Big4 CPA + CFA + Target . Best exit ops?
As per title, best exit ops (currently in financial services tax, yet to qualify).
Switch to transaction services to lateral to IBD/PE? Go for IBD experienced analyst? Go for ER with a view to getting into HF?
What would you do?
When you say target do you mean undergrad then you went to Big 4? I would imagine your GPA probably wasn't the best, which is why you went to big 4 instead of one of those things in the first place. Given that I would say switching to TS is the easiest of the three since your grades wouldn't matter.
Fair point, should have clarified - went to a top 3 UK university and got a 2.1 in a non-finance related degree. From googling it looks like that translates to a 3.6-3.7 gpa but I'm not familiar with the US system so don't know if that would change your answer at all.
In all honesty I didn't know what I wanted to do when I graduated, which is why i only applied for big4 as I figured accountancy is pretty broad and solid. Now realise my interests lie more in finance than accountancy, hence doing the CFA.
P.s. Technically I will have an ACA, which is the UK equivalent of CPA.
No worries, I'm a big 4 audit associate in the US. To be honest I am pretty ignorant of UK universities, but a 3.6/3.7 would be considered pretty good here in the US, and big 4 experience is generally more well regarded in the UK. In terms of 'best' exit ops it really depends what your end goal is; each of the three options you listed would be solid, but have completely different paths.
That being said I have already completed CFA L1 and am currently studying (well at the moment, procrastinating) for L2. Would definitely recommend it as I have found it to be an extremely enlightening, and it has definitely boosted my profile among my peers.
Exit Opportunities with this skill set (CPA/CFA) (Originally Posted: 10/02/2015)
With two years of experience (1 in audit, 1 in TS) at a big4 firm in their NYC office, and having completed all 3 of the CFA examinations in addition to holding the CPA, what type of jobs in finance would I be suited for? I have an interest in stock markets but also the valuation aspect of IBD, so I was thinking of possibly ER. If anyone has both the CFA/CPA, I would greatly appreciate any insight as to what the combination of these designations did for your career trajectory. Also, I went to a semi-target (There was some BB recruiting but mainly boutiques) and have some connections on the street through friends who I went to school with.
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