Carl Seidman, CSP, CPA’s Post

You can work in consultative FP&A even if you’ve never been formally employed in FP&A. Expertise and ability mean a lot in this field. They're usually more important than formal titles. The easiest way to showcase expertise and ability has less to do with where you worked (ie. the ex- in taglines and resumes) and far more about highlighting: What you did there. Why it mattered. What you can do next. We meet plenty of people with lots of experience who are unable to deliver. And we meet plenty of people who are immensely talented with little experience. Don’t confuse experience with expertise. Formal titles and tenure on a resume mean little if they don’t translate to ability.

Struggling to get into FP&A in a different industry? We understand the struggles. 🙏 Without industry experience, it can make finding new opportunities that much harder. But guess what - it’s possible and achievable Here are 𝟯 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 you can do this: 1️⃣ Break the ice in the interview to relate to your interviewer 2️⃣ Use your interviewer’s pain point to elevate your credentials 3️⃣ Connecting what you know to solve THEIR problem By doing these 3 things, you will show you’ve done your homework. This will significantly boost your credibility and increase your chances of landing that job. 👊 For more info, check the comments for our article (with audio) with a real example. Have other tricks you’ve used to land an FP&A role in a different industry? Share below and let’s learn together! #fpandhey #fpanda #careers

One of the most underrated resources to learn how to multi-thread & negotiate: Your own finance team. That’s right, sales tactics from undercover sellers. Some of the best multi-threaders & negotiators you don’t know about are sitting right inside your own company in the form of your FP&A (financial planning & analysis) leader. If you don’t have an FP&A person (in title) at your company, it could be your VP of Finance or even your CFO. Here are 3 reasons why: 1 // Collaborating on the corporate budget & forecast is their bread & butter: Finance has to work closely with every department to aggregate assumptions to build a forecast. They navigate through different teams and their expectations, and they have to know the impacts one team or department may have on another.  The biggest unlock here:    Learning the language of business across an organization:    Sales, Marketing, Ops, Support, Service, Engineering, Product, etc.  2 // They are constantly negotiating with Heads of Business units: They bridge gaps between Sales, Marketing, Operations, and more to align on financial projections.  These negotiations often involve aligning conflicting interests - what do we spend our finite budget on? Hiring another SDR?  A new sales-tech platform? Exhibiting at major industry event?  Hiring a front-end engineer?  Awesome swag? 3 // Scenario Planning: FP&A leaders are experts in scenario planning, assessing various outcomes and their financial impacts. Think → Worst Case - Base Case - Best Case types of scenarios.  Want to learn how to position a range of outcomes to your prospective buyer?   Your finance leaders are likely doing this internally every week.  // The Takeaway // Want to learn how to read a P&L?   How to manage multiple stakeholders? How to negotiate between multiple parties better?  Spend a day with your finance leader.  They’ve been quietly mastering these skills, and there's a wealth of knowledge waiting to be tapped into. What other #finance skills did I miss here? #sales

One of the best decisions I made in 2023 was joining Pigment & couldn't be more excited about our 2024 growth trajectory. We're hiring for roles in sales, marketing, partnerships, customer success, professional services & more in North America & Europe. If you're an FP&A / SPM / S&OP / accounting & finance / data SaaS professional, or are a CPA wondering what life outside accounting looks like, then look no further. Link is in the comments 👇

If you are in search of an accomplished VP Finance or Director of Finance, please feel free to contact me. I can connect you with the perfect candidate. His background includes a tenure as a Director of Finance at a startup, where he played a pivotal role in its growth from 80 to 450 employees, leading successful financing rounds and managing an annual recurring revenue (ARR) exceeding $30 million. Context on the picture- When I asked #BARD to what he thinks are Images for Improved LinkedIn Visibility, he said: "Since your text focuses on connecting your audience with a top-tier finance candidate, consider these image options, tailoring your choice to the specific tone and brand you want to project: Metaphorical Illustration: A stylized rocket ship blasting off into space, amidst stars and flames, symbolizes the candidate's ability to propel a company's growth and reach new heights. This option adds a touch of creativity and excitement."

Endless opportunities... 1. Focus on becoming an expert in a subject (coding, finance, audit, etc.) 2. Specialize further within that subject (go more niche) 3. Voice your expertise to the right people (hiring managers)

Ever wondered why some FP&A pros climb the ladder faster? 🤔 It's not just about crunching numbers. 📊 Discover the key differences... - Fast-track FP&A pros: Regularly showcase their strategic insights. 💡 - Slower career progress: Focus mainly on routine reporting. 📑 - Fast-track FP&A pros: Actively seek cross-departmental collaborations. 🤝 - Slower career progress: Stick to their departmental silos. 🏢 - Fast-track FP&A pros: Continuously enhance their communication skills. 🗣️ - Slower career progress: Rarely venture beyond financial jargon. 💬 So, remember… Your expertise is valuable, but it's your approach that propels your career. ✨ Are you aligning your skills with the broader business goals? 🎯 What's your strategy for career advancement? 🚀 Share your thoughts below! 💭 #fpna #finance #allaboutfpna

Many startups are thinking about financial planning for 2024. Given that, sharing this video series we did with Kimberly Alexy, CFA. She's an incredible finance leader with deep board experience from Netskope, Alteryx, Mandiant (now part of Google Cloud), Five9, Western Digital and others. First short video clip below is her advice on "Hiring the Right Finance Leader." TLDR: * CEOs need think critically about what they actually need in a partner. What complements them and the team and addresses the needs of their company now and over the next several years. Risks include hires that solve a problem today but don't scale with growth or who need much more scale than you have today to be effective near term. * Solving for what you need should be tied to an understanding that finance leaders usually come up through certain tracks. Typical tracks are the controller track, the FP&A track and increasingly the investment banker track. Generalizing, based on the track they come up from you can get a sense if their power curve will be nuts and bolts operations and driving efficiency, planning and forecasting, strategy, fundraising and managing investors, etc. * Don't underestimate the importance of culture fit when hiring a finance leader. Founders often understand this when hiring other functions like head of eng, product, sales or marketing. But understand your head of finance is just as important and culture fit can't be glossed over. * Understand how to recruit the best finance leaders by understanding what they're looking for to advance their career. As an example, finance leaders want to know that their specific skill set can have a meaningful impact given the needs of your business. Help them understand how those two things map together. cc: Kimberly Alexy, CFA, Sue Barsamian, Barmak Meftah, Roger Thornton, Ted Schlein, Kevin Mandia, Agnes So, Michelle L. Kincaid, Ballistic Ventures, #CFO #cybersecurity #startups https://lnkd.in/gF7viWJp

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When’s the right time to hire a VP of Finance for your startup? Don't wait until after Series B. If you've got a steady stream of revenue, especially after Series A, start looking. Why? One huge reason is because you need quick access to accurate financials and metrics like churn. I can’t tell you how many companies I’ve witnessed struggling or even failing because the CEO wasn't on top of their cash flow or didn't see a big expense coming. A good VP of Finance keeps a constant eye on your cash situation, forecasts realistic projections, and makes sure you're never caught off guard. And most importantly — a good VP Finance does more than keep order - they free up the CEO to focus on growing the business. If they’re really good, they’re also a strategic partner, offering key insights on decisions like launching new products or entering new markets. When you’re starting out, most startups can start with a controller with a strong accounting foundation. But a VP of Finance with an FP&A background can also be a strategic first hire, offering immediate value with more high-level insight than accountants can offer. Thinking about hiring your first CFO but facing some challenges? Send me a DM with your question or check out our website for more resources.