Administrative assistant roles are dynamic and demanding. Your responsibilities can vary tremendously depending on the company. So you face a unique challenge when crafting a resume: how do you create an administrative assistant resume that matches all those requirements?

Before you panic, remember that we’ve got years of experience helping people like you get hired. This guide is going to break down every single thing you need to know to create a resume that will get you hired.

We’ll explain:

• What key audiences you need to have in mind when creating an administrative assistant resume
• What will make your resume stand out to employers
• How an administrative assistant resume should be formatted
• Which soft and hard skills you should include (and which you should avoid)
• The best way to include achievements
• How to write a resume objective or summary (and how to choose between them)
• How to write an administrative assistant resume when you have limited or no experience
• How to target a specific company and position for maximum results
• And more!

Administrative assistant resume examples

The hardest part about creating a resume is always the dreaded blank page. The best way to combat this is to start with some administrative assistant resume samples to get your creative juices flowing. 

Have a look at these and take careful note of what stands out and what you might want to emulate on your resume.

[Examples]

How to write an administrative assistant resume that will get you hired

At its core, a resume is a communication tool. You’re trying to get a person (and a computer algorithm, more on that later) to understand specific things about you. That’s why creating a great administrative assistant resume begins with understanding your audience.

Start with understanding your audiences

Who is actually going to read your resume? A surprisingly small number of applicants ever think about this, which is why it’s the first step in helping your resume stand above the rest. 

Most people would assume that a recruiter or HR professional is the main person who reviews their resume, but that’s increasingly not the case.

What to know about ATS

ATS stands for Applicant Tracking System. It’s an algorithm that scans your resume for specific keywords to determine whether or not you meet the minimum requirements for a human to review. In other words, the first hurdle you have to overcome is actually a computer algorithm.

ATS scanners are pretty smart, but you can still outsmart them. While each one works a little differently, the main way to beat them is to know what they’re looking for. Fortunately for you, the answer to that question is right in front of you: the administrative assistant job ad you’re replying to.

Start by reading the job ad very closely (something you should be doing anyways) and writing down all of the key words it asks for in a candidate. Now your mission is to include as many of those keywords on your resume as possible. Just be sure to tell the truth, lying on your resume isn’t going to help you in the long run.

One critical thing to remember is that you should include those keywords exactly as they appear in the job ad. An ATS might not be smart enough to realize that “trusted to manage large budgets and assist in payroll” and “experience with accounting” could mean effectively the same thing.

What to know about the recruiter who will read your resume

Once your resume has gotten past an ATS by effectively incorporating the keywords taken from the job ad, it’s still got to impress a human reader. Fortunately, many of the same ATS-friendly techniques also work well here. That recruiter is looking for a resume that checks specific boxes and the job ad will tell you what those boxes are.

But getting this just right goes a bit deeper. For example, say a job ad is looking for a CAP certified administrative assistant. Put that you have that certification right at the top next to your name. Recruiters get tired of having to scan through resumes to find basic information that will tell them whether it’s worth even considering an applicant. If you make their job easy, they’ll be more likely to hire you.

Also consider how your resume can demonstrate you have the qualities the company is looking for in an administrative assistant. Some examples might include:

• Triple check for spelling and grammatical errors (attention to detail).
• Find examples of times you’ve gone above and beyond (not needing to be managed closely at all times). 
• Work with a friend to make sure your experience, objective, summary, and other sections are well written (good communication skills).

How to go beyond the basics and appeal to a recruiter

Getting your keywords just right is great, but you can and should be taking your job targeting game to the next level. This is where subtle additions can make a difference. After all, remember that recruiters are human just like you!

For example, using the company’s colors in your resume can send a “I belong here” message. It also helps to research the company on its website and any social media pages it might have. If you see some aspects of company culture that you would fit in with, try and mention them. For example, if the company went on a hiking trip for team building, you can mention that you love to hike.

These small details might not even be overtly perceived but can add up to a recruiter having “a good feeling” about you as a candidate. That feeling is worth a lot when you’re competing against dozens of other candidates for an administrative assistant position.

What’s the best way to format an administrative assistant resume?

Once you’ve researched the company and carefully read through the job ad several times, you should have a comprehensive list of what you need on your resume. Now it’s time to start creating it.

The first question you’ll face at this point is how to format your administrative assistant resume to have the best chance of success. Here’s a breakdown of what you need to know.

Put the most important information at the top

This may seem obvious but you’d be amazed how many people forget this key resume principle. A quick glance at the top of your resume should tell a recruiter (or an ATS for that matter) who you are, what your major qualifications are, and what you’re trying to achieve. 

If a recruiter scans the top of your resume and can’t find a crucial and basic piece of information, they’re likely to get frustrated and not look at your application kindly.

Go with reverse chronological

If the most important information in your resume belongs at the top, it’s no surprise that a reverse chronological format is best for administrative assistants. This means your most recent job experience should go at the top. This helps a recruiter get a faster idea of where you are in your career and whether you’ve got the experience for the role.

How long should your administrative assistant resume be?

This is one of the perennial debates of all resumes. Some people will tell you that under no circumstances should an administrative assistant resume be longer than one page. Others will tell you that it doesn’t matter.

The truth is that it depends. That’s because the people reading your resume are all different. Some may want more information, while others would prefer something they can scan as quickly as possible. You can’t read minds and know which person you’re dealing with, so what should you do?

Your best solution is to make sure every bit of information on your resume adds value, no matter how long it is. The real problem with long resumes isn’t so much the length, it’s that they tend to be full of fluff that could have been cut out. Nobody wants to read through all that, especially with a stack of resumes to go through. But if your resume is tight and full of only relevant information about why you’re the perfect administrative assistant candidate, you’ll do great.

How to include soft skills on an administrative assistant resume

Soft skills are tough to get right. They can be a bit vague so you might get stuck wondering what counts and how you can prove you actually have that skill.

The best way to combat this is by getting specific. You can say that you have great communication skills, but finding ways to demonstrate that is going to make that skill far more effective. For example, if you claim to be a great communicator then your resume should be written clearly. 

If you can find more specific examples, include them in your work experience or achievements sections. So if your soft skills include attention to detail, mention the story where you caught an accounting error that saved a company you work for money.

Which soft skills should you include?

While every administrative assistant job is going to be a bit different, here are some of the top soft skills employers look for in hires:

• Strategic planning
• Customer service
• Attention to detail
• Travel planning
• Event organization

Again, don’t forget to word these soft skills as closely to how they’re worded in the job ad itself as possible.

Which soft skills should you avoid?

There’s soft and then there’s too soft. Including things like “friendliness” is probably going a step too far (unless it’s specifically asked for in the job ad of course!) Overall, you want your soft skills to sound like real skills and not just a series of positive adjectives you’d like to assign yourself. So, keep your list short and focused.

How to include hard skills on your administrative assistant resume

Similar to how it’s best to include soft skills you can back up, your hard skills should ideally have something behind them. In the best cases, this is a certification or specific experience with that skill. 

If you simply list a hard skill with no examples or certifications, a recruiter might think “well now I need to confirm whether they have that skill.” In other words, you're adding more work to their plate. Backing up your hard skills takes pressure off the recruiter and will make you an easier person to hire.

Which hard skills should you include?

Again, there’s a lot of variation in what specific employers look for in administrative assistants. So the job ad should always be your main place to go for which specific hard skills your resume needs. But that said, there are some common ones that are sought after and will help you get hired.

• Software for word processing, data entry, scheduling, spreadsheets, presentations, etc.
• Social media platforms, and specifically how to use software like Buffer to manage accounts on them.
• Knowledge of database tools like SQL can be useful for handling data.
• Accounting tools like Quickbooks.
• Some illustration tools like the Adobe suite can also come in handy.

Which hard skills should you avoid?

If a skill doesn’t add anything to your resume, don’t include it. If there’s a skill you don’t have, then absolutely don’t include it. These two basic rules should tell you what to cut in most cases. Otherwise, avoid listing hard skills that are too general like email, web research, or Microsoft Word aren’t exactly going to get a recruiter thinking you’re perfect for the position.

What achievements to mention and how to do it correctly

Your achievements section is a place where your resume can really shine. You can include impressive stories and accomplishments that wouldn’t fit neatly anywhere else. That’s why this is prime resume real estate you need to use wisely.

One great way to use your achievements section is to give information that backs up your skills. If there was a time when you managed a project so it came in under budget or solved a problem no one else could figure out, include those stories. Even if they didn’t occur in a job you had, this is one place where a story from your school or personal life can be just as impactful as a job story.

That said, the same rule applies here as elsewhere: if something doesn’t add value then it’s taking value away. Be critical with everything you include and imagine yourself as a recruiter. What does this achievement tell you? This exercise will help you filter out achievements that don’t add anything to your resume.

How to choose whether to include a resume objective or summary

The main difference between a resume objective and summary is length. An objective will consist of just a sentence or two and simply state who you are and what you're trying to achieve. A summary will be longer and explain more.

If you’re already well suited for the administrative assistant position and your resume largely speaks for itself, a simple objective is all you need. If giving some background and context for why you’d like to be an administrative assistant will help you, a summary will do the job well.

How to write a resume objective with examples

Again, the key here is to keep it short and sweet.

“Administrative assistant with 5 years experience largely focused on data entry, scheduling, and accounting.”

See, in that one short sentence you get a feel for how much experience this person has and what their core skill sets are. Now let’s look at another example:

“Experienced administrative assistant looking for a new position with greater opportunities.”

That is a classic example of a time wasting sentence. It’s vague and doesn’t really give you any actionable information.

How to write a resume summary with examples

Even though a summary is generally going to be a bit longer, that’s not an excuse to ramble. As an administrative assistant, you’ll be expected to be economic with your communication, so demonstrate that here. Here are two examples to show you the difference:

“Receptionist with 4 years of experience looking to utilize organizational, data entry, and scheduling skills to become an administrative assistant. Currently studying for a CAP certification and learning SQL.”

This summary tells you exactly why this person is changing careers, how their previous experience has prepared them to become an administrative assistant, and how they’re working to prepare for the new role. Two sentences convey a ton of information and contextualize the rest of the resume.

“Looking to get my first administrative assistant job. Background in food services and retail. Excellent reading comprehension and organizational skills.”

This summary doesn’t tell you much of value. The first sentence is obvious and the rest give information that’s easily available elsewhere in the resume. All of the information isn’t tied together into a story that gives a sense of progress and direction. Instead, it reads like a random collection of facts.

How to write an administrative assistant resume when you have limited or no experience

The summary section above offers some guidance here. Use a summary to frame how your previous experience actually makes you a good candidate for an administrative assistant job. This framing will lead a recruiter to see your other experience as more relevant.

Also, try and find ways to demonstrate skills relevant to the position in past work and non-work experiences. For example, if you’ve managed a band, organized a fundraiser, or took a personal finance class, all of these can show you’ve got qualities that make for a great administrative assistant.

Overall, just be honest about your experience and why you think you can still do the job. Trying to pretend that you’re something that you’re not won’t come across well. Lastly, administrative assistant roles cover a huge range of role types, so if you don’t seem as well suited for one, try looking at a position at another company.

How to target your resume for each application

If it wasn’t clear by now, probably the single most effective thing you can do for your administrative assistant resume is to target it to each job. Employers can tell when you’re using a generic resume for every role, especially ones as varied as administrative assistants. 

Sending that general resume sends a message that you don’t care enough to do some research and spend the time. Considering how diligent administrative assistants need to be, that’s not sending the right message.

On the other hand, if your resume has all the skills asked for, phrased just the way they are in the job ad, and an objective or summary that clearly states why you’re ideal for this specific role you’re sending the message that you’re ready to excel in the role.

How to make your administrative assistant resume stand out

In the end, an excellent administrative resume doesn’t stand out by being flashy. It stands out by nailing all those little details mentioned above. That’s because an administrative assistant isn’t expected to be the center of attention. They’re expected to be diligent, detail oriented, and reliable.

By showing you researched the company, studied the job ad carefully, and meticulously went through the details of your resume to get them just right, you’re sending the message that you’ll make an excellent administrative assistant.

That said, a clean and modern resume also helps stand out in just the right way in a sea of boring text documents.

How the Resumebuild.com tool can help you create a stunning administrative assistant resume with ease

Obviously there’s a lot to getting an administrative assistant resume just right. The last thing you need is another thing to worry about. Luckily, Resumebuild.com’s builder tool ensures that your resume will have a clean, modern design that employers will love. With us taking care of the design and formatting, you can focus on everything else and land the job you deserve.

Being an excellent data entry clerk (or data entry keyer as this profession is also referred to) is no easy feat. You need to demonstrate superior speed and accuracy when entering and updating data in your company’s database. You also need to exhibit flawless office etiquette at all times and excel at following directions, to name a few of the most important skills you should possess.

There are numerous draw cards this profession offers, including relatively high flexibility and straightforward duties. Many data entry clerks also appreciate the fact that you don’t usually need a college degree to get started. It’s no wonder why a range of different people consider it to be an ideal job.

However, despite all of the benefits, it is unfortunately only going to become increasingly challenging to get a start in this profession, retain your current job, or move to a new data entry clerk position. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment for data entry keyers will decline by 23.2% from 2018 to 2028. That’s nearly a one-fifth decline! If you need further proof that this is already in the midst of happening, take a good look at this graph.

With fewer and fewer data entry clerk jobs available, it’s never been more imperative to ensure your data entry clerk resume is up to scratch. Your resume needs to impress recruiters from the get-go as they’re in charge of calling the shots about who makes it to the interview stage - and who they’ll take out of the running.

If you’re ready to secure your place in this profession for many years to come, we’ll teach everything you need to know about creating an unforgettable data entry clerk resume. In this resume writing guide, you’ll discover a range of insider tips including:

• The difference between a good and great data entry clerk resume
• What you need to do to bypass the ATS
• The recommended way to list your education and skills
• How to target your resume to each application
• An innovative tool you can use to streamline the resume making process 

1. Multiple Template Examples

2. How to Write a Data Entry Resume That Will Fill Up Your Inbox?

How to format your data entry resume

Are you wondering what the best format is for your data entry resume? The good news is that there’s one that recruiters clearly prefer: Reverse-chronological format. The reason recruiters love it is because it logically organizes your professional experiences from your latest job, followed by all of the jobs that preceded it.

Recruiters also have particular preferences when it comes to your resume layout. Make sure to reflect them in your resume by following our summary of them below:

• • Number of Pages: Only one page - no ifs or buts!
  • Fonts to Use: Simple fonts are best, such as Avenir Next and Arial.
  • Fonts to Avoid: Juvenile-looking or hard-to-read ones such as Pacifico and Holihood Script.
  • Margins: 1 inch on all sides.

• Line Spacing: 1 or 1.15.

• Header size: 14-16 point size.
• Text size: 11-12 point size.

What makes a great data entry resume?

There are many features, which distinguish a good data entry resume from a great one. To ensure you make a great one, you need to go above and beyond what a recruiter is expecting to see. That means in addition to featuring all of the required resume sections and addressing all of the criteria the recruiter is after, your resume also needs to be written and formatted to a professional standard.

A great data entry resume leaves no doubt in the recruiter’s mind that you boast the perfect combination of skills, training, and professional experiences to smoothly transition into the given position. To really make an impact, your resume also needs to convey your enthusiasm at the prospect of being hired for the given role. You can do this by taking the proper time and effort required to perfect your resume.

What recruiters will look for

Recruiters are looking for a data entry clerk who knows all of the ins and outs of data entry. An ideal data entry clerk is simultaneously efficient, accurate, and organized. They also need to demonstrate meticulous attention to detail and proactiveness in order to both detect and resolve any inaccuracies in the data they are in charge of inputting. The way a recruiter will determine whether you’re such a candidate, who is both genuinely skilled and highly-experienced in the field - or if you’re one who is just all talk - is by carefully analyzing your resume.

When you think about it, your resume is the main means at your disposal to connect with a recruiter when you apply for a job. After all, they will be primarily basing their decision about your worthiness to proceed to the interview stage, on the quality of your resume.

This is why we can’t stress enough how vital it is that your resume not only looks attractive, but also contains all of the components a recruiter is seeking. You need to guarantee that everything on the one page you have to work within strongly communicates your suitability.

How to get your resume past ATS

If you thought you only needed to get the nod of approval from recruiters to score an interview, think again. You also need to get your resume past ATS, which stands for Applicant Tracking Software. ATS has been warmly welcomed by most HR departments as it makes recruiters’ jobs exponentially easier. This technology is designed to instantly reject candidates’ applications if they don’t feature specific keywords. By implication, recruiters using ATS no longer need to go through every single resume themselves.

So how exactly do you get your resume past ATS? You need to incorporate the keywords the recruiter has added to the job ad, into your resume. Needless to say, the keywords you include must be relevant to your professional experiences and skills.

How do you detect keywords in a job ad? In most cases, they will be nouns representing specific capabilities and skills a recruiter is looking for in a data entry clerk. They may also  represent the programs and resources an ideal candidate will need to have experience using.

When you’re piecing together your resume, you should try to find as many opportunities as possible to naturally incorporate these keywords into each section. Of course, you will need to be able to back up whatever you state in your resume, so don’t be tempted to bend the truth.

It’s also important not to keyword stuff as this will be seen as an attempt to ‘game the system’. Keyword stuffing describes the practice of adding keywords into your resume in an unnatural way. For example, adding a keyword to a sentence even though it doesn’t make sense contextually to do so, or repeatedly using the same keyword unnecessarily.

A recruiter will immediately reject your resume if they catch you doing either of these things, so don’t jeopardise your application by taking the risk.

Which soft and hard skills to mention and how to do it correctly

Whether you’re a veteran data entry clerk or recently qualified, the chances are that you have a near-endless list of hard and soft skills. There may be a temptation to write a list as long as your arm. However, keep in mind that the “Skills” section of your resume is relatively short. For that reason, you need to be selective about the skills you include.

Before you get started, be certain to consider which skills are most appropriate for the specific role you’re applying for. You should reflect back on the job advert and align your resume with the skills requested there. For instance, you may find that the recruiter is specifically looking for someone with technical ability in a certain area.

If this is the case, you should include a handful of skills, demonstrating your understanding of certain data programs. When highlighting these skills, it’s important to be specific. For example:

• QuickBooks experience

• 5+ years working with QuickBooks, managing 20+ customers 

Naturally, you should include both hard and soft skills on your resume. Hard (or technical) skills tend to be career-specific and often include using specific programs and processes. On the other hand, soft skills are more generic and can be applied to a variety of roles. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you only need hard skills. To be a well-rounded candidate, you should possess both hard and soft skills in tandem.

As an example of why this is important, consider a data entry clerk, who can swiftly process data and analyze it, but lacks basic communication skills and has poor interpersonal skills. While the candidate may be able to take care of their core job responsibilities, there’s simply no way that they will be a collaborative worker or fit in with the company culture.

When it comes to writing your data entry clerk resume, here are some of the hard and soft skills that you may need to include:

Hard skills

• Advanced math and analytical statistics 
• Advanced Microsoft Excel functions
• System administration 
• Data mining and data QA
• MySQL databases 
• QuickBooks 
• 10 Key 
• 80+ WPM typing speed 
• Order processing 
• CRM understanding

Soft skills 

• Time management 
• Great communication 
• Attention to detail 
• Critical thinking 
• Risk management 
• Interpersonal skills 
• Confidentiality 
• Collaboration 
• Organization 
• Report generation

As we’ve previously mentioned, you should not overload the “Skills” section of your resume. Instead, pick out roughly 6 to 8 crucial skills to highlight. Again, you should switch these around, depending on the specific role you’re applying for. When writing your work history sections or talking about your professional achievements, be sure to reiterate these skills.

Pro tip: Lead with your most relevant skills in each appropriate section. For instance, you might include technical/hard skills, such as MYSQL databases toward the top of your resume. Recruiters should be able to see what systems you can use at a quick glance!

How to list your education correctly

When it comes to landing a data entry clerk role, you only need a high school diploma. However, you should use the education section of your resume to highlight any additional achievements you gained during this period. Needless to say, the education section of any resume tends to be relatively short. Ensure that you include the following core details:

1. Your high school or institute
2. The year you graduated
3. Which diplomas you received
4. Any additional certification
5. Any additional notable achievements

It’s simple enough. However, you would be surprised at how many candidates get this core part of their resume wrong from the offset! If you’re unsure of which information you should be including, take a look at the following examples. We’ve indicated what you shouldn’t do in red, and what to aim for in green:

• St. James High School (2010) 

Atlanta, GA

• St. James High School (2010) 

Atlanta, Ga

• High school diploma
• Received touch-typing certificate 
• Commended for note-taking abilities

Certified Data Entry Clerk (2013) 

Online Diploma

In some instances, you may have a university degree, rather than only a high school diploma. If that’s the case, you should ensure that you highlight it on your resume. When you’ve continued to further education, you don’t need to include your high school achievements anymore. However, whether you choose to do so is up to you.

If you’ve received certifications as a data entry clerk, you should definitely include this information as part of your resume. You can either put this nugget in your education section or, if you choose to include one, as part of your “Additional Certifications” section. Demonstrating that you have trained specifically for this given career will be a deciding factor in landing roles.

Pro tip: Don’t panic if you don’t have additional certificates or diplomas! If you lack professional experience in this field, highlight your school achievements instead. For example, you may choose to include any praise you received from your teachers or awards you won.

How to write a resume objective or summary and examples of both

First things first, let’s take a moment to discuss the difference between a resume objective and a resume summary. An objective covers your professional goals and aspirations, while a summary briefly outlines your experience and achievements. Your resume does not need both of these sections; you should choose the most applicable to your level. 

Data Entry Clerk Resume Objective 

If you’re new to the world of data entry, you’ll need to include a 2-4 sentence resume objective. Since you will lack much of the experience that other candidates boast, you can use this section to express your enthusiasm for the industry and outline your ambition. You can also slide in a few of the skills you have picked up during your education.

Here’s a quick look at what to do and what not to do in this section:

• Recent high school graduate seeking a full-time data entry clerk role. A hard-working and dedicated worker with a high level of accuracy. Skilled at data input and taking direction. Basic working knowledge of CRM systems and fast typer.

• Recent graduate seeking an entry-level data entry clerk position that will support a fulfilling career in data analysis. Skills include 80 WPM touch-typing, an understanding of CRM systems, and critical thinking. Previous experience of working with a small business and streamlining order processing by 23%. 

The first resume objective example here makes a couple of major mistakes. By simply stating that they are seeking a full-time role, the candidate has missed an opportunity to speak about their long-term aspirations. Moreover, when it comes to briefly outlining skills, the objective is vague and undersells the candidate’s talents. As a golden rule, remember to prove anything that you state with certificates, experience, or statistics.

Conversely, the second example includes the same information in a better format. The candidate is up-front about needing an entry-level position, but quickly points out that they boast long-term aspirations within this sector. Plus, rather than merely stating the skills that they have, the candidate uses finer details to back up their points. For example, they state that they can type at 80 words per minute, which is specific and impressive. 

Data Entry Clerk Resume Summary

If you’re an old hat at data entry, you should avoid including a resume objective and instead opt for a resume summary. This is a 2-4 sentence outline of your experience, achievements, and why you are the best candidate for this role. You should pepper this section with some of your ‘best moments as a data clerk’ and any particular talents that you can bring to the position. In short, it’s your time to show off your triumphs to date.

Here are two examples; one you should avoid doing and one you should aim for:

• Experienced data entry clerk with knowledge of CRM systems, fast typing, and data processing. Great at taking direction and understanding new systems. Critical thinker and hard worker. Good communication and interpersonal skills. 

• Data entry clerk with 5+ years experience. Seeking to streamline order processing systems and improve efficiency, as evidenced by 98.7% accuracy in previous positions. Experience working in the commercial sector. Skills include 80 WPM touch-typing, MYSQL database knowledge, and excellent communication. 

The first resume summary example covers the basic information that a recruiter will need to understand. However, it lacks evidence to support any of the details given. When outlining how much experience you have, you should always include details of the sector in which you have worked and how many years you have been active for. Additionally, when highlighting skills, such as accuracy, it is helpful to include statistics.

Of course, the second summary example is much clearer in highlighting the candidate’s experience and covering their skill set. Each skill includes supporting evidence, which would in turn entice recruiters to learn more about the candidate. Crucially, the candidate also mentions the specific programs that they are proficient in using for the role.

How to target your resume for each application

Once you’ve built a stellar resume, there’s the temptation to save it and use it for every position you apply for. Sure, doing so is the easy option, but it’s not necessarily the way to land your next role.

When recruiters look over your resume, they are searching for specific traits and skills, i.e. those that align with the role at hand. While there may be a lot of crossover between data entry clerk roles, no two positions are the same. For that reason, it’s savvy to spend some time tailoring your resume for each new application.

When you first read a job description, take the time to consider how your experience and skill set naturally aligns with it. You should pick out key phrases from the advert and adapt your existing resume to suit them.

For example, let’s say that a recruiter publishes an advert for a data entry clerk and includes the following criteria in the description:

• Must help streamline current order processing 
• Must have a proven track record

Since the description is clear about what’s expected, you should make a point of your skills in this area. There are a couple of ways in which you can achieve that. Highlight how you have previously made processing orders faster and use exact examples. It’s not great to simply state that you made improvements, if you can’t quantify them somehow. Extra points if you have a reference to support any of the claims you make here.

Next, you should see how your previous work experience connects with the current role being advertised. For this aspect of the process, take a look at the duties outlined in the job description. For instance, the advert may state the following:

• Preparing source data for computer 
• Purging data for duplications 

In simple terms, these duties mean organizing information and ensuring that it is not duplicated when you input it into the system. Consider whether you had to manage the same tasks in a previous role and, if so, give examples. You may tweak your work experience to include details of how you ‘organized source data ahead of input’ or ‘prepared source data before inputting’.

Try to align your data entry clerk resume as closely as possible with the job description. Wherever you can, draw comparisons between the two, and highlight them clearly. Recruiters spend a matter of seconds reviewing resumes. That means that the information you provide has to be concise and straight to the point. Cut the waffle as much as you can!

Finally, pick out keywords from the job ad and use them in your resume. Using the same language as the recruiter allows them to instantly see you are qualified for the role. It will also ensure you bypass the ATS - a crucial consideration we discussed in further detail towards the beginning of this guide.

How to make your resume stand out from the crowd

Success is all in the details. Following our guide will help you write a great data entry clerk resume, but how can you ensure it stands out? Taking a little extra time to make your resume a cut above the rest is a no-brainer. Here are three expert tips to try now:

Avoid overcrowding your resume

Let’s face it, you’re all about data and information. However, when it comes to writing a winning resume, you need to keep things lean and get straight to the point. As an extra tip, you should leave space between sections, so that they appear clearer. Including white space on your resume means that it will be easier to read. You want to make things as easy as possible for the recruiter. When they glance at your document, they should quickly see the key pieces of information.

Cut back on the jargon 

Don’t make the mistake of assuming that the recruiter understands the realms of data clerk entry. They may not! In some cases, companies get third-party agencies to find the perfect candidates. While the recruiter will know the keywords and programs in the sector, they may not be familiar with all the jargon. Avoid using complex industry terms and opt for clear, concise language that conveys your skills.

Proofread (and then proofread again!)

Spelling and grammatical errors are the fastest way to ruin your chances of landing an interview. When you’ve written your resume, it’s time to proofread it. Be aware of common mistakes, such as using “they’re” (i.e. they are) when you mean ‘there’ (as in “over there”). You can also use software designed to spot these errors to go through your resume with a fine tooth comb. Grammarly is one such program, that’s helpful and free to use.

3. How ResumeBuild.com’s Resume Builder Tool Makes Creating Your Resume Simple

You already spend hours typing away on your computer for the job. So it’s no wonder that the prospect of coming home, opening a MS Word document or Google Docs, and working on your resume isn’t appealing in the slightest.

While you, no doubt, have the typing skills that would help you make your resume, that doesn’t negate the fact that it's still going to take a considerable amount of time to format and write everything from scratch. That’s why so many people just like you have turned to Resumebuild’s easy-to-use resume builder tool to dramatically speed up the resume making process.

Instead of trying to configure margins, headings, and everything in between, you can rely on our resume builder to do so for you. All you need to do is select any of our custom-made resume templates, which particularly catches your eye, and then make your way through the 5 resume sections. Our builder will keep you on track by making it crystal clear what information you need to provide. To give you an extra helping hand, it even comes pre-loaded with numerous pre-written examples that you can use as-is or edit to your liking. 

We’ve truly revolutionized the traditionally cumbersome process of making a resume into one that takes just minutes. If you have a few to spare, you have all you need to start making your unique data entry clerk resume.

The customer service department operates as the nervous centre of any company. By handling any and all issues the customers of that company have, customer service representatives can help to boost sales and performance, in addition to building the company’s reputation as a friendly, easy organization to work with.

Whether you’re brand-new to the workforce or whether you’re an old hand, you’re bound to find a few tips inside that will elevate your resume from decent right the way up to outstanding. In addition to advice about formatting, what recruiters look for, and the relevant hard & soft skills to consider listing, we’ll also talk you through how to write compelling resume objectives and resume summary statements. 

At the end of the article you’ll even learn how to stand out from the crowd, which can make all the difference when you’re competing against a large number of other candidates. 

Multiple Template Examples

How to Write the Perfect Customer Service Representative Resume

How to Format It

Past experience is one of the best indicators of whether somebody will be able to handle the demands of a customer service representative position or not. If you’ve already worked in a similar role, you’ll have a much better idea of what’s required than somebody who hasn’t. That’s why we recommend a chronological layout as the ideal way to format your resume for the best possible results.

Putting your work history in the forefront of your application will show a recruiter that you understand better than your competition how important prior experience is to the role. As for other formatting details, it’s best to keep it simple, elegant, and — most vitally of all — easy to read. 

The recruiter will be going through a lot of different applications, and the last thing they’ll want is to come across a resume with a mess of different fonts and sizes. Make your resume easy to read, and the person potentially hiring you will thank you for it.

What Recruiters Will Look For

When they examine resumes for a customer services representative, recruiters will have a few different things in mind. It’s important to understand what the employee looks like, so that you can try your best to emulate it in the resume you end up producing. 

There are no two ways about it: being a customer service rep is a tough gig. Not only do you need to possess in-depth knowledge about the product or service your company provides, you also need to be able to solve problems on the go, function more or less autonomously, and somehow maintain a friendly facade for hours upon hours at a time. 

However, if you’ve got the right set of traits and characteristics, you’ll be able to provide your employers with an invaluable service. Here’s what recruiters value most highly in prospective customer service representatives:

1. Excellent People Skills 

It’s not enough to be pretty good at speaking to people — you need to excel. The reason for this is that if a customer has a bad experience with customer service, it’s likely to turn them off working with that company ever again. The stakes are high, and you need to be able to live up to the challenge and deal with the pressure on a daily basis.

2. Problem-Solving Acumen 

You can expect to spend practically your entire work day solving problems, so it’s imperative that the recruiter understands you’re able to come up with creative, effective solutions on the fly. 

They’ll be on the lookout for people who relish the challenge of solving a problem in real time. If you can portray yourself as somebody who loves sinking their teeth into any given issue and resolving it elegantly, you’ll jump right to the top of the pile. 

Which Hard & Soft Skills to Include and How to Do It Correctly

In the case of a customer service representative’s resume, the distinction between hard and soft skills can be harder to define than with some other jobs. Part of the reason for this is down to the fact that some of what might count as a soft skill in other professions, such as interpersonal communication, is in fact a hard skill for customer service reps. As a result, you might feel confused about how to actually split your skills up on the resume itself.

Fortunately, there’s a solution. Even though it might not look like it at first, customer service representatives have hard and soft skills just like any other profession. Here’s the best way to mention the relevant abilities you have on your resume in order to prove that you know what you’re talking about:

Hard Skills

The hard skills for customer service representatives generally relate to the kind of technical work you’ll be doing throughout the course of a regular day on the job. As such, they often involve being able to manipulate a wide range of computer programs, as well as being able to solve any problems and resolve any conflicts that may arise.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office
• Confidence in using a computer for a wide variety of miscellaneous tasks 
• Data entry 
• Problem-solving ability 
• Effective communication 
• Competence with CRM software (such as Freshesk, Pipeliner, or Salesforce Desk)
• Soft Skills 

Soft Skills

A customer service rep’s soft skills tend to involve having the perfect attitude and mindset for helping out the customers you’ll be dealing with. You want the person hiring you to have no doubt in their mind that you realize how tricky the job can be, but also that you’re up to the task.

• Empathy
• Friendliness
• Patience
• Result-oriented attitude  

How to List Your Previous Jobs and Work Experience, Software Used Etc.

Listing your prior work experience — as well as including details such as the kind of software you’re used to working with — isn’t always straightforward, but there are a few simple steps you can take to make sure you’re giving yourself the best chance of being taken seriously. 

Plenty of people struggle with including digital skills on a traditional resume, so it presents an excellent opportunity to really impress whoever’s going to be hiring you.

The ideal way to list your previous jobs and work experience is to simply include them according to the guidelines of the chronological layout. It’s best to keep the descriptions short and snappy, since the recruiter will likely skim through them at first before returning to read again more closely. 

If you can keep this section of your resume concise, you’ll be giving yourself a chance of capturing the recruiter’s attention sooner than your competition.

When it comes to listing the software you’re experienced using, it’s best to include it in the description of the work experience rather than in a section of its own. For one thing, this helps to ground it in a wider context; for another, it’s more elegant than creating an entire other section. 

How to Write a Resume Objectives and Examples of This

Writing a resume objective for a customer service representative role is your chance to show precisely how well you understand the details of the position. Your objective isn’t the time to be vague, nor is it the time to make sweeping statements about how you think you could do the job well. 

Rather, it’s the best chance you’ll get in the entire application to demonstrate that you’re the right person for the role because you know what it requires inside and out. 

Ideally, you’re going to want to first scan through the listing to get an idea of what they’re looking for, and then use that information to your advantage by crafting a customized, to-the-point objective statement. Here are a couple examples of excellent resume objectives — notice how direct the language is, and how general information is avoided as much as possible.

1. Focused, solution-focused customer service representative applying for that role in XYZ Inc. I have spent two years working in the field, and I prioritize being able to solve problems on the go while always maintaining a friendly, approachable demeanour. Added experience in leading small teams from previous positions.

2. Friendly and passionate people person seeking the role of customer service representative in Example LLC. I am used to spending long hours walking people through solutions to their problems, and would welcome the opportunity to expand my skill set in that area by taking on a new challenge and pushing my own boundaries. 

How to Write a Resume Summary and Examples of This

In contrast to a resume objective, which requires a dispassionate voice and focusing on the job itself, a resume summary requires you to convince the reader that you can bring real value to their company if they take you on. You’re going to want to highlight your achievements and past successes as a means of making it clear that you’ll be able to influence the entire organization in a positive way. 

The language used in a resume summary should be more persuasive, more active, and altogether less dry than the voice you’d use to write a resume objective. Below you’ll find a couple examples of well-written resume summaries, each of which focuses on communicating just how much value the company will get if they hire that particular candidate. 

1. Highly experienced customer service representative interested in bringing all the knowledge I’ve gained over 6+ years to ABC Corp. I’m passionate about helping people to resolve issues they’ve been having that they find troubling, and thanks to my long history of educating myself and broadening my own horizons, I’m confident that I could find elegant solutions to common problems and revitalize the customer service department itself.

2. Professional customer service rep keen to take on a new challenge and pick up new skills. In my most recent professional role I was able to streamline the way my employers handled customer service complaints by brainstorming an entirely new framework for dealing with common issues. I would welcome the opportunity to bring that same problem-solving focus to your organization, and use all of my experience to make your own processes more straightforward and elegant.

How to List Any Additional Details, like Certifications, Volunteering Experience, Etc.

By putting additional details like certifications or volunteering experience into your resume, you’ll be able to further impress the recruiter, particularly if they already like the look of your application from the hard and soft skills you’ve already worked in. Given that the position of being a customer service representative requires a large amount of interpersonal intelligence, it makes sense to prioritize prior experience that involved working closely with other people. Here are some of the ways you can include your additional experience for maximum impact.

1. Volunteering

Volunteering is an impressive thing to feature on any resume, but with a role that involves dealing with people to the extent that being a customer service rep does, it’s more important than ever. Describing your experiences volunteering in as few words as possible will imply that the experience speaks for itself, which displays a confidence that any would-be employer would be happy to see in an employee. 

Focus on volunteering roles that involved conflict resolution and problem-solving to link it in with the rest of your resume as effectively as possible.

2. Hobbies & Interests

Your hobbies and interests could play an even bigger role in applying to be a customer service representative than any online courses you’ve taken. Because throughout the course of your daily work you’ll be interacting with people regularly, if you can mention any pastimes you have that involve social skills you’ll be able to edge out a lot of the competition. 

Subtly painting yourself as a people person will “click” with the recruiter reading your resume, so focus on social activities that demonstrate how much you get a kick out of interacting with other people.

3. Online Certifications

While perhaps not as important as the above two sections in the case of a customer support position, online certifications nevertheless display drive, commitment, and an autodidactic attitude that’ll serve you well should you get the job. 

You’ll have to be able to figure out a lot of your own solutions to problems, so proving that you know how to educate yourself — and that you have the determination required to see a course through to its conclusion — will make a big impression on whoever’s digging through the pile of resumes to find the perfect candidate.

How to Write a Resume When You Have No Experience

Writing a resume when you have no experience is always a daunting proposition. The good news in this case, however, is that working as a customer service representative can often be an entry-level position for which you don’t necessarily need several years of experience to make a good impression. 

It’s possible to compete with candidates who have a much longer track record than you do, but in order to do so you need to make it crystal clear that you understand what’s involved with the job, and that you possess the right combination of skills and personality traits to succeed should you be hired.

Too often, people write being a customer service rep off as being an easy or straightforward job. In reality it can be incredibly challenging, since you’ll be required to present a friendly, knowledgeable impression at all times. This can take heroic levels of patience as well as a fiery inner drive, since if you’re not passionate about helping people out the chances are you won’t be able to make the job work on a regular basis. 

To offset your lack of experience, focus heavily on the aspects of your personality that make you an ideal fit for being a customer service representative. Skills can be learned, but there’s only so much you can do about the kind of person you are. 

If you can paint the picture of an empathic, patient, and above all friendly persona, the recruiter will instinctively feel like you’re a good fit for the job, making them all the more likely to overlook your lack of work history in the area. 

How to Target Your Resume for a Specific Application

When you’re considering how to craft your resume, you have to always remember the fact that you’re essentially going to be represented by one or two pages in a colossal stack of other pages. Bearing that in mind, one way to help mark yourself out from the rest of the herd is to target your resume to the specific position you’re applying to. 

The more precise you can make it, the better, as that will immediately resonate with the recruiter reading your resume. One excellent way to target your resume for the application in question is to watch out for a few key terms, which will indicate what exactly will be required of you in that particular job. 

Here are some common concepts you’ll find in customer service rep job listings, with a few of the most popular words to keep an eye out for listed beside them:

1. Problem-Solving Ability

There’s no two ways about it: as a customer service rep, you’ll need to spend the majority of your time resolving problems, many of which might well be tricky. Some of the key terms to watch out for with regards to your problem solving ability include solve, brainstorm, resolve, and analyse. If you see any of those in the job post, pay particular attention to how you describe your own problem-solving abilities, since it’ll probably be a key aspect of the job itself.

2. Conflict Resolution

You’ll be dealing with customers who, for one reason or another, aren’t happy with the service they’ve been getting from your company. This means that much of the time, you’ll have to interact with people who are already somewhat annoyed or put out. Words like level-headed, equanimity / equanimous, and patient will indicate that the employers prioritize conflict resolution skills. 

Be sure to emphasize that aspect of your application if you come across any of those, and you’ll already be ahead of your competition when the time comes for the recruiter to review all of the candidates. 

How to Make Your Resume Stand Out

As a customer service representative, it’s a given that a strong candidate needs to be good with people and able to interact in a calm, logical way. You can assume, therefore, that most of the people you’ll be competing with for the job will focus on those aspects of their overall package in the resumes they write. 

This presents you with an excellent opportunity to get out ahead of the crowd, since one often overlooked aspect of customer service roles is the manner in which those employees need to solve problems. 

The majority of the time, you’ll be on your own with only your wits and your own internal resources to help you solve the issue at hand. If you can focus on how well you teach yourself different things, you’ll be making it clear that you truly understand what the position requires. 

Customer service representatives need to be self-sufficient, since they can’t all run to their manager at every problem that arises. Prove yourself to be a person who enjoys the challenge of educating themselves, and you stand a great chance of making your resume stand out to the recruiter’s eye.

How Resumebuild can Help You to Write an Outstanding Customer Service Representative Resume

You might well feel a little intimidated by the sheer amount of information above, but fortunately there’s an intuitive, user-friendly tool you can use to craft the perfect resume with a minimum of hassle. The resume building tool provided by Resumebuild offers all of the functionality you could ever need, including a huge range of ready-made, world-class templates to choose from.

The tool also includes hundreds upon hundreds of pre-written samples, so you can check how you’re doing in comparison with the industry-standard guidelines as you progress through the resume creation process. Using the resume building tool couldn’t be simpler — all you need to do is pick the template that looks most appealing to you and begin filling in your own personal touches, based on the guidance given in the article above. Once it’s all ready, you’re just a click away from downloading your finished resume and getting your job search going in earnest. 

Does your resume stand out?

No, really stand out?

The truth is, if your resume doesn’t immediately catch the eye of recruiters, you’re likely to be passed over. 

Preferably, within 7 seconds. 

That’s the average amount of time a recruiter skims over your resume before deciding to toss or accept it, according to a study by job search site Ladders. 

And that’s across every industry.

With 1.4 million accountants in the U.S. according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and standing as the 13th most popular profession, competition is thicker in accounting than most industries. 

So, you need a resume that’s both visually pleasing and effective– making your unique selling points both clearly visible and easily digestible. 

Not an expert resume crafter? No worries, we’ve got you covered. 

Below, we’ll take you step-by-step through each section and key aspect of an accounting resume that hits all the right notes. 

This guide is for you whether:

• You’ve just graduated and want to know how to put together an accounting resume that stands out from the pack, even if you don’t think you have enough experience to fill a page. Or;
• You’re an experienced accountant who is looking to amp up their resume and take it to the next level.

Your next job is only one resume away, so let’s get to it. 

What this guide will cover

In this guide, you’ll learn how to put together an effective accounting resume that knocks the socks off of your next prospective employer. 

We’ll cover: 

• An accounting resume template better than 99% of what’s out there, right from the start
• How to format your accounting resume in a way that helps your unique selling points stand out– and gets you the interview
• How to write a resume objective or summary that immediately catches recruiter’s eyes
• How to write an effective accounting resume even if you have little or no experience
• And much more

Want to save time and energy crafting your next resume? You could spend hours formatting and styling your resume, or 5 minutes grabbing one of Resumebuild’s ready-made templates. Check out our full library of template examples here. 

Let’s start with an effective and flexible accounting resume template example, which we’ll break down further as we go: 

Resume templates

How to write an awesome accounting resume that gets you noticed

What makes an amazing accounting resume? 

There are certain elements that every resume should have, like good formatting, a compelling objective or summary, and well-structured information so the most important elements stand out.

But within that, your resume needs to do a few key things that are unique to the accounting realm.

For one, certification is more important than in most other industries. 

And numbers, in terms of actual results from your experience as an accountant (if you have any), are huge selling points that should be prominently put on display. 

So, let’s jump into how to write an awesome accounting resume that doesn’t just get you noticed by recruiters, but lands you interviews– and helps you get the job.

1. How to format your resume so the “good stuff” rises to the top

With any good resume, you want to highlight your unique selling points (let’s call it your “USP”).

That might be that you’ve passed the CPA exam, that you had a good GPA in college, impressive results, or that you have valuable full-time or intern experience– especially if you’re early in your career. 

The real task of crafting an effective accounting resume is this: how do I write my resume so that these unique selling points stand out?

As we talked about earlier, you only have a few seconds to get noticed by a recruiter.

So, you need to format your resume in a way that those key pieces of information jump out of the page and are the first things a recruiter sees when glancing over your resume (maybe the only thing).

In general, a basic chronological layout is suggested for accounting resumes.

Such as:

• Personal information
• Objective or summary
• Experience
• Education
• Certifications
• Skills

Why this layout? Because it presents the most logical and familiar flow of information. 

If you were in fashion or a similar creative industry, you might want to do something else creative that would speak to your own creative or out-of-the-box thinking. 

Accounting, however, is about attention to detail and clean professionalism, so a common chronological layout is typically best. 

Let’s look at some examples of how to make your unique selling points stand out with this layout.

Example: Make your accomplishments stand out with bold font

One way to format your resume so that your USPs are on full display is through tactical use of bold font.

For example, you can place the most impressive bullet point for a particular employer at the top of your list and bold it to help it stand out, like in our example:

RIGHT

Senior Accountant

R&L Media – Los Angeles, CA – March 2016 – Present

• Managed client account holdings totaling over $32 million, while creating a reduction in costs totalling 13% annually

• Identified tax credits resulting in over $25,000 in annual tax savings 
• Performed monthly accounts analysis and reconciliations
• Managed and train a team of in-house accountants

As opposed to this, where everything blends together and your real compelling, convincing elements are lost in a sea of text:

WRONG

Senior Accountant

R&L Media – Los Angeles, CA – March 2016 – Present

• Managed client account holdings totaling over $32 million, while creating a reduction in costs totalling 13% annually
• Identified tax credits resulting in over $25,000 in annual tax savings 
• Performed monthly accounts analysis and reconciliations
• Managed and train a team of in-house accountants

Same information, same order, much different reading experience. 

In the first example, “Managed client account holdings totaling over $32 million, while creating a reduction in costs totalling 13% annually” is bolded because it’s an impressive fact to point out.

It doesn’t just sound good, it’s based on real numbers.

When a recruiter is reading your resume, they’re looking to see what you can contribute if you were to fill the desired role within the company. 

Data like that showing what you’ve been able to do for a previous employer is gold and should be made prominent.  

Bold is a great way to intentionally lead the eye of your recruiter where you want it to go, whether it’s your CPA certification or results you’ve gotten for a past employer.

Example 2: Change the structure of information to make your strengths more prominent

Also, notice how the role, “Senior Accountant” in the example above is prioritized over the employer itself (and, again, in bold). 

Recruiters are interested in knowing what roles and experience you’ve had, not, in most cases, the name of the company you worked for. 

That’s why “Senior Accountant” is placed atop everything and in bold, with the company, location, and date as secondary details below it as well as the most notable point at the top of the bulleted list. 

So, you could go with something like this:

WRONG

Ashford & Bankmen, Inc. – Burbank, CA

Senior Accountant – July 2012 – November 2014

But then the fact that you were a senior accountant gets buried under the name of the employer, which they’re not likely to care about.

Instead, use a format that puts your experience on display:

RIGHT

Senior Accountant

Ashford & Bankmen, Inc. – Burbank, CA – July 2012 – November 2014

Recruiters want to know what experience you have. 

Do you have real experience as an accountant? In what capacity? 

Oh, you were a senior accountant. Nice. 

Unless the employer were some household brand that had the potential to offer clout through mention alone, the recruiter is going to care a lot more about what your role was, as they want to know your experience. 

What if my best selling points aren’t my experience?

What if, however, you don’t have much experience (or any at all)?

What if your unique selling points have to do with a certification or a degree you’ve earned?

No one said experience had to show up first.

Instead, shuffle the sections around so that your strong points show up toward the top of your resume. 

For example, if you’re a newly licensed CPA and you have a B.A. in accounting, but not much experience yet, instead of:

• Profile
• Experience
• Education
• Certifications
• Skills

You could do:

• Profile
• Certifications
• Education
• Skills
• Experience

Shuffling around our template example, that would look something like this:

Jen Davies

2456 North Erin Dr., Westwood, CA 90200

(562) 358 - 6011

Jendaviesaccounting@gmail.com

@Linkedin.com/in/jendaviesacct  

OBJECTIVE:

Licensed Certified Public Accountant with more than 7 years of experience. Possess a B.S. in accounting from a top-50 accounting school. Seeking to leverage my professional experience to level up your accounting system as a senior accountant with [COMPANY]. 

CERTIFICATIONS:

• Certified Public Accountant – November 2013

EDUCATION:

B.A. – Accounting

UCLA Anderson School of Management – Los Angeles, CA – June 2012

…

MUCH better. 

Now, your strong points are on full display and will be the first thing a recruiter will notice when they scan your resume. 

By structuring your resume in this way, you’re influencing how they remember you. 

Remember, you’ve only got 7 seconds, so make it count. 

One last thing: Your resume is a reflection of your personal brand

As an accountant, you might not always think of yourself as having a personal brand. 

However, every high-level professional understands that when they present any piece of themselves, they’re communicating something: “This is who I am.” 

That’s branding. 

Beyond helping your unique selling points stand out, your resume as a whole needs to communicate a singular message: I’m a professional who is good at my job. 

As an accountant, that means a few things:

• You’re good with numbers: Have any data on results you’ve gotten for your clients? Hard numbers are super effective for any accounting resume.
• You have a meticulous eye for detail: Typos are bad for any resume, but accountants are known for having a sharp eye. Go the extra mile and review and edit your resume multiple times to make sure all text, grammar, typo, and other mistakes and errors are cleaned up. Any small error (when noticed) will communicate to recruiters that you might not be the best person for the job. After all, if even your resume has a mistake on it, what does that say about your accounting skills? 

So, after helping to make your unique selling points shine, take time to make sure your resume as a whole reflects your personal brand as a good accountant. 

Any work you do to learn more about how to deliver a strong and cohesive personal brand will help throughout your career, so it’s worth investing a little time in it now. 

2. What do recruiters look for?

With a better idea of how to structure your accounting resume to make sure your most powerful selling points stand out, you’re probably now wondering:

What do recruiters look for? What exactly should I display most prominently on my resume?

Maybe you’re not sure what your unique selling points are and you just want to know what recruiters want to see so you can make those the most identifiable elements in your resume.

Maybe you have a few good selling points, but you don’t know which you should prioritize. 

Each recruiter is different. While one might favor education more heavily, another might not care much about that and just want to see your experience.  

However, while those preferences will differ based on the recruiter, one thing is universally sought-after:

Results. 

At the end of the day, recruiters want to see action. What kind of results have you accomplished for your previous employers? What responsibilities did you manage successfully? 

That could be:

• Identified tax credits resulting in over $16,000 in annual tax savings

Or it could be:

• Reduced company costs by 18% annually through improving supply chain spend efficiency

Also notice that those bullet points are action-oriented. 

“Reduced” and “Identified” are verbs: They’re actions you took to accomplish a result for your employer. 

They show the recruiter that they can expect real, tangible action and results from you. And, when it comes to the hard numbers game of accounting, there really is no better selling point you could add to your resume. 

What if I don’t have any results I can tout? 

If you’re fresh out of college or don’t have any real results experience you can flaunt, there’s another way you can go about it that offers the promise of action.  

Instead of showing results, show that you’re ambitious and ready to get to work. 

One of the best places to do this is in your objective. In your objective, state that it’s your goal to use your experience and knowledge to get the employer results.

Instead of this:

WRONG

Seeking to leverage my professional experience and grow as a senior accountant. 

Do this:

RIGHT

Seeking to utilize my professional experience to identify tangible operational and tax-related cost-savings as a senior accountant with Realm&Sands. 

Now THAT’S more like it. 

In the second example, you’re identifying super-specific action items that the employer is interested in and stating that it’s your goal to help them accomplish that objective. 

And the great part is, you’re hitting them with that at the very top of the page, before they even glance at your (lack of/minimal) experience and education. 

That means your objective is more likely to occupy the majority of their impression of you.

So far, we’ve broken down the keys to formatting an accounting resume and what recruiters are looking for (and how to give it to them, whether you have experience and results or not).

Now, let’s talk about some tips for maximizing the specific areas of your resume, including your objective/summary, experience, and skills.

3. How to write a resume objective that wows recruiters 

Often the first thing listed on a resume after your name and basic contact information, an objective is a statement of your major professional goals as they relate to the employer.

Why would a recruiter care what your goal(s) are? 

A good objective gives recruiters a glimpse into who you are. Written well, it can wow recruiters and make your resume memorable.

But before we get too far into how to craft a great objective, let’s talk about the difference between a summary and an objective and why you would use one vs. the other.

First, a basic breakdown:

• Resume objective: Express your ambition and passion. Good for: When you lack experience and tangible results. 
• Resume summary: A short highlight reel of your professional experience. Good for: When you have lots of experience.

We’ll go into more detail in the next point on why you’d use a summary instead of an objective, but really they don’t have to be separate at all.

Within your profile section at the top of your resume, you can summarize some of your experience first then offer your objective at the end, effectively combining the two. 

Of course, if you don’t have enough relevant experience to offer a full summary, you can just make it about the objective. 

Plus, if your experience speaks for itself, you’ll probably want to highlight that and skip the objective.

Below and in the next point (where we break down a great summary), we’ll talk about both examples. 

First, though, let’s talk about what makes a great resume objective that wows recruiters.

What makes a great resume objective?

A resume objective is one of the only places in a resume, and the best place, where you can use emotion to communicate part of who you are and leave a lasting impression. 

Using an objective is ideal if you don’t have much experience and you want recruiters to know you’re serious about doing a great job. 

A typical objective includes the following 3 pieces of information:

• A short summary of your experience
• And your education
• Plus your “objective statement” where you describe what you’d like to accomplish and in what role

Typically, a good objective isn’t more than 2-3 sentences. 

It should be a quick and concise 1-2 sentence summary of your most notable experience and/or education along with your 1-sentence objective. 

Don’t list out your whole resume in block-of-text form, like this:

WRONG

Certified Public Accountant with 6 years of experience. Experience with payroll, account analysis, account reconciliation, tax returns, collections, and most recently have experience training interns. B.A. in accounting from Sierra University, UT. Seeking to leverage my experience as a financial analyst to identify cost-savings for your organization. 

Instead, jot down the highlights that will be most likely to impress recruiters.

For example, take this objective written for a recruiter who is looking for an accountant to help them reduce production costs:

RIGHT

Certified Public Accountant with 6 years of experience and a B.A. in accounting. Helped reduce costs by 11% annually at Windows Printables, my most recent employer. Seeking to leverage my experience as a financial analyst to identify cost-savings for your organization. 

That employer might also need someone with payroll experience, but it doesn’t mean you should mention it here. 

Instead, pick out the bits from your experience and education that will be most compelling and relevant based on what the recruiter states they’re looking for most in their job description. 

You can mention the payroll experience later in your skills or experience section since it’s not of prime importance. 

What if you don’t have much experience? 

“That sounds great and all,” you say, “but I don’t have that kind of accounting experience or proven results I can reference.”

Fear not, for an objective is the perfect tool for any new accountant when done right.

For example, let’s take that same job post. If you don’t have specific experience reducing costs at a big organization, you could pull from experience managing the finances at the family business: 

RIGHT

Dedicated entry-level analyst with a B.A. in accounting. Helped identify tax savings preparing a dozen tax returns over the past year. Managed business spending and analyzed financial reports for the family business over the past 2 years. Seeking to utilize my passion and enthusiasm for accounting to help your organization identify cost savings. 

Can’t you just feel the passion?

They might not have the most experience, but that objective will help them stand out in a big way among an ocean of often bland and forgettable profiles. 

That’s a whole lot better than giving it to them straight, like this:

WRONG

Junior accountant with a B.A. in accounting seeking an entry-level accounting position. No official experience yet, but I’m enthusiastic about helping your organization. 

Just because you have no real experience doesn’t mean you need to go right out and say it.

Instead, use the first example as a framework and offer what you have that’s relevant to what they’re looking for. 

Even if you only have one thing you can mention that shows the recruiter you could have the stuff to do the job they’re looking to fill, your chance of obtaining a response will increase ten-fold. 

4. How to write a resume summary that highlights your selling points

As opposed to an objective which acts as a quick statement of your professional goals and intentions that shows a recruiter a bit about who you are, a summary offers a more complete view of you and your experience. 

Why would you use one over the other? 

While they’re not all that different from one another, you might choose to use a summary instead of an objective if you have extensive experience. 

If you have the kind of experience that practically sells itself, a summary is a good way of leaning on that experience to impress recruiters right out of the gate.

Just remember: you want to keep it centered on hard numbers and real results. You don’t just want to spew your experience into a block of text:

Like this:

WRONG 

Licensed Certified Public Accountant with an M.B.A. in accounting and 8+ years of experience. I’m skilled in bookkeeping, administrative account management, account reconciliation, and have experience training new accountants in small teams. Member NYSSCPA, AICPA. 

Instead, list out your experience while emphasizing your results and the value you can bring:

RIGHT

Results-driven Certified Public Accountant with an M.B.A. in accounting and 8+ years of proven experience at large-scale firms. Created a reduction in costs for 3 of my last 4 employers, totalling 44% in annual cost reductions. Have managed over $48 million in account holdings. 

That summary would blow any recruiter right off their seat. 

If you feel like you don’t have the kind of experience that would allow you to write a compelling summary, use an objective at the top of your resume instead. 

With an objective that expresses to recruiters your ambition and passion for accounting, you can show them that you’re serious about what you do. 

5. How to write an accounting resume with little or no experience

Now that you’ve got an awesome objective or summary written, it’s time to move on to the bulk of most resumes: your experience section.

If you’ve got a lot of great experience, filling out this section won’t be very hard.

Just remember what we talked about earlier: format your experience section in a way that displays your experience and results prominently.

Make the header of each previous position the position you had, not the name of the company.

Plus, organize the bullet points based on hard numbers and results as much as you can. 

You can even place the most impressive item at the top of the list and bold it to make sure recruiters don’t miss it. 

“That’s great! But... I don’t have much experience.”

“In fact, I don’t even know if I can fill a whole page.”

No worries. 

There are a few things you can do to make your experience section shine even if you’re limited by only 1 or 2 recent positions.

Let’s say you’ve had two previous accounting jobs and neither has resulted in any specific results you can reference.

This is how your experience might start out, thin and boring:

WRONG

Staff Accountant / Oct 2018 – Nov 2019

Treeholdings, Inc. – Ashford, CT 

• Conducted quarterly financial audits 
• Performed monthly accounts analysis and reconciliations
• Managed payroll and employee pay issues

Accountant / Jan 2018 – Sept 2018

Weirman’s Tires – Ashford, CT

• Analyzed and reconciled periodic financial reports 
• Performed risk analysis using FRAP

But if you do a little digging, you can usually come up with a few more bullet points for that 1 or 2 jobs you’ve had to make up for the lack of job experience. 

By listing out a few more bullet points under each position, you can fill the page and show a greater diversity of skills and experience in the process:

RIGHT

Staff Accountant / Oct 2018 – Nov 2019

Treeholdings, Inc. – Ashford, CT 

• Conducted quarterly financial audits 
• Performed monthly accounts analysis and reconciliations
• Managed payroll and employee pay issues
• Oversaw monthly budget
• Trained 3 interns during a Summer internship program

Accountant / Jan 2018 – Sept 2018

Weirman’s Tires – Ashford, CT

• Analyzed and reconciled periodic financial reports 
• Performed risk analysis using FRAP
• Processed journal entries and maintained account records
• Successfully managed payroll for all 15-employee
• Took care of minor HR concerns
• Established the recording of all month-end financial activity

Oftentimes, if you think hard you’ll be able to come up with a few extra points you can mention to beef up your experience section to make up for a low number of previous positions. 

In the example above, we added 6 additional line items, all relevant and sought-after, which will help take the place of a third job listing. 

You also might not have relevant results you can cite. 

However, mentioning things like how many employees you oversaw with payroll or the size of the budget of the business you managed are all decent replacements that lend some sense of credibility to your experience. 

Plus, even if the position didn’t last that long, listing more bullet points looks more impressive, like you handled a large number of responsibilities while you were working there. 

What if you have no experience at all

What if you’re fresh out of college and you haven’t even had your first job.

You could prioritize any certifications or degrees you have by formatting your resume with education at the top.

However, you’ll still want to get something you can list in your experience section if you have nothing at all.

Chances are, you have something you can mention along with a few relevant bullet points, like having helped manage the finances of the family business.

But if you don’t, here are some ways you can get more experience fast:

• Use your accounting skills to help during a volunteer event 
• List a non-accounting job where you used accounting-related skills and make those your bullet points
• Get an internship
• Do free work for a friend or a local business

And the great part is, it really doesn’t matter if that experience was only for a month or two. 

Just the fact that you have something you’re able to put down on the page that showed you applying your accounting skills is what counts. 

6. Why listing achievements, like certifications and awards, is important for an accounting resume and how to use them

An extension of education, certifications– as well as any relevant achievements / awards– are a powerful way of standing out.

When it comes to accounting, certifications are a big selling point. 

Especially if you’ve passed your CPA exam and can list that beautiful “Licensed Certified Public Accountant” on your resume. 

But that’s just one example. You should list any and all of these specialized certifications if you have them:

• Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
• Certified Financial Analyst (CFA)
• Certified Management Accountant (CMA)
• Enrolled Agent (EA)
• Certified Internal Auditor (CIA)
• Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
• Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA)

Some industries can get away without listing certifications like this on their resume. For you as an accountant, it’s a big selling point that you don’t want to pass up.

Remember: Accounting is a competitive job space. 

While there are typically more than enough accounting jobs to go around, there are also quite a few accountants (with the profession growing percent-wise each year) compared to other professions.

So, standing apart from the pack in any way you can is important. 

To use those certifications or other achievements, you could list them under education, like this:

WRONG

EDUCATION:

• Certified Public Accountant – Nov 2016
• Slauson University – Seattle, WA
  • B.A. / Accounting – June 2015

However, it’s a better idea to highlight those certifications in their own labeled section below or above “Education” and make a big deal out of them. 

After all, you earned them:

RIGHT

CERTIFICATIONS:

• Certified Public Accountant – November 2016

Don’t stop there, though.

To use those awesome certifications to their full potential, you’ll want to place them in 3 different places of your resume:

• After your name in the header
• In your profile/summary/objective
• And in a separate “Certifications” section

If you have more than one certification to showcase, you can even consider moving that “Certifications” section up to the top of your resume. 

That could be especially useful if your experience isn’t quite as impressive as your certifications, as we touched on earlier. 

You spent the time and energy earning those specialized certifications. And, in terms of snagging interviews and a bigger salary, those certifications are gold.

So, get the most from them by making sure they’re prominent throughout your resume.

7. What skills should you mention? + How to do it right

Remember earlier when we talked about ways to fill up your resume even if you don’t have much experience?

Creating an impressive resume when you don’t have much experience is partly about formatting your resume to highlight your strong points, such as a good GPA, school, or certifications.

However, it’s also about figuring out what other information you can get down onto your resume to fill the page.

Why does that matter?

A good resume only takes up a single page. Point and period. 

However, you want the page to look full, not empty, as that can send the wrong message to recruiters. (I.E. That you’ve got little experience and not much to offer, even if that’s not the case.)

One of those areas you can use to fill your resume even if you don’t have much accounting experience is the skills section. 

That’s because you can pull from all kinds of hard and soft skills, such as:

• Accounts receivable
• Account reconciliation
• Payroll
• Account analysis
• Tax returns
• Collections
• Problem-solving
• Autonomy
• IT skills
• Time management
• Leadership
• Presentation skills
• Work well in a team setting
• Software-related experience such as Microsoft Suite and Quickbooks

However, it’s not enough just to mention your various hard and soft skills. 

Why soft skills need to be placed in context

One of the biggest mistakes that accountants make when crafting their resume is to dump all of their soft skills into a bullet-point list and call it a day.

Like this:

WRONG

• Critical thinking
• Time management
• Leadership

Instead, you need to add an explanation that offers context to each of those soft skills.

For example:

RIGHT

• Used critical thinking to identify and lead a new initiative that uncovered $35,000 in annual tax savings. 
• Optimized my time management at Baren Rentals to manage a total of 10 accounts simultaneously and $425,000 in assets

Instead of just spewing a bunch of skills onto your resume, you’re adding compelling value by drawing a connection between that skill and what you’ve used it to do at a previous employer.

And the great part about this is those 3 to 4 skills can easily take up 6-8 lines at the end of your resume, helping it appear fuller and you more valuable, when you may not have previously had enough to round out the rest of the page. 

Whether you have extensive accounting experience or not, putting whatever skills you have into context shows recruiters that you actually have the skill and then uses it as yet another great selling point. 

8. How to effectively list the technical skills you have experience with

Wait, does that same lesson apply to technical skills? 

Fortunately and unfortunately, no. 

Putting technical skills in context like what we did with the soft skills above wouldn’t make sense.

So, you don’t have to worry about that extra work. 

However, taking the time to list out all of your relevant technical (especially software-related) skills is still important. 

That’s partly because employers want to know you’re already versed in whatever program they’re using (or need you to use).

But it’s also important because most Applicant Tracking Systems (or ATS) via job boards online crawl your resume for certain tech skill-related keywords.

By mentioning things such as “Quickbooks” and “Sage” you’re giving your resume a better chance of appearing in searches. 

Here’s a list of some of the software-related technical skills you can include on your resume:

• ORACLE
• Sage (Including Sage Intact, Business Cloud Accounting, and 50Cloud)
• Microsoft Excel / Microsoft Suite
• Quickbooks Pro / Enterprise
• Freshbooks
• Zoho
• Gusto
• Tipalti
• NetSuite

This is just a small list of the technical skills you can include on your resume. Any program or tool you’ve used in the past that’s relevant to your job is fair game here.

However, keep in mind: in the case of a 1-page PDF version of your resume you may occasionally send directly to employers, you might want to cut those technical skills down to the most essential. 

Otherwise, you may have a hard time fitting everything onto one page. 

Let Resumebuild take your resume to the next level

Now, you know everything you need to craft an incredible accounting resume.

We covered: 

• How to format your resume so your best selling points are prominent 
• What recruiters are looking for– and how to give it to them
• How to write a killer objective or summary that sets the tone for your entire resume
• How to write an accounting resume effectively even with little to no experience
• How to use certifications, achievements, and your skillset as additional selling points, instead of just those things you stuff at the end of your resume

Accounting is one of the most popular professions in the U.S. 

But if you know how to stand out, you’re far above the pack. 

Use the tips above to craft an amazing resume that leaves a lasting impression with recruiters and gets the phone calls rolling in.

Crafting the layout of the resume itself still takes a bit of work, though.

If you want to save time and energy formatting your next resume, check out Resumebuild’s resume template collection and builder. 

You can choose from a large number of templates to find the perfect layout and style for you. 

Drop your resume content in, add a few personal touches, and you’re all set.

Get started crafting your next best resume by checking out our full library of templates here.