Anyone here an IT Auditor?

[cjchaps]

I'm a Comp Sci major with a business minor, and ever since I graduated I have been working for a major IT consulting firm(over 5 years). I'm getting a little bored with what I do, and the raises and bonus potential have stagnated. What the job does have going for it is that I am in a team lead position where I work 9-5(usually less), and that I can work from home if I need too, and there is very little travel. Basically I have an easy job that?s not very exciting or personally rewarding for me.

One of my wife?s friends is a auditor for a major corporation, and he has said they are looking for IT auditors, to do Sarbanes-Oxley type work. I told him I have no accounting or auditing experience, and he says that usually not a problem because when you work for them, they pay for training and CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditors) certification. The job is about 25% travel, and after a few years they try to work you up to a management position, and the travel drops to almost nothing.

I?m also a little nervous about job security in my current position. We have contracts that will keep me employed for the next year, but after a year I don?t know what the future holds. My current client has a big push to offshore folks, and I don?t really know what the future holds for me. I see a lot more job stability over the years as an IT auditor over being in straight IT, but I could be wrong? Also, what does the typical day of an IT auditor consist of?

C/N: I work as an IT consultant for a big firm, but am thinking about switching to IT Auditing. What do you think?

 

[ultimatebob]

I don't know about where you work, but where I work the IT Auditors spend most of their time traveling to various sites in the organization. Once there, they work with system admins and programmers to find and fix security holes in the IT infrastructure.

To be honest, it looks like pretty boring work. They spend most of their time making checklists, reviewing system and application settings, and writing reports and presentations for management. Besides, most IT people HATE working with auditors, mostly because you'll be finding tons of security problems that they'll need to spend the next few weeks fixing.

The good news is that the auditors always seem to have a full work load, never seem to get laid off, and get paid well. Of course, a lot of their OS/Application security work that they do could also be performed remotely, which means that their jobs can still be outsourced. Personally, I'd rather get a network admin job... A good network is up and running correctly over 99% of the time, which leaves you with lots of time to read ATOT It's just that other 1% that's a living nightmare.

 

[Brassman]

I've heard that SOX work is the most boring work you can ever do...

 

[Phoenix86]

Originally posted by: Brassman
I've heard that SOX work is the most boring work you can ever do...

Yep, and I've heard from several people that they are leaving the industry because of it. However, they were auditors being pushed into IT auditing. I've also heard it's easier to train an IT guy to do auditing vs. training an auditor to understand IT. So with the OPs backround, it may be a good fit.

I'd still expect it to be boring as sin.

 

[shud]

Well if nobody wants to do it they must have to pay pretty well.

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: cjchaps
they pay for training and CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditors) certification.

:shocked:

That's a good cert to have!

 

[frankie38]

My firm does alot of SOX work. IT auditors are needed for many assignments and are very much in demand.

IT Audit SOX work is either:

1) Design and create controls for system processes.
2) Test controls related to specific IT processes. (more likely)

If you like job security then IT auditing is for you! As for excitement and all that other fun stuff my only comment is that if it is fun then it would not be called work.

IT audit and CISA cert is very marketable.

 

[acemcmac]

I want to do this, preferably with my own firm and legal creudentials to boot... planning on going to law school after college to even further expand my potential in the field

 

[fallenangel99]

I am thinking of getting into IT Auditing. I work in the pharmaceutical industry doing CFR 21 Part 11, Sarbanes-Oxley stuff so I have decent newbie experience - enough to get me into IT Auditing i hope!

 

[azazyel]

Originally posted by: SagaLore

Originally posted by: cjchaps
they pay for training and CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditors) certification.

:shocked:

That's a good cert to have!

How do you get it?

 

[cjchaps]

Hmm... If it's as boring as everyone says, I don't know if that is for me... I should probably give my resume to a recruiter and see what they come up with.

 

[frankie38]

Originally posted by: cjchaps
Hmm... If it's as boring as everyone says, I don't know if that is for me... I should probably give my resume to a recruiter and see what they come up with.

I see that you have come to your senses about IT auditing. I would recommend against handing your resume to a recruiter without telling them exactly what you want to do.

Recruiters are not in the business of finding you a job.

With that said, this is a good time to re-evaluate the whole IT career/job market.

If you are having doubts regarding job security then my advice is to get out while you can. That is, long term IT business will be impacted negatively by outsourcing and downturn in business spending on IT.

So, what else do you want to do for a living?

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: azazyel

Originally posted by: SagaLore

Originally posted by: cjchaps
they pay for training and CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditors) certification.

:shocked:

That's a good cert to have!

How do you get it?

You take an exam.

http://www.isaca.org/

 

[Dr. Detroit]

Are you willing to work extrememly long hours for a long period of time?

SOX isn't horrible and I'm sure the pay will make up for a lot of the misery BUT try and find joy in your life and see if a new hobby will replace the want for more adventuresome job.

Also, business travel is mucho sucko! Aside from the cool strip clubs, wroking 10hr days and eating out 3-meals a day sucks!

 

[Koenigsegg]

Can someone explain what SOX is?

 

[Phoenix86]

Sarbanes-Oxley

 

[Wapp]

Originally posted by: ultimatebob
A good network is up and running correctly over 99% of the time, which leaves you with lots of time to read ATOT It's just that other 1% that's a living nightmare.

QFT

 

[dquan97]

I work for the gov't as an internal/IT auditor...no SOX for me!

 

[Kalbi]

IT auditors in a public accounting firm makes $100K with 4-5 years under their belt. They work 7 days a week day and night and are short staffed. No life at all.

 

[KLin]

PISS OFF SOX :|

 

[zerocool1]

that's something that I'd want to consider doing in the future.

 

[Phoenix86]

Originally posted by: KLin
PISS OFF SOX :|

:beer::thumbsup:

 

[minus1972]

I'm looking into this field as well...I understand that there's a lot of travel and long hours involved...but that it also pays off after a few years of experience. Correct?

 

[DecoY]

im an IT auditor for d/t. no life is right.

 

[austin316]

I work in IT audit and love it. Hours are longer than a 9-5 but not terrible. As for travel, that depends on if you will do internal IT audit or work for an external firm. Even then, travel could all be within your metropolitan area or nationwide.

As for working 7 days a week? Its all up to you. If you are like most people in IT and are just a yes man, then yes, you will get swamped with work. However, if you stick up for yourself and instead of saying "Yes I'll do it" and instead say "I have a lot of other processes I'm currently working on, is it ok to get that to you next Tuesday?" You will be fine. Last year was the first year for SOX, so people were swamped. Things have been more manageable this year. And since we are only in year 2, if you get in now, 5-7 years from now, you will be one of the experts in the field.