Accounting CV Sample

CA

• Well-rounded accounting professional with 12 years of experience in driving full range of accounting operations, including preparation of corporate financial statements and consolidating accounts in several globally-recognised multinational and listed organizations, including XXXXX and XXXXX (Note: I’ve removed the actual organisations’ names for confidentiality reasons. You can tweak this phrasing to fit your own context.) [The first point should summarise your key value proposition and skillsets. It should highlight any major/significant sections of your history (e.g. have you worked in any brand-name firms before? What was the highest level you reached? How much in revenue/budget/finances were you directly responsible for overseeing?) This is intended to ‘hook’ the reader and get them to read on. Here, I highlighted ‘John’s’ professional skillsets. as well as the fact that he worked at major MNCs in the past. These MNCs are usually pretty selective, so it says something about his abilities.]
• Extensive practical and theoretical experience in all major accounting functions, including AP/AR, GL preparation, financial reporting, audit management, and financial controls. [It’s usually a good idea to spend a point showcasing professional competencies that are expected and frequently used in your industry. AP/AR (accounts payable and receivable. respectively, as well as GL (general ledger) are accounting functions any professional accountant should have.]
• Recognised subject-matter expert in compliance and regulatory affairs, with strong understanding of prevailing reporting standards e.g. US GAAP, IFRS, SFRS, SOX. Trusted advisor to senior management on corporate compliance-related issues, providing insights on company-wide policymaking process. [If you specialize in any area. it’s good to state that too. It helps set you apart from the next candidate in the recruiter’s pile of CVs. Compliance is an increasingly important area nowadays in finance-related fields (including Accounting!) – that’s why I’ve chosen to highlight John’s understanding of the major compliance/regulatory standards all firms must adhere to]
• Effective in implementing new accounting procedures and utilising financial software to streamline accounting operations, having built and introduced interactive dashboards and financial models across multiple divisions. [Beyond ‘on paper’ knowledge, it’s important to demonstrate that you can effectively contribute ‘in practice’ as well. In this case, I showed how John uses his accounting and software knowledge to improve effectiveness and productivity across his entire firm. This is a clear value-add, where the contribution is obvious. You can choose to support it with metrics as well, either here or later on in the CV.]
• Excellent interpersonal skills towards building relationships at all organisational levels. Proactive manager, team builder and tactical planner with ability to attract and secure high-performance teams. [This point wasn’t actually in the final CV. It was in John’s original CV. but I talked him out of including it for two simple reasons: firstly. It’s what I call a ‘motherhood statement’ – a point which sounds good in practice, but doesn’t tell me much, it’s too generic at present. It’s not wrong to use such a statement, but it must be backed by a solid, objective example. Secondly, it’s not very relevant to accounting. Accounting is more of a ‘back office’ function, which means that interpersonal skills should take a back seat to practical, domain-related knowledge. It’s important but CV space is too limited to list everything.]

• Supervise team of 4 accountants and finance officers to oversee AP, AR, & GL functions for leading FMCG MNC with annual revenue of USD$100 million and presence in 20 countries. Oversee all credit control issues and AR for portfolio of 3 key brands worth USD$30 million collectively. [This high-level summary shows his domain knowledge (“AP, AR, GL… “) and his level of responsibility (“USD 100M, presence in 20 countries” – this shows how ‘high level’ his role is and how much he is entrusted with). If the recruiter only read this point, he would still have gotten a good idea of what John did, John’s value-add and contributions, and why he should call John for an interview. Try to make your own summary points in such a manner. Recruiters have notoriously short attention spans!]
• Responsible for identifying areas for process improvement and proposing new streamline processes for accounting team’s financial reporting to ensure compliance with IFRS/US GAAP and corporate requirements. [This skillset is valuable in accounting; it demonstrates his knowledge of major compliance and reporting standards. which every firm needs.]
• Coordinate with internal and external auditors and liaise closely with tax consultants for year-end transfer pricing adjustment for goods from US and Europe. [Audit is also a unique skillset which is good for accountants to have. In addition, this demonstrates his ability to work well with others. Recall that I had no space in the executive summary to include the point on interpersonal skills (keep it to 5 pts max). This gave me a chance to demonstrate that he’s a team player, which is again something fairly important to showcase.]
• Analyse regulatory requirements and monitor compliance of accounting procedures and practices. Ensure all accounting deadlines are met. [Similar to point 2. I’ve again highlighted his knowledge of compliance. This point is different as it shows that he is of a senior level, given that he monitors compliance. The previously point is how he used his Compliance knowledge to create value for the company. Essentially, we demonstrate two different skillsets here.]
• Mentor and guide junior team members, developing their personal and professional competencies, and sharing industry best practices. [As a senior manager, he’ll be expected to guide and nurture younger leant members. This is a good way of showing that he’s already been consistently doing so. It means he knows what to do, and can help build up the prospective employer’s teams.]

• Conceptualised and implemented new credit controls and revenue recognition compliance through review and improvement of workflow processes. This resulted in compliance with corporate finance policies which didn’t exist earlier–integral to company’s goals. [Cite metrics to substantiate your achievements. Do, however, be aware of your company confidentiality clause.]
• Spearheaded installation of QuickBooks accounting software to provide improved transparency of accounts, increasing team productivity/efficiency and enhancing management of company cash flows.
• Successfully reduced month-end closing from 90 days to 25 days through automation and streamlined process. [The numbers here (90 -> 25) clearly demonstrate the improvement in efficiency that has been created because of John. The prospective employer will be tempted to hire him, so that he can create similar value in his new company.]
• Instrumental in reducing overdue accounts (>90 days) by 50% through persistent following up and reduction of credit limits of errant customers. [Again. I’ve used statistics to show the value created by John. In this case, we cannot show the original number, so I used percentages instead to convey the significance of John’s work There are many ways we can show significance while respective NDAs and confidentiality agreements.]