Internal auditing is an independent, objective assurance and consulting activity designed to add value and improve an organization's operations. Internal auditors protect the management and the audit committee members against potential pitfalls. Moreover, they support organizational performance and provide guidance when a new measure is adopted by the organization. Thus, internal auditors play a critical role in any entity, be it public or private. In fulfilling this role, these practitioners must display certain characteristics such as thorough knowledge of professional standards, analytical thinking, communication skills, and integrity. The paper describes in detail the main set of traits that an internal auditor should have when applying for a job in this field. Based on the job postings published on the best known recruiting portals in Romania, we performed a data analysis in order to extract a set of relevant characteristics and to define an index score for the profile of the internal auditor. The resulting index score can be used by employers as a useful instrument to assess potential or actual members of the internal audit function. Additionally, it can be employed for self-assessment by the candidates for a position as internal auditors department. Lastly, our research provides a picture of what exactly are the current requirements on the job market in Romania with respect to this specific and very important category of professionalsthe internal auditors.