Accountant Resume Examples & ATS Keywords
What ATS software and recruiters look for on an accountant resume: the exact keywords to include, the mistakes that get resumes rejected, and a real bullet-point rewrite.
Keywords ATS software scans for
Include the ones that genuinely match your background, don't keyword-stuff.
Common Accountant resume mistakes
Listing "responsible for bookkeeping" without naming the close cycle time, transaction volume, or systems used.
No mention of accuracy or compliance outcomes: clean audits, error-free reconciliations, deadlines consistently met.
Omitting the accounting software or ERP actually used (QuickBooks, SAP, NetSuite), a hard filter in many ATS screens for this role.
Vague language like "assisted with month-end close" instead of stating which parts were owned: accruals, reconciliations, reporting.
Weak vs. strong bullet example
Weak
Responsible for accounts payable and month-end closing tasks.
Strong
Owned full-cycle accounts payable for 3 business units (~$1.8M/month), closing the books 2 business days faster after automating vendor reconciliation in QuickBooks.
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