Elena Prokopets
Claire Briggs Webber, CPRW
Let’s keep it real: The success of any business boils down to money. Making money is important, but so is keeping track of it. That’s why profitable businesses keep great records. That’s where you come in! As a professional bookkeeper, you ensure that all of those transactions are recorded and that every dime is accounted for.
You have experience, skills, and amazing attention to detail. You just need a new employer who appreciates them. That requires a great resume, and we’re here to help with that. We have put together a sample bookkeeper resume along with some writing tips you can apply right away.
Bookkeeper Resume Example (Word)
Bookkeeper Resume (plain text)
Professional Summary
Detail-oriented, self-starter with five years of experience as a bookkeeper for small and medium-sized businesses. In addition to keeping impeccable records, developed multiple systems and processes to improve data processing efficiency and accuracy. Seeking a long-term position as a senior bookkeeper at a growing organization.
Skill Set
- MS Excel
- Word
- GAAP
- AP/AR
- Quickbooks & Xero
- Account reconciliation
- Payroll management
- Tax preparation
Employment History
Senior Bookkeeper
The Davis Group
January 2019 – Present
Led a five-person bookkeeping department at a firm, servicing mid-market companies in the manufacturing, FMCG, and service industries. Duties:
- Training AR and AP Clerks
- Conducting Employee Evaluation
- Review of incoming and outcoming funds exceeded 10K per transaction
- Working with internal and external auditors
- Financial record review and quality control
Accomplishments:
- Streamlined financial record-keeping processes leading to a 20% increase in efficiency and a 19% reduction in errors
- Assisted the company in obtaining PPP funding, ensured that the funds were distributed in accordance with the law, and monitored the process of repayment and forgiveness.
Intern Bookkeeper
Hollywood Entertainment Management
August 2017 – January 2019
Started as an intern bookkeeper, then was promoted to the full-time interim position of bookkeeper at a boutique entertainment management agency. My responsibilities were:
- Entering and verifying financial transactions
- Assisting senior bookkeepers and accountants with special projects
- Creating and analyzing reports
- Assisting senior management with interpreting various financial records
During my time at Hollywood Entertainment Management, I was able to uncover a significant discrepancy in financial record keeping that led to the recovery of more than $500K in misappropriated funds.
Education
Lake Park West Community College
Associate of Applied Science – Accounting
June 2017
4.0 GPA
Deans List
Student Government Treasurer/Secretary
Hollywood West High School
Diploma
May 2015
Memberships Awards And Interests
Gold Member California Association of Accounting Professionals
Certified Professional Bookkeeper
Assistant Scout Master
How to Write a Bookkeeping Resume
Bookkeepers need to communicate their value to the organization. Not only you can keep track of the money flows, but you can also help recover and multiply them through better financial management. Use your resume to paint a picture of how you’re going to help the organization put its money to better use.
Below are some extra tips to help you craft a bookkeeping resume similar to the above!
Lead With Your Strengths
The first thing on your resume will be the most memorable. Start with a strong, professional summary or objective statement. Lead your skill set with the most marketable bullet point. Those will be the hiring manager’s key takeaways.
Remember that you can also structure your entire resume using this principle. For example, if you have extensive experience in your field, start your resume with the job history portion at the top. If you have less experience, you can lead with your skill set. This includes any skills you developed as a student, intern, or volunteer.
Show Your Outcomes
Too many resumes are discarded without further consideration because the applicant includes all sorts of mundane details about their daily tasks. Hiring managers don’t care about that. They want to know about your responsibilities and the outcomes you were able to achieve.
As someone in a “number-crunching” profession, you know the importance of quantifying things. You have to do the same thing on your resume: Give precise figures on the outcomes. Take the example above. The writer doesn’t just claim that they improved efficiency or reduced errors. They used numbers to demonstrate exactly how much.
Keep Your Resume Compact
Your resume should be lean and easy to read. If it is more than one page, it’s time to engage in some ruthless editing. Get rid of irrelevant jobs and trim any other fat you can find (e.g., long-winded sentences, hobbies, outdated certifications, etc).
Then, take a look at your resume formatting. Use more bullet points and subheadings. These get the point across succinctly and are much easier to read than the stereotypical wall of text.
Use Keywords
Before a resume is read by a human being, applicant tracking software analyzes and excludes it. Frequently, such tools scan for specific keywords to determine the candidate’s suitability. The best way you can get past this software is to understand which keywords you need to have on your resume. Generally, you can get these from the job listing. Look for years of experience, required skills, software packages, apps, etc.
Final Tip: Demonstrate Career Growth
Your resume should communicate the story of your career. It should show a clear progression including advancement, taking on additional responsibilities, and managing more complex expectations. Don’t repeat the same list of duties through each role. Diversify them a bit!
