How much would it help to pass the CFA Level 1?
Currently in my senior year of undergrand at a non-target. I have a decent internship as an investment analyst at a pension fund for the last year. I graduate in the Spring and am considering taking the CFA Level I in June, before I start my MSF in the Fall. How much would passing the CFA level I really help me with job opportunities after I finish my masters? Is it worth it at this point, and should I wait until later? Don't want to spend the time and money if it simply won't help that much. But if it's something that will get me more interviews for ER, then I certainly will do it. Thanks
While passing Level I will check off "CFA candidate preferred" for applications and show your commitment in the program, it will be minor compared to experience and GPA. Passing Level II is what really puts you in a higher echelon from the pool of candidates and help you get more interviews.
Question of opportunity cost. If you can productively spend that time networking, the CFA doesn't really matter too much. It helps a bit with resume screens and in the closest of cases where there are two candidates of equal stature, MAYBE a CFA will make a difference - i've never actually seen this happened when we reviewed resumes. The CFA is a feather in the cap more than anything else that helps build your overall story and pitch as a potential employee, but it's by no means necessary.
Of course if you've maximized your efforts on the networking side and still have capacity, go nuts - not like it hurts to have a CFA.
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