Becoming a chief financial officer usually involves progressively broader finance responsibility, leadership experience and the ability to explain business decisions to senior stakeholders. A qualification can support that path, but the title depends on the scope of work you are ready to take on and the organisation's needs.
Start by identifying the kind of organisation you want to work in. A growing small business and a large listed company may expect very different experience from their CFO.
What experience should a future CFO build?
- Financial foundations: experience with reporting, planning, budgeting, cash flow and controls appropriate to your role.
- Commercial understanding: the ability to connect financial information to operational choices.
- Leadership: responsibility for people, priorities and the quality of a team's work.
- Communication: explaining assumptions, options and trade-offs to people outside finance.
- Change: helping improve systems or processes while managing the effect on the business.
These are development areas, not a universal checklist for appointment. Read several relevant role briefs and discuss expectations with experienced finance leaders.
A possible career pathway
An accountant, auditor or analyst may move into finance management, financial control or business partnering before seeking broader leadership responsibility. Other paths include divisional finance leadership or a role with exposure to board reporting. A lateral move can be useful when it fills an important experience gap.
Relevant accounting, finance or business education is common. Further study or professional credentials may help, depending on the role. Compare actual employer requirements before choosing a course; an MBA or any single credential is not a guaranteed route to CFO. See SEEK's CFO role guide for an overview of common pathways.
Build a development plan you can act on
Fictional planning example: a financial accountant wants a future CFO role but has limited forecasting and people-leadership experience. Their next step may be a role that gives them ownership of a forecast cycle and responsibility for coaching a colleague, rather than immediately applying for the top job.
- Choose one target role brief and identify the responsibilities you have not yet demonstrated.
- Separate missing experience from missing confidence: what have you already done, and what evidence supports it?
- Agree one practical development opportunity with your manager or mentor.
- Record what you owned, the decisions involved and the result, using information you are permitted to share.
- Review whether your next role should deepen technical expertise or broaden leadership responsibility.
Turn experience into credible application evidence
“Prepared monthly reports” names a task. A more informative example explains who used the report, how you checked it and what decision it supported. Keep your actual job title and distinguish a recommendation you prepared from a decision someone else approved.
Do not include confidential forecasts, investor information or employer figures without permission. Where exact numbers cannot be shared, explain the scale and context in an approved way.
A client perspective on career direction
The original article included this feedback from Simon about career counselling:
“I had zero direction before the team came into my life. I hated my job, and I knew I was meant for more as a finance degree holder. At a shorter timeframe and because of my hands-on career counsellors from The Perfect Resume, I am no longer viewed as a rookie, but now a high-paid finance cookie!”
This describes Simon's experience; it does not establish a CFO appointment, salary outcome or timeline for another applicant.
How long does becoming a CFO take?
There is no fixed timetable. The opportunities available, your starting point and the scale of the target organisation all matter. Focus on the responsibilities you can demonstrate and the gaps your next move will address. For resume presentation once you have that evidence, see our CFO resume guidance.
Get help with your next finance application
Have a draft ready? Request a free resume review and include a target job advertisement. If you want help writing your application, compare our resume writing packages and check the documents and support included in your selected option.
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