How to Become a CFO
Not everyone wants to be stuck at the bottom of the totem pole forever. Some people have the drive to succeed and get as far as they can with their careers. For people in finance, one of those positions is the one of CFO.
If you plan to become a CFO in the future, it pays to know what’s involved in the process. Keep reading to learn how to become a chief financial officer.
Find the Right Education
It isn’t always enough to have a financial background when you offer CFO services. A CFO is a step above regular financial advisors. They help manage a large company’s finances and will take charge of every situation.
That’s why getting the proper education is essential for becoming a CFO. A large majority of CFOs have MBAs, so that’s a great place to start.
Get a Lot of Experience
The role of CFO won’t be your first stop out of college. You may have the theoretical knowledge needed to maintain a company’s finances. However, it’s another thing to put that knowledge into practice.
Look for financial roles that will expose you to many financing tasks. You want to get as much knowledge as possible from your jobs to show that you can manage any situation.
Check out this article to learn more about what a CFO does so you know what things to look for in jobs.
Learn How to Lead
The job of a CFO is much more than crunching numbers. It’s your job to lead the financial team of your organization. You can’t do this if you have no people skills and can’t lead a team.
Look for chances to take leadership roles in your current organization. These roles will help you build up your leadership skills to the point where you can take on the role of a CFO.
Choose a Specific Industry
While you can apply much of the financial knowledge you have across different industries, there are still some things each industry has that differ from the rest. If you spend your time working in various industries, it’s hard to learn everything there is to know about one.
When you work as a CFO, you’re expected to know those things. Try to specialize in one industry in your financial career to make yourself more appealing to those companies.
Learn How to Network
Not all CFO positions get posted on a job board. People looking for leaders that are CFO material won’t always look at everyone that throws a resume their way. To find the people they need, they turn to their friends and colleagues for advice.
That’s where having a broad network helps. When you’re well-known in the business community, your name will come up in conversations. The more people see you as an expert, the better chance of someone reaching out to you for a CFO role.
Now You Know How to Become a CFO
You can’t just decide to become a CFO and go out to find a job that gives you what you want. It takes a lot of work on your part to make yourself appealing on the job market for this role. Keep the guide above in mind so finding a job as a CFO becomes easier.
Are you looking for more career advice? Head back to the blog to learn more about moving forward in your career.
