ATS Keywords for Accounting and Finance CVs
Accounting and finance roles are among the most keyword-dense job descriptions you will encounter. Professional qualifications, specific tools, regulatory frameworks, and technical competencies all generate ATS keywords. Missing key terms can filter out highly qualified candidates.
Qualifications as ATS Keywords
Professional qualifications are primary ATS filters for accounting roles. Include them in full and abbreviated form:
- "Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)"
- "Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW ACA)"
- "Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)"
- "Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA)"
- "Certified Public Accountant (CPA)" — US qualification often referenced in multinational roles
- "Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT)" — for part-qualified roles
Note your status: "ACCA qualified" vs "ACCA part-qualified" vs "ACCA finalist."
Technical Keywords by Finance Discipline
Management accounting: Management accounts, P&L, balance sheet, cost analysis, variance analysis, budgeting, forecasting, FP&A, monthly close, KPI reporting, business partnering
Financial accounting: Statutory accounts, year-end close, consolidation, intercompany, IFRS, UK GAAP, FRS 102, audit preparation, accounts payable, accounts receivable
Financial planning and analysis (FP&A): Financial modelling, scenario analysis, long-range planning, budget cycle, rolling forecast, board reporting, PowerBI, Tableau, business case
Audit: External audit, internal audit, risk assessment, controls testing, substantive procedures, ISA (International Standards on Auditing), audit opinion, findings, recommendations
Tax: Corporation tax, VAT, transfer pricing, R&D tax credits, HMRC, group tax, deferred tax, tax provision
Finance Systems as ATS Keywords
List the ERP and finance systems you have used:
- SAP, Oracle Financials, Microsoft Dynamics 365
- Sage, Xero, QuickBooks (smaller business)
- Anaplan, Adaptive Insights, Workday Financials (EPM/FP&A tools)
- Excel (advanced: pivot tables, Power Query, macros/VBA)
- PowerBI, Tableau (data visualisation)
Check your accounting CV's ATS score free at CVCircuit.