Accounting clerk CV examples to help you build yours

Accounting clerks are important for managing business finances. How do you create a great CV that shows you can handle this responsibility?

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Table of Contents

  1. What to highlight in an accounting clerk CV
  2. Structure of an accounting clerk CV
  3. Do’s and don’ts for an accounting clerk CV
  4. FAQ: Accounting clerk CV examples

What to highlight in an accounting clerk CV

From filing expense reports to tracking bank deposits and preparing financial statements, accounting clerks play an important role in managing personal and business finances. 

Because of the competitive nature of the financial and accounting market, becoming an accounting clerk might not be easy. To give yourself the best chance at producing the perfect CV, you need to highlight your in-depth knowledge of accounting clerk duties such as finding financial discrepancies, managing spreadsheets, knowing the difference between accounts payable and accounts receivable, and more!

Structure of an accounting clerk CV

The way your accounting clerk CV is organised depends on the type of CV format you choose. Professionals can choose from a chronological, functional or combination format. 

If you have a lot of years of experience working in an accounting department, choose a chronological CV so you can focus on your experience. Select a functional format if you’re a recent graduate with little experience but have valid qualifications or certifications. Combination CVs are a great option for candidates with three to eight years of experience and skills.  

Regardless of your format, your professional CV will have the following sections dedicated to skills, experience, and education. 

Contact information

The CV header section atop your CV contains your contact information. You should put your name, address, phone number and email address in this section. This helps the hiring manager contact you to schedule you for an interview.  

If you’re a seasoned professional, you can also include a link to professional networking sites, like LinkedIn. This is a great way to provide the hiring manager or recruiter with more information, especially if you can’t fit it all in your CV or cover letter. 

Professional summary

Your professional summary section is an opportunity to grab the hiring manager or recruiter’s attention. The best summary provides a strong introduction to the candidate, including their most impressive skills and experience, and is two or three sentences long. Think of this section as a precursor to your accounting clerk cover letter, which allows you to go into further detail about your impressive qualities. 

Skills

If you have a recent associate’s or bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance, you might not have a lot of experience to reference in your CV. To tackle this, you can choose the functional CV, which allows you to present more skills to compensate for your lack of work experience. 

Recruiters and hiring managers are likely to look for CVs that have a good combination of hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills are role-specific skills that allow candidates to fulfil primary responsibilities. Soft skills are transferable across multiple industries and consist of general life skills like communication, teamwork and collaborative skills.

Regardless of the CV format you choose, a skills section is still important for all job seekers from all backgrounds. Here are some accounting skills and related soft skills to consider: 

  • Data entry 
  • Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel)
  • Accounting software, such as QuickBooks and FreshBooks
  • Financial report writing 
  • Problem-solving 
  • Time management 
  • Account management 
  • Communication skills 
  • Analysis of financial data 
  • Financial record-keeping 
  • Organisational skills 
  • Tracking purchase orders 
  • Team player 
  • Mathematical skills 
  • Reconciling bank statements
  • General ledger
  • Year-end financial statements

Work history

If you have previous experience in an accounting clerk job, then your CV should highlight this. Your work history section provides a record of your previous experience and primary duties. You can provide bullet points to explain your key accomplishments.

You should list your experience in reverse-chronological order, starting from the most recent job. Consider providing the company name, location and the dates you started and finished. 

Education

Accounting clerks typically need GCSEs in maths, English and IT with A-Levels in maths and English to get hired. Some prospective employers might also be interested in a Level 2 Certificate in Bookkeeping or in Accounting.

Do’s and don’ts for an accounting clerk CV

Here are some additional tips for creating your accounting clerk CV: 

Do: 

  • Proofread your CV once you have finished. Nothing will get your CV tossed in the trash faster than spelling and grammatical errors.
  • Research the job posting to find keywords related to skills and requirements to use in your CV. This helps your CV pass applicant tracking systems (ATS). Use these keywords throughout your CV to increase your chances of getting through an ATS.
  • Use a CV template and CV builder to give your document structure.

Don’t: 

  • Include job titles that are irrelevant or over a decade old. This can clutter your CV. 
  • Forget to include how your previous experience has made a difference to clients. Use quantifiable numbers to back up your claims.
  • Use overly complex language in your CV. Your CV presents your communication skills, so you need to put your best foot forward.

FAQ: Accounting clerk CV examples

Q: Should I use a cover letter in my application?

Yes! Cover letters are a great tool to explain further why you’re the ideal candidate for the role. Because you can’t go into extreme detail in your CV, a cover letter is a good chance for you to explain your specialist skills and knowledge that make you a better candidate. You can talk more deeply about accounting principles and how you intend to enforce them in your cover letter. This will grab the hiring manager’s attention and increase your chances of success.

Q: What are the qualifications of an accounting clerk?

If you’re looking at accounting clerk roles in your job search, you may see some required qualifications. To gain the necessary qualifications, you can get a degree in accounting or business or receive an associate degree to learn the basics of taxation and other accounting clerk primary duties.

Q: How do I change my accounting clerk CV to apply to different jobs?

If you’re applying to many jobs in your job search, you should tailor each CV by selecting keywords specific to the role (e.g., specific skills or experiences listed in the job posting). This will also help in getting through an ATS. The skills you add to your CV should be taken directly from the job posting. This will help the hiring manager match you to the role.

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