How to gain IS Audit experience for CISA

When I cleared my CISA, I thought my career was about to take off in a new direction.

I imagined diving into system audits, testing IT controls, and reviewing cybersecurity frameworks.

But reality hit differently.

Despite being certified, I was told — “You don’t have IS audit experience yet.”

That was the moment I realized: passing the exam was the peak of learning, but not the start of practice.

So instead of waiting for the opportunity, I decided to build it myself.

1) Start Where You Are: Look for IT in Every Audit

Every modern process — payroll, procurement, inventory, payments — runs on IT systems. So instead of waiting for a “pure IT audit,” I began identifying IT dependencies in my regular audits:

• What systems process the transactions?
• Who has access to change master data?
• How are system-generated reports validated for accuracy?
• Is there any evidence of change management or user access reviews?

These questions turned my financial audits into hybrid audits — and gradually, my work started reflecting IT control coverage.

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2) Volunteer for Anything Tech-Related

I made it a point to volunteer whenever internal audit or compliance needed help with:

• ERP access reviews
• System implementation testing
• Backup or change management checks
• Policy and cybersecurity awareness reviews

Even if I was just documenting walkthroughs or checking logs, I was gaining exposure to real IT control environments — and learning from the IT audit team in the process.

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3) Build Practical Skills on the Side

I realized knowledge alone isn’t enough — I needed to see how controls work in action. So I began:

• Exploring ISACA’s Audit Programs for sample testing steps.
• Taking short virtual labs (like TryHackMe and Cybrary) to understand logs, vulnerabilities, and system configurations.
• Practicing data analysis using Excel and Power BI — after all, IT audit is about data, not just systems.

Every new skill gave me practical grounding for when I’d eventually lead an IS audit.

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4) Network and Volunteer Outside Work

I reached out to peers in ISACA and other professional circles — and found that many chapters have volunteer-driven audit simulations, mentorship circles, or awareness campaigns. Even helping a nonprofit review its IT policies or basic security setup counts as real-world exposure.

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5) Track and Build an “Experience Portfolio”

I started maintaining a personal log:

• What IT-related procedures I performed
• What controls I reviewed or tested
• What systems I learned about
• What outcomes or findings emerged

This record became my unofficial IS Audit Experience Portfolio — something I could confidently present when opportunities arise.

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In short, experience isn’t something someone hands you. It’s something you build — one control, one walkthrough, one log review at a time.

If you’re on the same path, let’s connect.

#CISA #ISACA #ITAudit #InternalAudit #GRC #CareerGrowth #Upskilling #AuditorLife #LearningNeverStops #ProfessionalDevelopment #auditdudeCN