Accountant CV Example
An accountant's CV should make your qualification status, your technical scope and your reliability obvious within seconds. State your professional body and whether you are qualified, part-qualified or studying, name the accounting systems you use, and show achievements in month-end, reporting, controls or process improvement.
This example follows UK conventions: two pages at most, British spelling and a personal statement at the top.
Example accountant personal statement
ACCA-qualified accountant with six years' experience in management and financial accounting for mid-sized companies in the distribution sector. Responsible for month-end close, balance sheet reconciliations and management accounts, with a record of shortening reporting timetables and tightening controls. Seeking a senior management accountant role with exposure to budgeting and business partnering.
Key skills for a accountant CV
- Month-end and year-end close
- Management accounts and variance analysis
- Balance sheet reconciliations and accruals and prepayments
- Statutory accounts preparation (FRS 102 or IFRS)
- VAT returns and HMRC compliance
- Budgeting and forecasting
- Audit preparation and liaison with external auditors
- Advanced Excel and accounting systems such as Sage, Xero or an ERP platform
Example work experience bullet points
- Prepared monthly management accounts for a business with a turnover of 18 million pounds, presenting variance commentary to the finance director.
- Reduced the month-end close from ten working days to six by introducing a close checklist and automating recurring journals.
- Managed quarterly VAT returns and resolved a backlog of unreconciled supplier accounts going back two years.
- Led the finance workstream for the year-end audit, preparing schedules in advance and achieving sign-off with no adjustments.
- Built a cash flow forecast model in Excel that is now used for weekly treasury planning.
- Supervised and trained two accounts assistants studying for AAT qualifications.
How to write your accountant CV
- Put your qualification and professional body near the top: ACA, ACCA, CIMA or AAT, with 'part-qualified' or 'finalist' where that applies.
- Give a sense of scale: turnover, number of entities, team size and reporting frequency.
- Name the systems you have used, including any ERP migrations you were part of.
- Show improvement as well as routine: faster close, cleaner reconciliations, stronger controls.
- Accuracy is part of the pitch, so proofread figures, dates and formatting with particular care.
UK CV or US resume?
In the UK, accountants usually qualify through chartered bodies such as ICAEW (ACA), ACCA or CIMA, and deal with HMRC, VAT and UK GAAP (FRS 102) or IFRS. In the US, the main credential is the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license, issued by state boards of accountancy, and the relevant framework is US GAAP with the IRS as the tax authority. For a US resume, use those terms, American spelling and one to two pages.
Frequently asked questions
Should I include my ACCA, ACA or CIMA status on my CV?
Yes, prominently. State the body and your status, such as qualified, part-qualified with the number of exams passed, or currently studying. Recruiters in finance screen on this first.
What achievements can an accountant put on a CV?
Look for improvements to speed, accuracy, control or insight: a shorter month-end, a cleared reconciliation backlog, a clean audit, a new forecast model, a system implementation or savings identified through analysis.
How long should an accountant's CV be?
Two pages is standard in the UK. For a US resume, aim for one page early in your career and two once you have substantial experience.