Audit recruitment - a crash course in auditing

However before applying or training for a job in audit it’s worth gaining a good overview of the industry.

Internal and External Audit Jobs

Internal auditors work within companies. Their responsibility is to evaluate the processes & internal systems of control. They try to work as independently of the company as possible to gain the most objective distance, whilst still being directly employed by the company. Internal audit jobs are ideal for those with an analytical mind and who like the variety of working across various departments of a company.

External auditors often carry out similar sorts of tasks as internal auditors however they work for outside firms, often for large accountancy companies. External auditors have complete objectivity; they are responsible for giving an honest assessment of the company and its affairs.

The Big Four

Four large financial firms dominate the audit industry. They employ the best auditors and deal with the highest profile clients.

PricewaterhouseCoopers employs over 140,000 people worldwide and has worldwide revenues of over $20 billion. The company was formed when Price Waterhouse and Coopers & Lybrand merged in 1998. PwC, as it is commonly known, audits four of the top ten biggest firms in both the UK & US, is widely acknowledged as a good employer and is often rated in surveys of students as the most desirable company to work for out of the “Big Four”.

Deloitte is another big audit firm. Its global headquarters are based in Manhattan, New York. Deloitte is particularly proud of its female employees & often acknowledges it has a higher proportion of women directors, partners & principles than the other top audit firms. Its client list reads like a who’s who of big business and includes Real Madrid, Microsoft & Starbucks.

While there has been a huge number of mergers & acquisitions in the history of Ernst & Young, the roots of the company can be traced back to 1849. The company has been through a number of changes but has firmly secured itself in the “Big Four”. Annually they also arrange an ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ which, amongst others, has been won in recent years by the founders of Google, Amazon & eBay.

 

 

 

 

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