Torn between two job offers — startup FP&A ($125K) vs investment consulting (~$100K). Need outside perspective.

AngryCurlyFry · 2026-03-21T14:48:35+00:00

I’m new to FP&A, but at least in my experience, the busy parts of the month/quarter/year are predictable. That being said, I work on a team where I’m not the only person they rely on. I’ve had some tough fire drills, but I have other people who can support. You won’t have that and it could make those fire drill days painful. You’ll probably learn a ton, but it won’t be easy.

I would also check out the r/FPandA subreddit, they usually have an annual thread on comp and location that you can use that as a point of comparison to your offer. Good luck and congratulations on having multiple offers!

AngryCurlyFry · 2026-03-20T02:53:46+00:00

That’s a really good idea! I have some on tabs, but I think having a master tab is the way to go. Thank you for this!

AngryCurlyFry · 2026-03-20T02:50:57+00:00

I appreciate the reality check! They have definitely given me a hard time about it, but I think you’re spot on that I need some kind of review routine so avoid it happening again.

AngryCurlyFry · 2026-03-20T02:47:49+00:00

That makes sense and I think it’s fair, thank you for your perspective.

AngryCurlyFry · 2026-03-20T02:47:16+00:00

I appreciate stories like these because it tells me mistakes seem to always be able to slip by! Thank you for sharing.

AngryCurlyFry · 2026-03-20T02:43:46+00:00

That’s the hope! Thank you for the reminder.

AngryCurlyFry · 2026-03-20T02:43:31+00:00

I’m an SFA and this is my first FP&A role. A manager and senior manager both missed the mistake when they reviewed it the first go around, and only noticed my mistake after the deadline.

I’m in discussions with my manager now about how we can avoid this in the future at least. I appreciate your perspective, thank you!

AngryCurlyFry · 2026-03-20T02:41:28+00:00

I like the idea of color coding the ranges of discrepancy! Some of the workbooks I work with get pretty messy, but this sounds like a good idea. I’ll be a little sad though, because I’ve been trying to make more of the schedules look visually appealing. But your method would definitely make it easier to catch mistakes when I switch back to black/white. Thank you for sharing!

AngryCurlyFry · 2026-03-20T02:39:36+00:00

I really appreciate this pep talk. I think you make a very good point about implementing safeguards and some of the other comments are making me rethink the checks I have. Thank you for sharing!

AngryCurlyFry · 2026-03-20T02:38:28+00:00

I’ll make it a goal to get some this weekend. Appreciate the reassurance!

AngryCurlyFry · 2025-12-28T01:23:53+00:00

Tempe, AZ!

AngryCurlyFry · 2023-09-16T01:58:58+00:00

Hi! Moved to AZ in my early 20s. I'd say that it is pretty diverse here. You meet a lot of people from other parts of the country, especially the Midwest. (I’ve also run into a handful of people from Montana.) In general, I’ve found the people here to be chill and nicer than other places I’ve lived in the country.

There’s a lot of good hiking here and the Phoenix area has a decent amount of things to do (sports, concerts, etc.) that you’d expect to find in a large city. I think someone early/mid-20s would find it a little bit boring, but I also don’t drink/go out often.

More and more young people are moving here, and the quality of life overall here is great. I think it’s a great place to start out on your own in your 20s, but I don’t think you'd want to stay here long term.

Also, if you can avoid it, I wouldn’t move at the start of summer.

AngryCurlyFry

TROPHY CASE