Mark tells us about his role as a Trainee Auditor with the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General.
Please tell us a little bit about your role.
I have been a Trainee Auditor in the Office since May 2019 and initially worked in financial audit.
I have gained extensive technical knowledge of public accounting practices and auditing standards by working on a wide variety of audits ranging from small and large semi-state entities, Voted Accounts (i.e.: government departments) and various Education and Training Boards under a wealth of experienced audit managers.
From my time working in financial audit, I have developed a deep appreciation for the importance of transparency and accountability in public accounting.
Since October 2023 I have been working in the Data Analytics unit, supporting the financial audit function with the use of interactive dashboards for financial analysis, ad-hoc requests to analyse large data sets and producing visualisations using programming language to support the performance audit function and their chapters, which make up the yearly annual report issued by the office.
What were your reasons for applying for your role?
After attending a public service presentation whilst in college, there was a piece on the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General and the role they play in monitoring and review of the use of public money and strengthening public accountability.
Thanks to the ‘Back to Education Initiative’ I was able to go back to college as a mature student after a career in customer service, to pursue a new career in finance.
As a beneficiary of a publicly funded scheme, I wanted to join the office and help in their statutory remit, as I would not be in this position now as a qualified accountant and currently on a panel for promotion, had that scheme not been available to me.
What do you value most about your job?
What I value most is the pride in which I take in fulfilling my duties as a member of the office. I feel that I am making a real and meaningful difference in the way which public funds are being spent.
On conclusion of an audit engagement, where I have been able to recommend improvements to existing practices or streamline processes, and return the following year to see them enacted, also gives me a great sense of achievement.
What are some of the benefits and supports available to you?
I find that the work/life balance is very good in the office, that you are not required to work late hours and weekends which might be required in the private sector.
We currently have a blended approach to office attendance of two days per week which can be in the office or on site, but those days are wholly dependant on the days which suit you or perhaps the audited body. This could potentially change week to week, but that flexibility I find is very convenient for my personal circumstances. This of course varies from team to team, but the office is flexible in these arrangements and do their best to accommodate individuals’ requests.
The starting salary when I joined the office was very competitive when compared to competing trainee contracts around the time when I was applying for graduate programmes, and that remains to be the case to this day.
Study leave is very generous, with the potential to work up additional days off.
The office understands that exam periods can be an extremely stressful time, and I have had audit managers look to manage my workload in the lead up to these periods so that I am not overburdened with tasks before taking exam leave.
Everyone in the office has or is going through the same experience, so I’ve found in my time here the office is a very supportive work environment to be in, from other trainees up to senior management staff.
We also have an active social club which arranges events such as a summer BBQ, Christmas party and annual pool tournament; it is a great way of getting to know colleagues whom you might not see or engage with on a frequent basis.
What opportunities has this role provided for you?
I have been exposed to several different entities (both large and small) as well as various sectors (publicly funded departments, hospitals, schools, etc.) in my time in the office which has been a great experience.
Most recently, I have worked in the analytics unit of the office which has enabled me to develop new skills and approaches to audit and allowed me travel to the United Kingdom to present to our peers on various audit techniques and analytical approaches which we adopt.
What has surprised you since starting this role?
It would be the sheer number of entities which the office is responsible for auditing which surprised me. I knew there would be a large number, but I had no idea that the office had been responsible for close to 300 bodies or various sizes and complexity.
The varied backgrounds of my colleagues also was a surprise. Individuals from all sorts of prior backgrounds and experiences work in the office, which I think is a strength as it brings fresh perspectives when tackling any problems and leads us to make better decisions as an office.
What aspect of the role do you particularly enjoy?
As a trainee, I particularly enjoy the variety (as mentioned) that my role offers. As I am currently assigned to the data analytics unit, and I would switch between the traditional audit engagement and data analytics projects.
Every task has helped me build different skills, from understanding business processes and procedures to using data to tell a clearer story or highlight trends which may not be easy to detect when looking at a large general ledger for an audited body.
I have been really enjoying my time working in the data analytics unit as I have found it satisfying to work with large data sets to uncover insights that strengthen our audit work, and the mix between audit and analytics I found has kept my current role very dynamic and engaging.
Would you recommend a career in the public sector and why?
As I mentioned earlier, the work/life balance since starting work in the public sector has been great.
The office has provided generous amounts of study leave as well as covering any course fees and exam fees towards my accounting qualification.
The variety of work related to audit engagements in the public service is vast, and you might not be working on the same area year on year. The trainee auditor plan looks to give you exposure to more technical audit areas based on your experience in the office.
I’ve found that the variety of audited bodies the office oversees, coupled with audit areas you can be assigned, means that the work is constantly diverse and rarely repetitive.
Anything else you would like to share?
I would like to mention that the office has been recognised for several years as a ‘Great Place to Work’ and they have recently been certified in the ‘Best Workplace for Health & Wellbeing for 2026’ category.
It is a very welcoming place to work, full of knowledgeable staff, kind colleagues and a very accommodating and comprehensive trainee programme.