Accountant resume keywords
Most accountant applications are screened by software before a person reads them: the ATS ranks resumes by how many of the posting's words they contain. The lists below are the terms that show up most in accountant job ads. Use the ones that are true for you, with the same spelling the ad uses.
Hard skills and ATS keywords
- Month-end close
- GAAP / IFRS
- Reconciliations
- NetSuite
- Excel (advanced)
- Audit preparation
- Consolidation
- Tax filings
- GAAP
- Month-end close
- Reconciliations
- Accounts payable
- Accounts receivable
- General ledger
- Tax preparation
- QuickBooks
- Financial statements
- Audit support
Soft skills recruiters look for
- Accuracy
- Integrity
- Deadline management
- Analytical thinking
- Communication
Soft skills only count when a bullet proves them. "Team player" is ignored; "Reduced the monthly close from 10 to 5 working days by automating 22 reconciliations." shows it.
Action verbs to start your bullets
- Reconciled
- Prepared
- Reduced
- Closed
- Audited
- Streamlined
- Reported
- Identified
How to use these keywords
- Mirror the job ad: if it says "GAAP", do not write a synonym.
- Put the top 6–8 in a skills section and repeat the key ones inside experience bullets with a number.
- Never list a skill you cannot talk about in an interview.
- Keep the file text-based (no skills inside images or tables), or the ATS cannot read it.
Which ones is your resume missing?
Every posting is different. Paste your resume and the job ad — free ATS Match Score Score your resume free (0-100)
No signup. It lists the keywords from the ad that your resume does not contain.
Need the resume itself? See the accountant resume example and generate one free from rough notes.