Accounting Clerk Resume or Cover Letter Samples
If you’re reading this article you most likely have an interest in accounting as a career. Maybe you’re studying accounting now or are about to graduate with a degree in accounting with an eye towards breaking into this field. In good economic times or bad, businesses need accounts and accounting clerks. But what exactly does an accounting clerk do?
As an accounting clerk, you’ll manage many tasks, including matching purchase orders to invoices, data entry, reconciling bank statements with a general ledger, maintaining accounting records and filing documents and forms.
Is There a Need for Accounting Clerks?
Accounting clerk positions are a way to get your foot in the door if you want to make accounting a career. It is typically an entry-level role but still an important one in any business or larger government organization. These entities need to fill the position of accounting clerk in order to get the day to day, and yes, often mundane tasks associated with accounting handled so that senior accountants and management can focus on more complex financial projects. One could imagine the role of the accounting clerk as that of an unsung hero.
Without accounting clerks, the tax accountants, auditors, forensic accountants, cost accountants, project accountants, and CPA’s would find themselves so bogged down with work not related to their specific roles that the organization would soon grind to a halt. So how does one go about applying for this key, foundational position? Here are some keys to success that will allow you to land a solid, entry-level position as an accounting clerk.
Improve Your Skills and Never Stop Learning
Assuming you not only want to become an accounting clerk but also want to one day occupy a corner office, it’s almost mandatory these days that you continue your education. Avail yourself of the opportunity to take courses, training seminars or events that will add to your knowledge base and will demonstrate to your current or future employer your willingness to learn and your interest in the profession.
These suggestions are also a great way to network with other accounting clerks, meet industry professionals, and expand your network. Armed with these skills and qualifications you’ll be in a better position not only to land a job as an accounting clerk but to do well and be able to hit the ground running to move your career upward. Now let’s look at how to introduce yourself properly to prospective employers who have advertised their desire to hire an accounting clerk.
Preparing Yourself for the Job Market
In this position, you’ll be reviewing and maintaining accounting records for clients as well as calculating interest on loans, credit and bank accounts. As an accounting clerk, you’ll also be using databases and spreadsheets. So your resume should ideally reflect your ability in these areas. If you’ve had the responsibility in the past for posting things such as month-end closing data to general accounts or performing accounts receivable functions using distribution software, you need to highlight these functions in your resume.
Many prospective accounting clerks list associate’s degrees in business or accounting on their resumes, and perhaps for working in smaller companies this may be enough, but generally larger corporations and state and federal government agencies will require an undergraduate degree. However, any experience gained in internships, part-time or summer employment, or volunteer work where you can show that you’re familiar with the software and have performed accounting functions will be favorable in the eyes of employers.
How to Write a Powerful Cover Letter and Resume
A strong cover letter is of great importance when applying for jobs. The letter provides you with a means of introduction to the hiring authority and quickly imparts key reasons for putting you on the short list as an excellent candidate. A well-written cover letter will allow you to secure more interviews, get more offers and ultimately land the job that’s right for you.
Cover Letter Quick Tips
Remember, the cover letter is a tool to get you in the door, not a chance to tell your life story. Concise, targeted to the specific job, and to the point is always the best practice when crafting a winning cover letter. Your job is to attract attention and spark interest.
Cover Letter Example
Dear Ms. Moneypenny,
I recently viewed your advertisement for an Accounting Clerk at Bond & Company and I am interested in submitting my resume. I have a strong understanding of accounting principles and a focused attention to detail with all things financial. Along with my outstanding analytical and organization skills, I believe I would make an immediate and positive impact on your team and significantly benefit your company while working in this position.
Allow me to highlight my skills and background:
- BS Accounting, Northwestern University, GPA 4.0,
- Graduated with Honors, Strategic Planning, Tax Preparation, Risk Management
- Experience with payroll processing, accounts payable/receivable, audits, month end, data analysis, ledgers and document management
- Two years’ experience as an Accounting Clerk intern in the Tax Department at the law firm of Wilmer Haskins in Chicago
- Experience in financial reporting and project coordination while excelling in deadline-driven environments
I have a thorough understanding of the accounting clerk position and combined with my interest in growing my career and continuing my professional development to provide successful outcomes for my company and clients, I believe I am the right choice for this position. Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Best regards,
Thomas R. Numbers
Resume Example
Thomas R. Numbers
SUMMARY:
Results-focused accounting clerk with a special talent for preparing account deposits and handling general ledger postings and statements. Well-versed in maintaining accounting databases and processing back-ups, verifying financial reports by running specialized performance analysis software programs
HIGHLIGHTS
Determined the value of depreciated assets by performing dedicated analysis• Researched, tracked and restored accounting problems and discrepancies• Verified and processed invoices and sorted and coded accounts payable data
SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE:
- Tax Laws
- QuickBooks
- Oracle Financials
- Reconciliation
- Bookkeeping
WORK EXPERIENCE:
Wilmer Haskins, Chicago, IL
Accounting Intern
- Compiled and sorted invoices and ensured for accuracy
- Wrote checks and had them signed from signatories
- Recorded charges and refunds and filed and tallied deposits
- Matched invoices to work orders and processed bills for payments
- Provided accounts database maintenance support
- Performed data entry duties to ensure that all transactions were properly recorded
EDUCATION:
Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting
Coursework:
Principles of Accounting, Statistics, Cost Accounting, Federal Income Tax, Auditing Theory and Practice, Business LawGPA 4.0 Honors
Conclusion
A resume should be brief but not skimpy. Let us explain. Just because you lack experience doesn’t mean that your resume should lack viable content relevant to the job you’re applying for, in this case, accounting clerk. Even at the entry level, it is more important to write a crisp informational resume than it is to write one that shows years of experience.
Resumes should be able to highlight the qualifications and skills that fit employer expectations for the job. Almost all companies today use ATS (Applicant Tracking Software) to do the initial screening of resumes for each job they post. That is where problems can occur.
Artificial intelligence, while powerful, is still no match for human intelligence and resumes are often trashed because the AI determined they weren’t populated with the job-specific keywords. Don’t take that risk with your entry-level resume. Since you’re just beginning your career you want to be sure that whenever you write a resume, it is in sync with the requirements of the position and the employer. If you get the keywords correct, then you can beat the AI at its own game and your resume has a better chance of reaching a live person.
Read the job requirements carefully. If they ask for QuickBooks, make sure you have that on your resume, provided you have experience with that software. Do your research and follow these steps to ensure your success.
Leave a Reply