Gonna make this short and sweet
I'm a 4th year finance student and I ultimately want to open my own fund.
I come from a non-target school in Canada, my GPA is trash (but my finance courses are all good), and I have no formal experience.
Should I register to do the CFA?
| +106 | At what point should you give up? | 56 | 12h | |
| +81 | Shafted for SA 2025 Recruitment. Next steps? | 31 | 3d | |
| +37 | Recruiting while unemployed | 16 | 10h | |
| +37 | I am lost on the next step - Need Advice | 8 | 2d | |
| +29 | Tips for: LSE MSc Finance-->IBD SA. Should I go for a third internship in M&A?? | 7 | 5d | |
| +23 | To late for me? | 12 | 5d | |
| +22 | SF vs NY IB Stint | 10 | 1d | |
| +22 | Incoming freshmen at bocconi - SA 2025 recruiting | 15 | 2h | |
| +22 | How to get VP or higher role in IB from MBA | 12 | 5d | |
| Is networking still a thing for Western Europe and the UK? | 12 | 6d |
Career Resources
Get instant access to lessons taught by experienced private equity pros and bulge bracket investment bankers including financial statement modeling, DCF, M&A, LBO, Comps and Excel Modeling.
Definitely do it. I'd say it's well worth your time just to get level 1 over with first while still in school.
Yes. Helps you network with alumni if you pass and show some knowledge about the industry/analysis.
Work 6 months after you start working, then decide.
Don't do it in school to possibly lower your GPA. Also, when you start working you're going to want some free time to schmooze or whatever.
Would say the complete opposite. Very hard to study for the CFA when you're working 80 hours in banking or 60 to 70 in equity research. It's a lot easier to balance good grades and studying for the CFA than it is balance studying with an actual IB job.
Also, there should be a good bit of overlap between CFA I sections and your classes in undergrad as Level I basically just tests where you learned what you were supposed to in those four years.
Level 1 is easy.
how come you didn't do it then you pussy
Who says I didn’t lol? Should check your attitude bro.
I’m taking Level 3 this summer. Level 1 is a regurgitation of everything you learned in college. Level 2 separates the people that does the bare minimum and the people that are serious about it.
I think the CFA is worth it, you learn a ton of stuff outside of your day to day responsibility and people in the asset management side respect the amount of time and effort you put into it. Not to mention that some MBA schools will even let you skip the entrance exams and some finance/accounting classes if you have your charter.
which schools do that?
Don't worry about getting the CFA, just learn how to manipulate muppets from their money.
any tips on how to learn that?
My 2 cents: I have a STEM background and will be taking the CFA L1 in June. After writing CFA Level 1 Candidate in my resume, my cold email success rate when up by a whopping 40%... so I think it’s really worth it. Plus most of the job postings that I’ve seen in Canada put the CFA and MBA in the same level. So you might get a better ROI by doing the CFA and networking like a beast, instead of just going for an MBA.
I was told by some of my professors to avoid putting CFA level 1 candidate on my resume because it doesn't really mean anything. It's interesting that you're getting success by including it, I should probably considering this.
I guess it depends on your background. If you have a non-financial background, spending $1,400 USD and 300h of study just to present the L1 shows that you are seriously committed to getting into the finance game. Of course, “Candidate” doesn’t mean much until you pass it, but at least it’s a start. I originally planned to present the L1 in Dec 2018, but last November I met with an ER Analyst (covering the sector that I’m interested in) from an AM and he was hiring for an associate. He bluntly told to my face that he would’ve hired me if I had passed the L2. My only regret so far was not signing up for the L1 last December so that I could present L2 next June.
Is the CFA worth it for me and should I pursue it?
I graduated from a target school with a degree in finance and now in my early 20's work in institutional sales within the asset management arm of a large bank, think Goldman Sachs Asset Management, JP Morgan Asset Management, UBS Asset Management, Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Deutsche AM, etc. I would like to ideally transition to the S&T arm of my company in a sales role doing equity sales/high yield sales/fixed income sales, etc. If that doesn't work out, then I would try to keep on climbing the institutional sales ladder at my current sport, and become a top salesman covering the best accounts and territories. Later on in life, if I don't transition into S&T, I would like to go into management at the AM firm that I am in. However, I am sure I want to stay in sales and not go into research or portfolio management, and I am also not interested in getting my MBA.
So what do you guys think? Would the CFA's hassle and time spent be worth the perhaps marginally benefit that it gives me?
I would say go for it. Just schedule some time so that you still enjoy your last year, and ensure that you GPA doesn't fall. If your a finance student level one should be a breeze. It's just spending the time memorizing.
Tenetur facere repellendus officia quia dolor itaque doloremque. Ut quaerat est soluta consequatur qui voluptate nisi.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...