Should I Consider Becoming an Auditor?

Should I Consider Becoming an Auditor?

Feb 23, 2015 | 8:00 am

When considering an occupation of auditing, one must know his or her full potential for investigative skills, learn about the skills that a certified internal auditor possesses. The productive auditor will be flexible and non-judgmental, but truly look at factual findings in order to make final determinations. There should be sincerity in this individual’s character, but the ability to listen and be willing to just look for the facts. Then, the auditor must be able to explain findings, often bearing them up to laws and regulations that only the knowledgeable professional will be able to do.

According to Indeed.com, the auditor can expect to make up to $62,000, as this is the average yearly salary reported by the industry. This salary is also said to be 6 percent higher than the average industry.

Types of Auditors

There are different types of auditors. There are auditors for quality assurance, like healthcare systems’ auditors. Of course, at first thought, a tax auditor may come to mind. Some auditors have background in accounting, teaching, or certified accounting. Some auditors have a broad range of ideals, coming from public accounting and crossing all the way over to specialties like consulting and private contracting. Advising corporate officials and private business may also be areas in which these individuals are employed.

Auditors are considered the “police officers” of the document industry. They may be hired to snoop around behind other individuals who are in the position to monitor monetary affairs, just to see if there are inappropriate activities going on behind the scenes. They may review clients’ financial statements to see if statements have been properly prepared and reported. Public auditors may specialize in investigating financial crimes such as embezzlement and fraud. Complex and possibly criminal transactions may deserve the attention of an unbiased auditor to get the truth of how the said transaction occurred. There are also internal auditors that may work inside the firm itself to make sure there is no mismanagement of funds. They may also identify ways to eliminate waste and fraud.

What does it take to be an Auditor?

Usually a bachelor’s degree is required, along with certification within a special field. Multi certifications will make the individual more marketable and ensure for better employability. A readiness to identify issues in documentation is a prerequisite for being a good auditor. Not only should he or she endeavor to know the specialization inside and out, he or she should additionally be able to spot problems, mistakes, and be able to totally rework the method if it is not satisfactory for accomplishing the business’ mission. They must be able to pay attention to detail of documentation; examine, compare, analyze, and interpret facts and figures.

Strong organizational skills are paramount for the auditor. He or she must be able to present facts in a way that may be dearly understood by large groups of people and often times the news they bring is not good news. Many times auditors bring a recommendation for change that may make constituents very uncomfortable. In this regard, excellent communication skills will afford a better attitude in the auditor’s work environment. Intrinsic listening will be a definite asset.

Find out more about this career by contacting your favorite college!