Getting to Director, Back to Old Jobs, and Being Very Smart Rise Above The Numbers

"Rise Above The Numbers" by FP&HEY
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.
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—help 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 that 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 👊
Resources
▪️ Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fpandhey
▪️ Email us your burning FP&A questions at info [at] fpandhey.com
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