Top 12 Accounting Assistant Skills to Put on Your Resume

In a job market that moves fast and judges even faster, an accounting assistant’s resume needs snap, substance, and proof. Blend technical tools with sharp analysis and people skills. Show that you can keep numbers honest, processes smooth, and deadlines from slipping.

Accounting Assistant Skills

1. QuickBooks
2. Excel
3. SAP
4. Xero
5. Payroll
6. Bookkeeping
7. Oracle
8. Accounts Payable
9. Accounts Receivable
10. Tax Preparation
11. Financial Reporting
12. Sage 50

1. QuickBooks

QuickBooks is accounting software widely used by small and midsize businesses to manage invoicing, expenses, payroll, inventory, and reporting. It keeps day-to-day transactions organized and traceable.

Why It's Important

It centralizes financial activity, reduces manual work, and improves accuracy. With clean records and reliable reports, you can help the team make decisions and close periods without chaos.

How to Improve QuickBooks Skills

1. Keep It Current: Run the latest version and enable critical updates.
2. Master Shortcuts: Learn hotkeys and navigation tricks to move faster.
3. Tune the Setup: Clean up the chart of accounts, products/services, and class/location tracking for consistent coding.
4. Customize Reports: Save report templates, memorize filters, and schedule deliveries.
5. Bank Feeds and Rules: Use bank rules and batch actions to speed classification and reconciliation.
6. Reconcile Religiously: Reconcile bank, credit card, and loan accounts every month without fail.
7. Lock Periods: Close periods and set user roles to protect prior data.
8. Document Workflows: Build checklists for billing, AP, month-end, and sales tax so steps aren’t missed.
9. Practice Safely: Use a sample file or copy of the company file to test changes before going live.

How to Display QuickBooks Skills on Your Resume

2. Excel

Excel is the spreadsheet workhorse for organizing, analyzing, and presenting financial data. Fast calculations, tidy models, and clear visuals—right at your fingertips.

Why It's Important

It turns raw data into meaning. Better analysis, cleaner reconciliations, fewer errors, and reporting that actually gets read.

How to Improve Excel Skills

1. Core Functions: Use XLOOKUP, INDEX/MATCH, SUMIFS, IFERROR, and dynamic arrays to build resilient models.
2. Pivot Power: Create PivotTables with slicers and timelines for instant summaries and trend views.
3. Power Query: Import, clean, and reshape data automatically instead of wrestling with manual fixes.
4. Data Models: Learn Power Pivot and relationships to handle multi-table reporting at scale.
5. Visualization: Build charts that tell a story. Add conditional formats and sparklines for quick reads.
6. Quality Controls: Use data validation, structured tables, and named ranges to reduce mistakes.
7. Automation: Record simple macros, explore VBA or Office Scripts for repetitive tasks.
8. Protection and Versions: Protect sheets/workbooks and manage version history to keep files stable.

How to Display Excel Skills on Your Resume

3. SAP

SAP is enterprise resource planning software that connects finance, procurement, HR, and operations. In accounting, it’s a full-stack system for transactions, controls, and reporting.

Why It's Important

One source of truth. Standardized processes. Strong audit trails. You get speed and accuracy without sacrificing control.

How to Improve SAP Skills

1. Know the Flow: Learn core FI/CO processes—posting, clearing, allocations, and period close tasks.
2. Personalize: Use favorites, variants, and ALV layouts to create a cockpit that matches your day.
3. Speed Moves: Learn common transaction codes and keyboard shortcuts to slash clicks.
4. Automate Repeats: Set recurring entries, workflow approvals, and batch jobs for routine work.
5. Data Discipline: Validate master data, use document types and posting rules consistently.
6. Three-Way Match: Strengthen P2P controls with PO, receipt, and invoice matching to cut errors.
7. Mass Actions: Use safe mass upload/update tools when volume spikes—test in non-production first.
8. Collaborate: Sit with AP, AR, and FP&A teams to refine configurations and close checklists.

How to Display SAP Skills on Your Resume

4. Xero

Xero is cloud accounting software for small and midsize businesses, built for invoicing, bank reconciliation, expenses, payroll, and clean reporting from anywhere.

Why It's Important

Real-time data, tidy workflows, fewer manual entries. Great for managing cash flow, AP/AR, and quick month-end wraps.

How to Improve Xero Skills

1. Bank Rules: Build smart bank rules to auto-classify transactions and accelerate reconciliations.
2. Tracking Categories: Use categories for departments, locations, or projects to sharpen reporting.
3. Repeating Transactions: Schedule recurring bills and invoices so routine work runs itself.
4. Find & Recode: Batch-correct coding errors to clean up accounts in minutes.
5. Files and Source Docs: Attach receipts and documents to transactions to keep an audit trail.
6. User Roles: Assign permissions carefully and review regularly.
7. Custom Reports: Save custom layouts and filters for management packs.

How to Display Xero Skills on Your Resume

5. Payroll

Payroll is the calculation and delivery of wages, taxes, benefits, and withholdings—accurately, on time, with records to prove it.

Why It's Important

It keeps employees paid, tax agencies satisfied, and financial statements correct. Misses here create trust issues and penalties fast.

How to Improve Payroll Skills

1. Standardize Calendars: Lock pay schedules, cutoff dates, and approval workflows.
2. Automate Calc: Use reliable software for rates, taxes, benefits, and garnishments.
3. Stay Compliant: Track federal, state, and local rules—minimum wage, overtime, filings, and year-end forms.
4. Reconcile Every Cycle: Tie gross-to-net and payroll liabilities to the general ledger and bank.
5. Handle Exceptions: Build processes for retro pay, corrections, and off-cycle runs.
6. Secure PII: Protect sensitive data with access controls, encryption, and audit logs.
7. Document Everything: Keep setup notes, rate changes, and approvals in a central place.

How to Display Payroll Skills on Your Resume

6. Bookkeeping

Bookkeeping is the disciplined recording and organizing of financial transactions. It’s the foundation everything else stands on.

Why It's Important

Accurate books drive smarter decisions, clean audits, and smooth closes. Sloppy inputs ripple into costly fixes.

How to Improve Bookkeeping Skills

1. Design the Chart: Build a clear chart of accounts and stick to naming conventions.
2. Keep Current: Record transactions frequently to avoid backlog fog.
3. Close Checklist: Create monthly checklists for accruals, deferrals, and cutoffs.
4. Reconcile Routinely: Bank, cards, loans, and key subledgers—every month.
5. Standardize Docs: Use consistent memo details, attachments, and approvals.
6. Segregate Duties: Separate entry, approval, and reconciliation where possible.
7. Automate Wisely: Use rules, recurring entries, and integrations to cut manual touch.

How to Display Bookkeeping Skills on Your Resume

7. Oracle

Oracle’s finance ecosystems (such as Oracle Cloud ERP and NetSuite) provide integrated modules for GL, AP, AR, fixed assets, and reporting—built for control and scale.

Why It's Important

It unifies processes across the business, strengthens compliance, and delivers near real-time reporting. Less spreadsheet sprawl, more reliable data.

How to Improve Oracle Skills

1. Learn the Modules: Focus on the finance areas you use daily—GL setup, subledger accounting, assets, cash management.
2. Tailor Layouts: Customize dashboards, saved searches, and report filters for your role.
3. Workflow and Roles: Build approval workflows and define roles to reduce errors and rework.
4. Templates and Recurring Entries: Standardize journal templates and recurring transactions.
5. Data Quality: Maintain clean master data; set validation and posting rules.
6. Close Discipline: Use task lists, reconciliation tools, and period locks to keep closes tight.
7. Practice in Sandboxes: Test changes and imports in non-production before rollout.

How to Display Oracle Skills on Your Resume

8. Accounts Payable

Accounts Payable tracks what the company owes to vendors and ensures bills get approved and paid on time, with controls baked in.

Why It's Important

Healthy vendor relationships, better cash planning, fewer late fees. Strong AP keeps operations humming and audits calm.

How to Improve Accounts Payable Skills

1. Three-Way Match: Match PO, receipt, and invoice to prevent overpayments and fraud.
2. Standardize Intake: Route invoices to one inbox/system; avoid scattered approvals.
3. Automate Workflows: Use OCR, approval routing, and duplicate detection to cut manual effort.
4. Payment Strategy: Batch payments, leverage early-pay discounts, and align with cash forecasts.
5. Vendor Hygiene: Validate vendor data, collect tax forms, and review terms annually.
6. AP Aging Reviews: Monitor aging and resolve holds quickly to protect supplier trust.

How to Display Accounts Payable Skills on Your Resume

9. Accounts Receivable

Accounts Receivable is money owed by customers for delivered goods or services. It sits on the balance sheet as an asset—cash in waiting.

Why It's Important

Collections fuel operations. Tighter AR means stronger cash flow, fewer write-offs, and more predictable forecasts.

How to Improve Accounts Receivable Skills

1. Invoice Fast, Invoice Right: Send accurate invoices immediately with clear terms and backup.
2. Automate Reminders: Set polite dunning schedules and statements before balances age out.
3. Offer Options: Accept multiple payment methods and simplify how customers pay.
4. Credit Policy: Set credit limits, gather credit info, and review risk periodically.
5. Cash Application: Use rules and references to auto-apply receipts and reduce unapplied cash.
6. Dispute Playbook: Track disputes with reasons, owners, and deadlines until resolution.
7. Watch KPIs: Review DSO, aging buckets, and write-offs; adjust tactics quickly.

How to Display Accounts Receivable Skills on Your Resume

10. Tax Preparation

Tax preparation means assembling records, calculating liabilities, claiming valid deductions and credits, and filing accurate returns on time.

Why It's Important

Good tax work protects against penalties, frees cash with smart planning, and keeps financials aligned with regulatory demands.

How to Improve Tax Preparation Skills

1. Update Knowledge: Track annual changes in forms, rates, thresholds, and compliance rules.
2. Build Workpapers: Standardize schedules for income, expenses, depreciation, and carryforwards.
3. Organize Docs: Maintain a tidy digital binder with engagement letters, source docs, and support.
4. Use Checklists: Implement preparer and reviewer checklists to catch common misses.
5. E-File Readiness: Validate IDs, signatures, and banking data early to avoid last-minute scrambles.
6. Nexus and Deadlines: Track multi-state exposure and maintain a calendar of filings and estimates.

How to Display Tax Preparation Skills on Your Resume

11. Financial Reporting

Financial reporting compiles statements—balance sheet, income statement, cash flows, and equity changes—plus disclosures that explain the numbers.

Why It's Important

It informs leaders, satisfies regulators, and earns stakeholder trust. Clarity here anchors sound decisions.

How to Improve Financial Reporting Skills

1. Know the Rules: Stay current on GAAP/IFRS updates that affect recognition, measurement, and disclosure.
2. Close Cadence: Run a clear close calendar with owners, deadlines, and dependencies.
3. Reconcile Early: Reconcile key accounts continuously, not just at month-end.
4. Variance Insight: Write concise variance analyses with causes and corrective actions.
5. Materiality and Controls: Apply thresholds and document reviews, tie-outs, and signoffs.
6. Consistent Formats: Use standardized templates and footnotes for comparability.

How to Display Financial Reporting Skills on Your Resume

12. Sage 50

Sage 50 is desktop accounting software for small and midsize businesses, handling billing, inventory, payroll, and financial reporting with solid controls.

Why It's Important

It streamlines transaction entry, keeps books orderly, and produces reports managers can act on.

How to Improve Sage 50 Skills

1. Stay Updated: Install the latest release to gain stability, security fixes, and new features.
2. Customize Your View: Tailor dashboards, shortcuts, and favorites to match daily tasks.
3. Memorize and Recur: Use memorized transactions and recurring entries for routine activity.
4. Bank Connections: Set up bank feeds and rules to accelerate reconciliations.
5. Report Designer: Create and save custom reports and filters for leadership packs.
6. Backups and Integrity: Run regular backups and data verification; keep rotation off-site.
7. User Permissions: Configure roles to protect sensitive areas and reduce mistakes.
8. Add-Ons: Explore integrations that extend inventory, payments, or analytics—test before deploying.

How to Display Sage 50 Skills on Your Resume