Audit officers maintain and update financial records, check for errors, and verify transactions. They need a high school diploma and computer skills, and may work part-time or longer hours during busy periods. On-the-job training is common.
Audit officers are the holders of an organization’s financial records. They are employed in all industries and currently there are around two million employees in the United States. Due to the consistent need for people in this position, there are always openings and many opportunities for temporary or part-time workers.
Audit officers maintain and update individual or groups of accounting records. This can include receipts, expenses, profit and loss, and also accounts payable and receivable. These employees should feel comfortable performing multiple data calculations every day. He or she should also be familiar with using computers to calculate data.
Other duties may include checking records and verifying transactions posted by other workers. Audit officers also check documents to ensure they are correctly coded and mathematically correct. Correcting or noting errors and then passing those findings on to an accounting person is another employee duty. Almost all of these tasks are performed in an office environment.
While many audit employees work a 40-hour week, high percentages work part-time or evenings or weekends. The end of the fiscal year, fiscal periods, and monthly and annual audits are very busy times for employees. At these times, they often have to work longer hours in addition to their scheduled work hours. Due to long hours at a computer analyzing data, many employees suffer from eyestrain, back pain and headaches.
Most people in this position need to have some form of qualification. A high school diploma is a minimum requirement. Having some college qualifications is also important, and some employers require an associate’s degree in accounting or business. Employers also prefer candidates with computer experience. Knowledge of spreadsheet and word processing software is also preferred.
Once employment is found, audit employees often receive on-the-job training. They will be trained under a supervisor or a senior member of staff. They must be very detailed, with a keen eye for numbers, in order to spot other people’s mistakes. They must also be detailed in order to avoid mistakes in your own work. Because they frequently come into contact with confidential material, audit personnel must also be trustworthy and discreet.
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