External Auditor Resume Example & Writing Guide
Use this External Auditor resume example and guide to improve your career and write a powerful resume that will separate you from the competition.
External auditors are responsible for conducting an independent, objective assessment of an organization’s financial statements. They look for inconsistencies or other irregularities in the company’s books and records and assess the organization’s overall financial health.
If you’re interested in pursuing a career in auditing, or just want to add it to your resume, here are some tips and an example that will help you write a fantastic external auditor resume that hiring managers will love.
How to Write an External Auditor Resume
Here’s how to write an external auditor resume of your own.
Write Compelling Bullet Points
Bullet points are the most important part of your resume because they’re the first thing recruiters and hiring managers will read. And they’re the best way to showcase your experience and qualifications.
But many candidates make the mistake of using generic bullet points that don’t really tell a story or provide any context about their experience.
Instead, you should use your bullet points to tell a story about your experience. And that story should be as specific and detailed as possible.
For example, rather than saying you “audited financial statements,” you could say you “audited financial statements for $10B global manufacturing company, resulting in no material adjustments.”
The second bullet point is much more interesting and provides more detail about the project and your role in it.
Identify and Include Relevant Keywords
When you apply for an external auditor role, your resume is likely to be scanned by an applicant tracking system (ATS) for certain keywords. This system looks for specific terms related to the job, like “audit” and “financial analysis” to determine whether your skills and experience match the job description. If you don’t have enough of the right keywords on your resume, the ATS might discard your application before a recruiter ever sees it.
The best way to make sure you include enough relevant keywords on your resume is to read through the job posting and take note of the terms that are used most frequently. Then, try to use those same terms throughout your resume. Here are some of the most commonly used external auditor keywords:
- Auditing
- Financial Reporting
- Internal Audit
- Financial Accounting
- Financial Analysis
- Internal Controls
- International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)
- Corporate Finance
- Accounting
- Finance
- U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
- Management Accounting
- Business Strategy
- Tax
- General Ledger
- Budgeting
- Sarbanes-Oxley Act
- Internal Audit Services
- Due Diligence
- Internal Control
- Risk Management
- Financial Audits
- Financial Services
- Assurance
- Enterprise Risk Management
- Consolidation
- Assurance Services
- Statutory Audit
- Management Consulting
- Business Planning
Showcase Your Technical Skills
As an external auditor, you need to be proficient in the use of various software programs and systems in order to do your job effectively. This might include familiarity with accounting software, auditing software, and data analysis tools. Additionally, you need to be able to use technology to communicate with clients and other members of the audit team.
Some of the programs and systems that external auditors are typically expected to be proficient in include: QuickBooks, Microsoft Excel, and auditing software like ACL and IDEA.
