A senior auditor does more than compliance checks, and you know it. Ensure recruiters get that same message using the tips in my senior auditor resume guide.
Certified Professional Resume Writer, Career Expert
There’s so much more that a senior auditor has on their plate than meets the eye. Communicating effectively with upper management, supervising your team, and greenlighting their audits. Plus, at the end of the day, when something goes wrong, your head rolls.
But you’re only equipped with the proper knowledge and audit methodology to pore over complex financial statements and ensure SOX compliance. Your senior auditor resume can’t audit itself.
Don’t worry, I’m here to help.
In this guide:
A senior auditor resume sample better than most others.
How to pick up the best senior auditor resume skills.
How to write a resume for a senior auditor that gets interviews.
Expert tips and examples to boost your chances of landing a senior auditor job.
I had an interview yesterday and the first thing they said on the phone was: “Wow! I love your resume.” Patrick
I love the variety of templates. Good job guys, keep up the good work! Dylan
My previous resume was really weak and I used to spend hours adjusting it in Word. Now, I can introduce any changes within minutes. Absolutely wonderful! George
Seasoned audit leader with 15+ years of experience in financial auditing, internal controls testing, risk assessment, and compliance. Proved expertise in developing and executing audit programs in BlueCross BlueShield by implementing a continuous audit program to reduce active audit hours by 30%.
Professional Experience
Senior IT Auditor
BlueCross BlueShield, Columbia, SC
June 2013–July 2022
Oversaw annual financial audits for a $5B manufacturing organization across North America.
Led a team of 10 auditors in executing risk-based audit plans on schedule and budget.
Automated work paper documentation using ACL, saving 50% of documentation time
Prepared comprehensive audit reports and presented findings to clients and senior leadership.
Internal Auditor
Pfizer, Tampa, FL
May 2007–April 2013
Performed internal controls testing and compliance audits.
Identified $2M in waste through process improvement recommendations.
Updated internal audit approach to ensure compliance with FCPA, Healthcare Compliance, and Sarbanes-Oxley rules and regulations.
Education
Master of Accountancy
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
2005
Skills
ACL, IDEA, Tableau
Financial Statement Auditing
Risk Assessment
Internal Controls
Regulatory Compliance
Data Analytics
Process Improvement
Team Leadership
Professional Certifications
Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) | 2012
Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) | 2015
A senior auditor oversees financial audits and ensures compliance with regulations. For a successful senior auditor resume, you should highlight experience leading audit teams, strong analytical skills, and effective communication of audit findings using good industry practices.
Now, this is how to write an effective senior auditor resume:
1. Choose a Solid Format For Your Senior Auditor Resume
If your resume is messy, how will the hiring manager believe you have the organizational skills and attention to detail to conduct a proper audit?
The reverse-chronological resume format favors work history and education, presenting your most recent engagements first. The functional resume format suits those who want to underscore their skill set, like finding material misstatements or assessing internal controls. The third one, the chrono-functional resume, incorporates features from both mentioned above.
For starters, here’s how to format your resume:
Select the best resume template. It should be clean and compliant, just as your work adheres to standards like GAAP or GAAS.
Pick one of the typical resume fonts like Helvetica or Georgia. The font size should be 11–12pt for all entries, with your name and section headings set to 14–16pt.
When it comes to the individual resume sections to include, these should be roughly the following:
Contact Information
Resume Profile
Work Experience
Education Section
List of Skills
Additional Sections
Expert Hint: Save your resume as a PDF. It’s the most reliable way of preserving all your hard work when constructing the layout of your resume, as Word formats can sometimes prove problematic.
2. Prepare a Slick Senior Auditor Resume Profile
Your resume introduction holds an opportunity for you to pass the materiality test. And for an employer to find a matching candidate who won't require a going concern modification to their report.
Here’s how to start a resume with a well-crafted summary for a senior auditor:
Put an adjective first. How would you describe yourself as an auditor? Detail-oriented, analytical, risk-based?
Present your job title. In this case, it is a senior auditor.
Inform about years of experience: 5+, 10+, or as many years as it takes to achieve partner track.
Highlight a goal tailored to the position you’re applying for.
Choose your best 2–3 achievements. Take this example: “At Big4 Firm, obtained an unqualified opinion on financial statements of a Fortune 500 client for 3 years running with no adjustments to the proposed audit report.”
A summary according to the above principles guarantees a positive first impression and that the recruiter will keep your resume around for further inspection.
Remember, since so much depends on the resume profile, it’s worth it to leave writing it as the last thing you do. Going over the other sections first will influence and inspire you once you get a bird’s eye view of your qualifications.
Expert Hint: Organizations always value skilled professionals. Suppose you have experience meeting the requirements for top-tier accreditation standards such as ISO 9001. In that case, you’ll want to mention that in your resume profile since that immediately lights up a huge green flag.
3. Create an Expert Work Experience Section for a Senior Auditor Resume
Your work history might be as extensive as the tax code. You might have performed scrutinizing internal or external audits in Fortune 500 companies. And that’s great but not enough.
Not knowing how to showcase your experience, no matter how vast it may be, can ruin your chances faster than an overstated asset. The secret is this: the job description for your senior auditor resume should pass the recruiter’s expectations.
Scan for crucial responsibilities and skills required by the company.
Think of matching similar audit procedures you performed and standards you applied in your role thus far.
Write bullet points with quantifiable achievements that make it hard for the hiring manager to issue a going concern modification. Use powerful verbs like “identified,” “assessed,” and “tested” to supercharge your work experience section.
Be sure to document your work clearly and concisely so that another auditor can pick up your work papers and reach the same opinion.
Once done with your compliant job descriptions, focus on your top-notch auditing skills to create another solid section of your resume. Besides vast technical knowledge and industry-specific standards, employers expect you to possess soft skills like excellent communication (both written and verbal), critical thinking, problem-solving, and more.
Don’t be tempted to flaunt your whole skill set, though. Tailoring it to your recruiter’s expectations, i.e., writing down only those also prominently expressed in the job ad, is the far better option.
See this list below if you need some resume skills inspiration:
Best Skills for a Senior Auditor Resume
GAAP/GAAS compliance
Internal control evaluation
ISO/IAF standards
Risk assessment
Analytical procedures
Audit planning
Documentation & Reporting
Audit software proficiency (e.g., CaseWare)
Accounting systems expertise (e.g., SAP, Oracle)
Detail-oriented
Problem-solving
Critical thinking skills
Communication skills
Leadership skills
Mentoring
Team management
Client relationship building
Adaptability
Workpaper review
Quality control
Technical accounting knowledge
Statutory and regulatory compliance
Continuous learning
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However, the education section must be there fora resume to be as precise as an IRS audit. The level of detail is a secondary matter.
Given your seniority in financial auditing, you can include only the following:
Your highest obtained degree
The name and location of your school
The year you graduated
Of course, if you’re a decorated alum with several honors whom the Dean recognized, that might be worth mentioning, too. Just keep it relevant and stick to only the most impressive accomplishments.
5. Finish Your Senior Auditor Resume With Added Sections
Now that you've laid the foundation with your experience and education, it’s time to elaborate on what makes you the premier senior auditor who would be a great addition to any team. The way there leads through extra resume sections, like these:
Want to try a different look? There's 21 more. A single click will give your document a total makeover. Pick a cover letter template here.
Key Points
To build a senior auditor resume that stands out:
Examine our senior auditor resume template to help you structure your own.
Start strong with an impressive career summary to catch the recruiter’s attention.
Craft an experience section highlighting your most valuable audit accomplishments and quantifiable impact.
Tailor your job descriptions and skills to address what the posting is looking for directly.
Use additional sections like education, certifications, and technical skills to elevate your chances.
Write a cover letter introducing yourself, describing your achievements and the skills you bring.
Still got questions about your senior auditor resume? Torn between what parts of your work experience to include in your application? Leave me a comment below, and I’ll get back to you.
About ResumeLab’s Editorial Process
At ResumeLab, quality is at the crux of our values, supporting our commitment to delivering top-notch career resources. The editorial team of career experts carefully reviews every article per editorial guidelines, ensuring our content's high quality and reliability. We actively conduct original research, shedding light on the job market's intricacies and earning recognition from numerous influential news outlets. Our dedication to delivering expert career advice attracts millions of readers to our blog annually.
Caio is an expert in professional development and holds a certification in resume writing. He has accumulated 4+ years of experience in this field. His approach is to merge entertainment concepts with resumes, thus making your application more captivating.