What 100 FP&A Episodes Taught Me About Career Growth, Failure, and the Future of Finance

In this special solo episode of FP&A Unlocked, Paul Barnhurst celebrates reaching 100 episodes of the podcast while also reflecting on his broader journey of hosting over 200 FP&A episodes across multiple shows. He shares lessons from his experience in FP&A, career growth, and learning AI, along with what actually matters in the field today. He also shares his thoughts on AI and how it’s changing finance workflows, explaining why building repeatable processes matters more than just prompting. He also previews upcoming conversations with professionals already using AI in their day-to-day work.

Expect to Learn:

• What helps FP&A professionals grow beyond technical skills
• Why career paths are rarely linear
• How to approach networking in a more effective way
• Why AI is more about processes than prompts
• How AI can help save time in finance roles

Here are a few relevant quotes from the episode:

• “AI is a magnifier. If you don't know what you're doing, it will magnify that.” - Paul Barnhurst
• “Technical skills get you your first job, the soft skills get you promoted.” - Paul Barnhurst

Paul explains that FP&A is not just about reports and models. It’s about understanding the business and working with people. AI can help speed up tasks, but it doesn’t replace core skills like financial modeling, data understanding, and communication. If anything, those skills matter more now.

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Earn Your CPE Credit

For CPE credit, please go to earmarkcpe.com, listen to the episode, download the app, answer a few questions, and earn your CPE certification. To earn education credits for the FPAC Certificate, take the quiz on earmark and contact Paul Barnhurst for further details.

In Today’s Episode

[00:00] – Trailer

[01:41] – 100 Episodes Milestone

[02:36] – What Makes FP&A Professionals Stand Out

[03:38] – Career Growth Is Not a Ladder

[04:25] – Early Career Struggles After Graduation

[05:47] – How to Approach Networking the Right Way

[06:37] – Turning Down Offers & Career Decisions

[07:28] – Moving into FP&A & Career Shift

[09:08] – Learning AI & Current Challenges

[10:06] – AI Skills, Courses & Future Focus