International Accountant Resume Example & Writing Guide
Use this International Accountant resume example and guide to improve your career and write a powerful resume that will separate you from the competition.
International accountants are accountants who work for companies or organizations with a global reach. They’re experts at navigating the unique tax laws and accounting regulations in different countries, as well as working with multinational corporations to ensure that they’re complying with all the rules.
Because international accountants work with such a wide variety of clients, they need to be able to communicate effectively with all types of people—from senior executives to new hires. They also need to be organized and detail-oriented. And because they’re often the first point of contact between a company and tax authorities, it’s important that they have excellent verbal and written communication skills.
If you’re looking for a new job as an international accountant or want to expand your current role, here are some tips plus an example resume to help you write a fantastic international accountant resume.
How to Write an International Accountant Resume
Here’s how to write an resume of your own.
Write Compelling Bullet Points
Bullet points are the most important part of your resume because they’re the first thing recruiters will read. And they’re the best way to showcase your experience and qualifications.
But many job seekers make the mistake of using generic bullet points that don’t really tell a story or provide any context about their experience.
Instead, you should use your bullet points to tell a story about your experience. And that story should be about how you helped a client or company achieve a specific goal or outcome.
For example, rather than saying you “prepared financial statements,” you could say you “prepared financial statements for $10M+ multinational corporation in accordance with US GAAP, resulting in no adjustments or corrections from external auditors.”
Identify and Include Relevant Keywords
When you’re applying for a job as an international accountant, the resume is likely to go through an applicant tracking system (ATS). This program will scan your resume for certain keywords related to the position, like “international tax law” or “currency exchange.” If your resume doesn’t have enough of the right terms, the ATS might automatically reject your application.
To increase your chances of getting an interview, make sure to include relevant keywords throughout all the sections of your resume. You can start by including these top international accountant keywords:
- International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)
- International Accounting
- Financial Accounting
- Account Reconciliation
- Financial Reporting
- Accounts Payable
- Financial Analysis
- Internal Controls
- Accounts Receivable (AR)
- Financial Statements
- U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
- Auditing
- International Tax
- Budgeting
- Variance Analysis
- Sarbanes-Oxley Act
- Tax
- Consolidation
- Accounting
- Tax Accounting
- Internal Audit
- Financial Audits
- Financial Modeling
- Financial Forecasting
- Budgeting & Forecasting
- Finance
- Forecasting
- Management Accounting
- Managerial Finance
- Microsoft Access
Showcase Your Technical Skills
As an international accountant, you need to be proficient in a variety of software programs and systems in order to do your job effectively. This might include familiarity with accounting software like QuickBooks and Sage, as well as experience with Excel and other spreadsheet programs. Additionally, you should be familiar with international financial reporting standards (IFRS) and have experience working with clients in different countries.