Bookkeeper Resume: Free Templates & Examples

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ResumeGiants » Examples » Bookkeeper Resume

When we think of bookkeeper duties and responsibilities, resume-writing is usually not one of them. Yet, you’ll find everyone needs to know how to write a resume that’ll get the job, no matter what position they’re after.

It can only take a glance for a hiring agent to decide whether to consider your resume or move straight on to the next. If your goal is to create a successful resume for a bookkeeper, we can be of help. 

Other than using our resume builder, this guide will show you strong (and weak) examples of bookkeeper resumes and will give you good insight into what a bookkeeper’s resume should look like.

Before getting started, consider using our resume templates to make your resume. 

Simply fill out the details with relevant information, similar to what you’ll see on our bookkeeper resume sample. Pdf and text file versions of your creation are available for download, as well as an online link to the resume which will update every time you make changes! 

We still recommend you read through the article, so you learn how to write the resume, but if you’re in a rush, our free templates are a great resource. 
For reference to what the end product will be, here’s a sample bookkeeper resume:

Resume Example

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[Julia Davis]

[Bookkeeper]

[2777 Emily Drive, Columbia, South Carolina 29203 | 803-201-6085 | julia.davis@gmail.com]

Summary

Bookkeeper with a BA in accounting and 3 years of work experience as an accounting assistant. Skilled in the use of bookkeeping software including Xero and MS Excel. Meticulous and DIligent worker skilled in financial reporting, tax filing, cost control analysis, and invoicing.

Experience

Accounting assistant at Macy Accounting Firm, South Carolina

2019 – 2022

• Successfully filled monthly and annual reports and balanced general ledgers
• Communicated with higher-ups and facilitated the implementation of Xero
• Processed payroll monthly

Education

Bachelor of Arts in Accounting

University of Arizona | Tucson, AZ

2014 – 2018

Skills

• MS Word, MS Excel, MS Outlook
• Xero
• QuickBooks
• Communication
• Time-management

Languages

• English – Native
• Spanish – Fluent
• German – Intermediate

If you’ve looked at different bookkeeper resume samples, you may have noticed the formatting can change with each example. Thus, before you start filling out any information you need to select an appropriate resume format that’ll best work for your application.

There are 3 main resume formats that are used most frequently:

• Reverse-chronological;
• Functional;
• Combination/Hybrid.

In our bookkeeper resume example, we used a reverse-chronological structure. This is the most commonly used format, but not the only way to organize your resume and be successful. It’s important to know how the different formats work and when it will benefit you to use each.

Reverse-chronological Format

The reverse-chronological format is the most popular one when it comes to building your CV, and it’s often preferred by a large number of recruiters. This resume type lists your experience and accomplishments in reverse-chronological order – you start with the most recent, and oftentimes most impressive achievement, and work backward.

The reverse-chronological format prioritizes experience, which is why it’s favored by hiring agents – and makes the best choice for applicants with plenty of work history in bookkeeping.

If you’re new to the job market and lack substantial experience, you can still use the reverse-chronological resume format. The difference is that you’d only need to list your education, certificates, and qualifications.

However, just because you can use this structure, doesn’t mean you should. While it is the most common way to construct a CV, recent graduates and applicants with large career gaps may benefit from exploring other formats.

Functional Format

The functional resume, otherwise called the skill-based resume, is another popular pick for applicants. 

When using a functional resume the emphasis will always fall on your professional skill set. This format can be a good choice if you’re a recent graduate or switching career paths. In both cases, you’d lack relevant work experience and want to focus on your skills instead.

Combination Format

The combination resume is also known as the hybrid resume, and it’s a mixture of the two formats we discussed above. This type of resume focuses equally on your work experience and skill set.

Again, recruiters are going to prefer a reverse-chronological format, so the combination resume has limited uses. Still, this format can be very effective in some cases. Most often, the combination format is a go-to for highly experienced candidates applying for senior-level positions. Yet, this resume can also be good for applicants who have certain gaps in employment. 

A combination format can be more challenging to put together, so if you find it too complicated use a bookkeeper resume template as help.

As you may have noticed, our bookkeeper sample resume opened with a well-written summary. Although there are many different ways to format and structure a resume, most often you want to include a resume profile at the very top.

The two types of resume profiles are:

• A resume summary – ideal for highly-experienced, long-time bookkeepers;
• A resume objective – a more appropriate pick for entry-level candidates.

So, if you’ve chosen to start with either a bookkeeper resume summary or objective you need to know when and how to write each one.

A resume summary is a quick overview of your experience and skills. It’s a short section, but most effective when it can be packed full of previous work engagements and qualifications.

A resume objective, on the other hand, will focus on your career goals. This is a great way to show your value to a position when you lack experience.

Let’s look at how resume profiles are written and some resume examples for bookkeeper summaries and objectives.

Bookkeeper Resume Summary Example

Your resume summary will be unique and depend on the experience and skills you personally have to showcase. However, let’s have a look at what a summary should and shouldn’t look like.

This summary is successful because it lists your skills and expertise in a short and concise way. You have the rest of the resume to elaborate on all your qualities, this is just a highlight reel of what’s to come.

Now, let’s look at everything wrong with this summary.

For starters, the most notable difference is the use of the word “I”. Although your resume should be written in the first person, leave out terms like “I”, “me”, or “mine”.

Furthermore, the summary isn’t eye-catching and it doesn’t help you stand out from the crowd.
It fails to mention ways that you specifically would contribute to the position.

And finally, this example includes irrelevant details. An employer looking to hire a bookkeeper isn’t interested in your achievements as a writer, or your proficiency in MS Paint for that matter. Keep the information suitable for the job position and use relevant keywords and descriptors.

How to Write an Entry-Level Bookkeeper Resume Objective

It’s harder to sell a recruiter to hire you when you lack experience in the field. However, if you’re just now going into bookkeeping, whatever the reason, you can still make a good first impression with a resume objective.

When writing an objective, remember to:

• Be short and engaging – make them want to read more;
• Avoid generic phrases;
• Include qualities and skills relevant to the job position;
• Look at the job description and focus on the words the employer has used.

Everyone has to start somewhere and lack of experience shouldn’t always be a reason to give up on pursuing an offer.

Entry-Level Bookkeeper Resume Objectives

Entry-level jobs will have plenty of job applicants with little to no experience. This is good news for you as you will be able to more successfully make a pitch based on skills and personality alone.

Again, you should use the correct language, preferably what you’ve noticed the hiring company utliize. Furthermore, you should focus not only on how you are a beneficial worker but how you are a valuable asset to that particular employer.

Even though this applicant doesn’t have experience, they emphasize the skills that will make them a perfect fit for the position. The objective is the first impression the employer will have of you – keep it succinct and impactful for the best results.

This applicant, on the other hand, would likely not even be remembered a moment after the recruiter skims their resume. It fails to bring up any qualities specifically related to the job and is full of overused resume buzz-words.

Even if you have experience in similar positions to the one you’re applying for, it’s important to know how to phrase and present your previous work.

Your resume shouldn’t be too long, as a hiring manager isn’t likely to read it in full and it may put off prospective employers. On the other hand, if your resume, and specifically your experience section, are too short, you might get as bad of an outcome.

You want to keep the experience section filled with relevant information and experiences, but also have it engage the reader. To achieve this, it’s best to:

• List your most recent job position first and work in reverse-chronological order;
• Indicate the company you worked for and the time period;
• Follow up with a couple of bullet points addressing your responsibilities- address your personal accomplishments;
• Use action verbs and relevant phrasing.

The job recruiter might also appreciate a recommendation letter from a previous employer if you can include one. 

The most important thing to remember is that your job experience should convey how you’ll benefit the company you’re hoping to work for. Thus, any work you’ve done unrelated to a bookkeeper’s responsibilities is best left out.

Employers can provide a bookkeeper job description for resume applications. You can use this to your advantage. Pay attention to the words they’ve used and highlight the responsibilities and skills they’ve mentioned.

Knowing what to put on your resume is vital to landing the job you want. However, applicants often overlook the importance of knowing what to avoid. Let’s look at some examples.

Bookkeeper Resume Examples: Experience

Let’s look at what went wrong. It’s certainly not an abysmal example, but it can be greatly improved! 

You should show you’re skilled and experienced in bookkeeping duties, but avoid listing your responsibilities. Most times, employers will expect this of you and not be too impressed.

Instead, focus on aspects that you contributed to the position and point to professional success and excellence on your part. Include details and numbers to grab a recruiter’s attention, for example, how much you’ve helped a company save due to your work.

Entry-Level Bookkeeper Resume: Experience Section

We did say that you should only include relevant work experience, but what if there simply isn’t any?

For one, consider that “bookkeeper” won’t be the only job relevant to the application. You may have had an experience where you’ve developed skills that will be useful to your prospective employer, even if it wasn’t a bookkeeping position.

Entry-level, or inexperienced applicants, can include previous work such as:

• Jobs where you’ve built applicable skills like time-management, error detection, etc;
• Internships;
• Volunteer work;
• Extracurriculars.

Ultimately, your experience section will be short no matter what, but try to show your work abilities as best you can.

For a better overall look, you can opt for a functional format and place the experience at the end, preceding it with more elaborate skills and education sections.

A bookkeeping job position doesn’t typically require a college degree, but you should always include an education section on your resume. If all you have is a High School diploma, it should say so on your CV.

If you’ve studied a major relevant to the occupation, your degree can make your resume all the more impressive. You want to make sure you’re presenting your education in the correct order. 

Start with your most recent degree and list:

• The type of degree;
• The name of the institution that awarded the degree;
• Years studied;
• GPA, honors, extracurriculars, and additional courses;

School is where we acquire plenty of our skills. You can point that out but only so far as it pertains to bookkeeping duties. 

Bookkeeper Resume Education Section

Let’s look at some examples to help you visualize what your education section should look like.

This example lacks a lot of information. It’s great that you have a degree, but what type? On top of that, there’s no indication of what years you attended the school, and the structure is unappealing.

An impressive academic record can spark interest, so if you have accomplishments worth mentioning make sure to include them.

If you’re still in the middle of acquiring a university degree, you can include that information. Mention the same details we went over, but indicate that you are still a student – don’t try to mislead.

It can be easy to go wrong on a bookkeeper resume skills section. This isn’t because you’re necessarily unskilled or underqualified. Most often, the problem candidates have is that they do not communicate their abilities in a way employers like.

Less can be more when it comes to resumes. You don’t have to list every possible quality you can think of, nor should you. Ideally, you’d focus on the skills the job position requires and add a few more as a cherry on top.

Let’s say an employer requires you to be skilled at A/P, payroll processing, and QuickBooks.
If you fit the bill, you can list all of these in your list of skills, as well as include them in other resume sections.

On top of this, though, it’s great to add something extra. You may also say you’re skilled in MS Excel, a great communicator and skilled in error detection.

The list you ultimately use should be a combination of both hard and soft skills. Hard skills refer to job-related abilities that can be measured and quantified. Meanwhile, soft skills are personal qualities that also contribute to your work.

If you’re still confused about what exactly to put down, you can use the following examples as a guide.

We went over all the essential parts of a resume, however, you can include additional sections to elevate your application. 

Certifications 

We mentioned that most bookkeeping positions don’t require a degree. They may not require a certification either; however, being a certified bookkeeper will surely help your chances of landing the job.

An AIPB, NACPB, or QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor certification can be a great addition to a CV. Other than that, there are plenty of online courses available that you can include in this section.

Languages

Being able to communicate in multiple languages is not necessary for a bookkeeper – but boy is it impressive. Most people and job recruiters will value and respect proficiency in multiple languages.

When naming languages you speak remember to list them by the level of proficiency:

• Native;
• Fluent;
• Proficient;
• Intermediate;
• Basic.

This is an additional section that can be included if you have the skills and the space on your resume. However, don’t be bummed if you don’t speak a second language – it’s not necessary.

Hobbies and Interests

Additional sections give you a greater chance to stand out. Job recruiters can receive an overwhelming amount of CVs, so even if you’re perfectly qualified it’s easy to blend in with the pack.

If you want to stand out as an individual, a hobbies section can do wonders. It shows employers you are more than a number – you have interests outside of work and are well-rounded. It can communicate you’re someone who will be a great addition to the team personality-wise, not just in terms of skill.

Bookkeeper Resume Sample “Other” Sections

The additional sections can be kept short on your resume. Here’s an example of what you can include:

Certifications:

• NACPB
• Coursera Certificate on “US Federal Taxation”

Languages:

• English (Native)
• French (Proficient)
• Spanish (Intermediate)

Regardless of your level of experience or education, you can land the bookkeeping job you want. The important thing is creating a resume that leaves an impression, so remember the main aspects we went over:

• Choose the correct format respective to your experience and qualifications;
• Use active verbs and engage the reader;
• Describe how you can benefit a company over other applicants;
• Use vocabulary similar to that of the employer;
• Include both hard skills and soft skills;
• Make your resume pop with other sections.

Job hunting is never easy, nor is it fun. By creating a quality resume you can decrease the amount of time spent looking for jobs and increase your chances of landing the bookkeeping position you want.

If you still aren’t sure where to begin, our resume templates are always a great starting point for building the optimal CV.