The Benefits of a Career in Internal Audit

Newly qualified accountants from the Profession looking for a career move often focus on financial accounting / reporting roles in industry or consider moving firms.  Rarely do we encounter those who have decided on a move into Internal Audit.

However, Internal Audit can provide a fulfilling career path in a function that will touch every aspect of a business, providing a unique opportunity to discover how all areas of a company works.

As a specialist recruiter in Internal Audit – here are some of the advantages I hear about from those who have made the move:

Access to Stakeholders

Stakeholder engagement and management is crucial for an Internal Auditor.  If you’re looking to improve your communication skills, or confidence – this career path will give you access to all management levels.  It will teach you how to manage expectations and to push back on stakeholders where necessary.  Stakeholder management skills are essential in leadership positions so this exposure can help you on your career journey.

Smooth Transition

Internal audit can be a fairly straightforward and smooth transition for an External Auditor who wants to move away from financial statements and timesheets in a Big 4 or large accountancy firm.  IA functions will often look at operational audits and can lead to some very interesting work covering areas such as HR, culture, crisis situations; it’s not just auditing expenses!

Career progression

Movement to other areas of the business tends to be easier for Internal Auditors, as the function works across all business units, giving IA professionals a deeper understanding of how each unit operates. We see moves into commercial finance or an operations-focused role happening time and time again, particularly in larger organisations.

Travel

Internal Auditors often travel to meet their stakeholders and carry out any necessary field work.  Depending on the function and business, the destinations will vary but can involve travel to cities across the world.  Travel is not for everyone, and not all Internal Audit functions will require it, but if you want to travel with work Internal Audit in a global business could be a great move.

 

Having moved into Internal Audit recruitment just under a year ago, I have found it to be an incredibly interesting and much overlooked area of the market.  I meet people with all sorts of backgrounds – some accounting qualified, some IIA qualified, and some qualified by the experience they have built upon over the years.  What I find extremely striking about the Internal Audit community, is the level of professionalism, the ideas sharing across the discipline, and the warmth / friendliness across the networks.

 

If you wish to consider a career in Internal Audit, Rutherford Cross has several interesting opportunities available.  Please get in touch at [email protected].