Finance assistant CV

Finance assistant roles are a common entry point into accounting. The job usually covers a bit of everything: processing invoices, raising sales invoices, reconciling the bank, filing expenses and supporting month-end. Employers aren't expecting deep experience. They want someone accurate, organised, comfortable with numbers and systems, and keen to learn.

What employers look for

• Accuracy. Data entry and invoice processing without errors.
• Organisation. Handling several ledgers and deadlines at once.
• Basic accounting knowledge. Understanding debits, credits and the purpose of a reconciliation.
• Excel and systems. Confident with spreadsheets and at least one accounting package.
• Communication. Dealing politely with suppliers, customers and colleagues by phone and email.
• Willingness to learn. Interest in studying AAT, ACCA or CIMA is a plus, and many employers will support it.

If you're moving into finance from another career, your transferable skills matter. Retail cash handling, admin, customer service and data entry all show relevant strengths.

Keywords from finance assistant adverts

• Purchase ledger, sales ledger, invoice processing
• Raising sales invoices, credit notes
• Bank reconciliations, petty cash
• Expenses, credit card reconciliations
• Supplier and customer queries
• Month-end support, filing, data entry
• Sage, Xero, QuickBooks, SAP
• Excel, attention to detail, organisation
• AAT, studying towards

A typical advert, decoded

A paraphrased example of what finance assistant adverts usually say, and what each line is really asking for.

The advert says	What it really means
"Purchase and sales ledger"	You'll process invoices both ways. Show volume and accuracy.
"Bank reconciliations"	A daily or weekly task. Explain how you do them.
"Attention to detail"	There will probably be a test. Proofread your CV carefully.
"Experience of Sage or Xero desirable"	Not essential, but name any system you've used.
"Opportunity to study"	They'll support AAT. Show interest.

Example CV profile

Organised finance assistant with a year's experience in a property management company, studying AAT Level 3. I process around 400 purchase invoices a month in Xero, raise sales invoices, reconcile two bank accounts weekly and handle supplier queries. Before moving into finance I spent three years in retail management, where I was responsible for daily cash reconciliation and banking.

If you're new to finance, a sentence about relevant earlier experience is worth including.

Example achievements

Use your own figures. Small, concrete results are fine at this level.

• Processed around 400 purchase invoices a month in Xero with very few corrections needed at month-end.
• Reconciled two bank accounts weekly, with no unexplained differences at month-end.
• Set up a shared tracker for supplier queries, cutting the average response time from a week to two days.
• Cleared a backlog of six months of unfiled expense claims within my first month.
• Raised around 150 sales invoices a month and chased small overdue balances by phone.
• In retail, reconciled daily takings of up to £15k and prepared banking with no discrepancies.

Common mistakes

• Underselling earlier jobs. Cash handling, admin and customer service are relevant. Describe them in finance terms.
• Vague software skills. "Good IT skills" says little. Name Excel features and accounting packages.
• No study plans. If you're studying or planning to, say so. Employers often look for it.
• Typos. Accuracy is the core of the job. Proofread your CV carefully.

Interview questions to prepare for

• Why do you want to work in finance?
• What's a bank reconciliation, and why does it matter?
• How do you make sure your data entry is accurate?

See all 12 finance assistant interview questions, with why interviewers ask each one and what a strong answer covers.