How to Write an Effective Auditor Resume in 9 Steps

Auditors analyze and verify the accuracy of various financial records. When applying for this role, having a resume that highlights your knowledge and experience can help distinguish you from other candidates and encourage hiring managers to invite you to an interview. Knowing how to draft an effective auditor resume can benefit your career. In this article, we discuss what an auditor resume is, explain how you can write one, and provide a template and an example to guide you when drafting yours.

What is an auditor resume?

An auditor resume is a document that employers use to determine if you're qualified for an open auditor position. It summarizes your experience reviewing financial records and the organizations for which you've worked. It also illustrates how you can contribute to the employer's company. Auditor resumes typically include the following sections:

• contact information

• professional summary

• work experience

• educational background

• soft and technical skills

Related: What Is an Independent Auditor? (Plus How to Become One)

How to write a resume for an auditor role

Consider the following steps to create a strong resume when applying for auditor positions:

1. Research the role and hiring organization

You can gain a better understanding of what the employer is looking for in a candidate by analyzing both the job description and the organization. You can study the job description to determine if you have the skills and qualifications for the role and to find specific keywords to use in your resume. When deciding what to include, highlighting the traits that the employer finds valuable can help make your resume more attractive.

You can also make it more attractive by searching the hiring company's website and social media channels. This can give you a better understanding of the company's culture, and you can use this information to adapt your resume.

Related: What Is Financial Auditing and How Do You Prepare for It?

2. Decide on some basic formatting rules

You can make your resume easier to read by following some basic formatting guidelines. Resumes for auditor roles are usually one page long and follow standard resume guidelines. Other specific formatting rules you can follow are:

• Type font: Use a professional font, such as Arial, Helvetica, or Calibri, and leave one inch of space on all sides.

• Font size: Use a 12-point font size and make each section header slightly larger than the rest of the text.

• Bullet formatting: Use bullet points to list your tasks and achievements in your previous roles.

• Text formatting: Bold certain resume parts, such as your name, section headers, and your previous job titles, to make them easier to read.

• File type: Save your resume as a PDF file to keep its original formatting on any device the recruiter uses.

Related: What Does an Internal Auditor Do? (With Average Salary)

3. Choose a suitable resume type

You can make your resume more effective by choosing a type that suits your career trajectory. Some common types include:

• Chronological resume: This displays your work experiences and educational milestones in reverse-chronological order. It's effective when you have the work experience that the employer is looking for in a candidate.

• Functional resume: This emphasizes your skills instead of your experience and education. It's usually effective when you lack the experience required for the role but think you can compensate for it with your skills.

• Combination resume: This combines the chronological and functional formats. It allows you to arrange your resume sections in any order you think can make it effective.

Related: 4 Audit Report Types (With Skills and Example Report)

4. Use the header to include your name and contact details

You can save page space by including your name and contact details in your resume's header. Include your full name on the first line and then add your phone number, e-mail address, city, and province or territory below. This can also help the recruiter quickly identify you if necessary.

5. Start with a professional summary

A professional summary is a brief description of your main credentials for the role. It's usually two or three sentences long. You can determine which skills and experiences to include by analyzing the job description.

Related: Accountant vs. Auditor: Differences and Similarities

6. Include a job experience section

Auditors typically require a few years of accounting or internal auditing experience to acquire the credentials for the role. You can use the job experience section to list your previous roles in reverse chronological order. When listing them, include your job title, your dates of employment, and the employer's name and location. It's also important to include up to five key job duties and achievements for recent roles and up to three for older ones.

7. List your relevant skills

Auditors typically require a mix of hard skills, such as mathematics and financial knowledge, and soft skills, such as communication, critical thinking, and integrity. When listing your skills, you can either place them all together or make two separate lists for hard and soft skills. It's usually enough to list them without providing more details, as you can discuss them further in your cover letter and an interview.

Related: Common Jobs in Auditing (Duties, Skills, and Salaries)

8. Mention your educational milestones

Auditors typically require a four-year bachelor's degree in accounting from a university or college. Specific educational requirements may differ depending on the province where your employer operates. Depending on the complexity of the role, a degree in a relevant field, such as commerce or business administration, may be sufficient. When listing your educational milestones, include the title of your degree, the awarding institution, and its location.

You may also require passing the common final examination and earning the chartered professional accountant (CPA) professional designation. You can include this certification in your education section.

9. Review your resume

After completing your resume, proofread it to ensure it contains no spelling or grammatical errors. Having an error-free resume can differentiate you from other candidates. It may also help to ask a friend or colleague to read it to make sure you haven't missed anything.

Related: Different Types of Audits That Help Businesses

Resume template for an auditor position

Consider using this template when drafting your resume:

[First name] [Last name], [Degree or certification if applicable]

[Phone number] | [E-mail address] | [City], [Province or Territory]

Professional Summary

[Two to three sentences that highlight years of experience, relevant skills, education, or certifications and achievements as a professional.]

Experience

[Job Title] | [Employment dates]

[Company Name] | [City], [Province or Territory]

• (strong verb) + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome, or quantified results

• [job duty]

• [job duty]

• [job duty]

• [job duty]

[Job Title] | [Employment dates]

[Company Name] | [City], [Province or Territory]

• (strong verb) + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome, or quantified results

• [job duty]

• [job duty]

Skills

[Skill] | [Skill] | [Skill] | [Skill] | [Skill] | [Skill]

Education

[Degree and Major] | [Name of School or University]
[Province or Territory]

[Certification name], [Host organization] - [Year completed or expiry date]

Resume example for an auditor position

Consider the following example to guide you when writing your resume:

Mark Hamsik

123-444-5678 | mhamsik@email.ca | Toronto, Ontario

Professional Summary

Detailed-oriented and hard-working accounting professional with over five years of experience in performing audits for organizations in various industries. Seeking an auditing position that allows me to use my skills and that can help me improve as a professional.

Experience

Auditor | May 2019–Current
FGH Financial | Toronto, Ontario

• Perform financial audits to assess organizational costs

• Create and submit comprehensive annual reports

• Provide results of cash flow analyses to organizational leaders

• Support fiscal reporting efforts

• Identify potential control flaws and recommend corrective measures

Accounting Intern | April 2017–May 2019
FGH Financial | Toronto, Ontario

• Helped design quarterly budgets

• Proofread spreadsheets for clerical errors

• Made presentations at educational workshops

Skills

Mathematics | Financial reporting | Accounting | Communication | Critical thinking | Problem solving

Education

Bachelor of Accounting | Green Hills University
London, Ontario

Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) professional designation, Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada - 2019

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