Okay, so I am looking to find a job, however I have been waiting these last couple weeks to find out the results of June’s Level II exam. I found out I passed, so I want to put it on the resume.
The issue is that while I will be sitting for Level III next June, I understand that CFAI says that I am not considered a Level III candidate until I actually pay them the money and sign up for it. That won’t be until at least close to the end of the first fee deadline date, most likely the 2nd deadline date. So while technically not a Level III candidate, what would be the best way to show that on a resume?
What I currently have is “CFA Candidate, Passed Level II (Will sit for Level III 06/01/2013; both Levels I and II passed on first attempt)”
Is that an ethics violation to say candidate in that fashion? I’m thinking no because I did not indicate I’m a Level III candidate, just that I passed Level II and will be sitting for Level III next year. The other side of the coin is it’s a violation by extension, but I’m unsure.
Looks fine to me, although I do think you’re a douchebag for that passing on the first attempt statement. Yeah, I’m still a little butthurt about that.
Okay thanks for the advice… I was also curious about the parenthetical part as well (I also completely agree its douchebaggeriffic), but I figure it couldn’t hurt. But I’m also not the one that reads the resumes…
Noone’s yet told me that adding that part would help, so I’m just going to remove it. It also screws with the formatting a little since it’s a long text line that sticks out relative to its adjacent lines.
Remember, ultimately your resume’s going to be read by a human being if you have a chance at the job, and you don’t want them thinking you’re a doucher. If you must you can tell them it was first try at the interview
I saw some job listings that explicitly stated they prefer first time passers.
I’ve put it on my CV and have no shame. I do agree that in terms of your understanding of the curriculum it means nothing at all. Whether you pass first time or on the 10th attempt, you are equal in terms of understanding.
However passing levels 1 and 2 first time (especially if your like me who followed on from Level 1 in December 2011) is something to be proud about - I’m proud of it and you should be too.
In my view, it is a mini-achievement that gives employers an idea of your ability to handle pressure and deliver results under tough time constraints. On top of that, if you are working then you know that January to April involves alot of overtime that must be managed effectively as well.
So if you write on your CV - “able to work well under pressure”, you can support this with the first time passes which is solid evidence.
Again, I am not saying first time passers are better, but having done so demonstrates a skill which should not go unnoticed.
Whoever wrote on the job listing “preferred 1st time passers” is an idiot. I have worked on high profile teams with exceptionally smart & hard working finance professionals that have failed some level of the CFA before.
It’s nothing to be ashamed of, and doesn’t prove first time passers are superior at all.
Except that it is, since you’re not a candidate until you register for the exam. Otherwise anybody could just call themselves a ‘Level 1 Candidate’ forever and keep not registering for the exam, even though they planned to when they wrote their resume.
Paying the $700 and receiving the books isn’t the same as saying ‘oh yeah I’m going to take Level 3 next year but haven’t registered’
I’d keep it to the truth and CFAI guidelines and just say passed Level 2. If it comes up in an interview, say you’re planning to take Level 3 next year and haven’t registered yet.
I always wonder about that. When you submit a resume, you may be a candidate, but when it gets passed around or dropped under someone’s desk, you may have gotten your announcement but not paid and you aren’t a candidate. Or it’s sitting in someone’s database.
I like to put a date on my resume that shows when it was current.
“Passed CFA Level 2 Exam (Date)” is how I’d put it if you aren’t intending to continue or pay up.
I know the matter has discussed all over again. However, I did not find anything that quite matched what I was explicitly looking for, so I thought I’ll ask in here rather than open a new topic. Maybe somebody of you can help me to figure it out:
Am I allowed to say something in the top section of my CV where I state a 3 sentence summary of what I do and what I look for like: “…currently finishing graduate studies and in pursuit of the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.”?
and then further below in the extracurricular section of the CV something like: “CFA Program | Level 2 candidate (June 2019 exam)”?
Do I get it right that the heading is only the profile slogan (where you put +/- 1 short statement below your name) and does not conclude the short summary on the top of the profile? So would it allowed to put the same sentence as above in the CV into that summary on LinkedIn?
Thanks for your help, I hope I do not overthink this but I don’t want to mess up!
I just passed LII in June as well and I am registered for LIII. However, as I am also looking for a new job, I put the following : “Passed CFA Level II Exam (June 2018)”. Why do I put this instead of “Level III Candidate in the CFA Program”? Because I want a perspective employer to know that I didn’t pass Level II 10 years ago and now I am deciding to give Level III a go. I want them to know it’s all very fresh for me and that I am part of the most up to date and competitive candidate pool.
[bump - I would really appreciate just a short statement, I need to finalize my CV until Wednesday.]
Hello everybody!
I know the matter has discussed all over again. However, I did not find anything that quite matched what I was explicitly looking for, so I thought I’ll ask in here rather than open a new topic. Maybe somebody of you can help me to figure it out:
Am I allowed to say something in the top section of my CV where I state a 3 sentence summary of what I do and what I look for like: “…currently finishing graduate studies and in pursuit of the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.”?
and then further below in the extracurricular section of the CV something like: “CFA Program | Level 2 candidate (June 2019 exam)”?
Do I get it right that the heading is only the profile slogan (where you put +/- 1 short statement below your name) and does not conclude the short summary on the top of the profile? So would it allowed to put the same sentence as above in the CV into that summary on LinkedIn?
Thanks for your help, I hope I do not overthink this but I don’t want to mess up!