21 ways to improve your resume.

Whether you are a CPA employed in industry, government, not-for-profit or another area who wants to find a new position at another organization, or work in public practice but want to move to a different firm or gain new clients, a good resume is an essential business tool.

Most CPA's do not effectively market their skills. That can slow down the effort to find a new position or expand your client base. Today's business environment is so competitive that most resumes receive only a 15-second glance. There are a number of common mistakes--easily eliminated-that can quickly knock a candidate out of the running. These include resumes that are too long (for example, the average length of controllers' and chief financial officers' resumes I've seen runs on to three or four pages), are too vague and general, include personal history or date of birth or use the phrase "references upon request."

To stand out from the crowd, a resume must illustrate your accomplishments--including items such as productivity increases and cost savings for which you were responsible--and quickly demonstrate that you can do the work and do it well.

A WINNING RESUME

The following tips will help create a resume that stands out (see page 85 for a sample resume targeted to the position "auditor" . They cover the kind of information that should be included and how the resume should look for best results; both aspects are important in helping you get an interview.

1. Start with a summary of your qualifications. This should be up to five or six sentences long and encapsulate your experience and the strongest, most important skills you are offering. The summary is the first part read and when it is well written, prospective employers and clients start paying attention and give its author more serious consideration.

2. Sell your skills. Prospective employers and clients want to see results. Use statistics, percentages and numbers and note any increases, decreases and cost savings for which you were responsible. Outline the actions you took and emphasize the resulting benefits. Contributions to productivity and cost-cutting skills are very important to those hiring CPA's.

3. Target your resume. Vague, general resumes that cover many possible job options or areas of specialization often get lost among the competition. Tailor every resume for a specific job tide, type of firm or client. For example, create one resume for "accountant" and another for "financial analyst" and incorporate in each only the information pertinent to that particular job.

It's also a good strategy to emphasize any specific industry experience you have when it's relevant. For example, stress your knowledge of taxes for not-for-profit organizations (NPOs) if the prospective employer is an NPO or has many NPO clients. Include only essential information so you don't bog down the reader with irrelevant facts. When crossing over into a new industry or niche, expound on the financial strengths you bring.

4. Be concise. No one will read a 10-page resume; I've found that one page--short and to the point--works best. Employers only care about your latest skills, so emphasize your most recent experience, such as the last five to seven years, and give only a line listing job title and company to earlier positions. Be a skillful editor and delete portions that are not relevant or that are least helpful in securing the particular position.

5. Be clear. Don't use generalities. Say exactly what you mean, using the fewest words that will make your point.

6. Be accurate. Describe your skills, qualifications and experience as positively as possible without exaggerations or misstatements. However, if your job title doesn't adequately describe your responsibilities, use the appropriate tide. Some titles don't mean much outside a particular organization. If you are a "staff supervisor" but accounting manager" best describes your responsibilities, use "accounting manager."

7. Be complete. Spell out all abbreviations, names of schools, companies, organizations and titles. It is more professional to give complete information, as some readers may not recognize abbreviations or acronyms.

8. Use common resume language. Complete sentences are not necessary. It is better to use simple descriptive statements. Be sure that any technical terms are understandable to a general audience.

9. Use action verbs. Descriptive words--such as established, analyzed, implemented, streamlined and organized--add power to your sentences. Begin each sentence with one.

10. Proofread everything. Don't trust computer spell checkers. Read every word to be sure spelling and tenses are correct and that the resume says exactly what you mean. For example, the computer won't flag the word sea as an error if you mean see. Take the time to make your resume perfect.

11. Make it inviting. A resume with too much material crammed into it seems forbidding to the reader. Make deletions wherever necessary to achieve a readable product.

12. Don't include personal statistics. It is no longer considered professional--or wise--to include information about age, marital status, sex, height, weight or health on a resume. Requesting this information from candidates violates antidiscrimination laws, and most organizations will be pleased that you didn't include it.

13. Don't list references. Prospective clients or employers know you'll provide them if requested, so it is not necessary to say that you will. Instead, bring to the interview a separate sheet that includes your name and a list of three or four good references who can attest to the quality of your work.

14. Don't advertise negative information. Your resume is the wrong place to announce that you were laid off or fired or had an extended illness. You should never state why you left a position, simply list the dates of employment.

15. Be current. Update your resume every six months so that you're always able to quickly take advantage of unexpected opportunities.

16. Create a visually appealing document. Use a computer to make laser-printed copies to achieve a professional look. Check the spacing and margins and allow for a lot of white space and borders. Emphasize important points by using elements such as italics, capital letters, underlining, boldface type, indentations and bullets. However, remember that content is crucial; a beautifully designed resume that lacks substance won't get you an interview.

17. Use the right paper. White or cream-colored high-quality linen or woven paper made the most positive impressions in recent surveys of company managers who make hiring decisions. Recycled paper can also be a good choice, but it should have a smooth surface to enhance readability. When faxing the resume, always use a clean copy on white paper.

18. Use an easy-to-read type size. Select a type size between 1 1 and 14 points; 12-point type is the easiest to read.

19. Avoid graphic designs. These are often distracting to the reader. Don't clutter your resume with lines, boxes, shadings or fancy borders or other designs. Many copy centers prepare elaborate multicolor resumes, but these have not been well received in the financial world. Remember, prospective clients and employers are buying abilities and skills, not artwork.

20. Be professional. A resume must be flawless. Don't use white-out or cross out information if anything needs to be updated. It is better to retype the resume and make a positive impression than to risk losing an opportunity for an interview.

21. Edit. Resumes take a lot of time to write and even more time to edit into perfect advertisements. After you have completed yours, ask others for suggestions on how to improve it so it effectively sells your most marketable abilities. After incorporating any changes, read and edit it carefully. Look at it through the eyes of the prospective employer or client, and before sending it out ask the following questions:

* Does the resume do a good job of selling my skills?

* Do my strengths come across?

* Does it clearly and quickly communicate to prospective employers that I can do the job?

* Will potential clients feel confident about my ability to do their work?

* Does everything in my resume support my claim that I can do the job or client service I am targeting.

* Should anything be removed?

It's essential to rework your resume until your answers to all these questions--except the last one--are yes and it passes the final test: getting you interviews.

Carla Corporate, CPA

17 Money Drive

Seattle, Washington 98001

[phone]

CAREER OBJECTIVE: Auditor

SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS

Seasoned financial professional with proven expertise in financial management, cost analysis, auditing, internal controls and business expansion. Strengths include policy and procedure development, systems reviews, streamlining processes, training and strategic planning. Emphasis on implementing effective cost reductions to maximize productivity and profits.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

CONTROLLER, Mission Credit Service, Salem, Oregon 1990-1993

Financial

* Financial management including: financial statements, A/R, A/P, general ledger, taxes, payroll, budget, forecasting, cost analysis, cash management, banking relationships.

* Reorganized all financial policies, procedures and internal controls, resulting in extensive revenue growth that tripled within 24 months.

* Converted manual financial system to an IBM PC system, resulting in $70,000 annual savings by bringing payroll and all accounting functions in-house.

* Implemented comprehensive cash flow internal control system that alleviated all previous cash crisis problems.

Management

* Managed employee benefits and retirement (401k) programs.

* Authored new employee policies and procedures manual, creating 75% of all policies.

* Redirected sales and marketing strategic planning to maximize opportunities for continued business expansion.

COST ACCOUNTANT, II Morrow, Salem, Oregon 1989-1990

Implemented new computerized mainframe cost accounting system to analyze costs of the research/development/production of new equipment.

* Reorganized inventory system to control costs through internal safeguards against theft, and implemented just-in-time ordering process.

SENIOR Auditor, Jones & Smith, CPAs, Salem, Oregon 1986-1989

* Conducted more than 40 audits for clients with up to $70M in annual revenues in retail, trucking, credit unions, not-for-profits.

ACCOUNTANT, State of Oregon, Salem, Oregon 1978-1984

* Established new payroll and benefit system on reconsolidated division, adding 1,200 new employees.

COMPUTER SKILLS

Mainframe and PC proficiency on LOTUS, customized accounting software, WordPerfect. Three financial conversions from manual to automated systems.

EDUCATION

BS, Business Administration/accounting, Portland State University, 1986

RELATED ARTICLE: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

* TODAY'S BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT is so competitive that most resumes receive only a 15-second glance.

* MANY COMMON BUT EASILY AVOIDED mistakes can knock a resume out of the running.

* TO STAND OUT FROM the crowd, your resume must illustrate your accomplishments and quickly demonstrate your ability to do the job well.

* BY FOLLOWING SIMPLE GUIDELINES CPAs can avoid the mistakes that can derail their candidacies.

ROBIN RYAN is a Seattle career counselor and the author of 60 Seconds & You're Hired! and the job Search Organizer: Everything You Need to Land Your Next Job Faster. She is also a CPE instructor.