External Audit Jobs in Public Service

The demand for those to fill external audit jobs continues to stay high as companies try to comply with SOX. One of the best places to be looking for external audit jobs these days is in public service.

In fact, the government is hiring in all areas of finance, including internal and external audit jobs, risk management jobs, account management jobs, all the way down to payroll officers and ledger clerks. These days, the government is working hard to make those public sector jobs attractive to graduates, so if you’ve been looking to the private sector because you thought you’d get better benefits and wages there, the range of external audit jobs and other jobs in public finance may surprise you.

There’s a general perception that government work simply doesn’t pay well, though it affords job stability and offers you a sense of accomplishment. It turns out that this notion doesn’t play well outside London. In the local governments in fact, wages and compensation for financial officers, internal and external audit jobs and other such positions compare quite favorably with the local private offerings and fit in well with the local cost of living.

Government service also tends to offer attractive packages when it comes to training benefits. For example some roles within the pubic service offer training schemes to its employees that include paid time off to take up new courses and sit for exams. In addition, employees are encouraged to map out career paths that gain them experience in all sorts of circumstances and conditions, from perusing the books at public agencies to doing full external audit jobs of private companies under investigation.

Working in the public sector is especially an option if you want to stay local to your roots. In the local economies, the public sector is often one of the biggest employers. In the Northeast, for instance, Public Sector jobs provide just under 50% of all jobs for graduates under the age of 40. In Wales, that figure is above 50%, and those positions include many jobs in the financial sector. If you’re hoping to stay close to home and work locally, then government sector jobs offer far more opportunity to work than private firms.

The changing attitudes and emphasis by the government on training and reimbursement are opening up internal and external audit jobs to those who are still in training. A quick look over at current job recruitment ads shows many that read, “Do you want to make FD in two years time?” or “…looking for a part-qualified Accountant willing to engage in continued professional development”. The adverts offer such enticements as continued opportunities, exciting work, personal growth experience and rapid advancement within your field. If you’ve been looking at external audit jobs with private companies, this may be the time to turn your sights on the public sector where you can combine your aspiration for the good life with the desire to do good.

Written by Jonathon Hickstead

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