So You Want to Be a... Government Auditor
Audit Training and Government Auditors
Government auditors work at a variety of level's, from auditors who watch over city or county finances, to those who work at a national level, auditing the financial matters of government agencies from the Department of Energy to the CIA.
Government auditors work to ensure that government business is conducted in an efficient and legal manner and to provide timely audit reports both to government agencies and to the public. The focus of government auditors' work is transparency, making the financial workings of government available for anyone with interest to understand and evaluate. Like all auditors, government auditors use audit software and accounting know-how to get their job done.
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How Do You Become a Government Auditor?
Like all auditing jobs, a background in accounting is key to get and succeeding in a job as a government auditor. A bachelor's degree in any field that emphasizes analytical thinking, so long as you take and pass the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam, is sufficient for most government auditor jobs. For some government auditor positions an advanced degree like a Master's of Business Administration (MBA) or a Master's of Public Administration (MPA) can be helpful. In both MBA and MPA programs you may be able to take coursework in government financial accounting that relates directly to the work you will do as a government auditor.
In addition to earning a degree, ensuring that you are up-to-date on the latest audit software can also be an important part of succeeding as a government auditor. Courses that provide audit software training are widely available and can often be completed in as little as one day.
