Creating the “wow” resume is a challenging task. Luckily, here are certified and tested tips that would help you land that job in your dream company!

Write a Summary Instead of an Objective
Writing an objective in your resume seems redundant when applying for a position in their company is a given. To give your resume a professional feel, write a short summary of your professional experience, job history, and major achievements.

Quantify your Experiences
The best way to present your experiences is by numbers and figures. Instead of saying “Responsible for the increase of revenue”, try writing it as “Increased Revenue by 56%.” Adding your statistics that helped your previous company may also add the edge to your resume. Though, be careful. Some of the information you put may be considered in confidential in your previous company, so stick to those that can be shared in public.

Emphasize Soft Skills
While good accountants possess hard skills, the best accountants possess analytical accounting soft skills. The top 5 analytical accounting skills include Analytical, Communication, Detail Oriented, Information Technology, and Organizational. To showcase those skills, use these soft skill keywords in your resume.

Some companies may prioritize certain soft skills, so do your research. Look for the most valued skills of your chosen company and highlight them in your resume.   

Use critical keywords
Most, if not all, are looking for profession-specific keywords to sort out their candidates. Considering that employers spend 2-3 minutes in one resume, having the right keywords in your resume is vital in preventing to be overlooked. Consult job postings, “About Us” of company websites, LinkedIn, and social media conversations of accountants for those critical keywords.

Showcase your Best Achievements
Showing the best of you is integral in drafting the perfect “wow” resume. You can do this by putting bold headlines of your job titles or write powerful statements of your past achievements. You may also put your major achievements in a separate category such as “Honors and Awards” or “Media Mentions.” Another way of showcasing your achievements is explaining your specialized job duties or responsibilities that were not in your previous job description.

Make your Contact Info Short and Simple
Put live links to your email address and professional social media accounts in your contact information. Only put one phone number and the complete address – your city, state, and ZIP code – in your resume.  On the other hand, put the same format of contact information of your past employers in the References part of your resume. Do not put “References available upon request” because that will make you look lazy.

Present in a Clean and Neat Format
Employers skim your resume, so better organize your resume using short paragraphs of three or four lines, white spaces, headings, and subheadings. Make use of a simple design. If you’re unsure of what design to use, you can always consult the resume format of your previous university. 

References:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/nextavenue/2016/02/09/8-critical-ways-to-improve-your-resume/
https://www.careerbuilder.com/advice/5-tips-for-the-perfect-bookkeeping-accounting-and-auditing-clerk-resume

Contributed by: Allison Julianne Macasaet
She is a freelance writer on the side, a student of international relations on the other. Interests include fantasy books, international relations, and lifestyle.