While in leadership roles and through working with clients I have reviewed hundreds if not thousands of CV’s from accountants and other professionals.
A few of them stood out and in truth the vast majority of them are so bland and generic that they really are never going to get attention.
Yet often using action orientated verbs can turn your CV from run of the mill to attention getting.
So what action orientated verbs might accountants use to effectively market themselves on their CV? Here are a few examples to get you started.
Achieved
Achieved a 25% improvement in debtor days which improved cash flow
Achieved a 3 day close down at month end
Achieved a £1million saving on the company’s tax bill
Assisted
Assisted in production of a business case that got the organisation an additional £2m of funding
Assisted in a negotiation with a supplier and achieved a 10% reduction in price.
Assisted in developing a business improvement plan for a division that was losing market share
Convinced
Convinced Operational Managers to work in partnership with Finance
Convinced a client to implement audit recommendations to reduce business risk
Convinced doubters of the viability of a financial plan
Improved
Improved a business process by making greater use of technology
Improved morale in the Finance team
Improved client satisfaction
Maximised
Maximised the return gained on surplus cash without increasing risk
Maximised returns on investment from major business cases
Maximised the effectiveness of credit control procedures to reduce debtor days
Saved
Saved 2 days per month by automating a process or procedure that was carried out manually
Saved the company £500,000 by implementing a just in time stock system that reduced stock holdings
Saved time without compromising quality by eliminating non added value activities
Implemented
Implemented a new accounting system
Implemented a new procedure
Implemented new working practices
Implemented a significant change
The Reality: CV’s are scanned rather than being read so make sure there are plenty action orientated verbs to get your CV noticed and you invited to more job interviews.
Duncan Brodie helps accountants and other business professionals to achieve more career success. He invites you to sign up for his free audio masterclass here
Since 2006 I’ve worked with in excess of 8,000 accountants and professionals in workshops, seminars and one to one helping them land their next jobs and become better leaders, presenters and business partners. Before that I spent 25 years in accountancy climbing the career ladder from Payments Clerk to FD. I’m a CIMA Fellow, Certified Professional Coach and Team Coach Facilitator.