It never ceases to amaze me how many myths and fallacies surround the role of the internal auditor. Especially when you consider that it's only been around in its current form for about 100 years!
A very common mistake is to think that internal auditors were originally trained as accountants. Internal auditing has nothing to do with accountancy, although you could argue there's a monetary consideration, as poor results could cost the company money or customers.
Internal auditors deal with much more than just the finances - for example, they look at quality, compliance, management, safety and all manner of internal workings.
Internal auditing course
So if you are considering an internal auditing training course, you can come from almost any career background, not just accountancy, although you do require so financial knowledge to carry out your role.
Another myth, which could well out put some people off becoming internal auditors, is that they are there to find fault and dob you in! This is ridiculous! The ultimate goal of an internal auditor is to improve the business, so that it does better - so that you can keep your job! Besides, they have far greater risks to assess, than the fact you arrived five minutes late for work!
American business guru Tom Peters described internal auditing as the "coolest profession in the world". His reasoning was that the job is very varied, it challenges the mind to find solutions across all types of industries, and it can make a major difference to the organisation.
Opening doors
Internal auditing training and experience can also open doors to other opportunities, especially if you decide to extend your skills by undergoing a lead auditor training course.
There is a growing demand for lead auditors throughout the world and, once you have a bit of experience under your belt, you can expect an excellent salary.
I would say your best starting point is to enquire about an QMS ISO 9001 lead auditor course. Quality should be the basis of everything an organisation does, and once achieved, other Standards can be added. In this way it would also provide for a lead auditors to extend their skills and range.
A very common mistake is to think that internal auditors were originally trained as accountants. Internal auditing has nothing to do with accountancy, although you could argue there's a monetary consideration, as poor results could cost the company money or customers.
Internal auditors deal with much more than just the finances - for example, they look at quality, compliance, management, safety and all manner of internal workings.
Internal auditing course
So if you are considering an internal auditing training course, you can come from almost any career background, not just accountancy, although you do require so financial knowledge to carry out your role.
Another myth, which could well out put some people off becoming internal auditors, is that they are there to find fault and dob you in! This is ridiculous! The ultimate goal of an internal auditor is to improve the business, so that it does better - so that you can keep your job! Besides, they have far greater risks to assess, than the fact you arrived five minutes late for work!
American business guru Tom Peters described internal auditing as the "coolest profession in the world". His reasoning was that the job is very varied, it challenges the mind to find solutions across all types of industries, and it can make a major difference to the organisation.
Opening doors
Internal auditing training and experience can also open doors to other opportunities, especially if you decide to extend your skills by undergoing a lead auditor training course.
There is a growing demand for lead auditors throughout the world and, once you have a bit of experience under your belt, you can expect an excellent salary.
I would say your best starting point is to enquire about an QMS ISO 9001 lead auditor course. Quality should be the basis of everything an organisation does, and once achieved, other Standards can be added. In this way it would also provide for a lead auditors to extend their skills and range.
