Bookkeeper resume example. Plus the keywords recruiters search for.
A bookkeeper resume that shows reconciled accounts, on-time closes and clean books at tax time — with the software, accounting and certification keywords small businesses and firms look for.
Reviewed by Nazir Elmurodov · Updated
/ The example
Bookkeeper resume example.
Rebecca Nguyen
Full-Charge Bookkeeper
Portland, OR · rebecca.nguyen@email.com · (503) 555-0193
Summary
Full-charge bookkeeper with 7 years keeping books for small businesses in construction, retail and professional services. I close the month on time, keep every account reconciled and hand the CPA clean books at tax time.
Experience
Full-Charge Bookkeeper, Timberline Mechanical Contractors · Mar 2022 – Present
- • Run full-charge bookkeeping in QuickBooks Online for a $9M HVAC contractor, from accounts payable and receivable to month-end close
- • Reconcile 6 bank and 3 credit card accounts monthly and closed the books by the 7th business day for 30 months straight
- • Process biweekly payroll for 45 employees in Gusto and file 1099s for 60+ subcontractors each January
- • Cut overdue receivables from $410K to $180K by starting weekly aging reviews and follow-up calls
- • Track job costing by project so the owners can see margin on every job before it closes
Bookkeeper, Hawthorne Lane Bookkeeping · Jun 2019 – Feb 2022
- • Kept the books for 14 small-business clients in QuickBooks Online and Xero
- • Cleaned up 18 months of uncategorized transactions and missing journal entries for a new client in 6 weeks, ahead of its tax deadline
- • Prepared monthly financial statements — profit and loss and balance sheet — for owners and their CPAs
Education & certifications
A.A.S. Accounting, Willamette Crest Community College, 2019 · Certified Bookkeeper (CB), AIPB · QuickBooks Online Certified ProAdvisor
Skills
Bank reconciliation · Accounts payable · Accounts receivable · General ledger · Month-end close · Financial statements · Journal entries · Job costing · QuickBooks Online · Xero · Gusto · Excel
Rebecca Nguyen
Full-Charge Bookkeeper
rebecca.nguyen@email.com · Portland, OR
(503) 555-0193
Summary
Full-charge bookkeeper with 7 years keeping books for small businesses in construction, retail and professional services. I close the month on time, keep every account reconciled and hand the CPA clean books at tax time.
Experience
Full-Charge Bookkeeper — Timberline Mechanical Contractors
Mar 2022 – Present
• Run full-charge bookkeeping in QuickBooks Online for a $9M HVAC contractor, from accounts payable and receivable to month-end close
• Reconcile 6 bank and 3 credit card accounts monthly and closed the books by the 7th business day for 30 months straight
• Process biweekly payroll for 45 employees in Gusto and file 1099s for 60+ subcontractors each January
• Cut overdue receivables from $410K to $180K by starting weekly aging reviews and follow-up calls
• Track job costing by project so the owners can see margin on every job before it closes
Bookkeeper — Hawthorne Lane Bookkeeping
Jun 2019 – Feb 2022
• Kept the books for 14 small-business clients in QuickBooks Online and Xero
• Cleaned up 18 months of uncategorized transactions and missing journal entries for a new client in 6 weeks, ahead of its tax deadline
• Prepared monthly financial statements — profit and loss and balance sheet — for owners and their CPAs
Education
Willamette Crest Community College
A.A.S. Accounting · 2019
Certifications
Certified Bookkeeper (CB), AIPB
QuickBooks Online Certified ProAdvisor
Skills
Bank reconciliation, Accounts payable, Accounts receivable, General ledger, Month-end close, Financial statements, Journal entries, Job costing, QuickBooks Online, Xero, Gusto, Excel
Why it works
It shows the size and type of the books you keep, measures the close in days and receivables in dollars, and names the software and credential small-business owners and accounting firms screen for.
Use this as your starting point
Opens in the editor with every section filled in. Swap in your own details and download a PDF or Word file free.
Start from this exampleSample resume. Names, companies and figures are illustrative.
/ Summary examples
Three summary examples. Pick the one closest to you.
Two or three lines: your level, your field and one result.
- Entry level
Accounting certificate graduate with a year of part-time AP and data entry work. Reconciled bank accounts and entered bills in QuickBooks Online for a 20-person nonprofit.
- Mid level
Full-charge bookkeeper with 7 years in small-business accounting. I close the books by the 7th business day and cut overdue receivables from $410K to $180K.
- Senior
Bookkeeping manager with 12 years who leads a team of 4 serving 40 clients, built the firm's month-end checklist and moved every client from desktop software to QuickBooks Online.
More for other jobs and situations (no experience, career change, senior): resume summary examples.
/ Bullet points
Bullet point examples. From duty to result.
Turn duties into results: what you did, how, and what changed.
Close
Instead of: Did month-end
Write: Closed the books by the 7th business day for 30 months straight with every account reconciled
Receivables
Instead of: Followed up on invoices
Write: Cut overdue receivables from $410K to $180K with weekly aging reviews and follow-up calls
Reconciliation
Instead of: Reconciled accounts
Write: Reconciled 6 bank and 3 credit card accounts monthly and traced every difference to source
Cleanup
Instead of: Fixed messy books
Write: Cleaned up 18 months of uncategorized transactions for a new client in 6 weeks, ahead of its tax deadline
Payroll
Instead of: Ran payroll
Write: Processed biweekly payroll for 45 employees and filed 1099s for 60+ subcontractors on time each year
Reporting
Instead of: Made reports
Write: Prepared monthly profit and loss statements, balance sheets and job costing reports owners use to price new work
/ Keywords
Keywords and skills for bookkeepers.
These come up often in bookkeeper job posts. Include only the ones you can back up in an interview, and use the exact wording from the post you're applying to.
- Full-charge bookkeeping
- Bank reconciliation
- Accounts payable
- Accounts receivable
- General ledger
- Month-end close
- Financial statements
- Journal entries
- Payroll
- 1099s
- Job costing
- QuickBooks Online
- Xero
- Gusto
- Excel
- Certified Bookkeeper (CB)
- Attention to detail
/ ATS tips
ATS tips for bookkeepers.
Say what kind of bookkeeper you are
"Full-charge" tells employers you handle the books end to end, not just data entry. Use it only if it's true.
Show the size of the books
Revenue, number of accounts, employees on payroll or clients you serve give scale to your work.
Measure the close and receivables
Days to close and overdue receivables in dollars are clear, easy-to-check results.
Name the software
QuickBooks Online, Xero, Gusto and Excel are common screening terms. List the versions and add-ons you really use.
Keep client details confidential
Describe clients by industry and size, not by name, unless you have permission.
How does your bookkeeper resume compare?
Free ATS score, missing keywords and fixes in about 10 seconds.
/ Questions
Bookkeeper resume FAQ.
Writing the cover letter too? See Rebecca's cover letter, annotated
Do I need a certification to work as a bookkeeper?
Usually not, but it can help you stand out. Options include the Certified Bookkeeper (CB) from the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers (AIPB), the Certified Public Bookkeeper from the National Association of Certified Public Bookkeepers (NACPB) and Intuit's QuickBooks ProAdvisor certification.
What is a full-charge bookkeeper?
A bookkeeper who handles the full accounting cycle for a business — payables, receivables, payroll, reconciliations and the month-end close — usually up to the financial statements, with a CPA handling taxes and audits.
How is a bookkeeper resume different from an accountant resume?
Bookkeeper resumes focus on accurate day-to-day records, reconciliations and the close. Accountant resumes add analysis, GAAP reporting, audits and often a CPA license.
Should I list every client I've worked for?
No. Group them, such as "14 small-business clients in construction, retail and professional services," and keep names private unless you have permission.
How long should a bookkeeper resume be?
One page. Put software and any certification near the top, then jobs with close times, account counts and dollar results.