Diversifying Your Portfolio While Creating Your Niche
February 13, 2019
As an auditor in the world of higher education, you are constantly immersed in a multitude of various topics, even some that would not traditionally be considered auditable. Such topics can include banking, grading data security, or even hazardous waste. The diversity of being an auditor in the higher education realm is one of the draws of the job. Never knowing what is around the next corner or what areas of the institution will need review peaks curiosity regarding what can be uncovered. Keep in mind, having a niche is one thing that makes employees desirable. A niche provides an area of expertise, one of specific substance. This expertise enables individuals to continue to learn and develop skills to establish credibility with others. Niches do not come easy, however, and there is a niche in knowing how to roll with the punches. Being flexible and knowing how to develop audit programs for an unfamiliar area is critical and may ultimately lead to the start of a newly found niche. It is important to know how to research and seek out experts in a particular field and create relevant audit steps to help develop a personal skillset.
Through auditing various departments within an institute of higher education, there are several lessons to learn–two of the most important are:
- Be open-minded and prepare for the unexpected; it is always interesting to see what unfolds.
- Every audit is different, even if it is the same audit as a prior year and the process remained unchanged, it is possible that only the surface was scratched. Be aware of the tiny details, as these can cause big changes. For example, was a new policy enforced? Was there turnover within the department and now there is a new client contact? Always be on the lookout.
Take every opportunity to acquire more experience in a specific aspect of the auditing practice that speaks to you.
If you are lucky enough to know what you love to do and have started to develop your niche, do not be afraid to go into it with tenacity. Take every opportunity to acquire more experience in a specific aspect of the auditing practice that speaks to you. For instance, Information Technology is growing and becoming ever more relevant in the auditing world and is an area of expertise that will be beneficial for any auditor. Therefore, if it piques your interest, continue to learn and develop your skills in this area. Look into the webinars, trainings, and any other professional education options you might have, but, most importantly, speak up. Tell those in your department, those in that field, your manager, or those in control of the audit plan, about your interest. Tell them that it is an area you find insight in, it is an area you enjoy, or even that it is an area where the department’s involvement would be beneficial. The key is to get excited and show enthusiasm. It is hard to turn down someone that is confident about a decision and is showing excitement about their work.
For more information on ACUA webinars to help develop your professional skills, please visit http://www.acua.org/CPE_Events/Webinars.asp.
About the Author
Kyle Saxe
Kyle Saxe is an auditor with the University of Wisconsin System. He received his Accounting Degree from the University of Wisconsin–Platteville and has over four years of higher education audit experience.
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Kyle Saxe
Kyle Saxe is an auditor with the University of Wisconsin System. He received his Accounting Degree from the University of Wisconsin–Platteville and has over four years of higher education audit experience.
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Diversifying Your Portfolio While Creating Your Niche