With student internship season and graduation just around the corner, now is the time for students to focus on writing and putting together the most targeted and achievement-based accounting resumes to give them the edge to stand out above the competition.
The most common questions I receive from accounting students are "what do I do if my accounting grades are not fantastic?" and "what can I include in my resume that will make it stand out?"
The first thing to remember is that most organisations are looking for students and graduates who are willing to learn, are able to be innovative and who work well in a team environment. My advice for students that don't have distinction average marks is to focus on highlighting other areas where you can add value to an organisation. Just like the major accounting firms are instant recognisable brands, as a graduate you need to think of yourself as a brand that you are trying to sell to a hiring manager. Think about what makes you unique and how you can sell yourself to that particular organisation.
When a graduate/internship program manager reads an accounting resume, he or she presumes that all candidates share relatively the same type of skills. In order to stand out, you need to market yourself effectively.
3 Tips and Tricks to make your Accounting Resume stand out:
- Include Accounting Keywords: With the demand for accounting internships and graduate jobs so high, graduate recruiters and managers can often receive upwards of 500 – 1000 resumes. As such, many firms now use software programs as a way of performing “first round interviews”. Using selected accounting keywords will ensure that your resume passes the first stage of selection and will not be deleted before a hiring manager has even had a chance to read your application. The best way to find these keywords is by simply reading the job positions. See what the company is looking for and make sure your resume is full of these keywords!
- Provide Specific Accounting Examples: Hiring managers hate to read clichéd resumes. It’s boring and adds no value to your resume. Use examples as much as possible to highlight your examples and the value-added skills that you can bring to the job.
- Target the Position that you are applying for: As a graduate or intern, everything you include in your resume needs to reinforce the message to the reader that you are the right candidate for the position. Don’t waste time on information that doesn’t reflect your suitability for this particular position. Being a good skier and having an interest in tennis is not relevant to an accounting job, so make sure this is only secondary information in your CV. Your interest in accounting it top priority! Although you may not have relevant job experience, you can still highlight relevant skills that you have acquired throughout your university career and target these skills toward the role you are applying for.
See current graduate and internship roles in accounting you can apply for now!