The quality of your resume can mean the difference between being stuck in a role with no prospects or being offered a great new position.
Your resume is still the first thing clients ask for and will be the decider between getting an interview and being left out of the recruitment process.
The resume has been around for hundreds of years, and over time it has changed and evolved with the world of work.
As accounting recruiters, we have seen the evolution of the resume, and today we are sharing some invaluable top tips to ensure you get on the radar of the best accounting employers.
The Purpose of a Resume for Employers
Let’s start by thinking about what function your resume serves for employers.
For a start, we should point out that many accounting employers are pushed for time, and they are looking for shortcuts in their recruitment process – they want it shouting out to them that you are the candidate they are looking for.
So to fit this requirement, your resume should be highly tailored to the employer or hiring manager that is looking after the recruitment process.
Aim to find out where possible exactly who to address your resume and cover letter to – this makes it stand out more than letters simply addressed ‘Dear Sir/Madam’ and tailor your resume and cover letter specifically to the company and the role you are applying for.
All too often, accounting candidates send generic resumes or cover letters – these are usually the candidates who don’t get past the first round of the recruitment process.
In today’s competition-led job market, your resume needs to do the following:
Immediately capture the attention of the recruiter or employer
Illustrate how your skills and abilities clearly relate to the job description
Show how much of a culture fit you are to the organisation
Increase your chance of getting a first interview.
Your resume should be a succinct summary of why you are the ideal candidate for this role.
So let’s look at what makes the ideal accounting resume.
Make Sure it’s Relevant
Many people include skills, knowledge and experience on their resume that, although they might be proud of, it is not relevant to this company or role.
Remember the following tips when thinking about what to include in your resume:
Make sure your resume includes everything the job advert specifies.
Use similar terminology to that found in the job advert to strike a connection with the employer or hiring manager.
If there are any areas that you don’t have the required skills, address this by demonstrating your desire to learn, which you can back up with previous examples of learning a new skill for a previous role.
Keep your resume short, and to the point. The ideal length is two pages, but it can be longer if you have lots of relevant experience.
The following are what to include in your resume to make sure it ticks all the right boxes.
Sections to Include
Remembering always to keep it relevant and avoid unnecessarily long explanations or details, structure your resume using these sections.
Personal details – make sure these are up to date, with your current address, professional email address and correct phone number.
Your personal statement – this can be a short couple of paragraphs at the top of your resume, which summarises in short why you have the skills and experience which make you an ideal candidate for this role.
Your work experience – include all of your relevant work experience, which demonstrates your ability to thrive in a similar role. Include the name of the organisation, the time you held the position for and your job title.
Achievements – give specific examples of your previous achievement, which will allow you to excel in the role you are applying for. For example: Improving efficiency and reducing workload for the Finance team by implementing a new payroll system
Education – only include educational achievements which are relevant to the job.
Finally, let’s look at some tips to remember to create an eye-catching accounting resume.
Accounting resume Top Tips
Even with the right relevant information, your resume will still need to perform in other ways to catch the attention of the hiring manager.
The following are our top tips to get your resume noticed:
Check and double-check that your contact details are up to date – have you changed your mobile number since you created your resume?
Use a professional email address without nicknames or slang in it – if you haven’t got one, create one.
Include a link to your LinkedIn profile – the hiring manager will probably look you up online anyway, you might as well direct them to where they can find your LinkedIn profile.
Don’t include a picture on your resume – it’s an outdated concept and adds no relevance to the recruitment process.
Run your resume through spell check before you print or send it. Also, have someone – a friend or a recruiter - to check for spelling and grammar mistakes.
Choose a font that looks good, but that is clear and easy to read. Make sure the font isn’t too large or too small. Don’t use lots of different sizes or styles of font – simple is best.
Avoid cliches such as ‘go-getter’, ‘think outside the box’ and ‘multi-tasker’ when describing yourself. If you are struggling writing your resume, an accounting recruiter will be able to help.
Finally, let’s look at the importance of the cover letter to go with your resume.
Your Cover Letter
We often get asked whether you should include a cover letter or not – our answer is always yes!
Your cover letter is another opportunity to show you’ve researched the business and made sure that you’re appropriate for the role. Within your cover letter, you can go beyond the skills and education outlined in your resume to show that you are familiar with the company and explain a little more about yourself and why you want to apply for their vacancy.
Finally
Your resume is your chance to introduce yourself to an accounting recruitment company or hiring manager in a meaningful way.
If you can show the person looking at your resume that you match the job description as closely as possible, then you’ll get the interview.
For more information on how we can help you craft your accounting resume, as well as find new roles for you to apply to – get in touch with us today.
You can call us on 02 8877 8700 or email us at enquiries@hedleyscott.com.au to discuss your resume and your next career move.