5 signs FP&A is the right career for you.
Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) isn’t for everyone. It’s not just about spreadsheets or models — it’s about curiosity, clarity, and questioning everything you see.
Some people fall into FP&A. Others were made for it.
Here are five signs you’re in the right place — or that it might be the career path you’ve been looking for.
1. Headlines Don’t Impress You
Someone says, “Sales are up!” and your first thought is: Against what?
You instinctively want to know the baseline, the seasonality, the underlying trend. Numbers without context feel like noise — and you’re not interested in noise. You're here for the story behind the shift.
2. You’re the Quiet Analyst Keeping Things Honest
While others celebrate hitting targets, you’re already adjusting for FX movement, one-offs, or timing quirks.
You’re not trying to be a buzzkill — you just want the data to reflect reality. You're not loud about it, but when your numbers speak, they’re clean, considered, and credible.
3. You Obsess Over the ‘Why’
Top-line revenue grew? That’s not enough. You need to know which segment, what channel, what changed.
You dig into drivers, dissect pipelines, and challenge assumptions. The “what” is surface-level. You’re here to interrogate the “why.”
4. You Trust Your Gut — Especially When It’s 0.2% Off
There’s something oddly satisfying about a perfect reconciliation. You’ve caught errors because something just didn’t feel right.
It’s not perfectionism — it’s instinct. FP&A professionals know when things don’t add up. And they don’t stop until they do.
5. You Bring Order to Chaos
Give you a 15-tab model, an unstructured business update, or a data dump — and you’ll return with three clear points that actually matter.
You simplify complexity. You bring clarity when others are overwhelmed. That’s your edge.
If any of this sounds like you, you don’t just work in FP&A — you think like FP&A.
You challenge, explain, simplify, and question — and that’s exactly what makes you valuable.
Looking to take the next step in your FP&A career? Get in touch — I specialise in placing high-potential finance talent with growing businesses.