No Direct Finance Exp: CFA® Level 2 or tech skills? Corp strategy vs. VC vs. Equity Rsch
I have to make a hard decision on how to spend my time. I have no hands-on, traditional finance/IB/top-tier consulting experience, but I see a few career options for me. In the finance category, there's equity research, financial planning and analysis, and possibly venture capital. In the non-finance category, there's user/market/operational analytics, various corporate strategy type roles, long-term economic planning, and possibly *product* management at a startup. Right now, I work at an internet startup. Before, I worked in consulting/research.
The CFA® gives a set curriculum and a set outcome, two huge points in its favor as learning either would compete with other activities. But I already passed the Level I, so the decision between the two, leaving career direction aside, boils down to a few factors I'd like your advice on.
First: would a Level II "price me out" or disqualify me in some way from corporate strategy/strategy consulting roles? Would it materially help me in roles that, at larger firms, feed into strat?
Second: would tech skills be MORE attractive for the same kinds of roles. By tech skills, I mean Python, Ruby or R.
Third: for a VC, which skillset can help me more? I have product management experience at a startup, and experience in rejecting my own startup ideas (that's a joke). Still have Level I CFA® and experience in industry research and consulting. Would Level II make a difference?
Fourth: without the direct finance experience, would I even have sufficient experience to "activate" a Level II? In other words, would this be an orphaned credential, or could I actually use to help obtain roles similar to those I am looking for?
Any input would be much appreciated. Feel free to PM as well.