Grace H. Lindqvist
Entry Level Accountant, Public Accounting Audit
Chicago, IL · (312) 555 0127 · name@example.com · linkedin.com/in/gracehlindqvist
Key Qualifications
EXPERIENCE
Fourteen months as an audit associate after a busy season internship
INDUSTRIES
Regional accounting firm auditing manufacturers, distributors and employee benefit plans
SPECIALTIES
Cash and fixed asset testing, accounts payable search, benefit plan audits, workpaper preparation
SYSTEMS
Wolters Kluwer ProSystem fx Engagement, TeamMate Analytics, Microsoft Excel, Suralink request lists
CREDENTIALS
Certified Public Accountant candidate, two of four sections passed, Illinois Board of Examiners
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science in Accountancy, Lake Michigan State University, 150 credit hours
Executive Summary
Audit associate fourteen months into a regional public accounting firm with 40 professionals, working on financial statement audits of manufacturers, distributors and employee benefit plans. Has passed two of the four sections of the Certified Public Accountant examination and sits for the third in the fall. Owns the cash, fixed asset and accounts payable sections on every engagement and prepared the full workpaper file for three benefit plan audits.
Signature Achievements
- Worked 11 audit engagements and about 1,300 chargeable hours in the first year with a realization rate above the associate average.
- Prepared complete workpaper files for three employee benefit plan audits that passed the firm's internal quality review without comment.
- Found an unrecorded $210,000 liability during the search for unrecorded liabilities on a distributor audit, resulting in an adjusting entry.
- Passed the Financial Accounting and Reporting and Auditing sections of the Certified Public Accountant examination on the first attempt.
- Cut the time to roll forward fixed asset workpapers by half by building an Excel template now used across the audit group.
Professional Experience
Audit Associate
Halsted and Marlowe, Certified Public Accountants, Chicago, IL July 2025 to present
Regional firm with six partners and 40 professionals; audit group serving privately held companies with revenue from $20 million to $400 million
- Test cash, fixed assets, accounts payable and accrued liabilities on financial statement audits under a senior associate.
- Perform the search for unrecorded liabilities by vouching disbursements after year end to invoices and receiving records.
- Prepare workpapers, tie outs and lead schedules in ProSystem fx Engagement and clear review notes within two days.
- Test participant data, contributions and distributions on employee benefit plan audits.
- Manage client request lists in Suralink and follow up on open items before fieldwork.
Audit Intern
Halsted and Marlowe, Certified Public Accountants, Chicago, IL January 2025 to April 2025
Busy season internship of about 45 hours a week during the final semester
- Prepared cash confirmations, bank reconciliation tie outs and fixed asset roll forwards on four audits.
- Footed and cross referenced financial statements and note disclosures before partner review.
- Scanned and indexed client documents into the engagement file.
Certifications and Training
Certified Public Accountant candidate, Illinois Board of Examiners, Financial Accounting and Reporting and Auditing sections passed 2026
Employee benefit plan audit fundamentals course, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, completed 2025
Microsoft Office Specialist in Excel, Certiport, certified 2024
Education
Bachelor of Science in Accountancy, Lake Michigan State University, Chicago, 2025, 150 credit hours completed
Core Skills
Cash testing · Fixed asset roll forward · Unrecorded liability search · Benefit plan audits · Workpaper preparation · Financial statement tie out · Client request lists · Sampling and vouching · Excel template building · Review note clearance