Is CFA worth it?
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Only for equity research. Not relevant for IB or really anywhere else in finance.
Not sure I agree with that - most asset management PMs have CFAs. And certainly not just equity PMs.
Nope. Maybe in SS ER, but it's not going to help in buyside recruiting down the road. They've diluted the material so much that it's not applicable anymore.
Ask someone without their CFA, they will say it's a waste of time. Ask someone with their CFA, they will say it's worth it. Overall, it is not the golden ticket by any means, but from my experience it will give you a slight edge in recruitment.
I know successful people with or without it, if you want to do something towards wealth management it’s 100% worth it, other areas like CFO type roles they’re helpful but an MBA can be better. Some people really shit on CFA’s but I haven’t ever met someone with a CFA who’s not an absolute stud
I now know how to spell nincompoop because of your comment
Is it useful if working at a HF?
I wonder if the views on CFA will change if it is for jobs outside IBD and PE.
For example, fundamental L/S hf, pe fof team at a pension, IR or fundraising at a PE or maybe even in a corporate (who needs to speak with analysts regularly)
No
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