Q&A on My Day Job

As you’ve probably gathered from my outfits of the day that I share on Instagram, I still work a full time job. It seems like there’s a lot of interest in what I do! Here are the most commonly asked questions!

Before I jump in, I wanted to share a few more blog posts about my career. There is also a career section in my menu at the top of the page! I will be writing more and more about my career – especially career advice – in the near future so check back for more. Here are a few posts that might be helpful!

Why I won’t quit my day job
5 types of bosses and how to deal with them
How to deal with toxic coworkers
8 tips on how to make a career change
7 tips for finding a new job

If you have any other topics you want me to write about, comment below! I’m always looking for more ideas that you want to read!

What do you do?

I think this is the most asked question because it’s rare to find a blogger in finance or more technical industries. That makes sense because the skillset doesn’t overlap much – they are completely different! My day job is in FP&A (financial planning and analysis). I like it because it allows me to think strategically and have a solid understanding of the business side of things yet I still have structure.

What does that mean? I think the easiest way to explain is to tell you what it’s not first. It’s not investment banking, I don’t work at a bank, and I’m not a financial adviser. My responsibilities span financial planning, accounting, financial systems, operations, and ad hoc reporting. I’ve always had a mixed role that isn’t strictly what stereotypical finance is. I’ve made it that way. I’ve been transparent with every one of my bosses in saying that I want to do more, understand the business as a whole, and work on strategy.

If you want to know the details, feel free to look at my LinkedIn profile. You’ll see everything I’ve done for my past roles (I usually don’t fill in my current role until I’m job hunting)!

What is your job title?

I’m the Director of Client Finance for a media agency that specializes in digital media. I currently have a team of 5.

How long have you been in finance?

I’ve worked in finance since my second job so about 7 years.

What is your college degree in?

Mechanical engineering. I thought I wanted to design cars so I also have a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering Design.

How did you decide to get into finance?

I didn’t. Finance kind of chose me! When I first graduated college, it was an extremely tough economy. The only companies that were hiring were consulting companies. Luckily, consulting companies loved engineers so I had quite a few options to pick from. A year and a half into my first consulting job, I decided that I wanted a little more time for myself. I had been working 80+ hour weeks at our office which was 45 minutes away from my home on a good day (2 hours on a bad day in LA traffic). So, I started my job hunt and ultimately was hired as a Data Analyst for a video game company but I reported to the CFO. After realizing I was capable of doing more than just data analytics, they slowly started to teach me almost everything I know about finance! Numbers and math have always come easier to me than words so finance was a good fit.

How do you manage your time?

Working 2 jobs isn’t for the faint of heart. My day job is very time consuming (that’s why I’m absent on Instagram Stories most days) and blogging is too! However, I did write about 7 things that have helped me with a work life balance.

I think that answers all of the questions I’ve gotten! What else do you want to know?