Elena Prokopets
Claire Briggs Webber, CPRW
In business, everyone should follow the rules. If they don’t, there can be big consequences. Companies can lose millions in misappropriated funds, be subjected to legal action, even get stripped of their ability to operate if regulations and proper financial procedures aren’t followed. That’s where you come in. As a professional auditor, you take a close look at accounting and operational records and processes to identify violations. Your work can save money and legal headaches.
Your skills are in high demand and you deserve a great job. Per the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, auditors earn a median salary of $73,560 per year. Though more experienced professionals can confidently negotiate a six-figure salary too, especially if they secure work with a big accounting firm.
But for the above to happen, you need to file a strong application package. That includes a professional resume. To help with that, we’ve got some tips for writing top-notch auditing resumes and a working example.
Be Perfectly Organized
Your job is to be organized, precise, and borderline obsessive with details. Show the hiring manager that you are each of these things by presenting a resume that is consistent and well-organized. Ensure that every entry is formatted exactly the same way, use bullet points to make your resume easier to read, and provide plenty of white space. Consider using a professional resume template to help out with this.
Balance Your Education and Work Experience
The combination of professional experience and education on your resume will show that you are a good fit for the job. However, you only have one page in total. So, you can’t include everything. You have to find a balance.
For example, are you a new auditor looking for an entry-level position? In that case, the college entry on the education section of your resume should probably be very detailed. Include information about memberships, honors, and activities.
On the other hand, if you have several years of experience in the field then you should put simply the name of the university you attended when you graduated, and the degree you earned.
The same thing goes for work experience. If you don’t have much experience, include any job you have had in the past. But more experienced folk, should curate their work entry section and focus on spelling out the most relevant positive and accomplishments while editing out the rest.
Choose One: Skills on Top or Bottom
Should you summarize your skills at the top or bottom of the resume? That depends! If you have plenty of experience, start off with your work history, then your education, and finally close out with your skills. If you are an inexperienced auditor, begin your resume with a list of your most relevant hard and soft skills.
Some in-demand skills for an auditor resume include:
- Risk management
- Financial auditing
- Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
- Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS)
- Fundamentals of Sustainability Accounting (FSA)
- Tax preparation and reporting
- Accounting and banking laws
- Critical thinking skills
- Time management skills
- Organizational skills
Use The Right Keywords
Certain “power words” are more likely to grab the attention of the person reading your resume. In many cases, those keywords will come from the job listing. Others are simply popular buzzwords within a particular industry. Identify the keywords that will help you the most, and make sure you include them in your resume and cover letter. Remember that many companies use applicant tracking software that looks for relevant words and phrases.
Auditor Resume Example (Word version)
Check out the following resume example for an auditor seeking a new position.
Download resume example (.docx)
Auditor Resume Sample (text version)
Professional Summary
Experienced, an internal auditor and CPA with more than a decade of experience auditing large corporations in the real estate sector. Interested in joining a growing agency with sights set on a leadership position.
Work Experience
Dominion Group, LLC
2015-Present
Senior Auditor
As a senior auditor over a team of 35 professionals, led both standard and forensic audits of real estate management and investment firms in North America. Completed or supervised the completion of more than 200 audits annually. Recovered more than 2.9 billion dollars in misdirected or lost funds. Worked directly with regulatory agencies. Assisted clients in the development of appropriate processes and procedures to prevent future irregularities.
Larkin Myers
2011 – 2015
External Auditor
Worked as an external auditing team member, assisting in annual audits of a variety of real estate management companies in the Midwest. Duties included:
- Interviewing staff members
- Reviewing and reconciling sales and accounting records
- Providing briefs to supervisors and agency contacts
- Assisted in the recovery of more than 3 million dollars in misdirected funds
Education
University of Ohio
Master of Business Administration
June 2014
Summa Cum Laude
Fellow Accounting And Auditors Society
Dean’s List
University of Ohio
BS – Accounting And Finance
June 2011
Dean’s List
Accounting Students’ Honor Society
Awards Memberships And Certifications
CPA Licensing: August 2012
University of Ohio Accounting Professional of the Year: May 2018
Akron, Ohio Chamber of Commerce Gold Member Award
Forensic Auditing Master Certification, Financial Crime Protection Bureau: June 2015
10 Year Boy Scout Leader
City of Akron School Board Member
Final Thoughts: Share The Results
Ultimately, your job is to protect companies from legal liability, damage to reputation, and loss of funds. You do this by meticulously auditing records, tracking inventory, even interviewing people in an effort to locate policy or legal violations, identify irregularities, and find areas where future violations may be facilitated. To show that you can do that successfully, your resume should show detailed results. Use numbers to quantify your successes.
