Inquisitive, outgoing and active are not necessarily the first words that might spring to mind when the word auditor comes up but three of Bermuda's up-and-coming internal auditors swear that is what the job requires.

On the heels of a visit from the global Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) chairman Gerald Cox, where he met with corporate representatives, internal auditors and Government, the local chapter of IIA has renewed its call for Bermudians to become involved in the growing profession.

Patricia Hrubos of the Bank of Bermuda and Shana Hayward and Oranthus Turner of Butterfield Bank are already working within the internal auditing offices of their companies and in the midst of obtaining their Chartered Internal Auditor credentials.

They are in charge of measuring their companies' compliance with policies and procedures already in place and advise management on how to better execute their responsibilities. The scope of their work is often much wider than external auditors and they investigate a number of non-financial areas within their companies.

The young Bermudians said the biggest problem with internal auditing was the negative connotation it has.

Ms Hrubos, who obtained a Bachelor's in Sociology before she entered the world of internal auditing two years ago, said: "We're not the internal police, and we don't want to get people fired! And we're not number crunchers, I don't even like math. And we don't sit behind our desk all day. We are constantly out there, talking with people and finding out what is working within the company. We are trying to make the company better, we're not the bad guys."

Ms Hayward agreed that she too did not set out to become an auditor, she obtained a Bachelor's in Sociology and Anthropology. As part of the Butterfield Bank management training programme she completed three months within the internal audit department and decided she liked what she saw.

"I wanted to end up in a department where I could do something that would help the bank better itself," she said. "I also liked the diversity of tasks I was given. Not one day is the same, I am always working in a different department within the bank.

"What I didn't expect, and what I find quite remarkable, is the exposure. My reports go right to the top. I've only been at the bank a year-and-a-half and yet I've been in the elevator with the CEO and he has turned to me and said he enjoyed reading my report. That is rare for someone in their early 20s, for the CEO to be reading their work."

Mr. Turner, who obtained a Bachelors in Mathematics, worked at Whitney Institute before joining Butterfield Bank's commercial deposit administration office but after an internal audit was done on his department he became interested in the profession and asked to be transferred. He has been in the internal audit department for six months.

"I really enjoy it," he said. "I think internal auditors add value to a company. We look at policies and procedures and recommend ways to improve them. It has been interesting hearing from the head of IIA that auditing is a growing profession world-wide.

"Here in Bermuda I can already see the advantages. I am going into a variety of departments and learning what controls are in place and what the department should be producing. In terms of moving into management roles in the future this will be advantageous."

President of the Bermuda chapter of Institute of Internal Auditors Owen Martin, who is vice-president of Butterfield Bank's group internal audit, said the group wants to encourage Bermudians to enter the field, as there is growing demand for qualified people. It takes approximately two years to train as an internal auditor and the only requirement is a university degree. There are also scholarships available to help cover the costs of training to be an internal auditor.

Anyone interested in finding out more about the profession should visit the Bermuda chapter's website which can be found at www.theiia.org or contact Mr. Martin at owenmartin@bntb.bm