Table 1Transition record

financial auditortofinancial controller

A financial auditor already meets 53% of what the financial controller role asks for. The move turns on 7 required skills not yet in the profile.

From financial auditor

53%

Overlap1

To financial controller

18 Skills carried over

7 Required, not held

47.4 Difficulty2

adjacent 0–30

moderate 30–55

substantial 55–75

career change 75–100

this move, 47.4

This move: 47.4 of 100 · moderate

1 Share of the financial controller role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the financial auditor profile. Required skills count in full, supplementary skills at 0.35. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. 2 Combines what is missing with how specialised it is, so a gap of general skills scores easier than the same number of narrow ones.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 18 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A financial controller role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a financial auditor background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held ensure compliance with accounting conventions information skills
already held check accounting records information skills
already held advise on tax planning communication, collaboration and creativity
already held evaluate budgets management skills
already held disseminate information on tax legislation communication, collaboration and creativity
already held accounting department processes business, administration and law

All 18 carried skills, including the 10 the financial controller role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 19 missing skills fall into 5 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered below in the order worth working in: the areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the supplementary ones.

Skill to acquire Tier

01 management skills 4 required, 4 supplementary

required, not held create a financial plan required
required, not held enforce financial policies required
required, not held exert expenditure control required
required, not held explain accounting records required

optional, not held support development of annual budget optional
optional, not held manage budgets optional
optional, not held manage profitability optional
optional, not held supervise accounting operations optional

02 information skills 3 required, 3 supplementary

required, not held prepare financial statements required
required, not held synthesise financial information required
required, not held track key performance indicators required

optional, not held inspect government expenditures optional
optional, not held manage the general ledger optional
optional, not held prepare tax returns forms optional

03 communication, collaboration and creativity 3 supplementary

optional, not held draft accounting procedures optional
optional, not held liaise with auditors optional
optional, not held liaise with financiers optional

04 business, administration and law 1 supplementary

optional, not held financial forecasting optional

05 natural sciences, mathematics and statistics 1 supplementary

optional, not held statistics optional

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a financial controller role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 18 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held accounting department processes knowledge
already held analyse financial performance of a company skill
already held develop financial statistics reports skill
already held ensure compliance with accounting conventions skill
already held evaluate budgets skill
already held financial department processes knowledge
already held financial statements knowledge
already held follow the statutory obligations skill
already held interpret financial statements skill
already held tax legislation knowledge
already held advise on financial matters skill
already held advise on tax planning skill
already held analyse financial risk skill
already held check accounting records skill
already held disseminate information on tax legislation skill
already held insolvency law knowledge
already held liaise with shareholders skill
already held prepare financial auditing reports skill

12 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held support development of annual budget optional
optional, not held draft accounting procedures optional
optional, not held financial forecasting optional
optional, not held inspect government expenditures optional
optional, not held liaise with auditors optional
optional, not held liaise with financiers optional
optional, not held manage budgets optional
optional, not held manage profitability optional
optional, not held manage the general ledger optional
optional, not held prepare tax returns forms optional
optional, not held statistics optional
optional, not held supervise accounting operations optional

42 held skills the financial controller role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role accounting knowledge
not needed by the target role accounting entries knowledge
not needed by the target role accounting techniques knowledge
not needed by the target role advise on credit rating skill
not needed by the target role arrange audit skill
not needed by the target role banking activities knowledge
not needed by the target role commercial law knowledge
not needed by the target role communicate with banking professionals skill
not needed by the target role conduct financial audits skill
not needed by the target role control financial resources skill
not needed by the target role core banking software knowledge
not needed by the target role corporate law knowledge
not needed by the target role develop audit plan skill
not needed by the target role economics knowledge
not needed by the target role ensure compliance with disclosure criteria of accounting information skill
not needed by the target role financial analysis knowledge
not needed by the target role financial jurisdiction knowledge
not needed by the target role financial management knowledge
not needed by the target role financial products knowledge
not needed by the target role fraud detection knowledge
not needed by the target role identify accounting errors skill
not needed by the target role identify if a company is a going concern skill
not needed by the target role inspect tax returns skill
not needed by the target role internal auditing knowledge
not needed by the target role international financial reporting standards knowledge
not needed by the target role international tariffs knowledge
not needed by the target role joint ventures knowledge
not needed by the target role maintain financial records skill
not needed by the target role maintain records of financial transactions skill
not needed by the target role maintain trusts skill
not needed by the target role make strategic business decisions skill
not needed by the target role mergers and acquisitions knowledge
not needed by the target role monitor banking activities skill
not needed by the target role national generally accepted accounting principles knowledge
not needed by the target role observe confidentiality skill
not needed by the target role obtain financial information skill
not needed by the target role pose questions referring to documents skill
not needed by the target role present reports skill
not needed by the target role produce statistical financial records skill
not needed by the target role provide support in financial calculation skill

2 further entries not listed here

2 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held financial forecasting optional
optional, not held statistics optional

Index

Other moves recorded from financial auditor

Full index of moves from financial auditor

Note

How this record was compiled

Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.