Hi, I am a Finance IT Business Analyst in a Big Manufacturing company and have over 9 years of IT Experience delivering solutions for Finance processes related to services offered by my company. I have no formal Finance
MBA concentration choice?
Answers
Hi Ravi,
To get into Finance you will need experience in that functional area. Systems knowledge is important in finance - but it is not enough to be on a CFO track. A few thoughts:
1) One possible entry point into Finance would be on the FP&A side - a position that combines financial reporting knowledge with budgeting and data analysis. You could look at
2) Executive level roles are not guaranteed - and can be a high
3) Another way to look at your career goals would be to look at your passion (deliver solutions to customers and business units who need to save costs and manage ..) and ask what career path would best leverage the value created by your results. You may find that IT or
Bob Scarborough
www.tensoft.com
Well said Bob. Follow your heart and your passion and you can't go wrong.
Ravindra,
Before jumping into finance, I would recommend that you sit down with several people (both outside and inside your firm) who are in financial roles from senior analyst through finance exec (VP, CFO, etc.) in different industries.
Split up the discussions into different areas
- Culture of finance
- What does 'day-to-day' look like
- Involvement in business
- Career path
This investment in time will give you a better sense of whether or not a role in finance and/or a given industry will appeal to you and if so, where would you best fit within finance.
I would encourage you talk with 15 people at a minimum - there is such a wide variance of how finance operates within companies - that a smaller number may not give you a full sense.
Also, ask more questions on Proformative.com about how people got their roles - key skills, etc.
Hope this gives you some ideas to work on.
Regards,
Mark
Hi Ravinda,
If your ultimate goal is to be a CFO, it would be difficult to be competitive without a
A less stringent path would be to do the MBA with a finance / accounting concentration. This would position you well for the VP of IT Finance, would be quicker, but falls short of the CFO scenario. You might also find that your competition for the VP spot includes CPA's with significant IT experience.
Increased specialization and competition in the business arena dictates life-long learning activities. Good luck in your pursuits.
David
Ravindra, there are some great recommendations above, but one thing I would ask, is why CFO? I know many companies are looking for their CFO to wear the hat of a CIO, but they are two very different roles and responsibilities. Sometimes it makes sense for them to be the same person, but I think companies are finding that may be an exception more than a rule. CFO's focus needs to be on the financial health of the company, while the CIO's focus should be on the technical infrastructure. Both are extremely important, and extremely time consuming to manage individually. Managing them together is no small task, even for a smaller firm.
Why do you want the "C" designation? There are lots of good reasons to want to aspire to that level, but don't let the title get in the way of enjoying your role and growing.
There is a great demand for professionals with IT and Finance skill sets combined. While there isn't a traditional "C" level job for these professionals, that doesn't mean you can't grow into a senior management role that is both highly valued, and highly compensated with that skill set.
I don't want to point you away from that goal, but it will be a difficult transition. As David points out, there are some major barriers of entry into accounting/finance that most companies don't weigh lightly. You will struggle to get your resume even read without formal accounting training, and at least a decade of hands on experience.
Not having a CPA is going to be a deal breaker for many firms (maybe most). There are several threads talking about this and whether it is a valid measure or not, but right, wrong, or indifferent, it is a standard in the market. Even for the companies that don't require it, you will be fighting an uphill battle against your peers who have the designation.