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Accounting intern resume example

A one-page resume for an accounting junior applying for a summer audit or tax internship, with a part-time accounting job, VITA tax preparation and student organizations. Firms hire most of their new staff from their interns, so recruiters read for grades, a plan toward the CPA and early proof that you are careful with numbers.

Accounting intern resume example, page 1 of 1Kofi AgyemangAccounting StudentSUMMARYAccounting junior at Temple University with a 3.71 GPA, a part-timeaccounting job at a property management company and a seasonpreparing returns as a VITA volunteer. On track for 150 credit hours andplanning to sit for the CPA exam after graduation. Seeking a summer2027 audit or tax internship.EDUCATIONB.B.A. in Accounting2024 – May 2028Temple University, Fox School of Business · Philadelphia, PA•GPA 3.71. Courses: intermediate accounting I and II, cost accounting,federal income tax, accounting information systems.EXPERIENCEAccounting Assistant (Part-Time)Sep 2025 – PresentWissahickon Property Group · Philadelphia, PA•Enter and code 250 to 300 vendor invoices a month in AppFolio,matched to work orders for 38 rental buildings.•Reconcile 12 operating and security deposit bank accounts monthly;cleared 140 stale reconciling items in my first two months.•Calculate move-out deposit refunds for 20 to 30 tenants a month, allissued within the 30-day legal deadline.Sales AssociateJun 2023 – Aug 2025Chestnut Street Outfitters · Philadelphia, PA•Closed out registers and prepared daily deposits; named associate ofthe month twice.VOLUNTEERINGVolunteer Tax PreparerJan 2026 – Apr 2026IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) · Philadelphia, PA•Prepared 45 federal and Pennsylvania returns for low-incomehouseholds, including Earned Income Tax Credit claims, after passingthe IRS Advanced certification.ACTIVITIES•Beta Alpha Psi: 60 service and professional hours a year; organized afirm night with 9 accounting firms.•National Association of Black Accountants (NABA), Temple chapter:case competition team, 2026.CONTACTkofi.agyemang@example.com(215) 555-0138Philadelphia, PAlinkedin.com/in/kofiagyemangSKILLSExcel (pivot tables, XLOOKUP)QuickBooks OnlineAppFolioBank reconciliationsAccounts payableJournal entriesUS GAAP basicsIndividual tax preparationTaxSlayerTableau basics
Accounting internUse this example

What recruiters look for

  • GPA and accounting courses: firms often screen at about 3.0 to 3.3 overall and look at your accounting GPA too. List intermediate accounting, tax and audit courses.
  • A plan for licensure: recruiters want to know you can become a CPA. One line in education or the summary is enough.
  • Hands-on accounting work: a part-time AP, bookkeeping or office job, even a small one, shows you know what a reconciliation looks like.
  • VITA or tax volunteering: a strong signal for tax internships, with the number of returns you prepared.
  • Involvement: Beta Alpha Psi, NABA, ALPFA, Ascend or an accounting society, especially where you organized something.

Writing the summary

Optional for students. If you use one, give your year, major, GPA and the internship you want (audit, tax or advisory, and the season), then your strongest practical experience. Keep it under 60 words.

The summary in this example

Accounting junior at Temple University with a 3.71 GPA, a part-time accounting job at a property management company and a season preparing returns as a VITA volunteer. On track for 150 credit hours and planning to sit for the CPA exam after graduation. Seeking a summer 2027 audit or tax internship.

Student with no accounting job yet

Accounting sophomore at a state university with a 3.6 GPA and A grades in financial and managerial accounting. Treasurer of a 90-member student club, managing a $12,000 budget with monthly reconciliations. Seeking a winter or summer 2027 audit internship.

Career changer in a Master of Accountancy program

Master of Accountancy student (graduating May 2027) after five years as an operations coordinator in logistics, where I checked and approved carrier invoices worth $3 million a year. Planning to sit for the CPA exam in 2027 and looking for a winter audit internship.

Bullet points that work

Strong lines for this role, beyond the ones in the example. Borrow the shape and put in your own numbers.

  • Prepared 60 federal and state returns as a VITA volunteer, securing about $95,000 in refunds and credits for clients.
  • Reconciled 8 bank accounts monthly for a family-owned business in a part-time job, finding a $2,100 duplicate payment.
  • Built a depreciation schedule for 140 fixed assets in Excel for a small nonprofit ahead of its first review engagement.
  • Placed in the top 3 of 20 teams in a firm-sponsored audit case competition, presenting revenue risks to a panel of partners.
  • Entered and coded 400 invoices a month in QuickBooks Online with a 99% first-pass accuracy rate.
  • Organized 4 recruiting events for Beta Alpha Psi with 12 accounting firms and 150 students attending.
  • Tutored 20 students in Intermediate Accounting I through the business school’s tutoring center.
  • Observed inventory counts at 3 client sites as a winter intern, testing 120 items against the perpetual records.
  • Built a Tableau dashboard of 3 years of student club spending after a 6-week data analytics course.

Skills to list

Hard skills

  • Excel (pivot tables, XLOOKUP, basic formulas)
  • Journal entries and the accounting cycle
  • Bank and account reconciliations
  • QuickBooks Online or another small business system
  • Individual tax preparation basics
  • US GAAP fundamentals
  • Data analytics basics (Tableau, Power BI or Alteryx)

Soft skills

  • Attention to detail
  • Professional communication with clients
  • Time management during exams and busy season
  • Asking questions early

Certifications and licenses worth listing

  • No license is expected of an intern. Show your path instead: “On track for 150 credit hours by May 2028; planning to sit for the CPA exam after graduation.”
  • IRS VITA certification (Basic or Advanced): list it if you volunteer; it shows real tax preparation.
  • Software credentials such as QuickBooks Certified User or a Microsoft Office Specialist Excel exam can go in a short line if you have them.

Length and format

One page. Education first with GPA, graduation date and accounting courses, then experience (part-time jobs count), VITA or volunteering, activities and skills. A two-column layout keeps skills beside your experience. Leave high school off by your second year.

Common mistakes

  • Leaving out your expected graduation date. Firms recruit by class year and need to know when you will finish your credit hours.
  • Describing a retail or restaurant job without the money you handled. Register counts and deposits are relevant.
  • Listing Beta Alpha Psi without saying what you did. One line on an event you ran or hours served is enough.
  • Writing “strong attention to detail” on a page with typos. Accounting recruiters notice.
  • Promising a CPA timeline you cannot meet. Check your state board’s rules for when you can sit for the exam and be licensed.

Questions and answers

Should I apply for audit or tax internships?

Many students try both through early leadership programs. One resume can serve either; change the summary and lead with VITA work for tax, or with reconciliation and controls work for audit.

Do I need 150 credit hours to get an internship?

No. Firms hire interns well before then. They want to see that you have a plan to meet your state’s licensing education requirement, which in many states is still 150 hours, though a growing number now accept 120 hours with extra experience.

What GPA do accounting firms look for?

Commonly 3.0 or higher, with larger firms often preferring 3.3 to 3.5. Include it if it is 3.0 or above, and add your accounting GPA if it is stronger.

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