Senior Auditor
(Male, Age 28) from SAINT LOUIS, MO
This is a REAL-LIFE job profile written by a Male aged 28 who works as a Senior Auditor in SAINT LOUIS, MO. We have removed all names and personal information in order to protect privacy. This professional kindly spent a bit of their time to complete one of our job profile surveys so that prospective job seekers like you could read their insights. Please excuse any punctuation or grammatical errors in this profile.
At a Glance
Current Job
Basic data on your current job
| Job Title | Senior Auditor |
|---|---|
| Salary | $53,000 |
| Other Compensation | None Set |
| Hours/Week | 50 |
| Company Size | (not answered) |
| Location | SAINT LOUIS, MO |
| Years Experience | 5 years |
Career Ratings
Opinions on your CAREER overall (i.e. not just your current job)
| Years in Career | 0 |
|---|---|
| Education | (not answered) |
| Income Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Interest Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Work-Life Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Fulfilment Rating | 0 / 10 |
Current job Q&A
Describe the type of organization you work for.
I am a senior auditor with a regional CPA firm with 5 offices located throughout the Midwest.
Describe your job role and responsibilities.
I am responsible for completing the fieldwork for financial statement audits. This involves supervision of assistants and frequent communication with clients.
Please list an additional benefits (beyond compensation) that you receive.
401k, profit sharing, parking reimbursed
Do you feel you are under/over or well/fairly compensated at your current position?
Undercompensated
Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Please explain.
Nearly 100% of my work is done collaboratively. Audits involve a significant amount of teamwork and that is one of the best aspects of my job.
Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Yes
Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Yes
Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it.
Please rate each of the following aspects of your current job on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest/best):
Income: 2
Benefits: 7
Hours: 3
Co-Workers: 1
Supervisors: 6
Job Title: 8
Level of Responsibility: 4
The Actual Work: 5
A day in the life of…
Please describe a typical workday for you in your current job:
| 5am to 6am | |
| 6am to 7am | |
| 7am to 8am | I generally wake up at around 7AM, take my shower, get dressed and leave my house by 8AM. |
| 8am to 9am | My day starts at the client’s office around 8:30 am. |
| 9am to 10am | If it is my first day at a new client, I will try to spend the first 30 minutes chatting with the client and, if necessary, introducing the client to the other members of teh audit team. |
| 10am to 11am | The rest of my day is spend obtaining documents from the client, answering questions from other audit team members, asking questions of the client. The purpose of all of this is to try to get the audit finished as efficiently and effectively as possible. |
| 11am to 12pm | See above |
| 12pm to 1pm | We are given a 30 minute lunch break, but it usually ends up taking a full hour to drive to a resturant, eat, and return to the client. |
| 1pm to 2pm | See above. |
| 2pm to 3pm | See above |
| 3pm to 4pm | see Above |
| 4pm to 5pm | see above |
| 5pm to 6pm | During the summer, my day usually ends betweeen 5pm and 6pm. During busy times, my workday can end much later. |
| 6pm to 7pm | |
| 7pm to 8pm | |
| 8pm to 9pm | |
| 9pm to 10pm | |
| 10pm to 11pm | |
| 11pm to 12am |
Table of Contents
How you got your job
How did you get your current job?
Referral
What was the application process?
My college submitted my resume on my behalf and I received a phone call requesting an interview.
Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
Yes, I had a 30 minute interview with one of the firm’s partners. I also was given the opportunity to speak with others currently in the type of position I was interviewing for.
If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
I don’t recall, but it was very informal. Instead of asking the typical interview questions, he basically gave background info on the firm and asked what my interests were.
Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
Yes, I feel that I was able to learn quickly and I continue to learn as I progress in my career.
Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
Once I was hired, there was very little formal training. We work on the audits as a team, so I was informally trained by other members of the audit teams.
Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
It provided a decent conceptual base, but for the most part, accounting is something that can only be learned with experience. I think colleges should focus more on “real world” simulations instead of abstract concepts.
If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
I did not do an internship
If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
First, I would recommend obtaining a BS in accounting. Next, in order be eligible to take the CPA exam, one must have 150 college credit hours, so I would recommend getting a Masters degree. Finally, I would recommend taking and passing the CPA exam. If you show a committment to become a CPA, it is easy to get a job with a decent accounting firm.
What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
Interpersonal communication skills are vital to the accounting profession. The ability to think analytically is also crucial.
Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
Yes, see answer above.
What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Don’t be afraid to ask a lot of questions when you first start. It is expected and encouraged in this line of work.
Long-term career plans
Is your current employment part of your overall career plan? Why or why not?
It is part of my career plan, but will most likely serve as a “stepping stone” to a better position elsewhere in the future.
What are your current career goals?
I intend to transition from auditing to forensic accounting, as it is much more interesting to me. I do believe my skills learned in auditing will be vital to this process.
Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
No, not at this time
Prior work history
Please list your most recent jobs prior to this current job:
| Title | Length | Salary | Description | |
| Prior Job 1 | This is the only job I’ve had since graduating from college. | |||
| Prior Job 2 |
Educational background
Please list your educational background:
High School GPA:3.5
| GPA | School | Degree | |
| College (Undergraduate) or Technical/Vocational |
3.8 | University of Missouri – St. Louis | BS – Accounting |
| Graduate or Professional (Masters or Doctorate) |
3.5 | University of Missouri – St. Louis | Master of Accounting |
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