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Bookkeeper cover letter example

Accountants hiring a bookkeeper want clean books, returns filed on time and someone who catches errors before they do. This example is from the same certified bookkeeper as our CV example, applying for a senior role at an accounting firm, and every fact comes from her CV.

Goes with Fiona McKenzie's Bookkeeper CV · Checked

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The letter

What each paragraph is doing.

Fiona McKenzie is made up, and so is Hokonui Accountants, Gore. Every fact in the letter comes from Fiona's CV, the way a real one should: nothing new, just the parts of the CV this job cares about most.

Fiona McKenzie

Invercargill · 021 555 0753 · fiona.mckenzie@email.com

Alistair Brown, Director

Hokonui Accountants, Gore

Re: Senior Bookkeeper, rural and small business clients

Dear Alistair,

I'm applying for the Senior Bookkeeper role at Hokonui Accountants. I'm an ICNZB Certified Bookkeeper with ten years in accounts, the last five keeping the books for small businesses and farms across Southland at Murihiku Bookkeeping in Invercargill.

I keep the books for 32 clients, from sole traders to farms and a 40-staff engineering firm, and reconcile each one every month. I prepare and file around 90 GST returns a year, with none filed late in five years, and run fortnightly payroll for seven clients with 110 employees, including payday filing and KiwiSaver deductions. Careful checking pays off too: I found a supplier who had been paid twice over eight months and recovered $14,200 for the client.

I moved 11 clients from paper and spreadsheets to Xero with Hubdoc, which cut their monthly bookkeeping hours by about a third. Before that I spent five years at Oreti Rural Supplies, where I managed 350 farmer trading accounts and prepared the month-end pack for the external accountant, so I know what an accountant needs to receive.

Your rural client base is where I'm most at home. I hold the New Zealand Certificate in Business (Accounting Support Services) (Level 4), my Xero professional certification and payroll specialist badge are current, and I work in MYOB Business as well. I'd be glad to meet and talk about the role.

Kind regards,

Fiona McKenzie

  1. 1Opens with certification and experienceICNZB certification and ten years in accounts answer an accountant's first two questions before the end of the opening paragraph.
  2. 2Volume, deadlines and one error caughtClient numbers, GST returns never late and a $14,200 recovery prove reliability and care far better than "attention to detail".
  3. 3Shows she sees the accountant's sideMoving clients to Xero and preparing month-end packs show she hands over work the firm won't need to fix.
  4. 4Links her background to the firmFarm and rural supply experience fits a firm with rural clients, and her qualification and software list close the letter cleanly.

Opening lines

Other ways to open.

The first line decides whether the rest gets read. Each of these names the job and leads with proof. Swap in your own facts.

  • “I'm applying for your Bookkeeper role, bringing ten years in accounts, the last five keeping the books for small businesses and farms.”
  • “I file around 90 GST returns a year, with none filed late in five years, and I'm applying for your Senior Bookkeeper position.”
  • “As a certified bookkeeper who moved 11 clients from paper and spreadsheets to Xero, I'm applying for your Cloud Bookkeeper role.”
  • “Having run fortnightly payroll for 110 employees across seven clients, I'd like to bring that experience to your Bookkeeper and Payroll Officer role.”
  • “I'm applying for the Accounts Administrator role, with five years managing 350 farmer trading accounts at a rural supplies business.”

Common mistakes

What gets bookkeeper letters skipped.

  • Writing "attention to detail" and nothing else.

    Give one error you caught and what it saved, like a double-paid supplier and the amount recovered.

  • Leaving out how many clients and returns you handle.

    Say how many clients, how big, and how many GST returns or pay runs you do. It shows you can keep up with a firm's workload.

  • Burying certifications at the end of a long paragraph.

    Put ICNZB and Xero or MYOB certification where they're easy to spot. Many firms screen on them.

Write yours

A letter like this, for every job ad.

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How cover letters work in SmartCVs
  • Written in the same step as your tailored CV, from your profile and the job ad
  • Three or four paragraphs, in plain, professional language
  • Every fact from your profile: a number your profile doesn't have is dropped before you see it
  • Edit any line, copy it into an application, or download PDF or Word

Jobs open now

Accounting and finance jobs in New Zealand, ready for your CV.

130 open roles, straight from employers' career sites. Apply directly with the employer, and tailor your CV to each bookkeeper ad before you do.

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FAQ

Questions, answered.

Something else on your mind? Email support@smartcvs.ai and a person will reply.

Should a bookkeeper's cover letter mention GST?

Yes. GST returns are a core part of New Zealand bookkeeping, so give the number you file and whether they go in on time.

Do I need to name every software package?

Name the main ones, such as Xero and MYOB, and any certifications. Tie at least one to something you did, like a client migration.

Can I apply to an accounting firm from an in-house accounts role?

Yes. Show the full set of books you've kept and what you prepared for the external accountant, since that's what the firm will need from you.

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