Trainee accountant CV example

Adding contact details to your trainee accountant CV

You might think it’s enough to add your phone number when you send your CV, or assume that sending it by email means they will reply by the same method. However, it never hurts to include contact details on your CV too. Doing so gives recruiters what they need in the easiest way possible.

You should include multiple options so they can contact you however they please. Some employers prefer phoning, others will do their business by email. Whatever their preference, you don’t want to miss out:

• Start with your name
• Add your address with the postcode. They may want to send an application form, or they might just want to know where you’re based.
• Include your phone number – ideally a mobile so you can always be reached.
• Finally, list your email address. Make sure it’s work-appropriate, rather than including nicknames or anything else unprofessional.

Example of contact section for a trainee accountant CV

Trainee accountant CV personal statement

As the first section of any UK CV, the personal statement is vital in giving recruiters a good first impression of you as a candidate, and aligning you with the job at hand.

In three to four sentences, you should highlight your experience or qualifications, one or two key qualities that define you as a trainee accountant, and what you can offer to a prospective employer.

Most applicants use the first sentence to highlight their experience. You may also want to add a defining quality like “hard-working” or “ambitious”.

Next, expand on your experience with some key competencies – what you do well in your current role. It’s a good idea to add in statistics, such as the number of clients you’ve assisted or a specific reduction in expenditure you were able to achieve.

Finally, top it off with some unique skills that set you apart. That could be your ability to learn new things quickly, an aptitude for software, or just your great interpersonal skills and team-player attitude.

Here are some extra tips for your personal statement:

• Use the third person to come across as more professional.
• Keep it positive and punchy, setting the tone for the rest of your CV.
• Stick to a limit of around 100 words, so recruiters can read on to find out more.
• Take a look at some CV examples to see how it’s done…

Example of personal statement for a trainee accountant CV

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How to present your work history on a trainee accountant CV

Even as a trainee, recruiters will want to see work experience on your CV. That could be directly relevant experience like an accounting placement, or just a position with transferable skills like an admin assistant or cashier. Whatever experience you have, it’s still worth including to show that you’re used to putting the hours in.

In most cases, work history will be the longest section of your CV. That’s because it’s so important to potential employers. It will start with your current or most recent job, then work backwards through time, so the most relevant information comes first.

For each role, list the following:

• Job title, employer, and location
• Start and end dates
• 3-6 responsibilities or achievements

While the first points are easy boxes to tick off, you might find it hard picking out responsibilities to list. Remember that these should define your time in that job. Don’t list basic tasks like filing, photocopying, and making calls. Instead, try to cherry pick the most impressive duties you completed.

Another tip is to mix things up. You don’t want to repeat duties across different jobs. If you’ve covered data entry in one job, why not focus on bookkeeping and account reconciliation in another. You can read the job description to get a better idea of which responsibilities to list.

Last but not least, choose the right words to describe your duties. Starting each point with a verb can create a dynamic tone for your work history section. Think “managed”, “assessed”, and “calculated” rather than continually writing “responsible for”.

Example of work experience for a trainee accountant CV

Trainee accountant CV skills

Your CV skills section is vital when applying for trainee accountant roles. Recruiters will usually have an ideal candidate in mind, with certain capabilities and qualities. They might also use ATS software, which rules out CVs which don’t include certain keywords.

As such, it’s important to include a combination of hard and soft skills in this section. Hard skills are technical capabilities that trainee accountants will have learnt, or be learning. These include bookkeeping, data analysis, and financial reporting.

On the other hand, soft skills are transferable skills or qualities that you have as a person. They can lend themselves perfectly to accounting roles, such as “attention to detail” and “problem solving”, but they may be equally helpful in plenty of other jobs too.

Pairing both together in this section allows you to present yourself as well balanced. You can show that you’ve got the basic accounting skills for a trainee job, while also demonstrating that you’re a good fit for their company in terms of your personal attributes.

We recommend adding around 8-12 skills in total, which can be presented in a bullet point list. There are a number of skills that go hand in hand with trainee accountant duties and responsibilities:

Outlining education on a trainee accountant CV

Education is important for so many jobs – and trainee accountant is certainly no exception. While you might still be a trainee, you’ll need to show that you have the raw skills to become an accountant in time.

Most trainee accountancy roles will work towards a qualification like ACCA or CIMA, but you’ll usually need a relevant degree to gain entry to those jobs. This could be mathematics, accounting, finance, or any business-related degree.

It’s also a good idea to include previous education like A-levels to demonstrate a mathematical or analytical background. That said, you don’t have to delve too deep into your education history – GCSEs can be summarised concisely rather than listing every subject, or you may choose to omit them altogether.

When listing your education, you’ll need to include the level of qualification, course title, university or college, and the date of qualification. You can include grades if they’re particularly impressive, but don’t feel the need to list every little detail if it doesn’t add to your application.

Example of education for a trainee accountant CV