Attention candidates looking for jobs in Phoenix, Arizona! If you’re searching for a job and want the best tips and tricks to get a company to notice you, we can offer you this advice to get you started.
Accounting employment agencies in the Phoenix area want to see specific accounting skills that you should include on your resume. You can also work with accounting recruiters to give you a better shot at landing that next accounting job.
Here is our practical advice for finding accounting jobs in Phoenix.
Accounting Recruiters Provide Job Seekers in Phoenix Valuable Tips to Create an Impactful Resume
There is more to your resume than listing your skills, which we will discuss below. But creating an impactful resume that will get the right attention is the essential first step. Here are a few ways to write a readable resume to land your next accounting job in Phoenix.
Go with a Functional, Easy to Read Format
There are two common styles for resumes:
- Functional resumes
- Chronological resumes
Each one has its benefits for job seekers depending on your previous experience. A functional resume, for example, focuses on your accomplishments and skillsets rather than specific employers or dates. This is especially helpful for job seekers who are just entering the workforce or who might be transitioning from another industry to accounting.
A chronological resume is a traditional style that lists your employers, starting with the most recent, and includes your experience under each employer heading. You can also create a hybrid resume by combining aspects of each style to create the best narrative for your background.
Whichever you choose, keep it easy to read by using a simple font and bullet points.
Put Emphasis on Your Work Experience
The most critical thing to demonstrate to a potential employer is how you used previous skills to reach the company’s goals. You can emphasize your work experience rather than list the skills or software you bring. Include as much data as possible to illustrate your work experience.
Use Strong Action Verbs
To better showcase your skills, include action verbs that communicate how and why you were able to succeed in previous positions. Some action words for accounting experience are:
- Created
- Developed
- Analyzed
- Collected
- Authorized
- Generated
- Budgeted
- Calculated
- Reconciled
- Maintained
- Applied
Always use verbs ending in -ed. The “I” is implied for a resume, and you want the information to flow naturally. So you would say, “I created,” rather than “I creating.”
Be Specific and Outline Relevant Skills and Experience
You want to be as specific as possible in finding accounting jobs in Phoenix. If you’re too generic, you risk not standing out from your competition. Instead, include numbers and specific data to support your successes.
Always customize your resume for the job description. Focus on your relevant experience that will interest the employer in your specific needs.
Accounting Recruiters in Phoenix Advise Candidates to List the following Important Skills on a Resume
There are infinite ways to list your background on your resume, but recruiters have the experience to provide best practices to job seekers. For example, as a rule of thumb, it’s recommended to only go back about ten years on your resume and only list relevant experience. Here are some others things you should consider adding to your accounting resume.
Technical Expertise Required for Accounting Jobs
The software you have used will be specific to the job and an essential aspect you can focus on. By thoroughly reading the job description, you can uncover what software experience is most important. The most common technical skills include:
- MS Excel: Basic and advanced Excel is a must for anyone working with accounting. Sharpening these skills and showcasing how you’ve used them in the past can give you an advantage.
- Accounting Software: Refer to the job description to determine the specific accounting software and demonstrate how you’ve previously worked with it. You can also include transferable skills if you’ve used similar programs.
- The Cloud: Cloud-based technologies are integrated with all aspects of accounting today. Showing your comfort level and experience with it will help attract employers.
- QuickBooks: Possibly the most-used accounting software available today is QuickBooks. If you have these skills, stress what you’ve done and how you’ve used them to benefit previous roles.
- Enterprise Resource Planning: ERP is a category of software companies use to manage day-to-day tasks, including accounting, purchasing, compliance, supply chain, and more. Since it is often integrated within the accounting structure, having this background is vital for many businesses.
When adding technology to your resume, don’t be tempted to list the software you’ve used simply. You want to demonstrate to the hiring manager how you used them to succeed. Add data showing how you’ve used these daily in your previous positions.
Knowledge of Basic and Advance Accounting Functions
There are several types of accounting jobs that fall under the finance umbrella. Specific skill sets that will set you apart from other candidates or make you a good fit for the particular roles. This knowledge of basic and advanced accounting functions will showcase why you are worth an interview.
- Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable: AP/AR are often considered entry-level accounting skills, but they are a jumping-off point for many advanced skills.
- Forecasting budget: Accountants also need to know how to rely on data to make predictions on the business’s financial future.
- Dealing with vendors: Many companies also rely on their accounting professionals to work with vendors and the associated financial aspects. Showing your skills in this arena can set you apart from your competition.
- Handling payroll: For many companies, labor is one of their highest associated costs, and they rely on accounting staff to ensure that payroll is dealt with responsibly.
- Tax forms: Accounting professionals will also work with tax forms. Since these forms can be complicated, it’s crucial to demonstrate how you’ve worked with them in the past.
- Billing: It’s good to show that you have billing experience through your previous accounting roles, as this is often a keyword used by hiring managers.
- Financial reporting: Data is crucial to practical accounting, and accurate reporting will be something that employers want to see on a resume.
- Regulatory filings: Accounting is often about compliance, so if you’ve had experience with regulatory filings, share this in your experience.
- Audits: Experience with audits can come from working with one of the big accounting firms or with organizations experiencing audits. Your experience from either of these can be valuable to an employer.
You always want to customize your resume for the job description itself. While you may have experience in all these, when the job is focused on finding someone to handle forecasting or AP/AR, you want to emphasize your background with those skills.
Soft Skills Required for an Accounting Job
One aspect of the resume that many candidates overlook is the soft skills required for accounting jobs. Soft skills are best described as personality traits that make you good at interactions or other daily aspects of the job. They can include:
- Effective Communication Skills: Both written and verbal skills will be critical, so ensure you’re putting yourself in the best light by crafting a well-written resume and cover letter from the start.
- Leadership Abilities: Leadership doesn’t have to be in the form of management, but you can demonstrate leadership skills through your previous experience.
- Ability to handle critical situations: Including accomplishments that showcase your role in urgent situations can communicate this soft skill to potential employers.
- Empathy and emotional intelligence: Emotional intelligence combines empathy, self-awareness, cultural awareness, and the ability to regulate emotions. While these skills are best demonstrated in action, you can humanize your resume by sharing some of your accomplishments that showcase empathy.
- Time management: the ability to manage time will be critical for many accounting employment agencies, so emphasize this.
- Attention to detail: much of accounting is focused on attention to detail. Ensure your resume reflects this in your skills and accomplishments and in the resume format.
- Critical thinking: Accountants are often problem solvers, so show how you’ve used your critical thinking and technical and accounting skills to succeed in your previous roles.
- Active learning: Accounting professionals must continue learning and growing their skills. Don’t forget to include any certifications or continued education on your resume.
Partner with an Accounting Employment Agency to Help You With Your Job Search in Phoenix
Working with accounting employment agencies can be an excellent opportunity to find a new position in the Phoenix area. Recruiters have access to jobs often before they’re posted online. And accounting recruiters can also act as your marketing person and cheerleader. They work with their clients and will talk to them about every resume they send, including why you should be considered. This eliminates the black hole of applications you sometimes see when applying online.
CornerStone Staffing offers job placement services for accounting candidates. Please talk with us today to find out how we can help you find accounting jobs in Phoenix.
Looking for accounting jobs near you? Start your search with CornerStone Staffing today.
