👋Hey there,
The feelings you have in your FP&A career are shared by many.
How do we know?
We found +25k FP&A professionals asking and answering questions on the FPandA subreddit.
And today we answered 3 questions from this group.
Tune in to this mailbag episode.
Listen on
An FP&A Career is a Long, Winding Road
There is no set path to go from ZERO to FP&A hero.
It requires:
Being humble
Constantly learning
Understanding what you want
And knowing a little accounting and Excel doesn’t hurt either 😉
But when all is said and done.
You can do some interesting things in an FP&A career.
🔥TIP: Here’s why FP&A careers are worth a look.
Show Notes
00:21 - This is a mailbag episode w/ questions from the FPandA subreddit
01:19 - Why aren’t other departments amazing like FP&A❓
02:15 - Numbers don’t sell, market, or make products—they support the biz
03:10 - EVERYONE relies on FP&A—so help them, that will make you great
04:29 - You know you’re good in FP&A when others can speak to numbers
06:29 - How in the world do you get from FP&A Manager to Director❓
07:11 - Thinking separates Directors from Managers—helps w/ strategy
09:21 - Managers manage teams, Directors manage multiple teams
10:40 - Hire good people and ensure they’re working towards common goals
12:54 - Have high agency—take control of your career
13:38 - Should you go back to a company you left for more money❓
14:13 - Write down why you leave jobs—reference those notes in the future
15:34 - Know why you left a job in the first place—did that change?
18:00 - Big finish—keep asking questions, people are willing to help
Why is FP&A Better Than Everyone?
It’s true, FP&A runs circles around people when it comes to numbers.
But guess who runs circles around FP&A in everything else?
EVERYONE.
FP&A people are notoriously bad at:
❌ Marketing
❌ Sales
❌ Product
❌ Operations
It doesn’t mean you can’t learn those functions in your FP&A job.
Challenge yourself to help those other functions speak your language.
Help them translate their daily activities into numbers (aka KPIs and metrics).
Which helps them support your company’s goals and ultimate success.
🔥TIP: Here’s how to help your team set KPIs (and metrics).
How to go from FP&A Manager to Director
Full disclaimer: FP&A job titles are VERY confusing.
We’ve seen CFOs operate like analysts.
And Analysts run places like CFOs.
In general, here’s what Directors do that Managers don’t:
✔️ Support strategy
✔️ Lead multiple teams
✔️ Set KPIs and the surrounding metrics to support them
Think LESS doing stuff in spreadsheets.
And MORE directing people to swim in the same direction.
🔥TIP: Here are all the FP&A job levels and how you can reach them.
Your Old Place Wants You Back
You knew your old place couldn’t live without you.
Let’s face it, having your old company asking (ok sometimes begging) you to come back makes you feel good.
But will returning to that job, even if it means more money, make you feel good for a long time?
Depends.
Know a way to help you make this decision?
Write down why you left the job when you left it.
Reference those notes when they come calling for you again.
How did the situation change?
Only you can decide 🫵
But knowledge is power, and writing stuff down helps memorialize worthwhile knowledge.
Conclusion: Others Have Been There
Ask questions to those who have more experience than you.
They’ve likely walked in your footsteps before.
You don’t need to copy what they did.
Just listen, learn what worked (and didn’t) for them, then decide for yourself.
One thing we do know for certain.
People with the knowledge to share usually like sharing it.
So don’t be afraid to ask 👊
What FP&A career questions do you have?
Tell us, and we may answer it in our next newsletter.
We read and reply to every email.
Now go have fun making an impact on your business and your career!
See you next week 👊
Cheers,
Drew & Yarty
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Disclaimer: This content is not investment advice or financial advice. The views expressed and stories told are our own. We may be investors in the companies discussed. Do your due diligence when considering applying what you learn.
Getting to Director, Back to Old Jobs, and Being Very Smart