subject: Auditing Jobs - What Great Auditors Need [print this page] The practise of auditing is independent and provides objective assurance to an organisation about their state of affairs. Auditing can help organisations attain goals with systematic, disciplined evaluation.
There is one main distinction between auditors; the internal and the external. Internal auditors are part of the organisation which is being evaluated, while external auditors are hired to analyse different businesses and organisations all the time. It can sometimes be tough to get into an auditing job, but here are some of the elements which employers tend to look for in a potential auditor.
Collaboration
It is essential that auditors get along with people, as working with others within an organisation and supporting them in their job roles is important. Few audits will be executed by a team of one, so candidates will need to fit into a specific job role within the larger auditing team.
Risk Awareness
Good auditing can be compared to risk management. Auditors are always asked to analyse risk for the audited company and to make useful recommendations for how that risk can be reduced. Internal auditors may even be expected to identify new business opportunities or sources of income on behalf of the company or organisation.
Personal Development
Because the law is changing, regulations and standards in auditing are similarly rapidly-evolving. Employers need to be sure that you can develop with these changes, retraining and updating your knowledge. The more "current" and able to catch up you are, the more preferably you will probably be for high profile auditing roles. Being able to become competent in new areas and specialisms is a great skill for those who want to become auditors.
Personal Integrity
Integrity is something which can be hard to assess, but it is bound to be something which employers are looking for in a potential auditor. Auditors deal with massive amounts of sensitive, confidential information as part of their job, and as an applicant you need integrity and to be trusted and respected. Job and Educational references may be of help here.
Communication Skills
Analysis is a key part of an auditor's job role, but another important element is communicating the results of the analysis. Being able to explain the situation in a clear way, both on paper and verbally is an incredibly important skill for an auditor to hold, so expect to have your communication skills questioned in an auditing job interview.
Analytical Thinking and Curiosity
Auditors need to follow complicated financial interactions through documentation and departments, so being able to correctly evaluate these interactions. Without analytical thinking you will not go far in auditing.
