CPA Resume Examples & Templates for 2025

More CPA Resume Examples

Our CPA resume examples show how to highlight your accounting skills, analytical expertise, and attention to detail. Use these accounting resume samples to create a resume that showcases your strengths for roles in finance and accounting.

Advice for Writing Your CPA Resume

Explore tips on how to write a resume tailored for a CPA role. Discover how to highlight your accounting skills and financial expertise in ways that catch the eye of potential employers.

Highlight your most relevant skills

When applying for a CPA position, listing your relevant skills is a key part of your resume. It helps employers understand what you can bring to their company. A dedicated skills section shows both technical skills, like accounting software and financial analysis, as well as interpersonal skills such as teamwork and communication.

This balance makes you stand out because it highlights not only your ability to crunch numbers but also how well you work with others. Integrating these key skills into the work experience section is also important. By doing this, you show how you’ve applied your skills in real-life situations and made a difference at past jobs.

For example, mentioning how you used analytical skills to improve financial reports or your communication skills to explain complex data to clients adds depth to your resume. This approach gives employers a clear picture of how you’ll contribute if hired.

Crafting your resume this way helps ensure that potential employers see the full range of what you have to offer. Remember, it’s not just about listing skills; it’s about showing how those skills have been used effectively in the workplace and can be beneficial in the role you’re applying for.

Showcase your accomplishments

When organizing your work experience, start with the most recent job and work backward. Each job entry should include your job title, employer name, location, and employment dates. This helps hiring managers quickly see your career progression.

Quantifying your accomplishments makes your resume stand out more than just listing job duties. Instead of saying you “handled financial reports,” say you “reduced report errors by 20% through improved review processes.”

Use numbers to show percentages, time saved, cost reductions, or efficiency improvements. Strong action verbs, like “achieved,” “implemented,” or “improved,” make your resume more dynamic.

Turning duties into achievements helps hiring managers see the impact of your work. For example, instead of writing that you “managed accounts,” say you “led a team to streamline account management, cutting processing time by 30%.”

Quantified accomplishments let employers quickly assess your skills and contributions. Focus on core duties and measurable results to highlight what you’ve achieved as a CPA.

5 CPA work history bullet points

• Prepared and analyzed financial statements for over 50 clients annually, ensuring compliance with GAAP and reducing reporting errors by 25%
• Conducted in-depth audits for small to mid-sized businesses, identifying $1.2 million in recoverable expenses
• Streamlined tax preparation processes for corporate clients, decreasing turnaround time by 30% during peak seasons
• Advised clients on strategic tax planning initiatives that resulted in $500,000 in annual savings collectively
• Managed accounts payable and receivable for a portfolio of 20+ clients, improving cash flow accuracy by 15%

Write a strong professional summary

A professional summary is a brief section at the top of your resume that introduces you to hiring managers. It helps them quickly understand your experience and skills, making it easier for them to decide if you’re a good fit for the CPA role. You can choose between a summary and an objective based on your career stage.

A professional summary is typically three to four sentences long, highlighting your experience, skills, and achievements. It’s most effective for those with considerable work history, like experienced CPAs, and showcases your professional identity and value to potential employers. It focuses on what you’ve accomplished in past roles.

On the other hand, resume objectives are statements about career goals and are best suited for entry-level candidates, those changing careers, or individuals with employment gaps. Unlike summaries, objectives emphasize what you aim to contribute rather than past successes.

We’ll provide examples of both summaries and objectives tailored for various industries and levels of experience to help illustrate how they can improve your resume effectively. Explore our library of resume examples for additional samples tailored to various career stages.

CPA resume summary examples

CPA resume objective examples

Match your resume to the job description

Tailoring your resume to the job description is essential in today’s competitive job market. Employers often rely on applicant tracking systems (ATS) to scan resumes for specific keywords and phrases from their job postings.

By aligning your resume content with the job description, you boost your chances of standing out and making it through these automated filters. An ATS-friendly resume incorporates the right keywords to align your skills with what employers are looking for.

Highlighting the exact terms and phrases from the job ad helps hiring managers quickly see how you fit the role. This approach bridges the gap between automated screening software and human review.

To identify these keywords, carefully analyze the job posting. Pay attention to repeated words or phrases tied to skills, qualifications, and responsibilities. For instance, if you’re applying for a CPA position, emphasize terms like “financial analysis,” “audit preparation,” or “budget management.”

Once you’ve pinpointed these terms, weave them naturally into your resume content. If a listing mentions “perform financial audits,” adapt this by stating you “performed comprehensive financial audits” in past roles. This ensures relevance without sounding forced.

By taking time to customize your resume, you’ll not only improve ATS compatibility but also create a document that resonates with potential employers by highlighting skills that match their expectations directly.