Big 4 IT Audit → Internal Audit. Those who've done it, how'd you land it?
Hey all, been lurking here for a while and figured I'd finally post. Looking for some honest input from people who've made a similar move.
Quick background on me: Canadian CPA + CISA, about 5 years at a Big 4 firm, just got promoted to Assistant Manager. My whole career there has been IT audit and assurance, i.e., SOC 1/2, ITGCs, that kind of thing, mostly in financial services and regulated industries. I manage a small team and run my own engagements. I'm also starting to work toward my CIA.
Before public accounting I spent over a decade in industry in operational and supervisory roles, so I didn't come up through the traditional accounting path.
I'm based in western Canada in a lower cost of living city. Young kids at home means picking up and moving to Vancouver or Toronto isn't realistic right now, so I'm either staying local or need something genuinely remote.
I've been seriously thinking about making the jump to internal audit. Manager or Senior level at a credit union, Crown corp, financial institution, something like that. Honestly the main drivers are pretty simple: I'm tired of the hours, I want stability, and I'd rather go deep in one organization than keep rotating through clients.
A few things I'd love input on:
How did you frame your experience when making the switch? This is probably my biggest question. My background is very IT audit heavy and I want to make sure I'm telling the right story when I'm applying — whether that's leaning into the controls/assurance side, the regulated industry exposure, the people management, whatever. Would love to hear what actually landed for people.
Did the IT audit background work against you at all? I can speak to controls broadly and I have the operational background to back it up, but I'm a little worried about being pigeonholed or passed over for roles that skew more operational or financial.
What's the day-to-day actually like? I know I'll miss the variety of clients to some degree but honestly I think I'll get over it fast. Curious if people feel like they're still growing or if it starts to feel stale after a few years.
Appreciate any input, especially from anyone who's landed at a credit union, Crown corp, or similar. Thanks