Bookkeeper Resume Guide + Tips + Example
Propel your career with an effective bookkeeper resume. Our guide can help you create an effective bookkeeper resume to showcase your financial and people skills and present you as a desirable candidate.
Start by editing this bookkeeper resume sample template or explore our 40+ resume templates to find the best one for you.
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Bookkeeper resume example (text version)
John Hensley
Norman, OK 73072
(555) 555-5555
example@example.com
Summary Statement
Organized and efficient office assistant seeking a bookkeeper role. Proficient in using accounting software such as QuickBooks. Executed bookkeeping tasks for a large construction company and excelled at quickly learning new accounting methods and procedures.
Summary of Qualifications
- Multitalented with skills in supply management, record keeping and schedule coordination.
- Experienced with updating records and creating reports using a variety of software programs including Microsoft Excel, QuickBooks and Xero.
- Able to meet business objectives with an organized approach and strong multitasking abilities.
Relevant Skills
- Bookkeeping
- Entered payments and documented account changes for accuracy and transparency.
- Handled daily bank deposits, managed statements and processed payroll for 100 employees.
- Updated QuickBooks accounting software to reflect accurate financial records.
Organization - Applied proper codes to invoices, files and receipts to keep records organized and easily searchable.
- Organized weekly staff meetings and logged minutes for corporate records.
- Maintained office supplies inventory of 1,000 items by checking stock and ordering new supplies as needed.
- Attention to detail
- Verified accurate record-keeping processes, effectively reducing financial inconsistencies.
- Verified time cards of 30 contract employees to prepare accurate biweekly payroll.
- Proactively identified all errors by developing cross-referencing databases.
Work History
March 2019 – Current
S&R Construction – Norman, OK
Office Assistant
August 2017 – March 2019
Stewart Transport Inc. – Norman, OK
Receptionist
Education
May 2020
Oklahoma City Community College Oklahoma City, OK
Associate of Science Accounting
5 essentials of a top bookkeeper resume
Contact details
This section will contain all the information needed to contact you. The standard is: full name, city, state and ZIP code, followed by phone number and email address. Finally, add a professional website, LinkedIn profile, or any other professional networking profile.
Personal statement
The personal statement is your introduction to the hiring manager. Also called a professional summary, this section is where you will present your best job-relevant skill and strongest work experience. In no more than five sentences, include your years of experience and one or two professional accomplishments. Remember to tailor this section to the bookkeeper job description for a resume.
Skills
Your skills show the hiring manager what you can bring to the table and how you work with others. Catch the recruiter’s attention with a skills section that includes keywords that match the job description. Create a balanced bulleted list of hard skills, like your QuickBooks expertise and cash flow reports, and soft skills, such as your problem-solving and time management.
If this is your first job as a bookkeeper, you can include transferable skills from other employment.
Work history
List your work history in reverse-chronological order to showcase your experience in the field. Add the company names, locations and dates of employment. For every job, include a bulleted list of three measurable accomplishments, like how you successfully implemented an initiative to reduce overhead costs, the number of reports prepared and an increase in profit due to your timely documentation.
If this is your first job as a bookkeeper, you can include other relevant work experience, like volunteer experiences, community services, professional projects and more.
Education
Use bullet points to create your bookkeeper’s education section. On each bullet point, include the educational institution’s name, the degree conferred and graduation year. If your graduation date was 10 years ago or more, you can skip it. If you did not attend college, list your high school and any other post-high school course you’ve completed.
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Action words for a stand-out bookkeeper resume
Add confidence to your bookkeeper resume with action words. Their directness adds strength to your skills and experience. Combine them with measurable achievements to create an effective resume for a bookkeeper.
Here’s a short list of action words for a bookkeeper resume:
- Improved
- Reduced
- Projected
- Reconciled
- Allocated
- Forecasted
- Determined
- Decreased
- Adapted
- Assessed
- Calculated
- Reported
- Corrected
Our Resume Builder can help you create an effective resume in as little as 15 minutes. It has all the tools you need, including editing and step-by-step guidance. Consider our expert suggestions as you build your resume and, once you’re satisfied, download it in multiple formats. We have 800+ resume examples to help you create the perfect bookkeeper resume.
Top skills for a bookkeeping resume
Grab the recruiter’s attention by creating a skills section with your best bookkeeping skills. Use the job description to match the required skills to the skills and traits that fit you.
Your skills might include the following:
- QuickBooks
- Accounting
- Microsoft Excel
- Accounting
- Microsoft Office
- Outlook
- Cash flow reports
- Account receivables and payables
- Attention to detail
- Time management
- Excellent written and verbal communication
- Problem-solving skills
- Collaboration
- Organization
Certifications for a bookkeeping resume
Certifications can provide a potential employer the reassurance that you have the skills to perform the role of a bookkeeper. While not necessary to work as a bookkeeper, having the credentials to back up your knowledge can help you stand out from the pool of applicants.
There are two nationally recognized certifications for bookkeepers:
- Certified Public Bookkeeping (CPB) by the National Association of Certified Public Bookkeepers.
- Certified Bookkeeper (CB) by the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers
You can also explore other related certifications, like:
- QuickBooks Certification
- Inuit Academy Bookkeeping Professional Certificate
- Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC)
Pair your resume with a matching cover letter
Bookkeeping resume FAQ
1. How to write a resume for a bookkeeper position?
The first step to writing a resume for a bookkeeper is to save or screenshot the job description. You will use it as a guide to match its skills and requirements to your skills and experience. You should always be truthful while showing you are a candidate to consider.
Start with the essentials by including the five primary sections:
- Contact information
- Personal statement or professional summary
- Skills
- Work history
- Education
Then, move on to optional sections that could help you stand out from other candidates, like:
- Certifications and licenses
- Professional memberships or associations
- Volunteer experience
Use the sample bookkeeper resume as a guide to build your resume. You can also create an effective resume quickly and easily with our Resume Builder, which provides step-by-step guidance and editable content suggestions.
2. What to write in the resume summary for bookkeeper?
Your personal statement is the introduction to your hiring manager. They’ll read this and the skills section before moving on to the rest of the resume. You need to make an impact fast.
Ensure your summary has all the essential information:
- Always tailor your professional summary to the job description.
- Open with your years of experience.
- Include your strongest job-relevant skill.
- Add an important achievement or two that could resonate with the employer.
For example:
Certified bookkeeper with three years of experience in SMEs. Expertise in account reconciliation, collections and payment processing. Creative and organized collaborator with stellar financial record-keeping. Certified in QuickBooks and Payroll Fundamentals.
3. How to list the duties of a bookkeeper on a resume?
A resume should show you in the best light. The way to achieve this is through your accomplishments. This is why, under each job, you should list your accomplishments instead of your daily duties.
Achievements do not have to be once-in-a-blue-moon occurrences. By adding numbers to your duties, you’re already showing an employer your accomplishments. For example, the amount of reports processes, percentage of savings reached through account reconciliation or a streamlined process implemented by you.
Do’s and don’ts for building a bookkeeping resume
- Use measurable achievements to describe your bookkeeping skills and experience.
- Use action words to make an impact on your bookkeeper resume.
- Tailor your CV to your target bookkeeper job.
- Use keywords from the job description throughout your bookkeeper resume.
- Format your bookkeeper resume so that it is easy to read by ATS software and human eyes.
- Lie about your bookkeeping experience and skills.
- Boast about your “incomparable” bookkeeping abilities.
- Include irrelevant personal information such as your ethnicity and age.
- Add skills and experience that do not pertain to a bookkeeper.
- Forget to proofread. A bookkeeper resume with errors is unprofessional and will be discarded.
Top 4 tips for acing a bookkeeper interview
Research the potential employer
Start your job application process by learning more about the company, its history, goals and values. Use their official channels, like their website and social media, as well as the news and employees’ reviews. This knowledge will help you answer questions during the interview and show your interest and commitment to the role.
Practice at home.
Ease your nerves by prepping. Practice an interview with the help of a friend or relative. Start by reviewing the most common interview questions, such as:
- Describe the System You Use for Keeping Track of Multiple Projects.
- What Is the Most Significant Contribution You Made to the Company During a Past Job or Internship?
- What Have You Accomplished That Shows Your Initiative and Willingness to Work?
Research other possible interview questions that could apply to the role, write down your answers and practice with your interview partner. Once you’re done, ask them for feedback and work with them to improve your answers, tone and body language. Being prepared will boost your confidence during the interview. Remember not to overdo it, which will have the opposite effect.
Pro tip: Practice in front of a mirror. Remember to look at both your facial expressions and body language, which hiring managers will notice.
Be proactive and ask questions.
The interview goes both ways: you’re interviewing the employer as much as they’re interviewing you. Prepare between three and five questions to learn more about the role and how the employer fits your own career goals.
- Why did you choose to work here?
- What could you tell me about the company culture?
- What is the career path for this position?
- How do you support the bookkeeper role?
- What is your ideal candidate for this role?
- What are the biggest challenges for this position?
Always ask open-ended questions and give the interviewer a chance to answer them.
Round up your references.
Contact former managers and colleagues to be potential references as you start applying for a bookkeeper position. Your potential references should be able to vouch for your work ethic and skills. Explain to them where you are in the process and let them know they could receive a phone call or email. Also, request at least two letters of recommendation for you.
If this is your first full-time job as a bookkeeper, you can request a reference from a mentor, former professor, community leader, volunteer coordinator or classmate that can vouch for your skills.
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Nilda Melissa Diaz
Career Advice Contributor
Nilda Melissa Díaz is a Career Advice Writer. She has worked for the Washington Post, Stringr, and Latina Style Magazine. She has a master's in journalism from Columbia University and is a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.
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