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- 01
Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Georgia State Board of Accountancy, active license, 2022
Certified Public Accountant is in 34% of the 1,969 postings we counted, so the license, the issuing state and its status go on one line a recruiter can check.
- 02
Run month-end close for 4 entities with $180M combined revenue; cut the close from 9 to 5 business days in 18 months
Entities, revenue and business days to close are the units a controller manages to, so this reads as real scope.
- 03
Prepare and review 85 balance sheet reconciliations a month; cut aged reconciling items from $64K to under $5K
Reconciliation count and aged items show the balance sheet is actually clean, not just reconciled on paper.
- 04
Supported the FY24 and FY25 external audits with zero audit adjustments and every PBC request delivered on the agreed date
Zero audit adjustments is the outcome a controller is judged on, and PBC timing shows he makes the auditors' job easy.
What recruiters look for in an accountant resume
- Your CPA status stated exactly. Certified Public Accountant is in 34% of the 1,969 postings we counted
- The close areas you own, how many entities, and the business day you finish. One consolidations posting we read measures success by each close milestone
- The accounting standards you applied, by topic number: ASC 606 revenue, ASC 842 leases, ASC 810 consolidation, ASC 830 foreign currency
- SOX controls you performed or documented, and the internal and external audit requests you supported
- Your ERP by name and Excel at a level you can prove. Microsoft Excel is in 27% of the 1,969 postings we counted
- Public accounting experience with client count and industries. Public accounting experience is in 6% of the 1,969 postings we counted
Skills for an accountant resume
- Close and reporting
- Month-end closeJournal entriesBalance sheet reconciliationsFlux analysisAccrualsIntercompany accountingConsolidationsFinancial reporting
- Standards and controls
- US GAAPRevenue recognition (ASC 606)Lease accounting (ASC 842)Consolidation (ASC 810)Foreign currency (ASC 830)Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) complianceInternal controlsExternal audit support
- Systems
- NetSuiteOracleSAPQuickBooksBlackLineMicrosoft ExcelStructured Query Language (SQL)
- Credentials
- Certified Public Accountant (CPA)Bachelor's degree in accountingPublic accounting experience
Turn accounting duties into results
Before
Responsible for month-end close.
After
Run month-end close for 4 entities with $180M combined revenue; cut the close from 9 to 5 business days in 18 months
Entities, revenue and days replace a duty.
Before
Performed account reconciliations.
After
Prepare and review 85 balance sheet reconciliations a month; cut aged reconciling items from $64K to under $5K
Volume plus the aged-items result.
Before
Assisted with external audits.
After
Supported the FY24 and FY25 external audits with zero audit adjustments and every PBC request delivered on the agreed date
The audit outcome, not attendance.
Before
Helped implement NetSuite.
After
Led the QuickBooks to NetSuite migration: mapped 1,100 accounts and tied out 3 years of opening balances before go-live
His role, the scale, and the control step.
Action verbs for an accountant resume
- Reconciled
- Closed
- Accrued
- Posted
- Consolidated
- Eliminated
- Reviewed
- Tested
- Documented
- Automated
- Migrated
- Recovered
- Remediated
- Prepared
Keywords from accountant postings
Terms that recurred in the US accountant postings we read. Use the posting's own wording.
- CPA
- Month-end close
- Journal entries
- Balance sheet reconciliations
- Flux analysis
- US GAAP
- Revenue recognition (ASC 606)
- Lease accounting (ASC 842)
- Consolidation (ASC 810)
- Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) compliance
- Internal controls
- External audit support
- Intercompany accounting
- NetSuite
- Oracle
- Advanced Excel
- Public accounting experience
- Close automation
Common accountant resume mistakes
Writing CPA after your name before the license is issued
The title belongs to licensees: Washington's law, for one, bars anyone else from using "CPA". Write "CPA candidate: AUD and FAR passed, REG scheduled Feb 2027" in the license section instead.
Listing "GAAP" with no topic behind it
Postings name topics: ASC 606, 842, 810, 830. Name the ones you applied in a bullet, such as "Recorded 40 new leases under ASC 842 in the lease subledger".
A close bullet with no days, entities or areas
Say which close areas you own, for how many entities, and by which business day. "Assisted with month-end" tells a controller nothing about your level.
Writing audit work in audit jargon for a corporate reader
Lead with client count, revenue range and the areas you tested, then one finding. Public accounting experience is in 6% of the 1,969 postings we counted, so translate it rather than cut it.
CPA in progress: how to list it
The CPA Exam has three Core sections (AUD, FAR, REG) plus one Discipline section you choose (BAR, ISC or TCP). Each passed section earns a credit that lasts 30 months from score release in states that follow the NASBA rule. List the sections passed and the date of the next one, not your scores: "CPA candidate: AUD, FAR and REG passed; BAR scheduled Feb 2027".
Passing the exam is not the license. Your state board also checks education and experience, and since May 2025 the AICPA and NASBA model law adds a path of a bachelor's with an accounting concentration plus two years of experience, alongside the 150-hour path. States must adopt it first. Write "Exam passed, license pending experience" until the board issues it.
Entry level: no close of your own yet
Use the busy-season internship as a full job entry: the firm, the client industries, and the work you did, such as "Tested accounts payable and cash for 5 audit clients". Put CPA exam progress and credit hours in the license section, and coursework only if it covers what the posting names, such as ASC 842.
Frequently asked questions
Should I put CPA after my name on my resume?+
Yes, if your license is active, and add a license line with the issuing state and year. State boards license CPAs and limit the title to licensees, so do not use it while you are still a candidate. Write your exam progress in a license section instead.
How do I list CPA exam sections I have passed?+
Name the sections and the next exam date: "CPA candidate: AUD and FAR passed, REG scheduled Feb 2027". Leave out scores. Credits last 30 months from score release in states that follow NASBA's rule, so a reader can tell how close you are.
Do I need 150 credit hours to become a CPA?+
Not in every state now. In May 2025 the AICPA and NASBA approved a model path of a bachelor's with an accounting concentration plus two years of experience, next to the 150-hour path. Each state has to adopt it, so check your state board before you write your status.
What software should an accountant resume list?+
Your ERP by name (NetSuite, Oracle, SAP or QuickBooks), Excel with the functions you use, and any close or reconciliation tool such as BlackLine. Microsoft Excel is in 27% of the 1,969 postings we counted, and NetSuite is in 10%. Name the system inside a bullet too, where you used it.
Do accountants need a CPA to get hired?+
Not always. Accountants who file reports with the SEC must be CPAs, according to BLS. Certified Public Accountant is in 34% of the 1,969 postings we counted, so list exam progress if you are working toward it.
Sources
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Accountants and Auditors · read 2026-11-14
- AICPA and NASBA: model legislation for a new CPA licensure path (May 2025) · read 2026-11-14
- Virginia Board of Accountancy: What is the CPA Exam? (sections and 30-month window) · read 2026-11-14
- Washington RCW 18.04.345: use of the CPA title · read 2026-11-14
- NASBA: CPA licensure · read 2026-11-14
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