One of the big changes in my professional life happened on the first of July this year, when I changed from being a technology analyst to an internal auditor. It is a change that I imagined would happen at some point in my life and I am happy that it has happened. But, what I underestimated (in a positive way) was how my thinking could change, once my work profile changed.
For starters, I have a background of a decade and a half looking at the external market as an industry analyst. Suddenly, I have the wonderful opportunity to do the exact opposite i.e. work as an internal auditor and look at the internal perspectives within a company. That is a radical shift and in fact needs an altogether different approach and thinking. As opposed to finding market opportunities earlier, I now need to think about how to improve things internally. Or, from looking at how a company can maximise an industry trend in my earlier job, to now looking at minimising risks.
The opportunity to be an internal auditor is unique. It is one of those unique professions that provides an in-depth perspective into every aspect of a business and interface with executive management. The role, based on what I have understood in a week, is not only dramatically powerful but also incredibly useful to a company's inner workings. There is so much to learn, there is so much that one does not know in a new profession. And that's why I believe that my thinking is already changing, as I see the kinds of possibilities in this new profession.
Sure, I am going to be challenged severely by veterans in internal audit. I am not the first to enter this profession, nor the last. But, the sheer challenge of learning something new, or of proving to myself that I can get out of my comfort zone and do something as well as I possibly can, is one of the most exhilarating professional feelings that I have experienced in a while.
In the last one week, I have learnt to see how my previous job is a wonderful starting point for this new job. To begin with, one has to understand the market realities before investigating how the company in question can improve. So, I have a solid starting point. And from that point on, as an internal auditor, I get to dig deep into various aspects of the internal workings of the company.
I could not ask for a better combination than this to change my thinking. It's different, it’s a natural transition from external to internal roles, and hopefully provides a well-rounded perspective of both external and internal business conditions in a few years.
It is amazing how thinking can change within 1 week of a new job, nay, a new profession in this case. Analyst to auditor may seem very radical at most times, but it makes far more sense to me now than it did a few years ago. Look forward to the journey!
