Noob here...completely clueless

Hi guys,

I have been lurking here for a bit and i decided to give it a try and ask something specific to my situation.
I am an Economics major at a ( what I assume from what I've read so far) non target university... I also know that liberal arts degrees 'get shit on a lot' and are nothing compared to say a Finance/ Accounting degree or an engineering major. I also am a female AND not very young...I will probably be finishing Econ soon before my 30's...( I know this is too old to still be pursuing a bachelors) .
I'm obviously not deluded and I don't want to work on wall street. (not that I don't want to, Its just not realistic). I am aiming towards a ''regular '' smaller finance job (whatever that may be) ...probably as an analyst for a smaller company...

My question is basically...since I'm not a Finance or Accounting major... how can I appeal to Financial/ accounting jobs. (preferably finance, ....not investment, because, I am obviously very far from having the credentials and contacts).

I thought about taking the CPA and the CFA exams... hoping that would show employers that I have enough knowledge about both...
is this a good idea?

I'm also bilingual and have an intermediate level in a third language...if that means anything.

Thanks!

5 Comments
 
Best Response

Your languages are a great asset. I would study for CFA level 1 if I were you. I am in a similar situation and that's what I am doing. You still can work on Wall Street but you might have to work harder to get there. Think about reaching out to alumni of your school. I was surprised how many alumni my small liberal arts school had on Wall Street. They were really helpful so far. Your age should not matter and the companies can't ask about age during interviews. Good luck!

 

First off, set the bar high and dream big. No one ever got anywhere in life without doing so. Secondly, if what you want is a corporate finance, FP&A type role you need to understand basic accounting at the very least. Take accounting classes if possible, and you must understand the three statements and be able to build out a working model. Those roles generally aren't hard to get, but you need to focus on accounting much more than the financial aspect.

 

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