Resume example

Controller Resume Example

A controller's resume has to prove two things at once: that the numbers are right and that the finance team closes faster and cheaper each year. This example gives the close, the audit and cash collection a figure each and shows the climb from auditor to controller.

Senior · Last reviewed 4 November 2026 · 2 min read · How we write these

Template

Slate puts the dates in a timeline beside each role.

A made-up resume. The person, the employers and every number are invented, and any resemblance to a real one is chance.

Why this example works

A $120 million group and a team of six show the size of the function before any detail is read.
Closing the books in six working days instead of eleven shows a process improvement with a checkable before and after.
No audit adjustments above $50,000 in three years shows control that auditors, lenders and owners notice.
The accounting manager and staff accountant years show the full route from audit work to running a team and a plant close.

How to write your own controller resume

Open with the size of the business you run the books for, such as revenue and team size, so the reader can place your level at once.
Give the close in working days before and after, and name the change that made it faster, such as daily reconciliations.
State your audit result as a count or an amount threshold over a period, rather than saying the audits went well.
Show cash discipline with a collection figure such as days sales outstanding, and say what policy or routine moved it.
Include budget work with the number of department heads and how often you report variances to them.
Compress older roles to one or two lines each, so the last five years carry most of the page.

Skills worth including

Accounting leadership

Month-end close, Audit support, Budgeting, Lender reporting, Working capital

Management

Team leadership, Board reporting, Process improvement, Cost accounting

Only list what is true for you. A skill you cannot talk about in an interview does not help.

Common questions

How much accounting history should a controller put on one page?

Give the last two roles in full and the earlier ones in a line each. A controller's page is judged on recent scope, so older detail should shrink as it ages.

Should a controller list lender and covenant work?

Yes, in one line with the facility size and the reporting deadline you meet. It shows you deal with outside parties and keep promises to them.

How do I describe board reporting without sharing numbers that are private?

Describe the pack and its timing, such as a monthly board pack sent after close, and use ratios or changes rather than the company's own figures.

Does a controller need to show systems knowledge?

Mention the ERP or reporting system once, with the change you led, such as moving from spreadsheets without missing a close. Naming a long list of tools adds little.