As a film school student at Chapman, I didn’t know a ton of people in the business school, but I’m so glad that my friend Kat introduced me to Erica! She has worked her butt off at big 5 firms and now she’s working at lifestyle subscription box company FabFitFun! If you have any questions, reach out to her directly with the contact info at the bottom of the post!
Name: Erica Ho
Age: 25
City: Culver City, CA
Company: FabFitFun
Title: Senior Financial Analyst
Time at Company: 1 year
How did you hear about the position and what was the interview process like?
I found the position on LinkedIn! I was able to negotiate a signing bonus using my previous salary as leverage. Benefits included shares of the company and the signing bonus mentioned above!
What past experience do you think helped you land your current role?
I think having worked previously at different professional services firms was very helpful. My direct manager and his direct manager had both worked at PwC, which is where I had spent some time working in the audit practice.
What tasks does your job entail?
I work on various forecasting activities, which include taking our year-to-date spend and creating a set of assumptions to determine where we, as an organization, will land on our spend as a whole. Additionally, I also help support our month/quarter-end processes to report to our board. My team works cross-functionally with other business leaders on a monthly basis in the organization to track actual spend by month against budgeted operating expenses.
What are the skills needed to be successful at your job?
Basic understanding of accounting and financial concepts and above-average proficiency in Excel! Currently – my goal is to learn how to navigate and build models within Excel without using a mouse and only using keyboard shortcuts.
Who do you directly report to and does anyone report to you?
I directly report to the director of finance.
Do you work from home, office, or hybrid?
I work 3 days in the office and 2 days at home. My hours are pretty predictable, generally around 40 hours a week, and are in line with accounting functions, particularly following reporting timelines.
How many vacation days do you get per year?
I have unlimited! I try to take around 15 days a year.
What do you do to help your work/life balance?
I try to create calendar blocks and manage expectations reasonably by communicating when I expect to finish my tasks and prioritizing based on when our reporting deadlines are.
Have you been promoted at your current company and what do you think factored into your promotion?
At our company, we don’t make a huge emphasis on titles, since we’re all doing so much that’s outside of your normal role. I’ve only been at the company for over a year, but I think the only promotion is taking on more responsibilities. Of course, that comes with a pay increase, but the title stays about the same.
What is your favorite part of your job?
I really love working with and learning from my director and managers. They come from a different background than me (investment banking) and there is much to learn from them!
What has been your proudest moment at your job?
My previous manager left recently and with that, I have really stepped into his role. Having more autonomy and leading meetings with business leaders has been great because it allows more visibility for me into different parts of the business.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ll take away?
A big lesson that I have learned in my current position and in past positions as well is that there is always more to learn.
Any advice for people who want to work at your company or in your general field?
Do a lot of networking and develop a strong set of technical skills.
Have you worked anywhere else in the past?
PwC, EY
If people want to connect with you and learn more, how can they reach you?
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericakmho/
Last Fast 5 with Erica Ho
- Last tv show/movie: Succession
- Last book: currently working on “In Cold Blood” which is the investigative journalism piece about Elizabeth Holmes
- Last concert: Mitchell Tenpenny
- Last restaurant: Sura – Korean restaurant in Long Beach with great shitake mushrooms fries and other vegan options
- Last vacation: Maui, Hawaii!
Thank you for sharing, Erica!
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