Writing a resume can seem daunting, especially if you’ve never created one before. Although it isn’t always required, a resume is very helpful in your job search and can save you time on job applications. Plus, you can post your resume to online job boards and have employers find you- it doesn’t get any easier than that! We will break the resume down section by section and provide examples to help you write one. In our example, we are helping John Doe find his first accounting job.
Section 1: Contact information
Ideally, you should include your first and last name, phone number, address, and email address. At the very least, put your name and phone number at the top of your resume! You would be surprised by the amount of resumes submitted that contain no contact information. How can an employer offer you a job if they have no way to contact you? If including an email, use an email that is professional and appropriate.
John Doe
123 Main Street Your Town, PA
(555)555-5555
Section 2: Objective
A good resume has a clear and concise objective section. This is not a place to talk about your personal life. This is where you can tell the employer what your career goals and aspirations are. What kind of work are you looking for? Do you want to advance your career or are you looking to enter the workforce?
Objective: To build a long term career in the accounting field.
Section 3: Experience
This is the bulk of the resume and by far the most important section. Many employers jump straight to reading your work experience! Start with your current or most recent position and make sure you provide the name of the company, your title, the dates your worked there (at least the years, but month and year is best) and a brief description of what you did. While it’s not necessary to include every job you’ve had, you should include work that is relevant to the position you are applying for and go back up to ten years. With resumes, simpler is better and everything should fit on one or 2 pages. If you have/had a long list of duties you can list them with bullet points to make things easier to read. Don’t forget that internships and volunteering can count as experience!
Smith & Johnson Accounting Firm, Your Town, PA
Intern, June 2018- Present
Assist accounting staff in day to day activities including filing, data entry, setting appointments, and tax preparation.
Section 4: Education and Certifications
Here is where you can list any degrees or certifications you may have, including a high school diploma or GED, Associates, Bachelor and Masters degrees, or certificates for completing a program. If you graduated with any special distinction, such as high honors or perhaps as Valedictorian, you can state that here too. You can also include any leadership experience gained while in school, like club leader or sports team captain.
Your Town Community College, Your Town, PA
Associates in Accounting, Summa Cum Laude
Section 4: Skills
If you have any special skills it’s a great idea to showcase them on your resume! Maybe you are a whiz with a particular type of software or can talk to anyone about anything. Let the employer know what makes you unique.
Skills: experienced with Quickbooks and excellent communication skills, both written and oral
And that’s it, you’ve written a resume! It’s up to you if you want to include your references on your resume, but it’s not required as employers often times will ask for these after an interview rather than before. If you need additional help with writing resumes, there are free services like Pennsylvania CareerLink that can help. If you are a recent graduate, most schools have free services to help students write resumes and find jobs.
Ready for a boost in your job search? APS Staffing is a locally-based employment agency in Erie, PA specializing in long-term, permanent placement in a variety of industries.
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