Demand for accountants is high right now and students should actively be seeking internship opportunities. Internships can allow for paid, real-world application of classroom concepts and expose students to learning opportunities that extend far beyond the classroom. However — before students can apply for internships or jobs, they must have a strong resume. So I wanted to share some basic tips about what makes a good resume for undergraduate accounting majors.
What I’m providing below are a few resources that students can add to their classroom-to-career toolkit:
- A 6-minute video overview of a sample resume from the AICPA (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants). I have provided chapter cuts if you want to jump into a certain topical area.
- Link to CEEL (SPU’s career center) — this is a fantastic team at SPU that works on the first floor of Dinneen Hall. Every student should make an appointment with CEEL for resume assistance, interview guidance, and more.
- Link to ThisWayToCPA — this is a fantastic website created by the AICPA that is aimed at students who want to enter the accounting profession. The site includes an entire overview on resumes.
I have been on the hiring side of the interview table and can share: the layout, word choice, and formatting all matter because it helps the person reading the resume more easily and quickly digest who you are as a candidate. I have also been on the job-seeking side of the table and can share that writing a good resume is not an easy process because distilling your experience and strengths down to a page or two is not easy. This is a specific form of writing for a specific audience. This is a learned skill. The most important thing a student can do is to just get started and then leverage resources like your faculty advisors and CEEL Do not delay your resume-writing; doing so will delay your prospects of landing that internship or job.
You can view the video below or on YouTube here, complete with time-coded chapter breaks to jump to the following topics.
- 0:05 Purpose of a resume & basic upfront tips
- 0:40 “This Way to CPA” resume overview
- 0:53 Sample resume overview
- 1:02 Resume structure: HEADER
- 1:20 Resume structure: PROFILE
- 2:14 Resume structure: EDUCATION
- 3:27 Resume structure: WORK EXPERIENCE
- 4:46 Resume structure: ADDITIONAL DETAILS (TECHNICAL SKILLS, LEADERSHIP/VOLUNTEERING, ETC)
- 5:19 Intro to CEEL and why CEEL is critical resource for resume & internship search
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