10 tips to make your Accounting CV stand out

Present your experience clearly and simply - without compromising substance

You have decided you are ready to look for a new role. You have a good idea of what you want your next career move to be, and you have started to look at job boards and ads. Now you need to get your accounting resume looking sharp! But how do you make your resume stand out from all the others?

We review hundreds of accounting CVs every week across Sydney, and we know what catches a hiring manager’s eye. In a competitive market, you have seconds to show relevance, scale and impact. Use the guidance below to make your CV easy to scan, rich with context and proof, and aligned to the roles you want. To start off, why not use our Accounting resume template as you read through our advice.

1. Showcase your education and qualifications clearly

Place your professional qualifications (CA, CPA) and tertiary education prominently near the top of the first page. If you’re part-qualified, include “CA (in progress) — expected completion Dec 2026” to demonstrate momentum. Add relevant short courses that employers value (e.g., Power BI, VBA, SQL, AIS/IFRS updates, SOX).

Quick wins

• Use the exact acronyms employers search for: CA | CPA | CFA (if relevant).
• If your degree major/minors are highly relevant (e.g., Accounting & Data Analytics), add them under the degree name.
• Avoid long lists of unrelated certificates; prioritise those aligned to your target roles.

2. Give employer context so scale & relevance are obvious

Always include the company name, industry, Sydney location, headcount and (if public) revenue/ASX listing. This lets hiring managers quickly calibrate your experience to their environment.

Example
Group Accountant — ABC Group (ASX-listed), Sydney | Diversified Services | ~1,100 employees, $420m revenue

• Consolidations across 4 entities; IFRS and statutory reporting; external audit liaison.

Why it matters

Context helps recruiters and hiring managers decide within seconds whether your background applies to an SME, mid-market, or enterprise environment.

3. Use structured bullet points to make experience scanning easy

Dense paragraphs get skipped. Present responsibilities and outcomes as concise bullets, leading with strong verbs, one idea per line.

Strong verbs: Own, prepare, reconcile, consolidate, automate, partner, forecast, implement, streamline, deliver.

Example

• Own month-end close for 3 entities; deliver WD5 reporting pack and variance analysis to the CFO.
• Automated AP workflow; reduced average invoice cycle time from 18 days to 8.

4. Quantify your responsibilities to signal scope & credibility

Numbers beat adjectives. Wherever possible, attach scale to your work.

Swap this:

• “Responsible for AP.”

For this:

• “Process 500+ invoices/week, 3-way match; manage 4 approvers; aged creditors ≤ 30 days.”

More examples

• “Prepare cashflow forecast (13-week) with accuracy variance ≤ ±5%.”
• “Manage $12m OPEX and $4m CAPEX budgets; monthly reforecast and commentary.”

5. Separate "Key Achievements" from BAU to showcase impact

Under each role, include a short Key Achievements sub-section. Employers want to see the value you created beyond the job description.

Examples

• Reduced audit adjustments to zero through pre-close balance sheet recs and checklists.
• Implemented Power Query automation; cut monthly reporting time by 12 hours.
• Recovered $180k in historic overpayments via supplier statement reconciliation.

6. Demonstrate career progression (even in lateral moves)

Show promotions, broader remit, or project leadership. If the move was lateral, explain what became newer, larger or more complex.

Example

Assistant Accountant → Accountant (promotion): Took ownership of fixed assets and lease accounting (AASB 16), expanded to 4 entities.

Richard Lloyd Accounting Recruitment Jan 2019 – Present

Senior Financial Accountant, July 2020 – Present
Financial Accountant, June 2019 -July 2020
Assistant Accountant, Jan 2019 – June 2019

7. Replace vague "assisted" language with precise contributions

Generic phrases like “assisted with month-end” don’t build trust. Be specific.

Use instead

• “Prepared accruals and prepayments, completed balance sheet reconciliations by day 5, and produced variance analysis for two business units.”

Litmus test
Could someone else copy-paste your bullet and it would still be true for them? If yes, add detail or data until it’s distinctly yours.

8. Mirror role-specific language on your CV to the job ad

Many employers use automated screening. Use the same language as the job ad when it reflects your real experience: IFRS, statutory reporting, consolidations, SOX, revenue recognition, cashflow forecasting, budgeting, business partnering, audit, payroll tax, FBT, BAS/IAS, GST.

How to do it well

• Sprinkle keywords naturally in responsibilities and achievements; avoid over-saturation.
• Tailor the top third of page one to each application; this is where humans focus first.

9. List software & technical skills by category

Be explicit and group the skills into different categories: ERP, BI/Analytics, Excel/Automation, Other.

Example

• ERP: SAP S/4HANA, Oracle, NetSuite, Pronto, Xero
• BI/Analytics: Power BI (DAX), Tableau, SQL (intermediate)
• Excel/Automation: Advanced Excel (Power Query, Power Pivot), VBA macros
• Other: BlackLine, Adaptive Insights, Concur, Coupa

Add level of proficiency sparingly (e.g., “Power BI — advanced dashboards, DAX basics”), and focus on tools mentioned in target job ads.

10. Proofread for perfection & keep formatting clean

Typos and inconsistent tense are instant red flags. Keep present tense for your current role and past tense for previous roles. Keep punctuation and capitalisation consistent. Use a clean, single-column layout (most ATS read this best). Use tools such as Grammarly, to help if written communication isn't your strong suit.

Formatting essentials

File: PDF for applications, Word if explicitly requested.

Length: 2–3 pages is acceptable for mid-senior accounting roles; lead with the most recent 5–7 years. Obviously for executive accounting candidates, your resume will be longer.

Ideal Naming Convention: FirstnameLastname_CV_2025.pdf.

Whitespace: Use space between sections; it improves readability and perceived quality.

11. Summary & next steps

By following these tips, you will have a well-structured CV that provides clarity on your responsibilities, achievements, and progression and most importantly, will give you the best chance to secure an interview.

For further tips on updating your resume or an understanding of the current Sydney accounting & finance job market, give one of the Richard Lloyd team a call on 02 8324 5640 to help prepare you for the next accounting role.