Chartered Accountant CV example

As a Chartered Accountant, precision, clarity, and trustworthiness aren’t just words – they’re part of your professional DNA. Your CV should reflect the same meticulous approach.

In this guide, you’ll learn exactly how to structure and highlight your expertise, demonstrate your value, and ensure recruiters instantly recognise your qualifications and the difference you can make to their finance team.

A Chartered Accountant knows the value of clarity, and writing your CV needs to prove that. Make sure recruiters immediately see your qualifications, skills, and career achievements, without having to search through layers of unnecessary detail. Think of your CV as a carefully-prepared balance sheet – it should provide exactly the right information at a glance, presented professionally and logically.

Follow this clean, professional layout:

• Name and contact details – Display your personal details clearly at the top so employers can get in touch easily. Including a photo is entirely optional.
• Profile – Begin with a concise summary that highlights your expertise and what you bring to the role.
• Core skills – Highlight your strongest skills that align with the role’s requirements.
• Work experience – Start with your most recent role and work backwards, showcasing achievements and responsibilities.
• Education – Mention your degree, certifications, and any training that supports your career path.
• Additional info – Include any additional details, like awards, professional memberships, or hobbies that highlight your skills or personality.

Choose a clear, easy-to-read font that matches your professional credibility. Format sections with well-labelled headings, and break down experience into concise bullet points for effortless reading. Limit your CV to two pages maximum length – concise enough to show efficiency, detailed enough to highlight your impact. Following these tips and steering clear from avoidable mistakes will assure hiring managers of your competence.

Your CV profile is more than a summary – it’s your opening statement. It should clearly show recruiters why you’re the Chartered Accountant they need, highlighting your skills, qualifications, and the tangible difference you make to the bottom line. This brief intro sets the tone and proves your value from the very first glance.

Here’s what to include:

• Where you’ve worked – Industries or sectors, such as corporate finance, public practice, or financial services.
• Your top qualifications – Emphasise your Chartered status and other relevant certifications.
• Essential skills – Audit expertise, financial reporting, strategic financial management, or compliance knowledge.
• Types of clients or businesses – SME, large corporates, international clients.
• Business impact – Note achievements such as cost-saving initiatives, process improvements, or increased accuracy in reporting.

Think of your core skills section as your ‘greatest hits’ – the financial strengths and professional talents that define your reputation. Avoid generic phrases (“detail-oriented” doesn’t exactly thrill a finance manager) and instead, use this space to quickly highlight where you truly excel: whether that’s solving tax issues or completing audits.

Every accounting role is different, so feel free to use the job description to help tailor your list of CV skills to include the keywords recruiters have already said they’re looking for.

Now’s the chance to prove you’re not just qualified – you’re genuinely valuable. Employers don’t just want to see your job titles; they want to understand how your financial expertise has improved organisations. Show how you’ve supported audits, streamlined financial processes, implemented strategic improvements, or navigated complex compliance issues.

List your work experience in reverse chronological order, clearly stating your job title, employer, and the dates you worked there. Below that, use concise, impactful bullet points to highlight responsibilities and results – backed by numbers wherever possible. Measurable outcomes always speak louder than generic responsibilities.

• Outline – Briefly describe the business, your position, and the financial scope.
• Responsibilities – Use action words like “audited,” “analysed,” “implemented,” or “streamlined” to outline your contributions.
• Achievements – Highlight measurable impacts: “Reduced monthly reporting time by 20%,” “Saved £40,000 through tax efficiency measures,” or “Improved compliance standards, achieving 100% audit pass rate.”

Being great with numbers is one thing – being Chartered proves you’re on a different level entirely. This section clearly shows you’re not only experienced but formally trained and continuously developing. Include your Chartered Accountant qualification first, then highlight relevant degrees or CPD you’ve undertaken.

You can include additional professional courses or relevant financial software training to demonstrate ongoing professional growth and education.