Hello all,
Right now I am at somewhat of a crossroads. I am going on my 4th year working as an analyst in private equity and am looking to possibly take a professional certificate course in business/finance to add on to my resume. The curriculum and content from the programs I am currently considering are ideal, but is a business certificate on the resume really going to add much weight and give me any kind of advantage at all when it comes to getting a foot in the door at future funds? Is this a good way to get, say Columbia, on your resume or is it a waste of time? Maybe I should just buck up and go for the MBA?
How much of a difference does it make if I hold a Finance Certificate from LSBF (~15 week course; not the same as LBS), a 5 day course at Wharton, or a ~15 week course at Columbia?
Advantages of getting a certificate
- One of the fastest, most economical ways to get an Ivy or big name institution on your resume (~15 weeks)
- Curriculum is spot on
- Further my continued education
- Verify my knowledge base with potential employers
- If it truly holds weight, could be great bang for my buck
Disadvantages
- How much weight does it truly hold?
- How much do employers pay attention to certificates?
- Is it better to save the $5k - $20k and apply that to a MBA down the road?
I would like to think that having a "stamp of approval" from a top-tier institution on the resume would be great, but want to be thorough in my review and get some third party opinions.
Thanks in advance!
William
Quick question - What do you hold via undergrad degree?
BA in Advertising & Marketing with a Business focus (Econ courses + STAT) Minor in Sociology
Thanks. I would always assume that a grad degree would be the best, especially with your experience. First, I would debate where I would want to go to school, i.e. to quit or not quit work to go to grad school (opportunity costs), what type of clout each school could give you in your career advancement, and whether or not the PE shop you are with will pay for anything. My issue isn't that I can't get into a good school, it's just that it would cost too much money for me to quit working in opportunity cost to go to school if you factor in my salary and tuition reimbursement. Does your firm help with grad school or certificates? Are you wanting to advance with them or look around? It wouldn't hurt your resume to have the certificate, and if you could have the company pay for it, may be a good idea, but the question about grad school and time spent can vary based on your aspirations.
I believe @"shorttheworld" has a finance certificate. Let's see if he can chime in..
I appreciate it @yeahright and @"shorttheworld", any and all insight is much appreciated
I'm really interested in this. It looks like Cornell has a pretty solid online program. These certificates have to be valued higher than something like Coursera, right?
It would be helpful for computer screening when applying for jobs. The computer would definitely catch Cornell.
I only did mine for a post bacc GPA bump for MBA apps -- I never mention it in interviews when asked about education and work but it is on my resume
I'd think your PE experience would trump any certificate. If it was free then maybe worth it just for knowledge gain but I wouldn't expect it to add incremental value to the resume.
I appreciate the feedback everyone. @"td12", on that same wavelength, I just posted another discussion going to the next level: MBA vs. Masters in Finance (http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/mba-vs-masters-in-finance). From a PE/Hedge Fund perspective, which would hold more weight: a Masters in Finance from an upper-tier program, such as Georgetown, or a MBA from a middle or lower-tier institution, like Southern Methodist University or Texas A&M?
Ant and Illini provide great insights, so I'd wait to hear what they say. I understand your predicament. I currently work at a well-known bank and chose to do a part time MSF eventhough I have experience. I'm avoiding/saving the MBA card at all costs in case I need to go full time at some point down the line. I've really enjoyed the MSF so far.
Keep in mind I chose part time as I did not need recruiting; i was just looking to round out my knowledge and add a solid brand to my resume.
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