Stunning CPA CV examples for you to use

A Certified Public Accountant, or CPA, conducts audits and creates financial reports. What do you need to know to write a better CPA CV?

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Table of Contents

  1. CPA CV examples
  2. What should I highlight in a CPA CV?
  3. The structure of a CPA CV
  4. Do’s and don’ts for a CPA CV
  5. FAQ: CPA CV examples

CPA CV examples

If you’re seeking an accounting position, your CV should showcase all your important skills and work history. If you want a job as a Certified Public Accountant, or CPA, your accounting CV must include particular skills and qualifications. Here’s how you can use our CV examples to create an accounting CV that turns heads.

What should I highlight in a CPA CV?

In a CPA CV, you need to focus the hiring manager’s attention on your certifications, your eye for detail, and your knowledge of the way that accounting professionals work. This is true whether you’re trying to get hired directly by a company that needs a financial analyst, or an accounting firm that will take on clients. Either way, you need to be detail-oriented and have general knowledge of the field.

The structure of a CPA CV

Your CPA CV structure will depend partially on the CV format you choose. CV formats include chronological, functional, and combination formats. All formats emphasise different aspects of your experience, which are effective in searching for jobs.
 
Contact information
 
The header goes at the very top of your CV and contains your contact information. It typically includes your name and professional links, such as your LinkedIn profile. This section tells hiring managers who you are and creates a great introduction to your information.
 
Professional summary or career objective
 
Next, you’ll write the professional summary or CV objective. This is where you go over all your work experience, academic experience, key achievements, and skill set, then combine them all into a 2-3 sentence paragraph. Although the professional summary goes at the top, it’s usually best to wait until you’ve finished the other sections. This makes it easier to look through your CV and select your best achievements.
 
Skills
 

A CPA by definition needs a lot of skills. Some of these are skills that you’ll learn through the process of becoming a CPA, while some will be skills you’ll learn through years of experience. Most accounting CV examples will include some of these bullet points:

  • Audits
  • Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
  • General accounting and bookkeeping
  • Financial reporting
  • Accounting software (QuickBooks, Microsoft Office Excel)
  • Accounts payable and accounts receivable
  • Enterprise Resource Planning software (ERP)
  • Account reconciliation
  • Financial managements
  • General ledger skills
  • Ability to read financial statements
  • Financial records
  • Filing and understanding tax returns
  • Regulatory principles
  • Communication skills

Both hard skills and soft skills are important to succeed as a CPA. General accounting skills and interpersonal skills both play into whether a recruiter wants to hire you, so you need to list both of these types of skills.

 
Work history
 
Next is your work experience section. This is where you list all past job titles you’ve held, along with a short job description and information about the skills you used in these jobs. You might not always list CPA jobs exclusively. Jobs as a staff accountant or tax accountant, for example, are considered relevant experience for CPA jobs.
 
Education
Last is your education section. As a CPA, you’ll have gone through CPA training and pass one or more accounting certifications from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) or Certified Public Accountant (CPA). List your educational credentials in reverse-chronological order. You don’t have to include your GCSEs.

Do’s and don’ts for a CPA CV

Do:

  • Include up to 10 years of experience in CPA-related fields. A professional CV will typically list the last 10 years of experience, but you can add more if you’re aiming at a more senior-level position.
  • Look at CV samples before you write your CV. The CPA CV examples at CVHelp allow you to see what these CVs typically look like.
  • Discuss specific projects you’ve been part of. This allows companies to see how you’ve used your skills, not just that you have them.

Don’t:

  • Include more than a handful of skills. You typically shouldn’t include more than a dozen skills in a functional CV and no more than 10 in a chronological CV.
  • List basic computer and accounting skills. These skills come with being a CPA, and it’s important that you list genuine skills you can bring to a company.

Try to create your own CV from scratch. The CVHelp CV builder and the professional CV templates it uses are a great starting point for anyone looking to make a beautiful CV.

FAQ: CPA CV examples

Q: Do I need to include a cover letter for a CPA application?

Yes. If you have a CPA application, you should include both a cover letter and a CV. While the CV writing process is important, a cover letter allows you to explain why you should be the applicant the hiring manager chooses. The cover letter also allows you to spotlight experiences that you might not have otherwise been able to showcase.

Q: How can I write a CPA CV without a lot of experience?

If you have a CPA designation, you have experience, it just might not be in the job field. Remember that for entry-level CPA work, job seekers can include academic experience and experience in related fields, like preparing tax returns. These all work together to make a CV that shines when you submit it.

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

One of the best ways to create the perfect CV for your job search is to use CV keywords. Scan the job listing and look for required skills and qualifications. Then, use those keywords in your CV where appropriate (e.g., in your skills section, or in a description of a previous job responsibility or achievement). You’ll be reflecting exactly what the recruiter and the applicant tracking software (ATS) are looking for.
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