Business controller

Briefly explain what you do for a living.

I work as a business controller at Atlas Copco, a wholesaler in the industrial sector. My tasks include monthly financial reporting to management, the preparation of short-term forecasts and long-term budgeting. My work also includes development tasks, management team duties and preparing financial statements once a year.

How have you ended up in the profession of your choice?

I’ve been interested in languages and cultures since I was a child, so I ended up studying as a bachelor of hospitality management at a university of applied sciences. During my studies, I noticed that I was most interested in courses related to mathematics and accounting. After graduation, I worked as a receptionist in a hotel for a few years. Then I decided to complete a Bachelor of Business Administration degree and specialise in financial accounting. I did sales and purchase ledger tasks and interim controller tasks for a few years before this job.

Describe your typical working day or week.

My workdays include a lot of ad hoc work. For example, if a figure in financial reporting causes surprise, I’ll find out where the figure comes from. In such situations, I’ll contact other functions of our organisation, such as logistics. My typical workday always includes one or more meetings. No two days are alike, but recurring tasks related to the turn of the month and the year bring routine to my work.

What kind of work environment or working hours do you have?

My work environment is an office, and I primarily work from 8:00 to 16:00. This profession has a specific characteristic related to working hours. I can’t really have my holidays at the turn of the month, and I work at the turn of the year almost without exception. So, it’s practically impossible for me to take four weeks of holiday straight.

What kind of competence or qualities are required in the profession?

The work of a business controller requires accuracy, as most of the work is investigating why the figures don’t match. Sometimes the figures are off by a really small amount. Stress tolerance is needed at the turn of the month and the year, as those times are usually busy. IT skills and system competence are also important in this profession. You must have a good command of Excel and various reporting systems. Communication skills are needed when financial indicators must be reported to management in an understandable manner.

In general, it’s good to have interest in business and to understand the company’s business operations as a whole so that you can understand what the different figures consist of. The field is changing all the time, so you must have the ability and willingness to develop along with the change.

What is the best thing about your profession?

I think the best thing is the varied nature of the work. There are still some routines, but with artificial intelligence and automation, they play an ever-smaller role. I also like the fact that I’m somewhat able to tailor my work tasks according to my interests. Other good things include flexibility in working hours and the place of work, which means that I can also work remotely.

What are the downsides of the profession or what seems challenging?

You must always be present at the turn of the month, and you can’t have a long summer holiday. The hectic nature of work may also sometimes feel stressful.

What would you tell a person considering the profession of a business controller?

I recommend that you gain extensive financial experience. For example, an accounting firm background is very useful in this work. It’s a good idea to include data analytics courses in your studies. You can go ahead and apply for jobs even if you don’t meet the criteria in the advertisement, as sometimes your attitude is the decisive factor.

How do you see the future of your profession?

There will be work, but the field is changing. Routine work decreases with artificial intelligence and automation, which means that the ability to analyse figures is emphasised. In this work, you’re increasingly looking to the future.