I am going to get my MBA this summer. I want to break in IB > CF > ER > RE, as an engineer. I wonder if I should start to prepare CFA level 1 exam to gain some basic credentials and some dedication before school starts? or it is almost useless?
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If you're already doing an MBA I don't see much value in investing in the CFA. It won't help you with IB and it'll be hard to manage your time with classes, work, and networking.
Thank you! As I don't have any finance background in the past. Do you have recommendations for what I should prepare in the next several months before the school starts, in order to get an IB or ER job?
Here's my thought -- if you have time to study for the CFA before you start your MBA , and you're possibly interested in ER or AM, yes, take it. It will open up so many more interview possibilities for you down the line. Just look at some of the job posts for these positions -- many of them "strongly prefer" that a candidate has "started the CFA process." And by the way, there's a good chance that for many of these jobs, you might not have to complete the CFA process (Levels 2 and 3) -- but just having the Level 1 under your belt will get you in the door because it will show employers your commitment to the field and also your additional investing knowledge, which coming from an engineering background, employers might assume you don't have. If you have CFA, you can refute this assumption.
Thank you so much! I heard that AM jobs are almost impossible for people like me without any financial background. Is that the case in your experience? I am in Canada, the job market is very small compared to the U.S.
IB doesn't care about the CFA exam.
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