Create your Newly Qualified ACA CV today - A curriculum vitae guide for new ACA's.

Get in touch with your Chartered Accountants Ireland Careers Team today to help sculpt your new CV now that you are qualified. Its never too early to start this essential document. We will send you a template to get you started and you can schedule an online call to review and talk through it once complete.  

For the moment, here are some initial CV tips, pitfalls, versions and suggestions :

1. Minimise (no) colour
2. No photo – that’s more a continental thing.
3. Your latest job detail should take up about half of the 1^st page – good detailed points.
4. Use ‘ownership’ terminology such as “I drove, I led, I resolved … “
5. 1 or 2 lines about your current employer = context
6. Use the width of the page- no large whitespace gaps | Typically 2 full pages give or take.
7. Ariel or Calibri 11 or 12
8. Include your Annual Review Rating if you got a good one.
9. Naming Clients – where suitable … to give context.
10. Clients : - what size / what sector ?
11. Have a few versions of your cv for different applications
12. Include Academic results 2.1 / 2.2 / 510 points 3.8 grade avg etc
13. Punchy – Not long winded story style points.
14. Profile Summary for HR/Website applications – per below
15. Strong References available on request(include of you have)
16. Include Charity work, societies, events, articles written etc.
17. Spelling – check it and triple check it
18. Focus on the getting across your competencies and your value add
19. Identify your USP / What differentiates you
20. System Skills ?

( Tip )  Create a Summary profile or synopsis to go alongside your CV or to be mailed with your cv attached to either recruiters or employers :
For example : 
My Profile Summary :

• ACA 2022 Big 4 Trained – Audit
• Currently in XYZ plc as a Financial Accountant
• Previously Audit Senior working with Banking Insurance and Funds clients
• Very strong leadership qualities and relationship building track record
• Strong audit fundamentals
• Very keen on a move into IA with the right organisation and ABC ltd very much appeals.
• Excellent communication skills and very positive client interaction feedback
• 100% comfortable with travel required
• On 55k base + solid bens currently
• Target base 60/65k base circa
• Linkedin Profile : https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveriordanaca/

Get in touch with your Careers Team in the Institute as your first step once you qualify for cv, interview and market guidance as well as job placement and an unbiased, objective view of the market and your career path. 

Dave Riordan (ACA)

Recruitment Specialist & Career Coach | Careers Team Chartered Accountants Ireland.

Dave.riordan@charteredaccountants.ie