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Apprenticeship Audit Jobs

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Helping you find a career in the audit industry

Audit is very closely linked to accountancy, even the training processes are very similar, but there are distinct differences between the two professions.

In short, an auditor investigates a company's finances and accounts to check that everything is in order. They provide advice and highlight areas that could be improved. Sometimes companies hire external auditors to come in and analyse the work of their internal finance team.

Most auditors are employed by an auditing firm or agency. This is done to avoid bias in their reviews. Impartial, accurate and objective assessment of a company's accounts is often a legal requirement, particularly for larger businesses.

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Skills & interests required for a career in Audit

To be an auditor you will need to have a logical mind and be comfortable working with numbers. You will also require strong communication skills and be able to work in a team. You will also need the following skills:

Audit apprenticeships & other career progress routes for school leavers

The path to become fully qualified as an auditor is clearly defined and very similar to the route taken by trainee accountants.

There is a selection of exams that you must pass in order to qualify as an auditor. Many employers will sponsor these exams, particularly if you're in a large organisation. The precise amount of time that it takes for you to qualify will depend upon the company you work for and how much you're able to dedicate to the programme.

The three main qualifications available are:

ACA (Association of Chartered Accountants) - 15 professional qualification exams, taken over approximately three years

ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) - 14 professional qualification exams, taken over approximately four years

It doesn't particularly matter which course you take as they all result in qualifying you to sign off on a business's accounts. If your company is sponsoring you to complete qualifications, they will typically offer you support to complete one of the two.

Tips for getting into the field

Audit is a highly competitive industry, especially for the spots in the most prestigious companies. To give yourself the best chances:

Apply for work experience and internships - this will show that you're committed to the industry and give you a practical head start when it comes to applying for a paid position
Tailor your CV for each specific role - make sure that you're highlighting how you match the job description through your CV
See what the top companies in the field require - by checking what skills and experience their auditors had early on in their careers to figure out what steps you might need to take to reach the top
Consider applying for an apprenticeship - many of the larger audit firms reserve spaces for apprentice auditors within their business. Explore the opportunities available at different firms to see what's on offer

What do Audit professionals get paid?

The earning potential for those in auditing is similar to accounting. Whilst in training, you can expect to earn between £20,000-£29,000.

The highest salaries will be within the largest companies. You could expect over £60,000 per year in a prestigious company once you are fully qualified and have some years of experience.

Even in smaller firms, the average earnings for auditors can be quite high, as detailed below:

Internal auditor - £29,406 [list]Auditor - £29,221 Senior auditor - £36,949 Audit manager - £46,585 Audit senior manager - £73,093 Internal audit director - £85,538 Audit partner - £150,000+

What qualifications do I need for a career in Audit?

The best subjects to study for a career in auditing are maths and economics as the vast majority of the role is about analysing and working with numbers. Any qualification that demonstrates a competency with numbers is going to help you.

To get onto the competitive school-leaver schemes, you will likely need to have 3 A*-C at A-level and at least pass grades in GCSE maths and English.