Why Do I Find Audit Exciting?

Or do I…???

Somebody asked me a while ago (or rather a few months ago) whether I really find audit exciting. It would seem that my posts in this blog conveyed a sense of excitement in my old job.

Well, I had to admit I smiled when I saw that comment. I mean if you asked any of my old teammates or office mates if I looked excited during that time, they would just scratch and shake their heads. I don’t think they really saw me as “excited” when I was working in the firm.

Audit was my first job. I chose it not because I was excited about it. I chose it because, well, it was the only job I was knowledgeable about. I figured since a lot of my family members started out in audit and went on to build good or great careers, I might as well start with audit, too. Not very wise, eh? But then again, I didn’t know any better.

Seven months later, I soon found out the error of basing a choice on the wrong assumptions. I resigned.

That was my second mistake. Why?

Because when I started applying for other jobs, my 7-month worth of audit experience (which included one busy season) was like a no-experience at all. I basically had to start from scratch. So, after more than 1 year, I returned to audit, this time much wiser and much more mature than when I was first accepted on the job.

But wait! Was I excited this second time around? Still, no. It was just a job for me, something that I can later on put in my resume to get other jobs with higher pays and more perks. But as the years go by, I did find that there are things in audit I can get excited about.

Oh not getting new clients. When you’re in audit, during at least your first 2 years, you may very well get assigned to the same clients. I even had the same client for 5 years and another one for 3 years! So, no I didn’t get excited about getting new clients.

Was it the pay / salary that got me excited? Definitely not. Enough said.

Was it the hours kept? Whoever said they get excited with the hours in an accounting firm ought to get shot. Just kidding.

So what did I get excited about?

Meeting new friends? Yes! I met some very good friends during my 8 years of stay.

Meeting or auditing ‘popular’ clients? How about being the auditor of Google before they went public?

Sorry, I didn’t get a client that popular. But I did get to audit several clients who are pretty well known in my place. So yes, I was excited about those things.

How about getting great evaluations and being promoted? Who wouldn’t? I was promoted three times, got the highest evaluation several times (with corresponding salary increases to boot). I guess I was lucky that way.

How about traveling? I know some people would say traveling when auditing is not exactly a bed of roses and is not really conducive to sightseeing. Maybe true, maybe not, but just going to places that I otherwise wouldn’t have gone to if I wasn’t working as an auditor was an exciting thought for me. Plus, I was fortunate enough to be sent to another country for some on – the – job trainings. That was really an exciting time for me.

Lastly, the fact that I ‘survived’ 8 years working in an accounting firm is something I am always excited and pleased about. I know a lot of people will look askance at me over the fact that I managed to stay that long in the firm but believe me, it was worth every year of it.

So to answer the above question, I do get excited about some aspects of audit. Not all but enough for me to breeze through those 8 years and come out of them alive. But don’t let my ex – teammates or office mates read this, otherwise, I will never live it down. Admitting that you are excited over auditing is like asking them to dub you as an F – F – F – For the (Accounting) Firm Forever. And I’m not excited being called that.

And that’s all about being excited as an auditor. Thanks for reading! Cheers!