Accounting Student CV Example
An accounting student CV demonstrates your financial knowledge, analytical skills, and progress towards professional accounting qualifications.
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Key Skills to Include
Quick Tips
- Highlight relevant modules such as financial reporting, taxation, and auditing.
- Include any progress towards professional qualifications like ACCA or ACA.
- Detail placement or internship experience in accounting or finance firms.
- Showcase proficiency with accounting software such as Sage, Xero, or QuickBooks.
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Upgrade to ProHow to Write Your Accounting Student CV
An accounting student CV should demonstrate your academic progress, practical experience, and commitment to a career in accounting. Whether you are seeking a placement year, summer internship, or training contract, employers want to see evidence of numerical accuracy, attention to detail, and a genuine interest in the profession. Combine academic achievements with any bookkeeping, finance, or audit experience to present a compelling case.
CV Structure
Use a reverse-chronological format with your profile at the top, followed by any accounting-related work experience, education, and skills. If you have completed a placement year, give it detailed coverage. Include a skills section highlighting software proficiencies and analytical capabilities. Mention any professional exam progress prominently. Keep to one or two pages.
CV Format
Choose a professional, corporate template. Accounting employers expect precision, so ensure your CV is free of errors and consistently formatted. Use a standard font, clear headings, and well-organised bullet points. Save as a PDF for submissions.
CV Profile Examples
Placement-Year Student
Third-year accounting and finance student at the University of Leeds with a predicted 2:1 and a completed 12-month placement at a Top 20 chartered accountancy practice. Gained hands-on experience in audit fieldwork, accounts preparation, and tax return processing. Currently preparing for ACCA foundation-level examinations and seeking a training contract upon graduation.
Part-Time Working Student
Second-year accounting student at Manchester Metropolitan University with a strong academic record and 18 months of part-time bookkeeping experience at a local SME. Proficient in Sage 50 and Excel, with practical exposure to purchase ledger processing, bank reconciliations, and VAT return preparation. Seeking a summer internship in a chartered accountancy firm.
First-Year Student
Ambitious first-year accounting student at the University of Strathclyde with predicted grades above 65% across all modules and A-level Mathematics at grade A. Detail-oriented and numerate with strong Excel skills developed through academic coursework. Seeking part-time bookkeeping or finance administration work to complement academic studies.
State your degree subject, university, year of study, and predicted classification. Mention any professional exam progress and the type of role you are seeking. Include one specific skill or achievement that distinguishes you.
Key Skills for Your Accounting Student CV
Financial Accounting
Preparing and interpreting financial statements including profit and loss accounts, balance sheets, and cash flow statements.
Management Accounting
Supporting business decision-making through budgeting, variance analysis, and cost accounting techniques.
Excel
Using formulas, pivot tables, VLOOKUP, and data analysis tools for financial reporting and reconciliation tasks.
Bookkeeping
Recording financial transactions accurately using double-entry principles and maintaining organised financial records.
Taxation
Understanding the principles of corporation tax, income tax, and VAT as applied to UK businesses and individuals.
Auditing Principles
Applying ISA standards to plan, execute, and report on statutory audit engagements.
Analytical Skills
Examining financial data to identify trends, anomalies, and areas requiring further investigation.
Attention to Detail
Maintaining accuracy in numerical work, data entry, and financial record-keeping to prevent costly errors.
Accounting Software
Using Sage 50, Xero, or QuickBooks for transaction processing, report generation, and ledger management.
Work Experience Examples
Detail any accounting-related experience thoroughly, whether from placement years, internships, or part-time bookkeeping roles. Describe the specific tasks you performed, the software you used, and any measurable outcomes. For non-accounting roles, focus on transferable skills such as accuracy, reliability, and numeracy.
Audit Trainee (Placement Year)
BDO LLP, Manchester
Completed a 12-month placement in the audit department, working on statutory audit engagements for clients across manufacturing, retail, and professional services sectors.
Responsibilities
- Performed substantive audit testing on cash and bank, trade receivables, trade payables, and payroll across multiple client engagements.
- Prepared audit working papers and supporting schedules using CaseWare, ensuring compliance with ISA standards.
- Attended stock counts at client sites, verifying inventory quantities and recording count results for audit files.
- Assisted with the preparation of draft management letters and communicated audit findings to senior team members.
- Participated in weekly team meetings and contributed to planning discussions for upcoming audit engagements.
Achievements
- Completed all assigned audit sections within deadlines across eight client engagements during the placement year.
- Identified an unrecorded liability of £28,000 on a manufacturing client's balance sheet through detailed supplier statement reconciliation.
Part-Time Bookkeeper
Harris & Webb Property Management
Provided part-time bookkeeping support to a property management company with a portfolio of 45 rental properties across Greater Manchester.
Responsibilities
- Processed rental income receipts and supplier invoices into Sage 50, coding transactions to correct nominal accounts.
- Performed monthly bank reconciliations across three business bank accounts and one client money account.
- Prepared quarterly VAT returns using data extracted from Sage and verified against source documentation.
- Maintained an organised filing system for invoices, receipts, and tenancy agreements.
Achievements
- Reduced the monthly bank reconciliation time from two days to half a day by creating a standardised reconciliation template.
- Identified and corrected a VAT coding error that had resulted in £1,800 of overpaid VAT over two quarters.
Education & Qualifications
List your degree with predicted classification and highlight relevant modules. Mention any professional qualification progress such as ACCA foundation papers. Include A-levels with Maths grade and GCSEs.
BSc Accounting / Accounting & Finance
An undergraduate degree providing comprehensive training in financial and management accounting principles.
ACCA Foundation (In Progress)
Progress towards ACCA professional qualification, demonstrating commitment to a chartered accounting career.
AAT Qualified
An accounting technician qualification providing practical competence in bookkeeping and financial processing.
A-Level Mathematics
An advanced-level qualification demonstrating the numerical competence expected for accounting careers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I secure an accounting placement year?
Should I start professional exams while still a student?
What accounting software should I learn as a student?
How important is Excel for accounting students?
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