Controller Resume Examples: Templates & Examples
In this article, you will learn:
- Step 1: Create a professional layout for your controller resume.
- Step 2: Adopt the right controller resume format.
- Step 3: Provide essential contact information.
- Step 4: Write a powerful controller resume headline.
- Step 5: Boost your controller resume with a strong summary.
- Step 6: Feature collections skills that employers are seeking.
- Step 7: Showcase your work experience and accomplishments.
- Step 8: List educational qualifications and background.
- Step 9: Beef up your controller resume with extras.
- Step 10: Craft a powerful controller cover letter.
- Controller Resume Sample
Controllers oversee the accounting operations of a company and commonly have the final say on every financial decision, such as budgeting, reporting, investing and risk management (for small companies).
In larger companies, typical duties are more specialized, with certain financial decisions shifted to the chief financial officer (CFO).
What a controller does:
- Plan, direct and supervise all accounting operational functions
- Prepare internal and external financial statements, reporting to the Board of Directors
- Provide effective management with information necessary for the decision-making process
- Evaluate the current accounting operations and offer recommendations for improvement and/or new process implementation
If you’re pursuing a career in this field, make sure you have solid communication, technology, analytical, and management skills. It’s a must to obtain a relevant educational background and work experience.
Most importantly, present all these key points on your controller resume to impress the potential employer and land the interview.
Let us show you how with a 10-step guide and a professional corporate controller resume sample!
Step 1: Create a professional layout for your controller resume.
Let's check out the basic layout rules when formatting a controller resume.
1. Your resume should not be more than 2 pages.
A resume should be one page most of the time, except for those with long-standing experience in the field. For example, a senior controller resume can be 2 pages as the extra page is necessary to fully convey the qualifications and work history.
2. Standard fonts are preferred throughout a resume for a controller job.
The two most important factors are readability and professionalism. Stick to standard fonts for formal documents, such as Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman, Georgia, Roboto, or Helvetica.
The ideal font size is 10-11pt for normal text and bigger for your name and section headings.
3. Choose an appropriate line spacing and margin size.
Go for 1-1.5” on all sides for resume margins and 1.0-1.15 for line spacing on your controller resume. You can adjust accordingly to balance white space and text.
4. Hiring managers expect to read a PDF file.
Most job search experts recommend PDFs instead of Word. The formatting won’t get messed up when employers open your file on different devices. Also, if you use a controller resume template on online resume builders like CakeResume, you can easily save it as a PDF.
Step 2: Adopt the right controller resume format.
The most common resume formats are chronological, functional, and hybrid (combination). The selection of your controller resume format determines how effectively the content reaches the employer.
📝 Chronological resume format
This is the most common resume format preferred by both recruiters and applicants.
A chronological controller resume presents the employment history in a timely-reversed order: the latest job at the top, followed by earlier jobs. As it focuses on work history, it’s a great choice for job seekers with plenty of work experience.
📝 Functional resume format
A functional resume is a “skill-based resume”, which puts a focus on the candidate’s skills and abilities instead of employment history and career progression. You won’t only list out your skills by bullet points, but also elaborate them further in a specific context.
Fresh grads, entry-level candidates, and career changers prefer to pick this resume format as they can de-emphasize their lack of work experience.
📝 Combinational resume format
As the name suggests, this is the hybrid version of the chronological and functional resume format. You can highlight all of the key points regarding work experience, skills, and qualifications to impress the hiring manager.
Hence, it will be great for professionals with both career history and skills worth showcasing.
✨ Tip: No matter what type of resume format you pick, make sure to tailor it to the specific position.
Step 3: Provide essential contact information.
The list below shows what you should and should not include in the Personal Information section of your financial controller resume.
You should include these:
- Full name
- Email address
- Phone number
- Address (optional)
- Personal website (optional)
- LinkedIn URL (optional)
You should not include these:
- Date of birth
- Identifying information (weight, height, gender, ID number)
- Religion
- Marital status
- Expected/current salary
Step 4: Write a powerful controller resume headline.
A resume headline (also known as “resume title”) is a short statement that introduces yourself and summarizes your entire resume content. Based on that, hiring managers can tell who and where you are in the field at a glance and will be more excited to read on your controller resume.
A well-written resume headline should include one of the following elements:
- Expertise or major profession
- Level of work experience and/or achievements in the field
- Outstanding skills and core competencies
Controller resume headline examples:
- Credit controller resume:
Senior Credit Controller with success in developing strong customer relationships to maximize account performance. - Cost controller resume:
Dependable Cost Controller with 5 years of directing all production accounting activities in TSMC. - Accounting controller resume:
Accounting Controller responsible for the management of Commercial Loan and Lease operating accounting.
Step 5: Boost your controller resume with a strong summary.
A summary statement (also known as “professional summary”) summarizes key qualifications about you and the content of your entire resume. It’s important to get it right so it can impress employers and motivate them to dive into your controller resume.
What to mention in a controller resume summary:
- Professional level, including years of experience and key responsibilities
- Outstanding achievements in the previous roles (especially for a senior controller resume)
- Key skills needed for the controller position
Examples of a well-written controller resume summary:
- Assistant controller resume:
Assistant Controller fully responsible for coordinating accounting data from multiple locations, supervising the daily workflow, and authorizing exception items. 5 years working in ZAP Asset with significant achievement in saving delinquent accounts by 35%. Key skills include an eye for detail, staying calm under pressure, and the ability to handle multiple projects effectively. - Stock controller resume:
Seasoned Procurement/Stock Controller with 10 years of experience in handling accounts payables principles and procedures for E-LAD Technologies Group. Highly recognized for maintaining quality assurance systems and key skills in budgetary control and processed backup reports. - Financial controller resume:
Meticulous Finance Professional with 8 years of experience in managing multiple accounting systems to consolidate all revenue and expense transactions, and supervising foreign subsidiaries regarding financial matters. An active listener and collaborative team leader who oversaw a team of 10 tax accountants.
✨ Reminder: A resume summary and a resume objective are not the same. An objective statement centers on your career goals and what you can bring to the employer in the future.
Step 6: Feature collections skills that employers are seeking.
Everyone knows how to list out skills on their resumes - but not everyone can get it right and effectively.
First, keep in mind to go over the controller job description and identify what skills are required and preferred. Next, combine those skills with what you actually possess and use bullet points to make the section easy to read.
Examples of essential controller skills for a resume:
Soft skills
- Problem-solving
- Collaboration
- Analytical skills
- Attention to detail
- Critical thinking
- Communication skills
- Ability to work independently
- Negotiation skills
- Multi-tasking
- Ability to deal with stress
- Work ethics
Hard skills
- Accounting principles
- Financial statements
- Payroll processing
- Asset management
- Tax regulations
- Payment plans
- Outbound calls
- Past due accounts
- Customer service
- Delinquent accounts
- Languages
Step 7: Showcase your work experience and accomplishments.
Here comes the most critical part of your controller resume - key responsibilities and achievements in former jobs.
The standard format for the Work Experience section is shown as below:
- Job title
- Company name (include the location if you find it relevant)
- Employment dates
- Brief job descriptions: key duties, outstanding achievements, and awards
Example of a business controller resume:
Business Controller
Bank of America, Chicago
09/2015 - 11/2018
- Handled the quarterly audit of all business processes that were presented to management.
- Worked closely with branch managers to investigate and develop merger possibilities.
- Moved corporate investments to index funds, resulting in 35% higher returns.
✨ Tip: Add quantifiable work results if you have any! They are considered a lot more credible and convincing than descriptions.
Step 8: List educational qualifications and background.
For controller positions, a bachelor's and/or master’s degree in finance, business administration, accounting, or a related area is usually a requirement.
Simply follow the standard format as below:
- Name of College/University
- Location (optional)
- Degree type
- Major and minors
- Enrolled years
Example of education in a controller resume:
University of Southern California, CA
MBA
2015-2017
Pierce College, CA
B.S. in Accounting
2005-2009
Step 9: Beef up your controller resume with extras.
To make your resume stand out from other applicants, give it a boost with additional information such as:
- Certifications
(Certified Professional Controller, Certified Financial Controller, The CPA Alberta Controllership Executive Program Certificate, etc.) - References (with full name, job title, and email address)
- Awards in the career
Step 10: Craft a powerful controller cover letter.
Even though most job ads show “Cover Letter (optional)’’, it's highly recommended to include a cover letter alongside a controller resume. A sincere and well-written cover letter can spark the hiring manager’s interest and land you the interview.
How to format a cover letter for controller jobs:
- Provide basic contact information, including full name, email, personal website (if any)
- Introduce who you are and what position you’re applying for
- Explain why you are interested in this role and this company
- Demonstrate the qualifications and work experience that make you the right fit
- End with a polite closing and sincere express an appreciation for the employer’s time and consideration
It’s no big deal if you probably find it struggling to write a controller resume.
📚 Further reading: The Cover Letter to Land Your Dream Job
With CakeResume’s resume builder tool, resume templates and resume examples, you could showcase your best qualifications to land your dream job. Try making a controller resume online (free download) now!
Controller Resume Sample
Mikey Chen
Highly recognized for the effective management practices of all corporate accounting functions and staff.
Phone: (777)-123-9999
Email: [email protected]
Reliable and seasoned Corporate Controller with 7 years of experience in Account Payables, Inventory & Cash Control, Bank Reconciliation, and Fixed Asset Management. Adept at developing various accounting processes and performing the analysis of cost drivers and performance measures. In the previous role, managed all accounting, tax, and finance of 5 global companies in 3 countries.
Work experience
Corporate Controller
Loren Group, NC
8/2017 - 5/2021
- Compiled reports for the Board of Directors and consolidated financial statement audit of US and foreign entities.
- Provided financial planning & analysis, and implemented a proper cash management system.
- Directed and participated in process improvements by implementing a new automated billing reminder system, cutting off past-due accounts by 38%.
- Switched corporate investments to index-linked funds, resulting in 25% higher returns.
Accounts Payable
Atrium Health, NC
1/2014 - 5/2017
- Assisted in-house controllers in preparing financial statements and tax filings.
- Moved accounts payable to an innovative paperless system, saving 4 hours of employee time per week and resulting in a 45% reduction in staff turnover.
- Verified invoice processing for compliance with three-step process and discovered errors.
Skills
| Soft skills | Hard skills |
| - Communication - Collaboration - Analytical skills - Attention to detail - Problem-solving | - Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) - Financial statements - Payroll - Asset management - Knowledge of US tax regulations |
Education
B.S. in Business Administration, Accounting
The University of British Columbia, Canada
Class of 2010
--- Originally written by May Luong ---
With the intention of helping job seekers to fully display their value, CakeResume creates an accessible free resume/CV/biodata builder, for users to build highly-customized resumes. Having a compelling resume is just like a piece of cake!
