Never worked in accounting — what do I write to still get called?

Write the related work you really did: voucher data entry, sorting receipts-and-payments records, tracking a simple balance sheet, supporting stock counts — one line each with your role. Never invent bookkeeping work you never did.

Should I list every accounting software I ever opened?

Only software you really used at work, stated to the level you can do. The recruiter will set a trial book in exactly that software — claiming software you do not know and being found out at month-end close is the real weakness.

Working in a team with a chief accountant — how do I write tasks so they are not misunderstood?

State your role in each task: entering vouchers, posting under guidance, reconciling balances, or drafting reports. Claiming a whole company's books as your own shows up as soon as the recruiter asks in depth about a posting.

Where should my strongest accounting software go in the CV?

Right after the role line, at the top of the CV, with the matching bookkeeping task. Recruiters place you by vouchers and software before reading personality — software left at the end of the CV is often never read.

Never prepared a tax report or year-end settlement — should I put it in the CV?

State clearly that you have not done tax reports or year-end settlement, but list the work you did instead: entering vouchers, bookkeeping, reconciling balances, preparing monthly receipts-and-payments reports. The recruiter assigns the right role that does not need year-end work yet — claiming it and being found out when the report is due is the real weakness.

← Guides Tiếng Việt

Job seekers8 min read

CV for accountants and bookkeepers: write it so recruiters see at once that you can do the books

Keep it to 1–2 pages: one line with the job title plus the type of business plus the work mode, 4–6 accounting tasks written as real work, the accounting software you really used, the scale of the books you handled, and when you can start. Skip vague lines like “good with numbers, careful, can work under pressure” with no real voucher types, no bookkeeping tasks owned and no reconciliation method when figures differ — the recruiter has nothing to place you in.

Free for job seekersCreate a professional CV for freeFive layouts, portrait photo, save to your profile, and print. No fee for job seekers.Create a professional CV for free →

How recruiters read an accounting CV

Unlike administration or sales CVs, an accounting CV is judged in exactly three places: the voucher types you really handled, the bookkeeping tasks you owned, and how you reconcile when figures differ. Recruiters look for four answers: which accounting tasks can you do, which accounting software do you use fluently, what scale of books have you handled, and do you keep figures matching and reports on time. Missing any one of the four usually puts the CV behind others, even if you are genuinely hard-working. So put voucher types plus bookkeeping tasks right after the role line, then accounting software and reconciliation, then certificates and year-end experience at the end of the main part.

One role line: job title + type of business + work mode

Open the CV with exactly one line: the job title you want, the type of business, and the work mode. Examples: “Accountant for a small-to-medium trading business, full-time in the office.” For sales accounting: “Sales accountant for a distribution company, office hours, available for overtime at month-end close.” For inventory accounting: “Inventory accountant for a manufacturing business, full-time, working directly with the storekeeper.” The most common mistake is writing it too generally (“looking for accounting work”) or naming the title without the business type and work mode — both force the recruiter to ask, and when hiring urgently, people who need asking are usually skipped first.

Vouchers and bookkeeping: one task per line, only work you really did

This section is mandatory. List the accounting tasks you did, one line each, written as specific work. For vouchers: receive, check and sort daily receipts and payments and purchase and sales invoices — your part was checking voucher validity, recording on the right date and filing by month. For bookkeeping: record purchase, sales and operating-cost transactions — your part was posting entries under the chief accountant's guidance and reconciling detailed ledgers with the general ledger at month-end. For receivables and payables: track customer and supplier balances — your part was updating payments, reminding on due debts and preparing the month-end balance reconciliation. State clearly when you only supported part of a task; never claim a whole company's books as your own. Claiming a task you never did shows up as soon as the recruiter asks in depth about that posting.

Accounting software and spreadsheets: only what you really used, stated to the level you can do

Software is what sets this CV apart. State it clearly: the accounting software you used (to the level you can do: entering vouchers, making receipts and payments, tracking balances, printing ledgers and reports — name only software you really used, never software you only heard of), the spreadsheets you used for accounting work (balance-tracking, bank-reconciliation and cost-summary sheets — real work done, never just “proficient in office software”), and the online banking work you did (making transfers, reconciling statements — real work done, never work you never did). Recruiters assign books by software; software you do not really know, discovered only when month-end close arrives, wastes everyone's time.

Reconciliation, cash and periodic reports: figures matching + reports on time

Each point on reconciliation and reporting needs one main line: how you reconcile when figures differ (detailed ledger against general ledger, bank statement against cash book, finding the missing voucher before correcting — your real method, never just “careful so no errors”), cash and bank management (cash receipts and payments, balance tracking, month-end reconciliation — volumes you really handled), and the periodic reports you prepared (monthly receipts-and-payments reports, balance summaries, reports for the chief accountant — only reports you really prepared; tax reports and year-end settlement only when you really did them). If you once misstated figures, do not hide it: record the case and how you found the cause afterwards (reconciling voucher by voucher, an end-of-day check sheet, asking the chief accountant to review before closing).

Certificates, data security and work mode: only real, checkable claims

Certificates: a degree in accounting or finance (state the exact degree you hold), a professional accounting certificate (state it if you have it; if not, state that clearly and whether you are willing to study for it), and year-end and tax-report experience (only when you really did it; if not, state clearly that you have not). Data security: the principles you really kept — no sharing internal figures, no taking vouchers outside, filing records where required. Work mode: in the office, by shift or office hours, by accounting section or by company — state clearly which modes you cannot do. Do not claim a certificate you do not have or year-end work you never did, hobbies, or an elaborate portrait photo. Recruiters mostly call or message — the phone number must be one you actually use and answer during office hours.

Contact details and next step

At the end, only three things are needed: full name, phone number, your strongest job title and accounting section, and the work mode you can take. No detailed home address, no hobbies, no elaborate portrait photo. Next, create an account and upload your CV so recruiters can find it: register as a candidate on timviecde.vn (/register). Note: with an unverified email you cannot upload a CV or receive selection emails — verify your email right after registering, before uploading.

Do this next

One role line: the job title you want + the type of business + the work mode.
4–6 accounting tasks written as real work, one task per line, stating exactly what you did.
Accounting software you really used, stated to the level you can do, plus the scale of the books you handled; tasks you have never done stated clearly.

Common questions

Never worked in accounting — what do I write to still get called?: Write the related work you really did: voucher data entry, sorting receipts-and-payments records, tracking a simple balance sheet, supporting stock counts — one line each with your role. Never invent bookkeeping work you never did.
Should I list every accounting software I ever opened?: Only software you really used at work, stated to the level you can do. The recruiter will set a trial book in exactly that software — claiming software you do not know and being found out at month-end close is the real weakness.
Working in a team with a chief accountant — how do I write tasks so they are not misunderstood?: State your role in each task: entering vouchers, posting under guidance, reconciling balances, or drafting reports. Claiming a whole company's books as your own shows up as soon as the recruiter asks in depth about a posting.
Where should my strongest accounting software go in the CV?: Right after the role line, at the top of the CV, with the matching bookkeeping task. Recruiters place you by vouchers and software before reading personality — software left at the end of the CV is often never read.
Never prepared a tax report or year-end settlement — should I put it in the CV?: State clearly that you have not done tax reports or year-end settlement, but list the work you did instead: entering vouchers, bookkeeping, reconciling balances, preparing monthly receipts-and-payments reports. The recruiter assigns the right role that does not need year-end work yet — claiming it and being found out when the report is due is the real weakness.

Create yours now

Five layouts, portrait photo, save to your profile, and print. No fee for job seekers.

Create a professional CV for free →