Bookkeeper resume example

Bookkeeper resume example: 15 years, monthly close moved from the 15th to the 6th business day, receivables cut from 52 to 34 days, payroll for 45 people.

Cover letter for this role

Linda Marsh

Full-Charge Bookkeeper | QuickBooks Online, Payroll, Month-End Close

Portland, OR15 years of experience

Summary

Full-charge bookkeeper with 15 years in manufacturing, property management and freight. Runs the books end to end for a $9M custom cabinetry company: AP, AR, payroll for 45 employees, sales tax and month-end close through to CPA-ready financials. Certified Bookkeeper and QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor.

Experience

Full-Charge BookkeeperJun 2019 - Present

Willamette Custom Cabinetry

  • Close the books by the 6th business day each month, down from the 15th when I started.
  • Run biweekly payroll for 45 hourly and salaried employees, including Oregon and Washington withholding.
  • Days sales outstanding dropped from 52 to 34 after I set up automated reminders and a weekly aging review with the owner.
  • Prepare year-end packages for the outside CPA; the last three have needed fewer than 5 adjusting entries.
  • Migrated 7 years of records from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online over one weekend.
BookkeeperMar 2015 - May 2019

Rose City Property Management

  • Kept separate trust accounting for 22 owner portfolios and 340 rental units.
  • Reconciled 30 bank accounts monthly and sent owner statements by the 10th.
  • Caught $18,000 in duplicate vendor payments during a cleanup of the payables ledger.
Accounts Payable ClerkJan 2012 - Feb 2015

Cascade Freight Lines

  • Processed 400+ carrier and fuel invoices a week with three-way matching.
  • Set up the first vendor file cleanup in 10 years, removing 600 inactive records.

Skills

  • Full-Cycle Bookkeeping
  • QuickBooks Online and Desktop
  • Accounts Payable and Receivable
  • Payroll Processing (Gusto, ADP)
  • Bank and Credit Card Reconciliation
  • Month-End Close
  • Sales and Payroll Tax Filings
  • Trust Accounting
  • 1099 Preparation
  • Excel (Pivot Tables, XLOOKUP)

Certifications

  • Certified Bookkeeper (CB), American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers
  • QuickBooks Online Certified ProAdvisor, Advanced

Education

Associate of Applied Science in Accounting, Portland Community College, 2011

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What hiring managers check first

How much of the cycle you own

'Full-charge' means you handle everything through financial statements. Make clear whether you own the whole cycle or one part, such as AP.

Close speed and CPA feedback

Days to close and the number of year-end adjustments show whether your books are trusted. Owners and CPAs notice both.

Payroll scope

Headcount, pay frequency and states tell a hiring manager how complex your payroll work has been.

Software fluency

QuickBooks is standard for small businesses. List the version, any payroll platform and any migration you handled.

Keywords the applicant tracking system matches

  • Full-Charge Bookkeeper
  • QuickBooks Online
  • Accounts Payable
  • Accounts Receivable
  • Payroll
  • Bank Reconciliation
  • General Ledger
  • Month-End Close
  • Sales Tax
  • Financial Statements
  • 1099
  • Journal Entries

Use the ones that are true of you, in the words the posting uses.

Mistakes to avoid

  1. Calling yourself full-charge without proof

    If you do not show payroll, reconciliations and financial statements, recruiters will assume you are an AP or AR clerk.

  2. Omitting the business size

    Revenue, employee count or number of accounts helps the reader understand the volume you handle.

  3. No certifications for experienced candidates

    After 10+ years, a Certified Bookkeeper or ProAdvisor credential helps you stand out against newer applicants with similar software skills.

Questions

Is a degree required to be a bookkeeper?
No. Many bookkeepers have an associate degree or a certificate, and some have neither. Experience and QuickBooks skill matter most to small-business owners.
How far back should my work history go?
About 15 years is plenty. Summarize older roles in a single line if they add relevant experience, such as AP work.
Should I list software I used a long time ago?
Only if it is still in use. Current tools like QuickBooks Online, Xero, Gusto and ADP are worth listing; retired systems are not.

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