Khadija Qidwai

Employer: National Audit Office

Qualifications: BSc international relations, London School of Economics; ACA qualified

I joined my employer because I was interested in politics and I wanted to gain an insight into government. I also wanted to be able to work and study for a professional qualification at the same time.

Learning about new ideas

I have worked with a wide variety of clients, including defence organisations, museums, galleries and international organisations. This variety of work means I am always learning about new ideas and issues. One of the things I like about financial audit is that we gain an insight into the ways our clients operate, so we can recommend improvements to their internal controls. We are also able to provide advice and insight into better ways of working and improving statutory reporting.

I’ve also worked on the audits of some of our international clients, including the International Labour Organisation and the Pan American Health Organization. This has allowed me to travel to some amazing places, including Nigeria and Cuba, and to meet clients who are working to save people’s lives – by preventing child labour trafficking and improving basic sanitation, for example. Auditing these organisations is rewarding as we ensure that the funds are used for the right purposes.

Managing audits

I was recently promoted to audit manager and took on the responsibility for eight audits within the Department for Culture, Media & Sport. These included audits of the V&A and the National Maritime Museum. I have learned a lot about the work of these clients – from preserving their collections to educating children about culture and science in innovative ways.

We’ve developed strong working relationships with all our clients and made progress in improving the efficiency of their operations. Being responsible for eight clients and audit teams, and the issues and challenges that go with them, means that I’m always busy and there’s always something going on. I really enjoy the interaction I have with clients and colleagues, in particular coaching and managing staff and discussing ideas.