Landing an Internal Audit Position

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Hello, welcome to Getting Started With, where our job is to make your job easier.

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On this episode, we're getting started with, landing an internal audit position.

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You'll learn what internal auditors do, the skills employers look for, credentials that help you stand out, and how to find and apply for your first role.

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So let's get started.

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Starting a new career is a lot like preparing for a big journey.

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Before you take a single step, you need to do three things.

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Know your destination, pack the right gear, and find the trailhead.

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That's exactly how we'll approach landing your first internal audit position.

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So let's start with the destination.

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What is internal auditing anyway?

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It sounds obvious, but plenty of people apply for jobs they can't quite describe, and interviewers can tell.

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So before anything else, let's make sure you can explain what internal audit is, which brings us to our first term to learn.

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Internal auditing.

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The global internal audit standards describe it this way.

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Internal auditing strengthens the organization's ability to create, protect,

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and sustain value by providing the board and management with independent, risk-based and objective assurance, advice, insight, and foresight.

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In plain terms, internal auditors are the people an organization trust to take an honest, independent look at how things work and to help make them better.

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Here's something that surprises a lot of people.

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There's no single path into internal audit.

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Auditors come from accounting and finance, sure, but they also come from IT, operations, engineering, law, and plenty of other fields.

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Organizations value that mix because auditors review every part of the business and diverse backgrounds bring diverse insights.

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So whether you're a student, a recent graduate, or a career changer, there's a way in for you.

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Okay, destination confirmed.

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Now it's time to pack the right gear.

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In other words, what do employers look for in an entry-level candidate?

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The Global Internal Audit Standards offer a clue that brings us to our next term to learn.

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Competency.

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Standard 3.1 of the Global Internal Audit Standards says that the required competencies include the knowledge, skills and abilities suitable for one's job position and responsibilities commensurate with their level of experience.

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In plain terms, competency means having the right mix of knowledge and skills for your level,

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for you means entry level.

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Notice what that says.

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Employers hiring for a first audit role aren't expecting an expert.

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They're expecting potential and a foundation they can build on.

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So what goes into the pack?

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First, communication skills.

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Auditors spend much of their day interviewing people, writing clearly, and explaining what they found.

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Second, critical thinking and curiosity.

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Great auditors ask,

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Why does it work this way?

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And keep asking until they understand.

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Third, business knowledge.

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You don't need to know everything at the start, but accumulating awareness of how organizations operate will take you far.

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Fourth, comfort with technology and data.

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You don't have to be a programmer, but data skills are increasingly valuable across the profession.

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And 5th, integrity.

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Internal audit is built on trust, so ethics isn't just a nice to have.

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It's the job.

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If you want a complete packing list, here's a useful tool.

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The IIA has one ready for you.

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It's a global practice guide focused on the internal auditing competency framework, and it outlines the knowledge and skills expected at every stage of an audit career, including entry level.

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Reviewing the early career competencies is a great way to spot your strengths and your gaps before you ever sit down for an interview.

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Audit leaders use the framework to build and develop their teams, but it works just as well from outside looking in because it tells you what this profession expects from someone walking through the door.

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Download the guide.

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It's free to everyone.

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Then read the section on job level expectations and make 2 lists.

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Competencies you already have and competencies you still need to build.

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Hold those against the job you're eyeing, and suddenly you can see where you match, where the gaps are, and what to be ready to talk about in an interview.

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AI members can also use the accompanying templates to assess themselves across the competency subcategories and compare against example role profiles.

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So now let's open your bag and translate what you already have.

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And here's why this works.

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The framework treats knowledge of governance, of risk, and of specific business areas as competency, not as a consolation prize for people who haven't audited yet, which means your day job may have been packing your bag this whole time.

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Operations.

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You know how processes work and where they break down.

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That's the raw material of audit work.

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Information technology, you bring systems and cybersecurity knowledge, and audit teams are short on both.

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Compliance, you understand controls, regulations, and governance.

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You also know what happens when nobody follows them.

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accounting, or finance, one of the profession's most established routes into internal audit.

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None of those jobs is internal auditing, but everyone hands you competencies you can carry across.

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So stop describing your background as something to explain away and start describing what it gives you.

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Think of it this way.

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You might be showing up with one piece of gear nobody else on the trip has.

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If one part of the business inside out, there's an audit team that needs exactly that.

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Your job is to spot it and then say it out loud.

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Your bag is packed.

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Now you need to find the trailhead.

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Where do these jobs live?

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A few places to look.

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First, search multiple job titles.

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Entry-level roles go by many names.

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Staff internal auditor, audit associate, audit analyst,

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IT auditor.

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If you only search one phrase, you'll miss opportunities.

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Second, consider rotational programs.

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Many organizations bring in early career professionals to rotate through audit and other departments.

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It's a fantastic way in.

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Third, look inside your current organization.

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If you already work somewhere with an internal audit function, an internal transfer might be your shortest route.

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You already know the business and that's valuable.

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And 4th, connect through the IIA.

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Local chapters and national institutes around the world host events where you can meet practicing auditors and many offer student memberships.

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And here's a useful tool that takes a lot of the searching off your plate.

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The Audit Career Center.

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It's the IIA's own job board.

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So every posting on it is an internal audit or audit-related role.

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No filtering through 1000 listings that have nothing to do with the profession.

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You can browse what's open right now, which is worth doing even if you're not ready to apply, because reading real postings show you the language teams use and the competencies they ask for.

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IA members can also post a resume there for free.

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Here's a pro tip.

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The best job leads come from the people, not postings.

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Attend a local IA chapter event and introduce yourself as someone trying to break into the profession.

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Auditors remember what it was like to be new, and many are happy to point you towards openings or even refer you.

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One conversation can do more than 50 applications.

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All right, you found the trailhead.

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Time for your first steps, your application.

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On your resume, translate what you've already done into audit language.

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Have you documented a process, reconciled data, or investigated why something went wrong?

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Those are audit adjacent skills.

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And when you get the interview, remember what we packed.

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Curiosity, clear communication, and honesty about what you're still learning matter as much as what you already know.

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One more way to build your foundation, the internal audit practitioner designation or IAP.

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There's no experience prerequisite and you earn it by passing part one of the certified internal auditor exam.

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For someone who hasn't had the chance to work in internal audit yet, it's a way to show an employer you've already started learning this profession.

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Here's a bright idea.

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Practice audit thinking before day one.

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Pick an everyday process you know well, like how your household pays bills or how your team handles customer refunds.

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Ask yourself, what could go wrong here and what keeps it from going wrong?

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Sketch it out.

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Now you have a genuine story for your interview about how you already think like an auditor.

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Let's quickly recap.

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Internal audit welcomes many backgrounds, so there's a path in for you no matter where you're starting from.

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Employers look for competencies, not just credentials, but also communication, curiosity, and integrity.

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The IAP designation helps you stand out by proving your foundational knowledge before you have experience.

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And networking opens doors, so connect with the audit community through the IIA.

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Know your destination, pack the right gear, find the trailhead, and take that first step.

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Thanks for watching Getting Started With, Landing an Internal Audit Position.

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Once you've landed the role, keep the momentum going.

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Check out Getting Started With, Path to Promotion, and see how the internal audit competency framework can guide your growth from the very first day.

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And getting started with a new auditor's first audit engagement will show you what those early weeks look like.

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You can find these and other helpful resources, including tools, podcasts, and training at the links below.