What do external auditors do

Some managers assume external audit firms will create financial statements, when that actually is the job of company managers. External audit firms are responsible for providing reasonable assurance that the financial statements are free from material misstatements and prepared according to an accounting framework.

External auditors are not there to fix the problems, although many will provide you with recommendations. External audit firms also are not responsible for providing absolute assurance of perfect financial statements; they only test enough data to provide reasonable assurance.

Although accounting is typically seen as number crunching, auditors recognize that financial statements don't exist in a vacuum. External auditors are charged with obtaining a through understanding of your work environment, operations and internal controls. You should be able to find these resources at your local public library or the nearest law or business school library. You can also find much of the information contained in these resource materials on the Internet.

In addition to serving as auditors, some accounting firms offer non-audit consulting services to their audit clients. You can check a company's annual proxy statement for information concerning the company's relationship to its independent auditor and the extent of other services the auditor might be performing for the company.

For example, the company's proxy statement should disclose the fees for audit, information technology consulting, and all other services provided by the company's auditors during the last fiscal year. For more information about investing wisely, please visit the Investor Information section of our website. Search SEC. Securities and Exchange Commission. Investor Publications. In particular, employers are looking for:.

Government Auditing Standards - The U. Government Accountability Office. Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. Chartered Accountants Ireland.

International Accounting Standards Board. International Federation of Accountants. From there you could move into senior manager and director positions, and eventually become a partner. You may have opportunities to undertake secondments in other offices, including internationally. This is particularly common at larger firms. Another way to develop your career is by specialising. For example, you could work with a particular type of client, such as those in the public sector, or with a particular type of audit - such as fraud or risk.

Undertaking further specialist qualifications may help your transition into a new area. Your accountancy qualification will also enable you to work in other divisions and areas of practice, which means you'll have the option of progressing your career outside of audit and assurance.

For example, many people also go on to work as accountants or in other finance advisory roles within businesses, and your experience as an auditor will make you sought after for these positions. Jobs and work experience Search graduate jobs Job profiles Work experience and internships Employer profiles What job would suit me?

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Log in Register. Getting a job CVs and cover letters Applying for jobs Interview tips Open days and events Applying for university Choosing a course Getting into university Student loans and finance University life Changing or leaving your course Alternatives to university Post a job. View all accountancy, banking and finance vacancies. Add to favourites. External auditors combine first-rate people skills with a high level of attention to detail to help businesses of all types and sizes achieve their performance potential As an external auditor, you'll examine financial records and other data to provide businesses, their investors and market regulators with a clear picture of how they're performing.

Types of external audit work External audit can be split into two areas: financial audit - examining a company's financial statements and records to provide a certification of their current financial position and make recommendations to strengthen this non-financial or corporate audit - examining non-financial information to provide assurance in other areas or help a company address specific problems.

The scope of this work is broad, and will depend on the needs of the client and the services provided by the auditing firm. The focus of your work will depend on your role and the firm you work for.