FINANCE CAREER TIPS
FP&A / CONTROLLING
FINANCIAL PLANNING &
ANALYSIS MANAGER
Manages FP&A Team and report
to management
FP&A ANALYST
Analyzes financial data to support
business decisions
REPORTING ANALYST
Develops and produces reports
on a company's performance.
FINANCIAL REPORTING
MANAGER
Manages a company's
financial reporting process
BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE
ANALYST
Analyzes data and
Manages a company's tax
develops insights to
support business decisions
DATA ANALYST
Collects, cleans, and analyzes
data to support business
decisions.
COMMERCIAL
CONTROLLER
Analyzes and manages a
company's sales and marketing
activities
PROJECT CONTROLLER
Analyzes and manages the
financial aspects of a project
COST ESTIMATOR
Calculates the cost of producing a
product or service
RISK MANAGEMENT &
COMPLIANCE
INTERNAL AUDITOR
Ensures a company's financial
and operational processes are
efficient and effective
FINANCIAL COMPLIANCE
OFFICER
Ensures a company complies
with financial regulations
RISK MANAGER
Identifies and mitigates
potential financial risks for
organizations
INTERNAL CONTROL
MANAGER
Ensures a company's
compliance with internal
control procedures
ACTUARY
Analyzes financial risk using
statistics and modeling
techniques
CREDIT ANALYST
Evaluates creditworthiness of
clients or companies
INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT
MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS
(M&A) ANALYST
Analyzes potential acquisitions or
mergers for a company
INVESTOR RELATIONS
MANAGER
Communicates with investors &
analysts about a company's
financial performance
PORTFOLIO MANAGER
Manages a portfolio of
investments for an organization
FINANCIAL ANALYST
Analyses securities and provides
reporting
FINANCE ORGANIZATION CHART
TREASURER
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: KEY SKILLS:
Responsible for managing Risk Management
the organization’s cash, Strategic Thinking
foreign exchange risk, Banking and Financing
Negotiation
financing, and investments knowledge
CONTROLLER
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Directing and coordinating all
accounting operational
functions.
ACCOUNTING
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: KEY SKILLS: KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: KEY SKILLS:
Financial closing, Accounting Prepare tax provisions, Tax skills
accounts payables & knowledge returns & reports, find Written
receivables, Accounting solutions to complex tax communication
reconciliation software issues
Regulatory
Communication management
TOP 20 FINANCE & ACCOUNTING CERTIFICATIONS
FINANCE CERTIFICATIONS
1 CFA® CHARTERED FINANCIAL ANALYST
2 CFP™ CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER
3 CAIA® CHARTERED ALTERNATIVE
INVESTMENT ANALYST
ChFC®
4 CHARTERED FINANCIAL
CONSULTANT
5 FMVA® FINANCIAL MODELING &
VALUATION ANALYST
6 CMT CHARTERED MARKET TECHNICIAN
7 FRM® FINANCIAL RISK MANAGER
8 CFS CERTIFIED FUND SPECIALIST
9 FPAC™ CERTIFIED CORPORATE FP&A
PROFESSIONAL
10 AFM ADVANCED FINANCIAL MODELER
QUALITIES OF A GREAT FINANCE PRO
SOFT 1 BUSINESS
ACUMEN
SKILLS
Understand business
context for informed
decisions.
FINANCIAL
TECHNICAL 6 ANALYSIS
SKILLS
Evaluate financial
data for decision-
making.
MOVE TO FP&A IN 8 STEPS
Relationships
Get closer to the FP&A team
(coffee, lunch,etc)
Open-up Conversations
Ask them to explain you what
they do and what they are
working on
10 CV TIPS
Keep your CV concise and to-the-
point, highlighting your relevant
experience and skills specific to
finance and the role you target.
1 6
Use a professional and modern
template to showcase your
2
personal brand.
Tailor your CV to the specific job
you're applying for, highlighting
relevant accomplishments and
3 experience.
Focus on accomplishments
rather than just listing your job
duties.
4 9
Include any relevant
certifications or professional
5 memberships.
Follow Nicolas Boucher on LinkedIn
by Nicolas Boucher
FINANCE & ACCOUNTING
CHIEF CHIEF FINANCIAL
OFFICER (CFO)
FINANCIAL OFFICER
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: KEY SKILLS: M&A Developing & implementing
financial strategies & policies,
Direct and oversee the Communication
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: KEY SKILLS: overseeing financial functions,
financial activities of the Decision-making identify and execute Financial modelling
company Management strategic acquisitions and analysis
FINANCIAL CONTROLLER
Project management
Oversees accounting and financial
Organisation skills reporting for a company.
FP&A
KEY SKILLS: KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: KEY SKILLS:
Technical Knowledge Manages financial analysis, Budgeting TREASURER
Proficient in Financial Software budgeting, and forecasting activities. Forecasting
Manages a company's cash flow
Internal Controls Financial Analysis and investments
TAX BUSINESS PARTNERING BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE ACCOUNTANT
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: KEY SKILLS: KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: KEY SKILLS: Prepares and maintains financial
Relationship with Business Gather, analyze, compile Data analytics
records for individuals and
operational departments. acumen and structure data. BI Software
organizations
Manage and prioritize Organization Manage BI software, Visualization
Compliance demand Influence dashboards and reports Demand TAX MANAGER
compliance and strategy
INTERVIEW
QUESTIONS
PAYROLL SPECIALIST
Calculates and processes
employee payroll
ACCOUNTING CERTIFICATIONS SOFT SKILLS ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE
ACCOUNTANT
What steps do you take to ensure everyone
1 CA/ACA CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT
ASSOCIATE CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT is on the same page when it comes to
financial planning and analysis?
Processes incoming
payments from customers
2 CPA CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT
How do you build trust with the
management team to ensure accurate ACCOUNTS PAYABLE
3 ACCA CHARTERED CERTIFIED
ACCOUNTANT financial reporting?
ACCOUNTANT
FCMA EXCEL SKILLS
FELLOW CHARTERED MANAGEMENT
4 ACCOUNTANT Process invoices and deals
with suppliers
5 CIA® CERTIFIED INTERNAL AUDITOR
What experience do you have using Excel
for financial analysis?How do you use Excel
6 CMA® CERTIFIED MANAGEMENT
ACCOUNTANT to build financial models? INVENTORY
ACCOUNTANT
7 CTP® CERTIFIED TREASURY
PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNTING SKILLS Manages a company's inventory
and cost of goods sold
8 CFE CERTIFIED FRAUD EXAMINER
What is your understanding of
9 CGMA® CHARTERED GLOBAL MANAGEMENT
ACCOUNTANT®
financial statements?
AUDIT TO FP&A
10 ACMA ASSOCIATE CHARTERED
MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTANT
What are the different methods of
accounting (e.g. cash-basis, accrual basis)?
TRANSFERRABLE SKILLS
Strong accounting knowledge
Structured, efficient and goal
2 FINANCE
BUSINESS PARTNERING
STORY
3 TELLING 4 COMMUNICATION 5 INFLUENCING
oriented
Work under pressure
Collaborate to drive Communicate complex Clear and effective Persuasion skills for Communication skills
business results. financial information in communication for driving change and
simple terms. business success. achieving goals. Ability to adapt to different
stakeholders and business
BUDGETING & COST ACCOUNTING
7 FORECASTING 8 ACCOUNTING 9 PRINCIPLES 10 IT LITERACY situations
Plan financials to Assign costs using the Understand and applyl Manage financial
reach the company's
objectives.
most relevant method
to track profitability.
accounting practices and
standards.
systems and leverage
technology. WHAT YOU NEED TO LEARN
Deeper understanding of
profitability, price sensitivity,
cost accounting
Learn the key KPIs
Get the most out of the ERP
and reporting tools to deliver
efficient & valuable
Spend Quality Time Offer your help Get support reporting/analysis
As soon as there is a capacity Get the support of the FP&A Budgeting, forecasting,
Spend one day or 2x half day
shadowing FP&A team problem in the FP&A team manager to apply officially to modeling
offer your help to take over the position and increase your How to improve processes to
members
some tasks chances of success!
be more efficient as a finance
function
Use your specialization Be Available GET NOMINATED!
When somebody leaves the FP&A
Offer your help on topics you
Get nominated in the
DIFFERENT FP&A FIELDS
are already covering in team, offer directly your help to
accounting cover the tasks of the person who FP&A team!
left
General Financial planning &
analysis
Commercial controlling
Project controlling
10 CAREER ADVICES
Cost controlling
Industrial controlling
Reporting
Build a strong foundation in finance and
CREDITS TO
Keep your CV up-to-date and
regularly review and refresh it.
1 accounting principles
Specialize in a particular area of finance
2
Include a strong summary
statement that showcases 3 Develop strong communication skills
Nicolas
your value and sets you apart
from other candidates.
7 4 Seek out mentors and role models
Boucher
Showcase your technical skills 5 Take on additional responsibilities
and knowledge of industry-
specific software and tools Be detail-oriented and analytical
8 6
7 Network and build relationships
FOLLOW ON
Have a professional review
your CV before submitting it
to potential employers. 8 Stay current
LINKEDIN!
Use action verbs and 9 Be proactive
quantifiable metrics to
showcase your achievements
10 and impact. 10 Be ethical