Transferring from California Community College — targeting Portfolio Analysis or FP&A... Looking for direction from people in those roles.

Hey! First post here. To introduce myself I am a current student at one of the top transfer rate California Community Colleges, Santa Monica College. I am finishing up my next semester and looking to transfer by next year. To add more, I am in the Scholars Program and Adelante (Latino Community) and targeting either UCLA, BERKELEY, or LMU through the transfer process. 

My first semesters, I was focused more on IB recruiting...  but after some more research I'm realizing my skillset is more akin towards the technical side of finance. Knowing more about the true numbers then the connections sounds about right to me. 

A few questions for anyone in these roles:

  • What does day-to-day actually look like as a Junior FP&A Analyst vs Portfolio Analyst? Which is considerably more technical early on?
  • Is the CFA worth pursuing for someone targeting these roles straight out of undergrad or is work experience more sought after?
  • For someone transferring into a 4-year from CC, what should I prioritize in my first year to be competitive for these roles?
  • Are there any specific internships or entry-level titles I should target that have a clean pipeline into FP&A or Portfolio Analysis?

I'm not exactly from a target school background so I want to be as intentional as I can with my words regarding my path. Thank you in advance for any input!

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