How to make a political science major stand out

I'm a poli sci major from a non-target looking for the best ways to break into the financial markets - other than connections/networking, are there courses or designations that can help make me stand out from the crowd? I'm in Canada and from what I've heard, the CFA is quite popular here (ie. Bay Street) as a means of demonstrating competence (from a resume standpoint). I'd love to work in the states or even Europe/Asia too, that is to say I am flexible in where I can work (maybe there are specific things that certain regions value more than others, so if you have insight into that, please mention it). Thank you in advance.

For further context, while I'm not financially illiterate, I likely do not have the knowledge that most of you do. That is to say I am trying to learn to do DCF analysis, getting my excel abilities up to snuff, and I invest my own capital so I try to stay up to date with what's going on in the economy/markets.

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Appreciate the insight! Another question I have is how much do firms value flexibility in terms of being able to speak different languages? For example, if I were to become proficient in Japanese, would that lend itself in any way as a means of establishing relationships with the Japanese (or Asian as a whole) side of the market? Or does the ability to speak multiple languages not carry much weight in the grand scheme of things.

 

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