Tips From a Recent Graduate: Part 1 – Tips for Boosting your Resumé.

Are you an accounting student who is feeling overwhelmed by the recruiting process?

This column is a series intended to help you succeed as you begin your journey with the accounting profession.

Here are things you should do when it comes to preparing your resumé:

1. Start with a template. Some schools have custom templates available for you. If your school doesn’t have one, take a look online at examples.
2. Include this extra information in the top section of your resumé:
   • GPA if it’s high (3.5+)
   • Note that you are pursuing 150 credit hours for the CPA route, if applicable
   • Your LinkedIn profile link—if you don’t have a LinkedIn profile yet, make one!
3. List your experience—work, volunteering, other extracurriculars.
   • Be careful with present vs. past tenses for current vs. non-current experience.
   • If you have many experiences, choose the ones most relevant to the position you are applying for. It could be an experience that showcases key skills such as: communication, organization, leadership, teamwork, critical thinking, etc.
     • Example: I would choose to list that I am in an executive board position of an accounting club before I would list a part-time retail job.
   • Start each bullet with an action word, and try not to be repetitive—here are some examples: assist(ed), prepare(d), communicate(d), organize(d), arrange(d), develop(ed), etc.
   • Try to quantify where you can—example: “Led a food drive that resulted in a donation of 500 pounds of food.”
4. Other general tips:
   • Highlight something that makes you stand out. It could be a long-time sport or volunteer organization you’ve been involved with, or even a prestigious award that you received.
   • Be prepared to talk about anything and everything on your resumé in an interview.
   • Have at least 1-2 other people review your resumé.

Here are things you should NOT do when it comes to preparing your resumé:

1. Do not ever make your resumé more than one page—be concise!
2. Do not list experience that is really old—if you are in college, you should not be listing something you did one time back in high school.
3. Do not claim proficiency in something you are not proficient in.
   • Example: if you list any software applications, such as Microsoft Excel, under your technical skills, you better know how to use them!
4. Do not make statements that start with words like “I”, “we”, or “they.”
5. Do not write solid blocks of text—use bullet points instead.

Bonus Tip: Throughout your college experience, get involved! This will give you more activities to list on your resume. Joining a club that is relevant to your major is a great way to get started. 

Written by: Katie Kriner, Staff Accountant