Title: The Audit Agony Aunt | Audit Career Advice
Headings: The Audit Agony Aunt
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The Audit Agony Aunt
Audit
Professional Practice
Accounting and Finance in Industry

Content: The final area that you might like to consider is internal audit. Again, your background and experience would provide a strong foundation for this career option and your transferable skills would prove highly valuable. The internal auditor does exactly what is suggested in the role title by providing audit and assurance to their own organisation or group, but there are highly diverse roles within the discipline. These can range from evaluating risk, upholding governance, ensuring internal control processes are operating effectively, validating quality and analysing operations. The Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors offers professional qualifications but also shorter courses and seminars which would give you a flavour of the profession. They also provide detailed resources and fact sheets which would help you in making an informed decision. The compliance industry offers some terrific opportunities for career change and the growth in employment in the sector in the ten years since the banking crisis, continues to bode well for the future. Clearly, this is a major life decision for you, so do take your time, do your research and make your choice from an informed position as possible. I have been offered an IA role with a big government department that has income streams and estate management. It is my first role after training in external audit (with a firm that deals with government bodies primarily but also some companies) and gaining my ACA.