Most Important Skills For A Senior Manager FP&A At The Bouqs Company
Alice, a Senior Manager, FP&A at The Bouqs Company, emphasizes that strong technical skills like Excel, Power BI, and SQL are crucial for success in FP&A, with Excel being the most important and easily self-taught; Furthermore, Alice notes that being able to "communicate those numbers" effectively is equally important, suggesting programs such as Toastmasters to improve one's presentation skills and ability to present data in an accessible manner.
Financial Analysis, Technical Skills, Data Manipulation, Communication Skills, Professional Development
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Alice Choi
Senior Manager, FP&A
The Bouqs Company
Occidental College
UCLA Anderson MBA
Economics
Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG)
Finance
Honors Student, Immigrant
Video Highlights
1. Excel proficiency is essential and can be self-taught through online resources like YouTube tutorials with downloadable worksheets.
2. Learning data manipulation tools like Power BI and SQL can significantly differentiate you in the finance field, enabling independent data extraction and analysis.
3. Strong communication skills are crucial for effectively presenting financial data to non-financial audiences; consider resources like Toastmasters to improve presentation abilities.
Transcript
What skills are most important for a job like yours?
I think number one, by far, is learning Excel. That's something you can learn without even being on the job. If you're looking to get into finance, absolutely learn Excel.
Go on YouTube and watch the top YouTubers. They're all amazing, honestly, so you can't go wrong. Just don't only watch; actually follow through with the examples. They usually have Excel worksheets you can download and follow along with. So that's number one for sure.
The other one I would advise learning is Power BI, though I don't personally know it. I think it's a great tool. It's essentially using Excel, but it's like an advanced version of that. This skillset can also make you shine and differentiate you from other people within finance.
Another one is SQL. Not everyone knows this, but it's another skill that will differentiate you. SQL is a code language you learn to pull, extract, and manipulate data.
If you don't know SQL, you usually have to rely on a data team to pull that data for you. Sometimes they don't have time to fulfill your request within a reasonable timeframe. So learning that code, even at the most basic level of just being able to extract data, is crucial. This way, you can get your work done without waiting for someone else.
Lastly, communication. This is a soft skill and absolutely important. Our job isn't just to do reporting or modeling. Being able to communicate those numbers is equally important.
That one will take practice for sure. What I did, for example, was Toastmasters, which taught me how to present those numbers in a more digestible manner for people who are not as deep into finance.