In the accounting department of any company, the job of an accounts payable clerk or specialist is to make sure that the company does not owe any money to other parties. Even this simple job requires many qualifications including a number of soft skills and technical proficiency. Read on to find out what exactly they are to prepare an impressive resume.
Things you should put in a Accounts Payable Resume
- Technical knowledge
First and foremost you need to know basic accounting topics like how accounts payable and accounts receivable work. Besides, knowledge of payroll functions and procedures is also important. You should be capable of maintaining general ledgers where all the figures will be recorded. - Analytical mind
An accounts payable clerk has to have an analytical mindset. He will need to constantly read, compare and interpret the given figures. For instance, he has to study the client’s finances and help them to minimize the tax liability. So he should be someone who naturally takes an analytical approach to come up with a solution. - Attention to details
Attention to details is crucial in this job since the clerk has to go through a huge number of data each day. There will be many payment requests and bills for him to check on a regular basis. He will have to ensure all expense disbursement requests fit the policy. He should therefore have a keen eye for details so that he can keep up the whole company’s speed. - Strength in math
Since almost all of his work will be about calculations, it is obvious that he has to be excellent in mathematics. There will be long list of numbers to work with every day. He must take all of those data into account and see if there are any mismatches in the resulting figure. - Communication
It is a necessary aspect of the accounts payable job that the clerk has to collaborate well with other members of the accounting department. For this, knowing how to build effective communication is very important. This is how the whole team can build a transparent system and establish proper record-keeping. This will also help to make it clear to other departments, colleagues and clients about how the transactions are being processed. - Organization
There will be a sea of documents assigned to the accounts payable clerk at a time. He will need to match the right documents with the right files and payments. So it will do wonders for the whole process only if he knows how to organize them properly. He can group them differently according to the account types or based on any other preference. But keeping them in a certain order on desk can enhance his productivity exponentially. - Prioritization
Out of so many tasks, he should know which one is the most significant. He can prioritize them based on due dates, amounts and relationship with the person to whom it is payable. Doing so ensures that the trivial task does not get completed first while the most crucial file is still pending. - Software skills
IT skills are the most crucial for accounts payable clerks or specialists now. Since the digital calculation systems have been introduced, they have reduced the complications of this job on a huge measure. Systems like this include the basic Microsoft Office programs like Excel and Word. Using these two you can prepare spreadsheets and draft memos making your job easier as well as making it easier to understand for the other employees. You can also utilize them to process payments and record them on the database. Sometimes suppliers send electronic invoices which are easier to handle with such systems. In addition to these, there are some finance-based software systems like QuickBooks which you should be good at too. - Certification
It is recommended that you sit for the Certified Public Accounting exam and pass it to get the CPA certificate. The recruiters will want to see this certificate in resume and you will have the highest chance to land the job. - Education
To get a good job in this field, you should have a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or related subject. However, the minimum requirement is a high school diploma or equivalent. You should be serious about some specific courses in high school too like accounting, mathematics and computer.
Salary range and job growth
As of March 2018, the median salary for an account payable clerk is $39,360 according to Bureau of Labor Statistics. It can be a minimum of $35,490 and maximum of $44,045 depending on the experience level and location. Jobs in this area are expected to grow by 10% by 2026 which is faster than the average rate.
A Full Accounts Payable CV Sample
John Williams
(214) 748-3647 | johnwilliams@gmail.com
Summary
Focused, punctual and details-oriented accounts payable specialist with 6 years of experience. Capable of maintaining 100% accuracy in processing invoices. Proficient at vendor management and dedicated to provide state-of-accounts reports for cash flow management decisions.
Professional Experience
KING’S COFFEE SHOP
Albany, NY
Accounts Payable Clerk
2013-2016
• Developed effective accounts payable system
• Prepared tracking reports to inform management of due and past vendor invoices
• Verified details of transaction
• Renegotiated payment terms with multiple suppliers
RESTERS RESTAURANT GROUP
Miami, FL
Accounts Payable Clerk
2017-Present
• Facilitate tax planning and preparation
• Prepare and file SEC reports
• Coordinate financial audits
• Train clients in using QuickBooks software
Skill Highlights
• Clear communication
• Vendor management
• Bank reconciliation
• Accounts administration
• Budget control
• Details-oriented
• MS Office expert
• QuickBooks software
• Patient
• Motivated
• Team player
• On-time reporting
Accomplishments
• Award for Academic Excellence 2010, 2011
• Best Accounting Teamplayer Award 2014
Education
Bachelor of Business in Accounting
2009-2012
University of California
San Francisco, USA
+1 415-476-9000
It is a pretty competitive market in accounts payable area right now. So if you really want to shine here, you must prepare a great resume for the perfect first impression.
Sources:
1. Salary.com
2. Thebalance.com
3. Chron.com