Audit or Consulting? What Really Matters for a Career in Controlling

For finance professionals aiming for a career in controlling, FP&A, management reporting, or finance business partnering, one question continues to arise: does an audit background still provide an advantage?

Based on our conversations with clients, the answer is often yes. Many organizations continue to value audit experience when hiring for controlling and reporting positions. However, this should not be interpreted as a lack of interest in consulting profiles. Companies remain open to both backgrounds, but they often associate audit with a broader understanding of financial processes, controls, and reporting frameworks.

One of the key reasons is the breadth of exposure auditors receive early in their careers. They gain insight into financial reporting, internal controls, risk management, compliance, and the overall financial structure of different organizations.

As a result, employers often view audit professionals as candidates who understand not only the numbers but also the processes and business realities behind them. This broader perspective remains highly relevant for controlling roles, where financial information must be translated into business insights.

While audit provides a strong foundation, consulting offers a different but equally valuable learning experience.

Consultants are exposed to multiple organizations, industries, and ways of working. They learn to adapt quickly, manage stakeholders, and navigate different business environments. This variety often helps professionals discover more quickly which areas of finance genuinely interest them and where they want to build their careers.

At the same time, we frequently observe that consulting assignments are heavily focused on accounting and reporting activities.

There is nothing wrong with this. Accounting remains the foundation of every strong finance career. However, professionals who aspire to move into controlling eventually need exposure to budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis, business partnering, and management reporting.

During interviews, we regularly meet consultants who feel they have gained solid accounting expertise but limited exposure to the broader responsibilities associated with controlling roles.

Another aspect worth mentioning is the reality of project-based consulting.

Consulting firms naturally aim to keep their consultants billable and avoid lengthy periods on the bench. As a result, consultants may sometimes be assigned to more traditional accounting-related projects when market demand shifts. This is entirely understandable from a business perspective.

However, professionals should remain mindful of the long-term direction of their careers. A temporary accounting assignment is rarely an issue, but spending several years without gaining exposure to controlling or analytical responsibilities may slow progression toward future career goals.

Interestingly, we also see that some smaller and more specialized consulting firms can offer broader responsibilities earlier in a consultant’s career.

Depending on the client portfolio, consultants may gain exposure to controlling, financial analysis, management reporting, process improvement, or finance transformation projects. These experiences often align more closely with the competencies required for future controlling positions.

This highlights an important point: the content of the assignments matters more than the name of the employer.

The preference many clients show for audit profiles is understandable. Audit provides a broad financial foundation and develops a strong understanding of processes, controls, and reporting.

At the same time, consulting can be an excellent pathway toward controlling, provided that professionals gain exposure beyond traditional accounting and reporting activities.

Ultimately, the discussion should not be about audit versus consulting. For finance professionals aspiring to move into controlling, the real question is whether they are building the skills, business understanding, and analytical capabilities required for the role they want tomorrow.