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You can do the IMC (but be aware that it's UK specific) but tbh no certification is gonna be worth it's time for internship apps (even CFA L1). You'd have much better results networking for a first year internship.

HFs don't care about the CFA as much as you think. AM cares, ER cares but HFs? Meh.

As someone else said, CAIA isn't gonna do shit for you. I second the notion that its mainly held by WM/FoF/Investment Consulting guys (basically allocators) rather than anything that is on your target career trajectory.

 

Trust me, neither the CFA L1 nor IMC is actually about learning stuff. It's just optics. You'll get to CFA L1 and probably have covered most of it (apart from the nitty gritty) by your third year. You're not doing it to learn.

IMC has regulatory implications too, some places will make you do it before you start FT

This isn't saying you should do it, just giving you some perspective.

 

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