EMPLOYING PART TIME MEMBERS OF STAFF

How to Write a Standout CV for Transactional Accountancy and Finance Roles

A well formatted, standout CV is essential for landing interviews in transactional accountancy and finance. Employers are always looking for candidates who demonstrate attention to detail, numerical proficiency, and a strong understanding of financial processes. So, your CV need to shine a spotlight on your qualifications, skillset, and experience to make sure you stand apart from other candidates. To help you on this quest, Liam Connolly has drawn from his extensive experience in transactional finance recruitment to share some top CV tips. Follow these, and your CV will be the one that grabs the attention of prospective employers. 1. Understanding the Role and Key Requirements / Responsibilities involved:Transactional finance roles typically involve managing financial transactions, reconciling accounts, and ensuring compliance with regulations. Depending on the specific position, responsibilities may include accounts payable and receivable, bookkeeping, financial reporting, or credit control, this is important to make sure these elements are clearly sign posted in your CV. Key Skills to Highlight: Attention to detail and accuracy in financial transactions. Strong numerical and analytical skills. Knowledge of accounting software (e.g., SAP, QuickBooks, Xero). Understanding of financial regulations and compliance. Ability to work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment. 2. Structuring Your CV:Your CV should follow a professional structure with clear sections that make the document easy to read and have a natural flow. If you over complicate your CV or format it in such a way that makes it difficult to read and without a natural flow it will absolutely hinder your application and will likely result in the key and important information within the CV being missed or overlooked. Below is an ideal format to follow to avoid this happening: Section A. Contact Information:Ensure your contact details are up to date, including: Full Name Phone Number Professional Email Address City of residency Notice period LinkedIn Profile (if applicable) Section B. Professional Profile / Summary:Begin with a concise, attention-grabbing summary of your expertise and career goals. Tailor this section of your CV to highlight key skills and experience relevant to the specific transactional finance jobs you are applying for. Example: "Detail-oriented finance professional with five years of experience in accounts payable and receivable. Proficient in financial reconciliation and reporting, with a strong understanding of accounting regulations. Adept at using SAP and Excel for transaction management. Seeking a role where I can fully utilise my skills to add value to a growing transactional finance team." Section C. Relevant Skills & Competencies:This is your opportunity to list your most relevant skills, these should be formatted as bullet points making it easy to read ensuring that the most relevant skills to the role you are applying to are front and centre at the top of the list. Example: Purchase & Sales ledger management Advanced Excel (VLOOKUP, Pivot Tables, Macros) Accounts reconciliation and financial reporting Bank statement reconciliation VAT processing and regulatory compliance Section D. Work Experience:Your work experience should be listed in reverse chronological order (starting with the most recent role first), emphasising achievements and contributions along with all the relevant responsibilities you undertook as part of the role. Example Format: Company Name | Job Title | Dates of Employment High volume invoice processing of both Purchase and Sales ledger invoices (c800 - 1000 per month) Managed Accounts Payable transactions totalling £3 million monthly Reduced invoice processing errors by 30% through process improvements Implemented a new reconciliation system, enhancing accuracy and efficiency Top tip: be specific ‘Managed Accounts Payable transactions totalling £3 million monthly’ instead of ‘Accounts Payable Transactions’. This level of detail not only helps employers and us understand the scope of your responsibilities and the extent of your capabilities but also demonstrates the care and attention you have put in your CV. Section E. Education & Qualifications:Include your school / college results, degrees, certifications, and relevant training. Example: AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians) Level 4 BA (Hons) in Accounting & Finance, University of ABC | Graduated: 2020 (1st Class) A level – Further Maths, English, Economics – Grade A,B,A 11 GCSE (Including Maths English, Science – Grade 8) Top tip: Not including your results can raise concerns and you'll likely be asked for them later, so it's best to include them from the start. Section F. Additional Sections (Optional)Languages: If multilingual, mention fluency level (spoken & written communication levels). IT Skills: Intermediate / Advanced Excel knowledge (VLOOKUP / Pivot Tables), Proficiency in accounting software – Sage 50, SAP. 3. Tailoring Your CV to Specific Roles: While transactional finance roles share common responsibilities, tailoring your CV for different positions (e.g., accounts payable vs. credit control) will dramatically improve your chances of selection and make it clear to potential employers that you understand the position you are applying to and can evidence through your experience why you are suitable. Make sure you customise your summary, skills, and experience accordingly to reflect this.For example:Accounts Payable / Accounts Receivable:Attention to detailAccuracy in your workUse of specific invoicing accounting softwareSpeed in manual processing Highlighting specifics in volume of invoices processed (p/w or p/m)Credit Controller:Softer skills are very important in Credit controlAbility to account manager – treat each client individually Being a good negotiator is vitalHighlight successes in results again targets (reduced aged debt by 85% in 12 months)Showing empathy and understanding to create strong working relationshipsKnowing when to change tact and take a firmer approach as needed.Accounts Assistant:Demonstrate full understanding of all elements of transactional financeAny professional qualifications you are / have undertaken (AAT) are important to highlightUse of various / specific accounting software (Sage, SAP, Xero) is appealing to clientsPayroll:Highlight the volume of employees payrolled Break down into weekly / salaries quantities Mention the use of specific payroll operating systems (Sage Payroll etc)Speak about the payroll region you cover, is purely UK payroll or do cover Irish Payroll, EMEA, APAC? Is it the full end to end payroll process including query handing / amendments through to sending the payroll to the bank?4. General CV Design and Formatting:Keep it concise: Limited to two pages if possible. Use professional fonts (e.g., Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman). Ensure the same font and font size are consistent throughout (not too small or too big, 10 - 12 size works fine depending on the font selected). Use Clear headings which separate the different sections. Maintain consistent spacing and margins throughout. Use bold to highlight key skills so they stand out. Use bullet points to list the responsibilities (not just one long paragraph) 5. Common Mistakes to Avoid:Spelling and grammar errors: Proofread thoroughly. Irregular fonts / font sizing and spacing. Generic duties: Customise for each role. Overloading with unnecessary details: Focus on what is relevant to the role in question. Too much information can make CV’s difficult to read and the reader loose focus. Lack of quantifiable achievements: Use specific amounts / results to demonstrate your impact. Final Thoughts?Your CV is your first and best chance to make a positive impression on a prospective employer. They want to see that you are capable of undertaking the advertised role and have a clear, demonstrable track record of handling similar responsibilities. With this in mind, it's essential to clearly showcase your experience, ensuring the right information is highlighted. Additionally, outline why you are interested in the specific role you are applying for. Consider your career goals, why you would be a good fit for the role, and where you see your potential for longer-term development (be realistic). A standout CV for transactional accountancy and finance roles should emphasise relevant experience, technical expertise, and professional achievements. By structuring and tailoring your CV effectively, you will significantly improve your chances of securing interviews and advancing your career. Visit Our Candidate Advice Pages HereLooking for your next career move in finance or accountancy? At Sharp Consultancy, our expertise lies in matching your potential with the perfect temporary, interim, or permanent position. With a well-established presence in Leeds and Sheffield, our seasoned team of consultants extends their services across Yorkshire and beyond. Don't wait for opportunity to knock, reach out to us TODAYand let's chart your career path together.

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There are approximate 8.4 million part time workers in the UK. For businesses of all sizes there are a huge range of advantages to employing members of staff on a part time basis – but there are also several challenges which must be taken into consideration.

Advantages and disadvantages to employing part time members of staff:

Keeping costs down. Employing somebody on a part time basis can be an effective way to reduce staff costs in roles where there isn’t necessarily a need for someone on a full time basis.

Attracting the best talent. Having the option of part time work can help both with recruitment and staff retention; part time work can be attractive to parents with young families or those approaching the later years in their careers and are looking to reduce their hours. These people can offer a wealth of skills and experience and offering flexible and/or family friendly working arrangements can lead to improvements in staff retention.

Flexibility. Part time employees can enable a company to ensure that it has the right number of people in the right roles during times when business demands are greater. Roles and working hours can be determined around a variety of scenarios and may be fixed with an individual working fewer hours each day or working set days or alternatively a part time employee may work shifts which could vary on a week to week basis. There are also options around employing members of staff on term-time contacts or on a job share basis.

Staff morale and productivity. It’s not just part time employees themselves who can benefit; they can alleviate the pressure of workloads on full time members of staff – particularly if a business is relying upon overtime to keep up with demand – and therefore help reduce stress and combat low levels of staff morale in the workplace.

Additional costs. Part time workers can impact on costs and businesses need to consider that employing individuals on a part time basis can lead to additional expense – for example with benefits and training.

Recruiting part time employees:

As an employer, you will need to determine whether a particular role would be suited to a part time working arrangement. To do this you will need to take into account:

Objectives and outcomes. Establish what you want the employee to achieve and consider what time is needed to do each aspect of the role. Also think about the particular skills and personal attributes that will be needed and include these in a detailed specification.

Working hours. Think about whether there are elements of the job which have to be done on certain days or at certain times – this will help you understand how much flexibility there is in the hours you would require the successful candidate to work. Also consider whether the role is to be created on a part time only or job share basis.

Recruitment process and interviews. Make the process as convenient to those looking to work part time as possible to attract the best candidates; part time opportunities can open up the recruitment pool to applicants who may not have considered the position if it was on a full time basis. Try and schedule interviews at times which suit the part time hours being offered i.e. on the relevant days.

Managing part time employees:

It is important to consider how part time employees will fit into your existing team structure and to also give thought to how you will effectively communicate and manage those who are not working full time hours.

Communications. You must make sure that all part time workers receive all staff communications; you may need to contact them by phone, email or text message if they are not at work on a day when you make an important announcement or send out a message for the first time. For staff meetings and company briefings, try to find a time when all team members will be available or if this is not possible, hold additional sessions which will give every employee an opportunity to attend.

Flexibility. Establish whether your part time workers can work additional hours on major projects or attend meetings which fall outside their normal working hours. Are they happy to be contacted by you on days that they are not at work?

Training. Part time employees should have access to the same training courses which you offer to full time members of the team; consider if you need to make adjustments to how these are delivered i.e. inclusion of home study time and condensing particular elements of the course.

Employing part time members of staff:

Part time workers must be treated equally to comparable full-time employees who work for the same company and perform similar roles under the same type of employment contract. This includes:

Salary / rates of pay
Access to occupational pension scheme
Training, career development opportunities and consideration for promotion
Right to receive enhanced sick, maternity, paternity, adoption leave and pay as well as parental leave and dependents leave
Pro rata contractual benefits such as paid annual leave and staff discounts

Sharp Consultancy specialises in the recruitment of temporary, interim and permanent finance professionals. With offices in Leeds and Sheffield our highly experienced team of consultants recruit for positions throughout Yorkshire and beyond. CONTACT US today to speak to a member of our team about your recruitment needs.