Internal audit is largely project based work, so every day is different. We are responsible to review the entire scope of the company's operations. For example, purchasing, manufacturing, supply chain, sales, marketing, R&D, finance, accounting, and human resources. I work with the Board of Directors annually to determine which functions to audit for the next year. I direct staff as they conduct those audits.
CAREER
Accountants and Auditors
Overview
Salary Median (2023)
$79,880
Projected Job Growth (2023-2033)
+4.3% (slower than the average)
Career
What Accountants and Auditors Do
Examine, analyze, and interpret accounting records to prepare financial statements, give advice, or audit and evaluate statements prepared by others. Install or advise on systems of recording costs or other financial and budgetary data.
Other Job Titles Accountants and Auditors May Have
Accountant, Accounting Officer, Audit Partner, Auditor, Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Cost Accountant, Financial Auditor, General Accountant, Internal Auditor, Revenue Tax Specialist
How Leaders Describe a Typical Day at Work
A great day for me is when my department meets all of our deadlines and everybody works together to make it possible.
Tasks & Responsibilities May Include
- Prepare detailed reports on audit findings.
- Report to management about asset utilization and audit results, and recommend changes in operations and financial activities.
- Collect and analyze data to detect deficient controls, duplicated effort, extravagance, fraud, or non-compliance with laws, regulations, and management policies.
- Inspect account books and accounting systems for efficiency, effectiveness, and use of accepted accounting procedures to record transactions.
- Supervise auditing of establishments, and determine scope of investigation required.
Education
Level of Education Attained by Accountants and Auditors
No data currently available.
Stay tuned! We’ll update this section as soon as data is available.Majors Related to Career
Educational Paths Suggested by Leaders
Suggested Path
Bachelor
Accounting and Finance
Graduate
Accounting
Certification / License
Accounting
Suggested Path
High School
Bachelor
Business Administration and Management, General
Additional Skills & Experiences That Can Help You Excel
Adaptability is key. It's also important to be able to work with a team and take ownership of work. I also suggest taking the time to learn any technical industry knowledge for whichever industry you're working in. For example, for oil and gas, and understanding of geology and engineering is helpful, which is mostly learned on the job.
Ideally, you will have some broad-based experience in the major operational areas of your organization. For example, at Fender we procure raw materials, manufacture finished products and distribute those products to dealers. We also design and market our products. All of these areas are subject to internal audits, so auditors need to have a basic understanding of the operational activities and controls involved in each function.
Getting Started
Recommended First Step for:
Middle School Students
Get to know yourself well. What type of personality do you have? What are your strengths and weaknesses? What do you like? What kind skills do you have? Answering such questions can go a long way in helping you determine your best career.
High School Students
College Students
Everyone
This page includes information from theO*NET 29.2 Databaseby the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under theCC BY 4.0license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
