As an IT auditor, articulating the complexity and impact of your audits on IT controls and security can be a resume challenge that might be tough to convey to a non-technical audience. Our guide will provide you with clear examples and actionable tips to distill your expertise into engaging, understandable accomplishments that resonate with hiring managers.
- The most effective IT auditor resume samples, reflecting on experience and skills.
- +10 simple, yet impactful methods to tailor your IT auditor resume to the job advert.
- Using your professional achievements as the North Star to your unique value as a IT auditor candidate.
- 'No one cares about your education nowadays …' Let's prove this statement wrong with the best-kept industry secrets to your education and certifications.
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The importance of format and layout in your IT auditor resume
Consider you're an HR professional at company X, evaluating two IT auditor candidate resumes. John Smith presents a simple, traditional, and easy-to-read resume. Edward Price, however, uses a non-conventional, often illegible format. Whose resume would you spend more time on to understand their experience? This scenario underscores the importance of your IT auditor resume’s design. It should be simply formatted and clearly communicate why you are the ideal candidate for the role.
Achieve this balance by:
- Listing your experience, beginning with the most recent and relevant, in reverse chronological order;
- Ensuring your header contains essential information, such as contact details, a headline, and a portfolio link. Include a professional photo in the IT auditor resume header if you have one;
- Including only the most important and relevant resume sections to showcase your expertise and stand out from other candidates;
- Editing your IT auditor resume to be no longer than two pages if you have extensive relevant experience. Use your limited resume space judiciously.
Also, remember that your IT auditor resume might initially be scanned by an Applicant Tracker System (ATS).
When it comes to ATS:
- Opt for simple and legible fonts like Raleway, Rubik, Lato, etc., making your experience easy for the ATS to scan;
- Use serif and sans-serif fonts, both of which are ATS-friendly;
- Avoid overused options like Arial and Times New Roman, which, while suitable, may lack personality.
Contrary to a common myth, our recent study shows that the ATS can effectively process both one-column and two-column resumes. Learn more about this in the ATS myths guide.
Finally, when submitting your IT auditor resume, always export it as a PDF to ensure all information remains intact, making the document easier to print, read, and scan.
Different markets have specific resume styles – a Canadian resume, for instance, may require a different approach.
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Always remember that your IT auditor certifications can be quantified across different resume sections, like your experience, summary, or objective. For example, you could include concise details within the expertise bullets of how the specific certificate has improved your on-the-job performance.
The key to your IT auditor job-winning resume - present your expertise with these sections:
- A header to make your resume more scannable
- Snapshot of who you are as a professional with your resume soft skills, achievements, and summary or objective
- Job advert keywords in the skills section of your resume
- Resume experience quantifying your past job successes with metrics
- A relevant education, certification, and technical sills section to provide background to your technological/software capabilities
What recruiters want to see on your resume:
- Solid understanding of IT auditing standards and frameworks (e.g., COBIT, ISO 27001, NIST).
- Proficiency in using IT audit tools and software for risk assessments and control testing.
- Relevant certifications such as CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor), CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional), or CIA (Certified Internal Auditor).
- Experience with data analysis and the ability to interpret and communicate complex technical information to stakeholders.
- Demonstrated understanding of cybersecurity risks and knowledge of IT governance best practices.
Creating your IT auditor resume experience to catch recruiters' attention
Remember that for the IT auditor role, hiring managers are looking to see how your expertise aligns with their requirements. Here's where your resume experience section can help out. Make sure you:
- Include mainly roles that are relevant to the IT auditor job you're applying for;
- Don't go too far back in your experience - recruiters will only care what you did a decade ago if it's really important for the IT auditor role;
- Each bullet you include should say what you did, followed by the skills you used and the actual end result of your efforts;
- Quantify each of your achievements with numbers and possibly the overall effect it had on the organization;
- Highlight transferrable skills - or personal skills you've attained thanks to past jobs - that could be applicable within your potential workplace. This would showcase your unique value as a professional.
Formatting the experience section of your resume doesn't have to be an over-the-top deep dive into your whole career. Follow the IT auditor resume examples below to see how industry-leading professionals are presenting their experience:
- Led a team of 4 in conducting comprehensive risk assessments and audits of IT systems for a Fortune 500 company, identifying over 25 major areas for improvement.
- Designed and implemented new audit procedures using data analytics tools, increasing the efficiency of IT audits by 30% and improving the detection of system vulnerabilities.
- Coordinated with cross-functional teams to review and evaluate company-wide IT controls, compliance regulations, and security frameworks, enhancing overall IT governance.
- Evaluated and tested IT internal controls in accordance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, ensuring 100% compliance across all reviewed systems.
- Assessed the effectiveness of IT controls in complex environments and recommended actionable strategies to address deficiencies, which reduced audit findings by 40% over a two-year period.
- Documented audit findings and prepared detailed reports for senior management and stakeholders, highlighting critical issues and proposing robust remediation plans.
- Performed regular security audits and penetration testing of network infrastructure, leading to the identification and patching of critical security loopholes.
- Collaborated closely with the IT department to conduct post-implementation reviews of key systems, ensuring alignment with business objectives and IT strategy.
- Assisted in the development and enhancement of company-wide IT audit methodologies and tools, contributing to a 20% increase in audit process efficiency.
- Planned and executed IT operational and compliance audits for a leading healthcare provider, identifying critical system deficiencies that were promptly addressed.
- Enhanced the audit coverage areas by integrating cybersecurity risk assessments into the annual audit plan, offering a more comprehensive audit approach.
- Organized training sessions for junior auditors, significantly increasing the team's knowledge in IT frameworks and compliance requirements.
- Conducted thorough IT audits across several industry sectors, providing clients with insights on improving their IT operations and reducing risks.
- Directed the migration and auditing of data from legacy systems to newer platforms, preserving data integrity and reducing system downtime during the transition.
- Managed third-party vendor audits and assessments, ensuring all outsourced IT services met company standards and regulatory requirements.
- Analyzed and improved existing IT audit processes for a multinational corporation, leading to enhanced control and visibility of IT-related risks.
- Participated in cross-departmental IT projects to align audit activities with the latest technological advancements and changes in the regulatory landscape.
- Developed risk-based audit programs that focused on critical IT areas, streamlining the audit process and optimizing resource allocation.
- Manage ongoing evaluations of IT systems and controls for a leading bank, ensuring adherence to industry regulations and identifying opportunities for strategic improvements.
- Orchestrate complex IT audits across international branches, developing a consistent audit approach that reflects global IT standards and local regulatory requirements.
- Advocate for the adoption of new IT audit technologies, which has led to a 25% reduction in audit cycle times and a 15% increase in coverage.
- Spearheaded an IT audit program for a technology firm, which reduced identified risks by 50% through the implementation of effective risk management strategies.
- Guided the adaptation of IT audit practices in light of emerging cloud technologies, ensuring secure and compliant cloud usage across the organization.
- Facilitated interactive workshops with IT audit stakeholders, enhancing the understanding of complex IT audit findings and promoting a culture of continuous improvement.
Quantifying impact on your resume
- Include the number of audit reports completed to demonstrate workload capacity and experience.
- Specify the size of the companies audited, such as annual revenue or number of employees, to indicate the scale of your auditing experience.
- Mention the percentage of risk reduction achieved through your audit recommendations to show your direct impact on improving the client's or employer's operations.
- List the number of regulatory compliance frameworks you are proficient in to highlight your versatility and expertise.
- Quantify the amount of cost savings identified through your audit findings to underscore your contribution to the company's financial health.
- State the total value of assets you have audited to reflect your familiarity with handling significant financial responsibilities.
- Provide the number of training sessions or workshops conducted to feature your role in knowledge sharing and team development.
- Report the percentage of audit recommendations implemented by clients to demonstrate the effectiveness and actionability of your advice.
Action verbs for your IT auditor resume
What can candidates do about their resume, if they have no experience
Job requirements can sometimes be answered by other elements you could make more prominent in your IT auditor resume.
Thus, you'd be substituting your lack of experience with your relevant:
- Education with details of skills you've obtained that align with the job
- Internships and short-term jobs that are once more dedicated to putting your expertise in the spotlight
- Skills section answering basic and - potentially - more specific job qualifications
- Strengths or accomplishments to show the unique value you present, even as a candidate with less or no professional experience in the industry.
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PRO TIP
Always remember that your IT auditor certifications can be quantified across different resume sections, like your experience, summary, or objective. For example, you could include concise details within the expertise bullets of how the specific certificate has improved your on-the-job performance.
The heart and soul of your IT auditor resume: hard skills and soft skills
If you read between the lines of the IT auditor role you're applying for, you'll discover that all requirements are linked with candidates' hard skills and soft skills.
What do those skills have to do with your application?
Hard or technical skills are the ones that hint at your aptitude with particular technologies. They are easy to quantify via your professional experience or various certifications.
Meanwhile, your soft skills are more difficult to assess as they are personality traits, you've gained thanks to working in different environments/teams/organizations.
Your IT auditor resume skills section is the perfect opportunity to shine a light on both types of skills by:
- Dedicating a technical skills section to list up to six technologies you're apt at.
- Focusing a strengths section on your achievements, thanks to using particular people skills or technologies.
- Including a healthy balance of hard and soft skills in the skills section to answer key job requirements.
- Creating a language skills section with your proficiency level - to hint at an abundance of soft skills you've obtained, thanks to your dedication to learning a particular language.
Within the next section of this guide, stay tuned for some of the most trending hard skills and soft skills across the industry.
Top skills for your IT auditor resume:
ISO 27001
CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor)
SQL
ACL (Audit Command Language)
IT Governance Frameworks
NIST Cybersecurity Framework
Risk Assessment Tools
Network Security Tools
GRC (Governance, Risk, and Compliance) Software
Penetration Testing Tools
Analytical Thinking
Attention to Detail
Problem-Solving
Communication Skills
Time Management
Team Collaboration
Adaptability
Critical Thinking
Ethical Judgement
Project Management
PRO TIP
If you failed to obtain one of the certificates, as listed in the requirements, but decide to include it on your resume, make sure to include a note somewhere that you have the "relevant training, but are planning to re-take the exams". Support this statement with the actual date you're planning to be re-examined. Always be honest on your resume.
Maximizing your IT auditor resume: education and certification sections
To effectively showcase your industry knowledge in your IT auditor resume, it's important to properly list your education and certifications.
For the education section, ensure you include:
- Higher education degrees pertinent to the industry or those at a postgraduate level;
- The start and end dates of your education, along with the name of the institution you graduated from;
- Your GPA and relevant coursework, but only if they are impressive and applicable to the role.
Additionally, create a separate certifications section to spotlight your most notable recognitions. Another excellent place to feature a leading industry certificate is in your resume header, right after your name.
Below is a list of key industry certifications that are often sought after by recruiters
The top 5 certifications for your IT auditor resume:
- Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) - ISACA
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) - (ISC)²
- Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) - The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA)
- Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) - ISACA
- Certified Public Accountant (CPA) - American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
PRO TIP
Always remember that your IT auditor certifications can be quantified across different resume sections, like your experience, summary, or objective. For example, you could include concise details within the expertise bullets of how the specific certificate has improved your on-the-job performance.
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Writing the IT auditor resume summary or objective: achievements, keywords, dreams, and more
Deciding on whether to include a resume summary or resume objective should entirely depend on your career situation.
If you have:
- Plenty of relevant achievements you'd like to bring recruiters' focus to, make use of the resume summary. Ensure each of your achievements is quantified with concrete proof (e.g. % of cases solved).
- Less applicable experience, utilize the resume objective. Within the objective include a few noteworthy, past successes, followed up by your professional dreams.
As a bonus, you could define in either your IT auditor resume summary or objective what makes you the perfect candidate for the role.
Think about your unique hard and soft skills that would make your expertise even more important to the job.
These IT auditor professionals have completely covered the formula for the ideal resume introduction:
Resume summaries for a IT auditor job
- Seasoned IT auditor with an imposing 12-year track record, specializing in financial services and highly adept at SAP and Oracle financial systems. Achieved 30% risk reduction for a multinational bank through the development of comprehensive audit strategies, demonstrating a steadfast commitment to maintaining the highest standards of compliance and integrity.
- Meticulously analytical IT professional with 10 years of experience in cybersecurity, pivoting into IT auditing to leverage extensive knowledge of network infrastructure and threat mitigation. Led a successful system security overhaul that elevated a medium-sized tech firm’s data protection mechanisms, ensuring stringent adherence to industry best practices.
- Former Data Analyst with an acute aptitude for numbers and patterns, seeking to translate 8 years of experience into a challenging IT auditor role. Recognized for streamlining data processing workflows at a leading analytics firm, eager to apply quantitative skills to assess and enhance IT controls and operational efficiency.
- Expert in cloud computing with 7 years of dedicated experience, transitioning to IT audit with a visionary approach to reinforcing system architectures and data storage solutions. Championed a cloud migration initiative that bolstered operational resilience and cut costs by 25% for a SaaS provider.
- Determined to embark on a professional journey as an IT auditor, where I can apply my robust analytical skills, keen eye for detail, and a comprehensive understanding of IT operations learned through a rigorous B.S. in Information Technology. Eager to contribute to safeguarding digital assets and improving business processes through meticulous auditing practices.
- Energetic and detail-oriented newcomer to the field of IT auditing, motivated to utilize my Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and self-acquired knowledge of networking standards and security protocols. Looking forward to supporting the company's commitment to excellence and reputation for exceeding industry standards by ensuring robust and reliable IT systems.
What else can you add to your IT auditor resume
What most candidates don't realize is that their IT auditor resumes should be tailored both for the job and their own skillset and personality.
To achieve this balance between professional and personal traits, you can add various other sections across your resume.
Your potential employers may be impressed by your:
- Awards - spotlight any industry-specific achievements and recognitions that have paved your path to success;
- Languages - dedicate some space on your IT auditor resume to list your multilingual capabilities, alongside your proficiency level;
- Publications - with links and descriptions to both professional and academic ones, relevant to the role;
- Your prioritization framework - include a "My Time" pie chart, that shows how you spend your at-work and free time, would serve to further backup your organization skill set.
Key takeaways
- Invest in a concise IT auditor professional presentation with key resume sections (e.g. header, experience, summary) and a simple layout;
- Ensure that the details you decide to include in your resume are always relevant to the job, as you have limited space;
- Back up your achievements with the hard and soft skills they've helped you build;
- Your experience could help you either pinpoint your professional growth or focus on your niche expertise in the industry;
- Curate the most sought-after certifications across the industry for credibility and to prove your involvement in the field.
