Many people ask me for resume advice from time to time. We all want to have a competitve advantage over our competition. One of the major problems that I see many candidates make when it comes to their resume is that they build their resume blindly. At best, they take their old resume and add just add the most recent employer.
Besides targeting your resume to a position before you sent it, there is another important activity that you can engage in. Find a sample resume that is closely related to the type of position that you want.
Observing an Accounting Resume Sample
There is a lot to learn from reviewing accounting resume samples. Taking the best that you can find from several different resumes can be very helpful. Remember that a resume is merely a marketing brochure that is marketing “you.” When looking over resume samples, here are a few things to look for:
- Phrases that grab your attention
- Power action words at the beginning of bullet points
- Section headers that could be useful
- Accomplishments that give you ideas
- Additional information section that is applicable for you
- Wording that is used in a Qualifications Summary
- Ideas for formatting
These are just a few ideas that you can glean from looking over resume samples. Here are two of the best websites in my opinion for looking over resume samples:
http://www.bestsampleresume.com/accounting-resumes.html
http://www.aroj.com/Sample-Accounting-Resume
A resume sample can help you to establish your thoughts and give you direction. A job resume should display you in a good light and not just be a long, boring job description. Finding a sample of a resume that is well written can help you to improve your resume quickly. Always have a good resume format to begin with.
Jonathan is an Executive Recruiter/Career Coach that has successfully placed hundreds of Accounting & Finance Professionals. If you are currently struggling in your career, he is available on a limited basis for personal 1-on-1 career coaching and for resume makeovers.
