[pinkerton7384]

I received my CPA license a few weeks ago and I am working on updating my resume. My question is, should I put a line on my resume that I received my CPA license in June 2014? Or is having CPA after my name on the top good enough? And if I do add a line for it, should it go under Education? Or create a new section for Certifications?

I’ve tried googling and I can’t find any good examples, so figured this would be a good place to ask!

BEC - 75
AUD - 88
REG - 85
FAR - 75

DONE!!!

[John Tucker]

Yes, unless you have less than 3 years of experience, a one page resume isn't enough to include all of your relevant information. In response to the OP's question, the CPA license is a license so you want to put it behind your name at the top (i.e. John Tucker, CPA) but I wouldn't include a Master's Degree initial or Bachelor's initial behind your name such as people who have their resume listed as John Tucker, MBA or John Tucker, BA, BS. The undergraduate and master's degree aren't terminal degrees or licenses, and only terminal degrees and licenses should be listed behind your name. So John Tucker, CPA or John Tucker, PhD is great. Then I would also restate that you are a Licensed CPA in your Summary, and also of course list it under the Certifications section.

The resume should be organized as follows:

At the top put Your Name, CPA and then right under that include your Address, Phone and Email

Professional Summary (replaced the Objective)

Summary of Skills

Professional Experience

Education

Certifications

Professional Affiliations (for example, your College Alumni and AICPA Membership)

Academic Awards and Distinctions (a separate category to list out awards you received in education, community service, etc.)

* State of MA CPA Exam Candidate
- BEC: Sunday, August 24th
- FAR: Saturday, November 29th
- AUD: TBA for February 2015
- REG: TBA for May 2015

[Anonymous]

Put the alphabet soup on first line of resume:

First Last, CPA, CMA, MBA (weakest one in the middle, like a relay race!)

Also, have a Education/Certification block at the end. I am using the following sequence: MBA, BS, CPA, CMA. Dates don't matter. People under 30 may put Education/Certification block up front. I have almost 20 years experience, so it goes at the end.

[mla1169]

Please take note of John Tucker's point that the only degree that should ever be listed behind your name is a PhD. It's lovely to have a MBA or MST or MSA but that only belongs in the education section not as a title.

To do so is often viewed as pretentious.

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[Anonymous]

Good to know (re:MBA,MST,MSA)

[Anonymous]

@mla1169 – only on the first page of the resume, not in a signature block or anything else, which is pretentious. A recruiter once told me that sometimes screeners only look at the first line of a resume, so get your message in immediately.

Another discussion item is how to list on LinkedIn. I am less sure about that since I work in corporate finance and will never really “use” my CPA.

[John Tucker]

LinkedIn and email signatures rules are the same, if it's a license or terminal degree I would list it behind your name if it's in relation to the field you are working in. Being in any type of consulting, finance, direct accounting, auditing, or operations management role is applicable to the CPA.

* State of MA CPA Exam Candidate
- BEC: Sunday, August 24th
- FAR: Saturday, November 29th
- AUD: TBA for February 2015
- REG: TBA for May 2015

[mla1169]

Whatever works best for you, but I've got it from multiple sources that a degree never ever goes after your name-not on a first page, not on linked in. I was told if a job REQUIRES an MBA, they will on fact check the education credentials section for it and if the job does not require a masters they won't be impressed by it. I've never put MSA or BSA, was always Jane Smith until I was Jane Smith, CPA.

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[Anonymous]

@pinkerton – I'm originally from Westfield!!!

[mla1169]

Westfield….been to the mass pike exit there and I think it was a Friendly's right across the street? I'm just north of Boston.

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[Anonymous]

Degrees do not go after your name unless they are terminal. The only ones that should are CPA, Esq., MD, and PhD (and other terminal degrees like EdD, LLM, and whatnot). It's improper to include anything else.

If you need something else included that badly, include it in a “Summary of Qualifications” at the top.

I work with a lot of extremely senior executives and see their resumes every day (they are included in the expert reports)- none of them have their MBAs in the title. These guys are all Wharton Grads too (I'm in Philly).

Another little nit picking that many people over-look. Latin awards should be lower case and italicized.

The nice thing about our profession is that having only CPA at the top will earn you a full read. Put the rest in the body to give the reader more of a reason to continue.

[Author]

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