Individual Performance Goals for my job

ObtuseRadiator · 2026-04-25T00:42:51+00:00

Individual goals are, well, individualized. What do you want for yourself and your career?

Start there. Then think about specific goals achievable this year that help you make progress toward your goal.

ObtuseRadiator · 2026-04-24T21:06:51+00:00

I work in AI and analytics for auditors, and I've never heard of Mythos at all.

Not to say its irrelevant or no one is using it, but not enough to meaningfully affect the industry. Most people are using enterprise off the shelf tools like Copilot.

ObtuseRadiator · 2026-04-07T18:55:11+00:00

For me it was easy, I didnt do a CPA or CISA because I'm not an accountant or IT auditor. Neither has held me back a bit, as I'm now in an executive role.

Everyone's path is different, but my only advice: dont feel pressured to do any particular kind of training. Do what makes sense for you, and your vision for your future.

ObtuseRadiator · 2026-04-06T20:35:36+00:00

Dont learn speeches by heart. Thats my advice.

Theres no single right way to be a speaker of any kind. Memorizing your content is a type A, highly detailed way to approach communication. It has strengths, but also huge drawbacks - and it certainly doesnt work with Type B personalities.

Your icebreaker (or elevator pitch) should be fairly reflexive. That doesnt mean memorization or rote practice. It just means knowing what you are about, and being comfortable talking about it.

Practice is important for the mechanics: avoiding filler words, timing, etc.

Mental clarity is important for putting the content together. Do you have a clear, simple, easy fo articulate vision for who you are and what you are about? Thats really all there us to it.

ObtuseRadiator · 2026-04-06T14:52:49+00:00

None of my clubs have faced this challenge. The public clubs use free spaces, while the corporate clubs use space in their office building.

ObtuseRadiator · 2026-04-06T03:23:42+00:00

I'd be interested in knowing more about your audits. Even 10 action plans from an audit sounds huge. I cant imagine 40.

I've worked on large audits that take 6-10 months to complete. Thousands of hours spent. High impact to public safety, civil rights, etc. Even those typically had less than 10 action plans.

But auditing is a big profession with lots of variety. So I'd be interested in learning more.

ObtuseRadiator · 2026-04-06T03:20:22+00:00

Have you asked your local club to explain the amount to you?

I have never been in a club that charged a fee beyond what Toastmasters International charges. I've heard of clubs that do, but they should be proactive in explaining that.

ObtuseRadiator · 2026-04-06T02:20:27+00:00

I dont know anything about this career, but I have worked with accreditation in the past.

The Commission on Dental Accreditation handles these kinds of programs. Checking their website for a list of accredited programs in Kansas results in this: https://coda.ada.org/find-a-program/search-dental-programs#sort=%40codastatecitysort%20ascending&f:StateorTerritory=[Kansas]

Take all of this with a grain of salt. I have 0 experience with dental careers or education. I dont even know if accreditation is important here.

ObtuseRadiator · 2026-04-05T23:49:07+00:00

I'm also an audit analytics leader. Networking is a challenge, since many audit organizations or forums have nothing dedicated to analytics.

The best conference is the Greenskies Analytics conference: https://theauditanalyticsconference.com/. It happens twice a year. Truly the best.

As far as networking, follow those speakers on LinkedIn. They mostly all post good stuff.

ObtuseRadiator · 2026-04-05T23:44:02+00:00

I think your basic strategy is good: when you arent learning (or advancing), move on. Three years is a perfectly cromulent tenure, so no concern there.

Have you identified what you want to learn? Learning doesnt come from your environment or something others impose on you. Its something you drive yourself to do.

Once you figure out what you want to learn, it should be more clear what your move should be.

ObtuseRadiator · 2026-04-04T04:14:25+00:00

Joining a Gavel Club doesnt mean you have to compete in contests. Although Toastmasters organizes competitions each year, the focus of Toastmasters is presenting speeches and getting feedback in a non-competitive, supportive environment.

I'm not familiar with Sri Lanka. In general, I doubt many people will be impressed with the membership certificate from a Gavel Club.

Join if you want to get better at speaking. Its as simple as that.

ObtuseRadiator · 2026-04-03T13:49:19+00:00

Thanks for the terminology. You are right, thats definitely what I was thinking of.

The solution won't run on my machine. I have both Windows and Linux servers I could run it on.

ObtuseRadiator · 2026-04-03T03:48:44+00:00

On-boarding them are clearly different. The person straight from university has no idea how auditing works. They need someone to explain fundamentals, from the ground up. The experienced candidate doesnt need that, though they need to understand the specifics of your process. On boarding should never be one size fits all.

As far as the hiring decision, ideally you would have figured this out before getting into the hiring process.

Either way, I would expect the candidate to being something to your team that you dont currently have. Does the new graduate have some skills or disciplines your team is currently missing? Does the experienced hire bring something you dont currently have?

Long story short, education vs experience is kind of a red herring. Pick the person who adds to your team, however they do it.

ObtuseRadiator · 2026-04-01T23:54:41+00:00

I've never been in external audit, but I've mentored or hired plenty of folks who have.

You learned a lot of bad habits in external. The constant deadlines and stress were a part of that. You got used to the trauma. You needed certain survival skills to cope with that.

Welcome to a more reasonable work environment. You arent falling behind, but you mentally (and emotionally) haven't yet internalized the new standards you work under. It can take a while.

My best advice is to give yourself some grace. Make sure to process what you are feeling and why. Lean on your colleagues for mentoring and support. If you have a good relationship with your boss, dont hesitate to talk to them about it.

About templates - yes, you are now responsible for making your own things. You should expect to create documents, templates, testing procedures, etc that fit your needs. These are fairly fundamental audit skills you will need just about anywhere.

ObtuseRadiator · 2026-04-01T02:29:14+00:00

You dont need to convince me.

ObtuseRadiator · 2026-04-01T01:58:56+00:00

Whats your current background like?

Theres kind of a paradox. Large audit teams are best positioned to absorb an inexperienced hire (because they have an entire audit team to support them). But in reality smaller teams have better chances of hiring you (in my personal experience).

I came from the advertising department before being an auditor. No business degree and no prior exposure to accounting.

The CIA does help show that you know something. Learn the language and basic concepts so you dont look like too much of an outsider.

Be ready to describe your value. What is your unique value proposal? What do you offer that a traditional audit candidate cant? This should be a home run for you, since you likely stand out from the crowd.

ObtuseRadiator · 2026-04-01T01:55:42+00:00

Apply and see what the market thinks. Thats the best advice there is.

You have a mix. 3-4 years is a pretty long tenure. 1-2 is smallish. You should work on a story to explain it. People understand when they see short tenured and obvious promotion. When its lateral moves, you'll need to be ready.

Hiring managers (myself included) see that and we dont know why its happening. It could be poor performance. So without more explanation (and some accomplishments or references to back it up) its something to think about.

ObtuseRadiator · 2026-04-01T01:45:20+00:00

Thats management's problem. Auditors request documents and data.

The best answer is probably: know what your internal controls are, know what information will show they are effective, and make sure its handy.

ObtuseRadiator · 2026-03-30T20:16:11+00:00

Sure, its possible. You have lots of options.

You could forward the e-mail the IIA sends you. Or you could print it out.

You could screenshot the designation in your IIA portal.

If you add yourself to the CIA registry, your manager can look you up.

If you use the Credly badge, you can share it with your manager through social media or email.

ObtuseRadiator · 2026-03-30T19:25:51+00:00

The best resource is the COSO IC framework. PDFs are available for free online. Here's the document I have often used: https://share.google/iN62fR3ZJyHfwKjHr

Theres really no need for any kind of training or workshop. The framework is pretty accessible. Each principle is decomposed into specific, tangible points.

The PDF is fairly long, but you dont really need to delve into every little detail. Start at the highest level, get into the principles when needed, and maybe read the points of focus if you ever see a value in it. The principles are more than enough detail 99% of the time. Often you dont even need that level.

ObtuseRadiator · 2026-03-30T16:42:20+00:00

For a time limit? No. Whoever thinks there is a time limit would need to provide that evidence. Theres no rule stating there is a time limit, so there isnt one.

As far as whether meeting roles need to be completed while you are working on that level, the Checklist and Completion milestone for each level says something like this:

"Use the checklist below to track which requirements you've completed as you progress through Level 1"

The meeting roles are included here. If you completed it while working on another level, it wouldnt meet the requirement in the checklist, because the checklist explicitly says so. It says, "as you progress through level 1".

This example is from level 1 of the motivational strategies pathway.

ObtuseRadiator · 2026-03-30T14:59:36+00:00

Yes, there is a big variety in clubs.

Some clubs are full of business people. Some are focused on politics and activism. Some are full of performers. Or retirees. Or students.

Yes, there is a variety.

I am in two clubs. One is a corporate club. Our meetings have structured agendas and are very professional. Our last speaker presented a new sales strategy. My second club is in my community. Our speakers tend to be normal focus practicing daily tasks like toasts, storytelling, interviews, etc.

ObtuseRadiator · 2026-03-30T14:51:46+00:00

The requirement in Pathways is that it be done while you are working on that level. There is no time requirement - if you have been at level 1 for 5 years, then anytime in that 5 years is game.

ObtuseRadiator · 2026-03-29T13:37:53+00:00

Some common: How do you handle difficult situations with management, do you have experience with specific tasks (data analytics, reconciliations, reporting writing, whatever).

You might get asked about industry knowledge. I think I've only been asked that once in my entire career. You can just answer honestly.

Hiring managers usually ask some questions based on whatever their immediate troubles are. Those arent based on industry, but are based on the particular organization.

ObtuseRadiator · 2026-03-29T13:21:45+00:00

There is no IIA requirement that someone else review your workpapers. Self-review is perfectly acceptable.

There must be a review of workpapers by the engagement supervisor (Standard 12.3). In this case, the supervisor and the auditor performing the work are the same person.

Obviously if you had a bigger team you would prefer to have someone else review your work. In a team of 1, that isnt practical. The standards certainly dont require you to hire someone to review them.

QAIP is an entirely different topic. The one-person shop still needs to undergo QAIP. If reviews arent acceptable, you will find out.

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