# Accountant CV example and résumé tips

> An accountant CV example covering month-end close, reporting, audit and tax work, with the qualifications, keywords and bullet points employers screen for.

Updated 2026-10-07 by Litjob. Web version: https://getlitjob.com/cv-examples/accountant

Accounting CVs are read by detail-oriented people, so accuracy and clarity matter as much as content. This example shows a qualified accountant who quantifies close times, savings and audit results instead of listing duties.

## Sample CV

The person and companies below are fictional.

### Oluwaseun Adeyemi, Chartered Accountant (ACCA)

ACCA-qualified accountant with 6 years in manufacturing and professional services. I run tight month-end closes, produce reliable management accounts and keep audits smooth.

#### Experience

**Management Accountant, Hartwell Components Ltd** (Birmingham), 2022 to present

- Own month-end close for a £45M-turnover business, reducing close time from 10 working days to 5.
- Prepare monthly management accounts and variance analysis for the board.
- Led the year-end audit with no material adjustments for 3 consecutive years.
- Built a cost-tracking model that found £300,000 a year in supplier savings.

**Accountant, Okafor & Partners** (Lagos, Nigeria), 2019 to 2022

- Prepared financial statements and tax returns for a portfolio of 30 SME clients.
- Moved 12 clients from spreadsheets to cloud accounting software, cutting bookkeeping errors.

#### Education

- B.Sc. Accounting, University of Lagos (2018)

#### Skills

- Accounting: Month-end close, Management accounts, Financial reporting (IFRS), Reconciliations, Audit, VAT
- Systems: SAP, Xero, Sage, Excel (advanced), Power BI

## Accountant summary examples

**Trainee or graduate:** Accounting graduate with 18 months as a trainee in an audit firm, part-qualified in ACCA (9 of 13 exams passed). Strong with reconciliations, Excel and accounting software.

**Finance manager:** Chartered accountant (ACA) with 10 years in group reporting and FP&A. Lead a finance team of 6 and own budgeting and statutory reporting across 4 entities.

## Skills for a accountant CV

- Hard skills: Month-end and year-end close, Financial statements and management accounts, Reconciliations and journals, Accounting standards (IFRS, or US GAAP for US roles), Tax and VAT basics for your country, ERP and accounting software (SAP, Oracle, Xero, Sage, QuickBooks), Advanced Excel
- Soft skills: Accuracy, Meeting hard deadlines, Explaining numbers to non-finance colleagues, Integrity (show these through your bullet points)

## Keywords recruiters and ATS look for

accountant, month-end close, financial reporting, management accounts, reconciliation, general ledger, IFRS, audit, VAT, budgeting, variance analysis, ACCA

Compare your CV with a specific job ad using the free CV keyword checker: https://getlitjob.com/cv-keyword-checker

## Bullet points: before and after

- Weak: Did month-end tasks.
  Stronger: Ran month-end close for 3 entities, consistently delivering within 5 working days.
- Weak: Prepared reports for management.
  Stronger: Produced monthly management accounts and explained key variances to the leadership team.
- Weak: Helped with the audit.
  Stronger: Prepared audit files that cut external auditor queries by 40% compared with the previous year.
- Weak: Worked on cost control.
  Stronger: Analysed overheads and found £120,000 in annual savings from duplicate subscriptions and suppliers.

## Tips for accountant CVs

### Put your qualification next to your name

ACCA, CIMA, ICAN, CPA or ACA status is often the first filter. Say whether you are qualified or part-qualified and how many exams remain.

### Name the systems

SAP, Oracle, Xero, Sage and QuickBooks are frequently required by name in job ads.

### Quantify speed and accuracy

Close timelines, audit outcomes and errors reduced are the accountant’s version of sales numbers.

### Check every detail

A typo or inconsistent date on an accountant’s CV is noticed. Proofread carefully, or have someone else check it.

## Accountant interview questions

### Walk me through your month-end close.

List the steps in order and mention how you made it faster or more accurate.

### How would you investigate an unexplained variance?

Start with the ledger detail, check for timing or coding errors, then talk to the budget holder.

### Tell me about a mistake you found and how you handled it.

Show honesty, a clear fix and a control you added to stop it happening again.

### Which accounting software have you used?

Be specific about what you did in each system, not just that you have logged in.