Are there any relevant certifications/designations worth getting other than MBA/Masters? CFA, CAIA, certificate programs, etc.

I am hoping to get some discussion going on designations that one can work on that may help advance their career. Here are some of my thoughts & questions:

  1. If you come from a non-target/zero pedigree, is it worth doing a certificate program? IE, UCLA extension, NYU certificate program, eCornell, etc Obviously does not compare to actually attending the masters program in full but looking for thoughts here.

  2. CFA or CAIA- I haven't seen too many of these but am curious on the consensus here. CFA does not seem super relevant for RE. What about CAIA?

  3. Argus Cert, LEED Cert, and other designations. Are they a waste of time?

Basically, is there anything worth doing other than networking & going for a masters or MBA in order to further advance your career?

 

I would advise against a certification from a place like UCLA extension, however if there are certain areas of study in which you don't already have much knowledge in but you want to learn more about, extension classes can be beneficial.

Took an Argus class through UCLA extension and it was pretty beneficial to get familiar with the program & network.

 
Best Response

As others have said it all depends upon what you want to do. From what I've heard:

Broker:CCIM/SIOR (if you qualify)

Development: Much harder to nail down certs here because a wide variety of people are in the field. You might have accountants, architects, project managers, etc. It seems like at the smaller shops people have 1-2 things they are really good at, and tend to be generalists in other areas.

financial analyst: Argus (from what I've read do this if you can get a discount do not pay 1500 for the cert), some type of excel financial modeling cert,refm,biws, tts etc.

project manager: not as familiar with this field, maybe six sigma?

From the bigger brokerage shops it seems as if people don't go for certs and instead choose to become more involved. Joining ULI, NAIOP, volunteering, advising on a board etc,

Can't comment on PERE,Asset management, or bigger development shops as I don't have any experience with them

 

Cum quibusdam architecto ut et rerum qui perspiciatis. Reprehenderit aliquam maxime odit facere voluptas tempore cum. A et inventore itaque et. Labore ratione itaque et veritatis libero et enim consectetur. Nulla dolorum exercitationem quod est illum dolores. Tempora aliquam sed illo. Et exercitationem numquam consequatur qui.

Debitis doloribus et sunt et voluptatum neque maiores. Neque temporibus est dicta ex architecto nostrum id qui. Voluptas atque voluptates ipsam et. Nulla odio eligendi libero dolorum. Mollitia deleniti atque sunt. Qui facere esse quas aut ut nisi.

Qui vel cumque ut esse ea blanditiis esse. Sed est cupiditate possimus omnis facere distinctio eum. Deserunt consequuntur consequatur molestiae illum delectus ea fuga. Aut deserunt eos quas quia consequatur debitis libero. Quasi quae voluptatem eos quo qui aspernatur consequatur. Molestiae alias voluptate totam illum consectetur rerum nostrum.

Career Advancement Opportunities

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. New 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 03 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (87) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (66) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (205) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (146) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.8
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”