruiters don’t just want to know what you can do—they want to know where and how you want to do it. Your resume (and/or cover letter) should clearly communicate the kind of work environment you’re seeking and the locations you’re open to. This helps recruiters match you with roles that fit your lifestyle and career goals.
✅ Workplace Flexibility
Are you looking for:
-
Fully Remote: Let recruiters know if you’re set up for remote work and thrive in a virtual environment.
-
Hybrid: If so, clarify what hybrid means to you. For example:
“Open to hybrid roles with up to two in-office days per week”
“Available for quarterly on-site team meetings” -
On-Site/Office-Based: Prefer working in a traditional office environment? Make it clear and specify your expectations.
✅ Location Preferences
If you’re open to hybrid or on-site work, tell recruiters where:
-
Are you looking only in your current city? Name it!
“Open to hybrid or office-based roles in Denver, CO only”
-
Willing to relocate? Share the specific cities or regions.
“Willing to relocate for the right opportunity in Austin, TX; Raleigh, NC; or Nashville, TN“
✅ Remote Experience (If Applicable)
If you’ve already worked remotely full-time, highlight that experience. Remote work is more than just a location—it’s a discipline. Emphasize:
-
Your ability to self-manage and meet deadlines independently
-
Familiarity with remote tools like Slack, Zoom, Trello, Microsoft Teams, or AI tools
-
Success in managing remote clients, teams, or processes
-
Any systems or workflows you’ve created to ensure accountability and efficiency
Example:
“5 years of experience in fully remote accounting roles. Skilled in managing month-end close and client communications via Slack and Zoom. Implemented a shared Trello dashboard to track deliverables across a distributed team.”
This section ties directly into modern accounting resume tips recruiters want for a post-pandemic workforce.
8. Soft Skills, Embedded in Your Experience
While soft skills like communication, adaptability, and teamwork matter, listing them in a “Skills” section isn’t enough. Instead, embed them into your bullet points:
✅ “Led onboarding for three junior accountants, mentoring them through first-year audits”
✅ “Streamlined the new client onboarding and bookkeeping cleanup processes and documented procedures in standard operating protocols (SOPs).”
Showing these in context is one of the accounting resume tips recruiters want that can really differentiate you from equally qualified candidates.
Final Thoughts
Recruiters aren’t looking for perfection—they’re looking for clarity, relevance, and results. Tailor your resume for the role you want. Use job descriptions as a guide to highlight the experience and achievements that matter most for the specific role you are applying for.
At Accountingfly, we work with firms across the U.S. who are hiring top accounting talent. If you’re looking for a remote, hybrid, or on-site opportunity, make sure your resume checks all these boxes—and then send it our way.
Looking for your next role? Browse remote accounting jobs here.
