One specific resume challenge faced by project accounting professionals is effectively showcasing their detailed financial management skills across diverse projects. Our guide can help by providing you with targeted strategies to highlight your proficiency in project budgeting, forecasting, and reporting in a way that captures the attention of potential employers.
- Sample industry-leading professional resumes for inspiration and project accounting resume-writing know-how.
- Focus recruiters' attention on what matters most - your unique experience, achievements, and skills.
- Write various resume sections to ensure you meet at least 95% of all job requirements.
- Balance your project accounting technical expertise with personality to stand out amongst candidates.
If the project accounting resume isn't the right one for you, take a look at other related guides we have:
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Is there a correct way to format your project accounting resume?
This is a tricky question. While skimming over your resume, recruiters will be looking at your experience and the message your profile conveys. That's why your resume format needs to be clear and concise, serving to supplement and organize your experience. Professional best practices point that the best project accounting resumes:
- Follow the reverse chronological order, where the most recent experience items are presented first . This is to keep your expertise succinct and to show recruiters your career growth over the years;
- Have a clearly defined header that includes all relevant contact information and a portfolio or a LinkedIn link. In some countries, it is acceptable to include a professional photo , so that your application is more memorable;
- Feature the most important project accounting resume sections towards the top, e.g. summary, skills, and experience. That way, recruiters can immediately find information that is relevant to the role;
- Take up no more than two pages - and two pages are the exception for more experienced professionals. Keep your expertise to the point and use your project accounting resume real estate wisely .
- Selecting modern, yet simple fonts, e.g. Rubik, Lato, etc., would help your application stand out;
- Many candidates stick with the tried-and-tested Arial or Times New Roman, but you'd want your project accounting resume to be a bit more unique;
- The ATS can read all serif and sans-serif fonts, so you should avoid fancy, formal script (or cursive) fonts.
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Project accounting resume sections to answer recruiters' checklists:
- Header to help recruiters quickly allocate your contact details and have a glimpse over your most recent portfolio of work
- Summary or objective to provide an overview of your career highlights, dreams, and goals
- Experience to align with job requirements and showcase your measurable impact and accomplishments
- Skills section/-s to pinpoint your full breadth of expertise and talents as a candidate for the project accounting role
- Education and certifications sections to potentially fill in any gaps in your experience and show your commitment to the industry
What recruiters want to see on your resume:
- Experience with project-based accounting software (e.g., Deltek Vision, Oracle Projects, Microsoft Dynamics)
- Understanding of project costing, budgeting, and financial reporting specific to project lifecycle
- Knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) as they relate to project accounting and revenue recognition
- Ability to monitor project financials and provide variance analysis and forecasting
- Experience with work-in-progress (WIP) schedules, percentage-of-completion accounting, and contract billing processes
Five dos for building your project accounting resume experience section
The best strategic approach to your project accounting resume experience section is to support your particular responsibilities with actions and achievements.
For example, you could list:
- Up to six responsibilities in your day-to-day work, supported by why they're important for your role, department, or organization;
- Experience items that have helped you sustain and enhance your technical knowledge within the field, or, perhaps, have helped you grow as a professional;
- Any metrics that pinpoint your success within your past roles;
- How you've solved specific problems in your day-to-day work;
- Strategies and solutions you've implemented for growth - and how that growth was measured.
The project accounting resume experience is your best shot at making a good first impression on recruiters. That's why we've included some real-world professional examples to get you thinking about how you present your experience:
- Directed financial management for a portfolio of 30+ construction projects valued at over $500 million, ensuring compliance with GAAP and contractual agreements.
- Developed a project cost tracking system that reduced reporting errors by 25%, which enhanced decision-making for project managers and stakeholders.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to optimize budget forecasts and cash flow projections for long-term projects, leading to a 15% improvement in financial resource allocation.
- Oversaw a team of 10 project accountants, implementing best practices that improved project cost analysis reports, thus aiding in a 10% reduction in unnecessary expenditure.
- Led the financial integration for a critical ERP software implementation, which streamlined project accounting processes and improved data accuracy.
- Negotiated with external vendors and subcontractors to secure rates that were 20% more favorable than previous terms, directly impacting project profitability margins.
- Analyzed and reported on financial performance of $300 million in infrastructure projects, providing critical insights that guided the redirection of budget allocations.
- Enhanced internal control processes for project expenditures, which decreased financial discrepancies by 30% across all managed projects.
- Partnered with project managers to craft tailored project bids that won 5 major government contracts over a 3-year period, bolstering company revenues substantially.
- Managed accounting activities for 15+ projects concurrently, with budgets ranging from $2 million to $50 million, focusing on accurate revenue recognition and cost tracking.
- Implemented a monthly financial review process that improved project cost visibility for management and reduced budget overruns by 18%.
- Successfully reconciled financial discrepancies across project accounts that cumulatively amounted to $1.2 million in unaccounted funds.
- Managed project funding strategies for renewable energy projects totaling $200 million, resulting in a 15% ROI increase year-over-year.
- Initiated a quarterly risk assessment protocol for project portfolios that mitigated financial risk by 35%, saving the company from potential losses.
- Facilitated inter-departmental workshops to align project accounting functions with engineering and procurement teams, yielding a 20% improvement in process efficiency.
- Conducted meticulous financial analysis for projects up to $25 million in size, delivering comprehensive monthly reports to executive management.
- Played a key role in a working capital improvement initiative that resulted in shortening the cash-to-cash cycle time by 12 days.
- Assisted in audit preparations and reconciliations that ensured the company passed all external financial audits without discrepancies for six consecutive years.
- Spearheaded financial control procedures for a high-profile $350 million urban redevelopment project, maintaining stringent budget adherence and financial transparency.
- Coordinated with project managers to implement cost-saving measures that cut direct project costs by 15% without compromising project quality or timelines.
- Pioneered a new Excel-based financial modeling tool that was adopted company-wide, enhancing project cost forecast accuracy by over 20%.
- Championed the financial oversight of international projects totaling upwards of $400 million, enforcing strict adherence to financial regulations and international accounting standards.
- Crafted and executed training programs for new hires in project accounting principles, which increased team efficiency by 25% and reduced onboarding time.
- Co-developed a revenue recognition policy that aligned with the company’s strategic goals and complied with newly released FASB standards.
Quantifying impact on your resume
- List the total budget managed across various projects to demonstrate your experience with large-scale financial oversight.
- Include the number of project budget variances successfully identified and resolved to show analytical and problem-solving abilities.
- Detail the percentage of projects completed under budget to highlight your cost-saving skills.
- State the exact number of financial reports generated and presented to stakeholders to illustrate your reporting expertise.
- Mention the total value of cost reductions achieved through strategic planning and efficiency improvements.
- Quantify the number of accounting software packages you are proficient in to showcase your technical competence.
- Document the percentage reduction in time taken to close monthly books to expose your efficiency in accounting processes.
- Record the number of cross-departmental financial trainings conducted to emphasize your leadership and communication skills.
Action verbs for your project accounting resume
Guide for project accounting professionals kicking off their career
Who says you can't get that project accounting job, even though you may not have that much or any experience? Hiring managers have a tendency to hire the out-of-the-blue candidate if they see role alignment. You can show them why you're the best candidate out there by:
- Selecting the functional skill-based or hybrid formats to spotlight your unique value as a professional
- Tailoring your project accounting resume to always include the most important requirements, found towards the top of the job ad
- Substituting the lack of experience with other relevant sections like achievements, projects, and research
- Pinpoint both achievements and how you see yourself within this specific role in the project accounting resume objective.
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Showcase any ongoing or recent educational efforts to stay updated in your field.
Project accounting resume skills section: writing about your hard skills and soft skills
Recruiters always care about the skill set you'd bring about to the project accounting role. That's why it's a good idea to curate yours wisely, integrating both hard (or technical) and soft skills. Hard skills are the technology and software you're apt at using - these show your suitability for the technical aspect of the role. They are easy to track via your experience, certifications, and various resume sections. Your soft skills are those personality traits you've gained over time that show how you'd perform in the specific team, etc. Soft skills are more difficult to qualify but are definitely worth it - as they make you stand out and show your adaptability to new environments. How do you build the skills section of your resume? Best practices point that you could:
- Include up to five or six skills in the section as keywords to align with the advert.
- Create a specific technical skills section to highlight your hard skills aptitude.
- Align the culture of the company you're applying to with your soft skills to determine which ones should be more prominent in your skills section.
- Make sure you answer majority of the job requirements that are in the advert within your skills section.
A project accounting's resume requires a specific skill set that balances both industry-specific hard skills with personal, soft skills. Discover the perfect mix for the project accounting role from our list:
Top skills for your project accounting resume:
Accounting Software (e.g., QuickBooks, SAP)
Project Management Software (e.g., Microsoft Project, Trello)
Microsoft Excel
Financial Reporting
Budgeting and Forecasting
Cost Analysis
Compliance and Regulatory Knowledge
Data Analysis Tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI)
ERP Systems
Time Tracking Software
Attention to Detail
Analytical Thinking
Communication Skills
Problem-Solving
Time Management
Team Collaboration
Adaptability
Critical Thinking
Organizational Skills
Interpersonal Skills
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List all your relevant higher education degrees within your resume in reverse chronological order (starting with the latest). There are cases when your PhD in a particular field could help you stand apart from other candidates.
Including your education and certification on your project accounting resume
The significance of your resume education section is paramount. It can show your diverse talents and experiences that are relevnt to the position.
- Incorporate educational qualifications, mentioning the institution and period.
- If you're on your academic journey, pinpoint your expected completion date.
- Opt for leaving out degrees that don't serve the job's purpose.
- Provide an overview of your educational experiences if it spotlights your milestones.
When recruiting for project accounting roles, candidates with relevant education and certification definitely stand out amongst competitors.
Showcase your academic background in the best way possible by:
- Listing all degrees and certifications that are part of the candidate qualifications in the project accounting advert
- Including any extra certificates, if they make sense to your application
- Not going over the top in details - the certificate name, institution, and dates are enough
- If you're in the process of obtaining a degree or certificate that's relevant to the job, include your expected graduation/certification dates
The education and certification sections help back up your application with years of experience in the industry or niche.
Select some of the most cutting-edge or applicable credentials for your next project accounting application from our list:
The top 5 certifications for your project accounting resume:
- Certified Public Accountant (CPA) - American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
- Certified Management Accountant (CMA) - Institute of Management Accountants
- Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) - American Institute of CPAs and Chartered Institute of Management Accountants
- Project Management Professional (PMP) - Project Management Institute
- Certified Project Manager (CPM) - International Association of Project and Program Management
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Highlight any significant extracurricular activities that demonstrate valuable skills or leadership.
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The summary or objective: focusing on the top one-third of your resume
It's a well-known fact that the top one-third of your project accounting resume is the make-it-or-break-it moment of your application. The resume summary and objective could help you further build up your professional profile.
- If you have plenty of career highlights behind your back, use the resume summary . The project accounting summary immediately focuses recruiters' attention on what matters most within your experience.
- The resume objective is the perfect choice for balancing your career achievements with your vision. Use it to state precisely how you see yourself in a couple of years' time - as part of the company you're applying for.
Both the resume summary and resume objective can be your value pitch to potential employers: answering what makes your application unique and the top choice for the project accounting role. They both have to be specific and tailored - as there's no one-size-fits-all approach to writing your project accounting summary or objective. Use the project accounting examples below as a starting point:
Resume summaries for a project accounting job
- Seasoned Project Accountant with over 10 years of experience managing financial aspects of large-scale construction projects. Proficient in cost analysis, budgeting, and financial reporting, and has successfully overseen budgets upwards of $50 million while ensuring adherence to financial regulations and reducing project costs by 15% through strategic planning.
- Dynamic professional with a background in software engineering, looking to leverage 8 years of tech industry experience into a career in project accounting. Possesses a keen analytical mind, familiarity with agile project management, and a solid foundation in financial principles gained through a recent certification in accounting.
- Assistant Project Manager transitioning to project accounting, bringing 5 years of experience in overseeing project lifecycles and budget management for IT solutions providers. Adept at financial modeling and cost control, eager to apply this knowledge to ensure the fiscal health and success of infrastructure project portfolios.
- Detail-oriented individual with a Master's degree in finance embarking on a journey into project accounting. Comes equipped with strong competency in quantitative analysis, profound understanding of financial markets, and a palpable enthusiasm for applying these skills to manage project finances effectively.
- As a fresh graduate with a Bachelor's in Accounting, I am eager to begin my career by contributing to the financial oversight of complex projects. I am particularly drawn to the integration of cost-saving measures and resource optimization strategies to achieve fiscal efficiency and project success.
- Keen to launch a career in project accounting, bringing forth strong analytical abilities, advanced Excel skills, and a passion for data-driven decision making. With a robust educational background in business administration, I am committed to learning quickly and contributing to project financial success.
Other project accounting resume sections to support your expertise and skills
Recruiters are always on the lookout for that project accounting candidate who brings about even more value to the role.
This can be either via their personality or additional accreditations they have across the industry.
Add to your resume any of the four sections that fit your profile:
- Projects for your most impressive, cutting-edge work;
- Awards or recognitions that matter the most;
- Publications further building up your professional portfolio and accreditations;
- Hobbies and interests to feature the literature you read, how you spend your time outside of work, and other personality traits you deem may help you stand out .
Key takeaways
At the end of our guide, we'd like to remind you to:
- Invest in a simple, modern resume design that is ATS friendly and keeps your experience organized and legible;
- Avoid just listing your responsibilities in your experience section, but rather focus on quantifiable achievements;
- Always select resume sections that are relevant to the role and can answer job requirements. Sometimes your volunteering experience could bring more value than irrelevant work experience;
- Balance your technical background with your personality traits across various sections of your resume to hint at how much time employers would have to invest in training you and if your profile would be a good cultural fit to the organization;
- Include your academic background (in the form of your relevant higher education degrees and certifications) to show recruiters that you have the technical basics of the industry covered.
