10+ Staff Accountant Resume Examples with Templates & Writing Tips

Are you a recent graduate with the skills to pursue a career in accounting, but need help figuring out where to start? Before crafting a Staff Accountant resume, the first step is to understand what points need to be highlighted to get recruiters interested in hiring you.

A staff accountant is required to understand financial matters ranging from preparing account maintenance reports to applying internationally standardized accounting principles. In essence, this job requires precision and dedication.

The good news is that, according to Robert Half, the demand for professional accountants will remain high even in the era of digital onslaught and artificial intelligence (AI)-based systems. This means that choosing a career as a staff accountant is the right choice for you.

This Cake article will help you organize the crucial information that should be included in a staff accountant resume. We also provide staff accountant resume examples and templates.

What We Know About Staff Accounting Responsibilities

According to Franklin University’s findings, the accounting staffing needs map is divided into several industries:

• The need for accounting positions, tax preparation, and payroll services: 24.4%
• Corporate and business management: 6.6%
• Local government, excluding education and hospital: 3.3%
• Management, scientific, and technical consulting services: 3%
• State government, excluding education and hospital: 2.8%
• Computer systems design and related services: 1.95%
• Other: 58%

This data demonstrates the continued significance of Staff Accountant positions across various industries. To capitalize on this opportunity, it is essential to understand the responsibilities of a staff accountant:

• Understanding and applying Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
• Assisting the accounting manager with their duties.
• Reviewing and verifying the completeness of documents related to financial transactions.
• Reconciling and adjusting financial data.
• Preparing financial reports.
• Entering accounting journal data into the company’s system.
• Posting the operating journal.
• Performing financial accounting for the office.

7 Important Sections to Include in a Staff Accountant Resume

You already have an idea of the responsibilities of a Staff Accountant. Now it's time to break down the sections of your resume one by one so you don't get confused about what to write.

Personal Information

The very first section of the Staff Accountant resume is your personal information, which includes your identity. However, there are certain limits to what information you should and should not include.

Resume Summary

The second part is the resume summary, which serves as a preview of your entire resume. If hiring managers have limited time and can only read a portion of your Staff Accountant's resume, they will likely skim through the summary section.

To effectively convey your identity in the resume summary, you should include your background, work or internship experience, measurable accomplishments, dedication, and enthusiasm to be part of the company you are applying to.

Below are some staff accountant resume summary examples that can serve as a guide:

Career Objective

Career objectives are one to two sentences that show your motivation and goals. This section is typically used by recent graduates or candidates with minimal work experience. Career objectives help recruiters see your motivation and potential.

To give you an idea, here are some examples of how to use a career objective in a staff accountant resume:

Work Experience

We are now entering the most important part of any resume: the list of work experience. There are certain ways to perfectly highlight your work experience and capture the attention of hiring managers to consider you for their team.

Here are some tips on how to write your work experience in your Staff Accountant resume:

• Use bullet points to ensure that your sentences are concise and to the point. Bullet points also make information easier to read.
• Just like in the summary section, you must list your accomplishments in a measurable format. Use percentages and numbers to make it easier for recruiters to gauge the extent of your contributions.
• Use action verbs to clarify your accomplishments, responsibilities, and contributions to the team. Some examples of action verbs include increase, decrease, develop, add, produce, create, and others.
• Never forget small details such as the name of your previous company, the length of time you worked there, and the name of the position you held.
• Finally, always ensure there are no typos or misplaced information to maintain a high level of professionalism.

List of Staff Accountant Skills

It is still necessary to list your skills even if you have a lot of experience because skills can differentiate you from other candidates.

The list of skills you include in your Staff Accountant resume can also be one of the factors determining your salary during the offer phase. The more advanced your skills are, the easier it will be to negotiate your salary.

Additionally, both hard and soft skills serve to support your work. Including a comprehensive list in your resume allows you to focus on your strengths and what you can offer the company.

Here are some skills required of a Staff Accountant:

Education

The position of Staff Accountant is one of the jobs that require specific educational qualifications. That's why the education section is important to hiring managers. To ensure that the education section is well highlighted, here are some tips you can follow:

• Include no more than two recent educational achievements that meet the requirements of the job posting. For example, you can list your Master's degree at the top and your Bachelor's degree at the bottom.
• Include your GPA if it is above 3.5. Include the GPA number along with your major and year of study.
• For additional support, you can include relevant coursework under the Education History section. Make sure the coursework is relevant to your position as a Staff Accountant.

Other Information

• Language: English is now the primary language of communication in many industries. Mastering a foreign language can significantly enhance your prospects of working abroad and earning an above-average salary. Some potential languages for you to develop include Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, German, and French.
• Certificates and Licenses: Certificates and licenses can greatly enhance your candidacy and serve as proof that your skills have been tested and recognized. However, there is a slight distinction between certificates and licenses.

Certificates are typically issued by non-governmental organizations, which means that some certificates may hold little value if they come from non-credible sources. On the other hand, a license is an official recognition granted by a government-appointed institution or organization. Here's the example of how you can include on your resume:

Useful Tips for Creating a Staff Accountant Resume

Research the company you're applying to

Many companies have Staff Accountant openings, but you also want to make sure you know what kind of work culture these companies offer. In-depth research will give you an idea of the company you are applying to: what the average salary is, what benefits are offered, whether the work environment is supportive, what the career path is like, whether the company is a good fit for you, and so on.

You can also use the research to highlight the information you feel is important to include in your Staff Accountant resume to meet the company's needs. 

You can start your research by checking their social media accounts and official websites, finding them on LinkedIn, and then trying searching for the company name on X, Instagram, and Twitter. Some websites allow employees to review the company anonymously.

The results of your research will not only help you with your resume and cover letter but also when you go for your interview. Of course, the hope is that by doing your research, you won't feel nervous about the questions the hiring manager will ask

Understanding the difference between a CV and a resume

There are many companies out there that prefer candidates to submit resumes instead of CVs. Unfortunately, due to oversight, job seekers often send them in the wrong format, inadvertently reducing their chances of getting hired.

To mitigate this risk, you need to understand the key differences between a resume and a CV. In some countries, the two terms are sometimes used interchangeably. In fact, a CV and a resume have significant differences in appearance.

A CV or Curriculum Vitae is a comprehensive collection of your work experience. Even if one experience is not linearly related to another, you can still include it in your CV.

Therefore, it is not surprising that the CV page can swell up to 10 pages. This is because CVs are mostly used for academic purposes, such as applying for scholarships, seeking research funding, or registering as a teacher or researcher.

Resumes, on the other hand, contain only the information needed to apply for a job. An unwritten rule of resume writing is to list only the experience that is relevant to the job you are applying for. That's why a good resume should be no longer than 3 pages.

Choose the right staff accountant resume format

There are three most common resume formats used by job seekers: chronological resume, functional resume, and combination resume. Each of these formats is used to accommodate the different backgrounds and experience levels of job seekers.

However, despite the differences, all three formats are equally readable by ATS engines. 

• Chronological resume: This is the most common format used by job seekers. Chronological resumes are typically used by those with linear work experience. This type of resume is also often chosen when someone is looking to move up a level, such as from Senior Staff Accountant to Accountant Manager.
• Functional resume: If you are a recent graduate with no experience, this is the best resume for you. A functional resume emphasizes hard skills and soft skills that can support the way you work later if you are accepted as an employee.
• Combination resume: Not many candidates use this format. Combination resumes are used by candidates who have a variety of experience, such as freelancers. In this resume, you list your soft skills and hard skills, and at the bottom, you list the work experience that supports the skills listed above.

Once you've chosen the right format, it's time to pay attention to other details such as the appropriate font, font size, and so on. You can read more about using fonts and other formats in this Cake article.

Tailor your resume with keywords

The main reason a Staff Accountant resume needs the right keywords is that the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) engine is used to filter out the right candidates. Companies simply enter keywords, and then the ATS selects the applications with the best fit. 

Using the ATS engine speeds up the selection process, allowing recruiters to process tens to hundreds of resumes each day. Therefore, no matter how good your Staff Accountant resume is, as long as there are no right keywords, your application will still be rated as 'unsuitable’.

The easiest way to identify keywords is to read the job posting carefully. Keywords should be listed in the Requirements and Duties section of the Staff Accountant job description. You just need to include them naturally in your resume.

But what if each company has different requirements for candidates, even though the position is the same? That's why it's important to tailor each resume to the company's needs. There's always the possibility that you'll need to create more than one resume to anticipate this.

Once you have found your keywords, don't forget to include them in your summary, work experience, and cover letter!

Staff Accountant Resume Templates and Examples

Staff Accountant Resume Example for Entry-level

Staff Accountant Resume Example for Mid-level

Staff Accountant Resume Example for Senior-level

How to Create Staff Accountant Cover Letter (+ Sample)

As a job seeker, you have probably felt that your resume is insufficient to explain yourself. This is where a cover letter can help you tell a longer story while still retaining important information to fill in the gaps.

While many people think that writing a cover letter is a waste of time, the reality is that recruiters still take the time to read cover letters.

A good cover letter can explain who you are, what your future goals are, and how much potential you have to become a Staff Accountant. You can also explain if there are any gaps in your resume to convince hiring managers that you are the right candidate.

However, it's best to tailor each cover letter to a single position. This is because every company's needs are different.To ensure that your cover letter complements your Staff Accountant resume, the following tips will help:

1. The cover letter should be no longer than 1 page. Hiring managers typically have only a few seconds to read a cover letter. This is because there may be hundreds, if not thousands, of resumes and cover letters submitted to the company.
2. The next step is to create an outline. You can start by including information such as your name, phone number, email address, LinkedIn account, and portfolio. Then, under personal information, include the date you wrote it in the format MM/DD/YY.
3. To show respect, open the letter with a greeting such as "Dear Hiring Manager" or "Ms./Mr. [insert name]."
4. Now it is time to write the first paragraph. To make the first paragraph interesting, you can write about your background and recent experience. For recent graduates, this section can be filled with recent educational history.
5. The second paragraph is a complete explanation of the first paragraph. In this section, you can explain more about your work accomplishments in measurable units and the skills you have. These tips for writing soft skills and hard skills are very useful for recent graduates.
6. The next paragraph can be filled with the story of why you are interested in joining the team and an explanation of the gaps in your resume. You can also mention if you have a letter of recommendation and others.
7. When you think that all the detailed information has been included, it's time to show your sincerity to be accepted by the company. You can write that you look forward to discussing your qualifications, experience, and skills with the hiring manager.
8. Close the cover letter with a closing phrase such as "Best Regards," "Sincerely," etc.

FAQs

Do I need a specific degree to become a Staff Accountant?

According to Accounting.com, you must have at least a bachelor’s degree in business, finance, accounting, or another related field to become a staff accountant. 

To enhance your skills in this field, you can take certified courses in auditing, financial reporting preparation, and private and public accounting topics.

If a bachelor’s degree is sufficient for applying to a staff position, obtaining a master’s degree in the same field can help you advance to a more senior role.

Do I need to obtain certain certifications?

No licenses or course certificates are required for the Staff Accountant level. However, these credentials are beneficial if you aspire to become a public accountant.

Accountant licenses that have international recognition include:

• Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
• Certified Management Accountant (CMA)
• Certified Financial Analyst (CFA)
• Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE)
• Certified Internal Auditor (CIA)
• Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA)
• Enrolled Agent (EA)
• Financial Services Certificate for Internal Auditors (FSCA)

How much does a Staff Accountant earn yearly?

A staff accountant’s salary depends on various factors, such as your skills, education level,  experience, company size, local salary standards, and more.

In the United States, staff accountant salaries range from $66,075 to $80,737 per year. In Singapore, the average annual salary for a financial accountant is S$75,000. For entry-level staff accountants in Australia, the average annual salary is $79,581.

Are there any accounting jobs that can be done remotely?

While finance jobs typically require coordination and effective communication, the COVID-19 pandemic has revolutionized the work system, allowing for remote work arrangements that were previously uncommon.

Remote work as an accountant is now feasible, and many companies are posting job opportunities for remote workers, seeking potential candidates from around the world.

Moreover, an increasing number of software solutions are available to ensure that remote accounting work remains secure and convenient for all parties involved.

Key Takeaways

1. The demand for professional staff accountants will continue to grow in the future, and there are even more opportunities for remote staff accountant positions.
2. When crafting a staff accountant resume, it's crucial to focus on using relevant keywords, providing concise and impactful information, and highlighting measurable achievements.
3. The cover letter serves as a valuable complement to the Staff Accountant's CV. Its main purpose is to provide additional information that is not included in the resume, such as addressing employment gaps, stating career goals, expressing motivation for applying, and more.

Utilize the provided Staff Accountant resume samples and templates to enhance your application and increase your chances of securing an interview. For additional job tips, you can also explore Cake. We wish you the best of luck in your job search!

— Originally written by Erika Rizqi Rachmani —