A field auditor examines the financial records of a corporation’s various branches or outlets within a given region. He or she double-checks revenue reports, inventory forms, and other important documents for any errors. If financial fraud is suspected, the auditor looks into suspicious records and conducts interviews with employees to learn the truth. A field auditor’s work assists executives at corporate headquarters in making important financial policy decisions.
Although field auditors can perform some of their duties from a central office, the nature of the job usually necessitates extensive travel. A field auditor may be required to travel several hundred miles per week car or airplane, depending on the size and scope of the company. Expenses such as food and hotel room fees are usually reimbursed the auditor’s employer.
The auditor is usually given access to detailed paper or electronic financial records when meeting with branch representatives. He or she goes over each line of data, comparing figures to totals reported the company and records from corporate headquarters. An auditor must be extremely organized and able to spot even the tiniest discrepancies right away in order to avoid accounting errors. Financial report inconsistencies are usually minor, requiring only a footnote on the official report back to the corporate office. However, if a significant amount of revenue or funding is missing, the auditor may decide to launch an investigation.
First, a field auditor double-checks records to see if money was simply misplaced rather than mysteriously missing. If money is missing, he or she will usually launch a thorough fraud investigation. Other professionals may be called in to assist with an inspection, but the auditor is usually in charge. He or she looks into company and personal bank accounts, employee backgrounds, and potential suspects. When funds are found, the auditor compiles a legal report and assists in the development of better company policies to avoid future issues.
Although there are no specific educational requirements to work as a field auditor, the majority of professionals have bachelor’s degrees or higher in accounting or business management. In addition, prospective field auditors typically need to work as auditing clerks, fraud investigators, or business accountants for several years before being promoted to the position. After many years of service with a company, a skilled auditor may be promoted to internal auditor. Many professionals, on the other hand, value the benefits of travel and choose to stay in field auditing positions for the rest of their careers.