How To Write an Auditor Resume
Whether you’re an external auditor assessing a company’s accounting practices or an internal auditor enhancing operational efficiency, a resume must present your skills and experiences effectively. Your auditor resume should showcase your expertise in financial examination, risk assessment, and regulatory compliance. This guide offers expert advice to help you craft a resume featuring your financial achievements.
- Entry-Level
- Mid-Career
- Senior-Level
1. Create a profile by summarizing your auditor qualifications
Condense your achievements into a brief narrative, giving employers a clear understanding of your professional journey. The goal is to impress hiring managers and persuade them to keep reading your resume. Begin with your job title, years of experience, and a few key qualifications.
Highlight key achievements and experiences that underscore your status as a leading figure in accounting services. Mention your relevant certifications, specializations, or regulatory knowledge. For instance, if you’re applying for a tax auditor position, emphasize your understanding of tax codes and planning and experience conducting tax audits.
Senior-Level Profile Example:
Internal auditor with over 15 years of experience at midsize and large organizations. Skilled at analyzing business structures, procedures, and information and taking corrective action as needed. Provide valuable solutions to help organizations meet goals and continually hone processes. Master of Business Administration.
Entry-Level Profile Example:
Auditor with over three years of experience performing forensic financial analysis for the State of Maine. Skilled at finding anomalies and providing accurate, insightful documentation to managers and stakeholders. Experienced and confident public speaker. Equally effective working solo or on a team. Committed to maintaining up-to-date knowledge of state and federal law and financial best practices. Work informed by a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and Accounting.
2. Showcase your auditor experience
When describing your work history, take a results-driven approach rather than listing duties. As an auditor, you know the power numbers have in telling a story. Using data in your resume’s professional experience section will give hiring managers a clear view of your past roles and achievements.
Emphasize your dedication to communication, helping others understand complex financial processes and conveying audit findings to clients or company leaders. Highlight your ability to clarify technical topics for stakeholders and senior managers.
Senior-Level Professional Experience Example:
Senior Auditor
PMG International, New York, NY | December 2019 to present
- Develop audit programs to carefully assess risks and legal requirements for key organization activities
- Write and present regular audit reports to senior management
- Plan yearly audits for domestic and international office locations
Highlight:
- Streamlined the internal audit process, cutting yearly costs by $95,000
Entry-Level Professional Experience Example:
Staff Auditor
State of Maine, Augusta, ME | July 2021 to present
- Rigorously compare assets to documentation
- Help compile and present recommendations to senior leadership
- Forensically examine reports and records for anomalies and document findings with 100% accuracy
Highlight:
- Won a key company award in June 2020 for overall diligence and initiative
3. Include education and certifications relevant to auditors
Auditing positions usually require at least a bachelor’s degree, so list all your relevant formal education on your resume. If you’ve earned any certifications, include those as well.
Credentials often signal your specialization in certain areas of the industry. For example, including a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) designation would be great for information technology (IT) auditors. However, entry-level internal auditors can benefit from a globally recognized credential like Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), showing an ability to carry out all the daily tasks required for the role.
Education
Template
- [Degree Name]
- [School Name], [City, State Abbreviation] | [Graduation Year]
Example
- Master of Science (MS) in Business Administration (Accounting)
- Husson University, Bangor, ME | 2019
Certifications
Template
- [Certification Name], [Awarding Organization] | [Completion Year]
Example
- CISA, The Institute of Internal Auditors North America (IIA-NA)
4. List key skills and proficiencies for auditors
Hiring companies often use an applicant tracking system (ATS) to scan each submitted resume for keywords relevant to the job opening. Include a skills section highlighting your auditing and accounting knowledge and optimizing your resume with keywords. With this section, you can show the breadth of your skill set and boost the chances of your application getting noticed. Below are common words to consider when writing your auditor resume:
| Key Skills and Proficiencies | |
|---|---|
| Audit software | Business operations |
| Client relationship management | Continuous improvement |
| Data analytics | Database management |
| Economics | External audits |
| Financial analysis and reporting | Financial statements |
| Internal audits | Interview and investigation |
| Pension administration | Process redesign and improvement |
| Quality assurance | Regulatory compliance |
| Risk management and mitigation | Security clearance |
| Vendor management | |
How To Pick the Best Auditor Resume Template
Hiring managers aren’t searching for the best-looking resume – they want to know you can perform the job and add value to their organization. Choose a template that makes it easy for readers to see your career highlights and qualifications. Avoid elaborate styles, which can distract from your written content. The goal is to impress employers with your auditing experience, and you can do that best with a simple, straightforward template.
Auditor Text-Only Resume Templates and Examples
- Entry-Level
- Mid-Career
- Senior-Level
Elisabeth Doucette
(000) 123-1234 | [email protected] | 100 Address Blvd., Lowell, MA 01852
Profile
Certified IT Internal Auditor with 9+ years’ experience pinpointing risks and setting cost reduction strategies. Build strong relationships with other departments to efficiently gather information and test processes. Skilled at preparing clear, concise reports on risk areas, recommendations, and management action plans.
Professional Experience
IT Internal Auditor, Jack Henderson & Associates, Inc., Remote | July 2018 to Present
- Monitor and advise on process improvement activities to ensure compliance
- Coordinate with internal and external risk assessors and assurance providers
Highlight:
- Cut costs $150K by suggesting amendments to 2 vendor contracts
Junior IT Internal Auditor, Dailey & Associates LLC, Boston, MA | August 2013 to June 2018
- Detected and relayed any finance or accounting issues to executive team
- Completed audit and consulting procedures with financial systems including Blackline, Concur, Microsoft Access, NetSuite, Salesforce, and Zuora
Highlights:
- Streamlined analytical procedures, reducing accounting and finance labor-hours by 20% in 2015
- Cut annual costs by $25K+ in 2016 and 2017
Education
Bachelor’s Degree in Business – Information Systems Audit & Control (ISAC), University of Massachusetts Lowell | 2013
Key Skills
- Audit Reporting
- Complex Problem-Solving
- Data Analytics
- NIST Guidance
- Project Team Collaboration
- Quantitative & Qualitative Analysis
- Risk Management & Mitigation
Credentials
Certified Information System Auditor (CISA), The Institute of Internal Auditors North America (IIA-NA)
Rebecca Finney - Recruiter and Trainer in Financial Industries, LinkedIn
Meet our Expert: Rebecca Finney has spent over 5 years in agency recruiting, primarily in the banking, finance, and accounting industries for permanent and contract staffing
1. What are the most in-demand skills for auditors that should be featured on a candidate’s resume?-
Below are some of the core skills an audit candidate should have on their resume:
- Internal or external audit/assurance
- Public accounting
- Trial balances
- Financial statements
- General ledger
- Excel proficiency
2. What else, in addition to a resume, should an auditor candidate be prepared to provide hiring managers?-
A candidate should be able to describe certain clients/projects they have been assigned, the type of work they did for the client, and how they handled the workload in a fast-paced environment.
3. What advice would you give an auditor candidate about their job search?-
Understand audit roles have time commitments and, like a lot of accounting roles, will have “busy” seasons throughout the year.
Frequently Asked Questions: Auditor Resume Examples and Advice
What are common action verbs for auditor resumes?-
Using action verbs in your resume will help you demonstrate your strengths. They allow you to show how you drove results, and help hiring managers visualize your contributions. Engage readers and avoid repetition by using some of the verbs below as you write the professional experience section of your auditor resume:
| Action Verbs | |
|---|---|
| Analyzed | Appraised |
| Approved | Audited |
| Authenticated | Authorized |
| Checked | Communicated |
| Confirmed | Corroborated |
| Created | Detected |
| Examined | Improved |
| Inspected | Monitored |
| Prevented | Proved |
| Ranked | Reviewed |
| Substantiated | Tested |
| Valued | Verified |
How do you align your resume with an auditor job posting?-
The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts employment for auditors and accountants will grow 6% between 2021 and 2031. This increase is attributed to continued globalization, economic growth, and complex regulations.
Aligning your resume with the job posting is a great way to boost your chances of an interview. For example, say the hiring company seeks an auditor who leverages technology for analytics and streamlining processes. Emphasize your proficiency in audit software tools and data analytics platforms such as ACL, IDEA, or Tableau. Mention how you've used automation or machine learning to improve audit procedures and reduce manual work.
What is the best auditor resume format?-
It's common for auditors to use the chronological resume format because it presents a clear timeline of your professional experience. Hiring managers can easily track your career progression and assess your growth in the field. However, the combination format is a good choice for auditors who emphasize their skills over their work history. It blends chronological and functional layouts, giving you more flexibility in presenting your professional background.
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A good cover letter increases your chance of an interview. The best approach for writing your cover letter is to tailor it to each organization you apply for. Read our comprehensive cover letter guide to learn how to customize your cover letter. For more related examples, see our accountant and finance cover letter guides.
