Back in March, I wrote a blog post for ISACA Now titled “IT Audit is ‘Boring’? Time to Fix the Perception Problem.” The post seemed to strike a chord; it stirred up a lot of conversation globally and generated more than 9,000 views on LinkedIn. It was a call to action asking university programs, professors, ISACA chapters and practitioners to help solve the problem by finding ways to bring the profession into the spotlight, making it known as an extraordinary career option.
This article is another push. We need more great people in all the mission-critical digital trust disciplines represented by the ISACA community. You–each of you—can help to get the word out. How, you ask?
Stories. Share your stories about work, your passion about what you do, and the value that your work brings to your organizations, your nation, and the broader, interconnected world.
Become an influencer. Speaking to a college/university class or a group of young people attending a business club meeting. Do college outreach through your workplace or professional organization, or volunteer with a youth group. There are vast opportunities for you to make a difference.
The word “influencer” has become associated with brands and social media. But a good storyteller is an influencer. Many of us had a favorite family member or teacher whose stories have been part of shaping our lives.
According to Vanessa Boris, writing for the Harvard Business Review in 2017, stories “build familiarity and trust, and allow the listener to enter the story where they are, making them more open to learning … And stories are more engaging than a dry recitation of data points or a discussion of abstract ideas.”
Gen Z needs us now! As of 2019, Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2016) became the largest global generation, comprising roughly 32 percent of the world’s population, according to Bloomberg. The pandemic has shaken Gen Z. These bright, eager, tech-savvy young people are feeling uncertain about their futures. They are looking for guidance, especially about careers. A key thing about Gen Z is that they prefer to look to influencers when it comes to making decisions, from which shoes to buy to what job to pursue. That’s where you can help—big time.
Many people feel like they don’t have a good story to tell. But I know you do!
To illustrate this, I reached out to my network in the ISACA community for stories to share with you. The prompt was to provide a story that you would tell a group of college or high school students to illustrate how the work you do has impact.
I got some great stories.
Story 1 – Esmail Harunany, IT audit manager
I was working on inventory count. It was the dead of winter, snowing, and we had to travel from town to town. I spoke with the corporate innovation director about this problem. We came up with the solution of smart glasses technology that allows you to see what another person is seeing at a very detailed level. We then brought it up to the CISO and did a trial with the vendor. Then the pandemic hit, and we did the inventory count using smart glasses! Our external auditors liked this innovation so much that they rolled it out to their other clients.
Story 2 – Jack-David Bechthold, IT auditor
When I was 1.5 years out of college working at a Fortune 500 company with 60,000 employees, through my work in audit, the C-suite knew me by name and was pinging me for my help! And then a couple of years later, I was leading a cybersecurity audit, and that gave me more visibility to senior leadership, but the coolest part was being able to effectuate change within a large company. I was 25 years old and having a big impact.
Story 3 – Darnell McClaney, IT audit officer
Earlier in my career, I helped transition the Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) program from audit to the business stakeholders. Part of that was teaching people how to think like an auditor. That process was amazing. When you start working with business management and giving them the insights into risks and controls and what they should be thinking about, it opens their eyes but also earns respect for you as an auditor. A big ‘aha’ moment was when a stakeholder newly in charge of SOX testing said, “I am going to go to the Nth degree and test the full population in all these environments,” just to get comfort in his own environment!
Story 4 – Gopi Shah, senior IT audit manager
I was doing a review some years back on a corporate e-commerce platform to look at how data was being handled in transit. We found a place where security over the data could be tightened. The finding was so well received it was remediated before we could even issue a report! It was a great validation for all the hard work, for the 500 hours spent. The recognition that the finding was so valuable, given what could have gone wrong, was a testament to what Internal Audit brings to the table. That was a catalyst for leaders to come to us, enabling the trusted business partner model, which shattered the audit stigma. Now I am getting phone calls from the CISO asking us for our assistance!
Story 5 – Shiteng Stone Zhou, IT risk and assurance manager / 1st LOD
I was involved in a presentation to the Security Steering Committee, which had multiple C-suite executives. We went over our vulnerability management roadmap and how our program would support the overall risk mitigation objectives of the bank. The leaders all saw how the work we do translates into business value and voiced overwhelming support. Vulnerability management is about knowing what you are leaving open. Things go as smoothly as they do because we do our part. We are not increasing revenue directly, but we are preventing the loss of assets, and at the end of the day, improving the bottom line.
Story 6 – Leila Hempen, IT audit manager
The biggest compliment I ever got at work was at the retirement party for one of the main people I’ve audited. He said that it was the first time he had ever felt that IT audit was his friend; that we supported his team; that we valued their time. And then he said, “I loved developing the automated processes with you.” I helped them whittle down 260 pieces of evidence manually down to about 100. We worked with his department to build scripts and develop the automated process. Now they come to us when they want to do their own monitoring and engage us when they want to do something on their own.
Our stories hold a lot of power. If we inspire just one person, that ripples out to the world. Sit down right now and write down a story that affirmed for you the value of your work. Next, think about where you can share your story. Don’t be shy. You can do this. You don’t have to be a great speechmaker – just be you. It’s your authentic voice that will help Gen Z and others see you, see your work, and perhaps even follow in your footsteps.
Bonus points: Beyond the potential to make the world a better place, the ability to share stories about your work is a leadership skill that will propel your career, too! There’s a great book by Kindra Hall (Amazon - 4.5 stars, around 1,300 ratings!) that provides more how-to’s and inspiration: Stories that Stick: How Storytelling Can Captivate Customers, Influence Audiences, and Transform your Business.
Finally, a huge thanks to Esmail, JD, Darnell, Gopi, Stone, and Leila for sharing your stories with us! Of the many remarkable things about the ISACA community, the generosity around sharing guidance and inspiration with others is a superpower!
Editor’s note: Do you have an inspiring career story to share? Send it to communicationsteam@isaca.org with the subject line Career Story, and you may be featured in an upcoming ISACA social media post, blog post or article.