CFA is more valuable than you think (part 2)
Part 1 is here
Just wanted to write a part 2 to provide some updates and answer some more questions to hopefully help people who are having a hard time breaking in or transition in their early careers.
In my part 1 post, I talked about how the CFA designation helped me get interviews as I wanted to switch careers into FP&A.
The update is here: I got the job as a Financial Analyst after doing a final round with the CEO. The interview was more like a pleasant chat where we talked about the market and a little bit of everything. My experience in investment research was a bonus as the CEO was genuinely interested in that industry. Was also able to negotiate the salary so I had a significant pay increase.
I think this personal experience reiterates the value of the CFA designation that my part 1 post mentioned. This program is meant to help people in their early careers to advance. And it does exactly that.
Many people overestimate the value of the CFA charter, thinking it’ll get you any jobs or the next big promotion, and get disappointed when they fall short of expectations. This isn’t a CFA issue, it’s an issue of delusion.
In my opinion, the CFA curriculum helps a successful candidate develop an effective learning framework to benefit from for their entire life, and also helps the candidate standout for entry level jobs many related fields. These 2 things aren’t something you can buy with money. So the thousands of dollars and hours are most definitely worth it. Even in this day and age.