why did i take the CFA? (In an employers eyes)

So i took the CFA level 1 in december last year. I failed band 9 and decided that it showed a hunger for the industry so i put it very briefly in my resume. here’s the excerpt: “FURTHER INTERESTS AND ACHEIVEMENTS: Chartered Financial Analyst: level 1 (Band 9). (December 2010) • Executed rigorous time management to allow me to cover the vast syllabus of the CFA, whilst balancing it with university work.” Tomorrow i have a telephone interview with Lazard for a summer analyst role in M&A. Its with someone from HR so i expect it to be alot of “fit” type questions. So when i get the inevitable talk me through your resume, how should i talk about my stuying the CFA? Im proud i took it even if i did fail. It taught me more industry relevent knowledge than my economics degree has and I fully intend on completing it at a later date. PS. i had to give up as university work got too much and as a result i didnt cover ethics!

OMG - this is classic

no way.

Don’t mean to deflate you man, but why would you include failing LI on your resume? I can see that it shows a hunger for finance, but you failed. As in, did not pass the easiest level. Not that there is anything wrong with that (given the right reasons), but it shouldn’t be on your resume. You have more time to dedicate to studying in college than you will have in any period of your employed life. Honestly, if I were the hiring manager I *may* not automatically throw out your resume you for that, but it would be a close call. You shouldn’t use your college work load as an excuse, unless you can include a full time job as another limiting factor. Even at that, it should not be included. And if LI taught you more than your degree in econ taught, I dunno, that sounds bad. Never mention that to a recruiter/hiring manager. Actually, I think I’m being too nice, so as not to unnerve you before your interview. I’d probably LOL if I saw that. Just have some good reasons for putting that ish on your resume.

I have a feeling HR thinks you passed level 1. You didn’t mention failing it and most people would think band 9 is an overall grade, not a grad of how badly you failed.

Definitely agree with PhillyBanker on this one. You don’t put failures on your resume. It is one thing if you bring it up in an interview, but you have to try and spin it into a positive.

Not to be a prick, but you misspelled “achievements”. Did you copy the excerpt directly from your resume? I’d make sure my resume and cover letter are 100% error-free.

If this isn’t a troll then I think the CFAI needs to start screening applicants for the right to write (alliteration/homonymity not intended). If I saw this on a resume of a potential junior; my better part would say “lets mess with him” my responsible part would say “ding”

If you want to have something about the CFA on the resume, my suggestion would be to change it so you are a Level I candidate for the June 2011 exam (assuming you are). Granted, anyone can basically be a LI candidate, but it does open the door for you to discuss some of the material if you’ve studied it, as well as a motivation for pursuing the designation. That said, let us know how it goes - just got the borrow rates on LAZ from my broker (kidding, of course). Good luck.

He’s a Chartered Financial Analyst: Level 1. No wonder he failed.

No joke, on a call the other day someone in my organization referenced me as a “Level 2 CFA”; despite his seniority I pulled him aside and explained to him that was not gray area but a defined violation and if he wanted to reference it for future calls to say I am a candidate for level 2 of the exam…

Dog this is wild.

cityboy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Not to be a prick, but you misspelled > “achievements”. Did you copy the excerpt directly > from your resume? I’d make sure my resume and > cover letter are 100% error-free. lol

YOU CRAZY FOR DIS ONE!

SuperiorReturn Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > no way. LOL, this captures it perfectly

on your next resume edit, you should put the rejection from Lazard under work experience as well

Mobius Striptease Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > on your next resume edit, you should put the > rejection from Lazard under work experience as > well Beautiful.

ASSet_MANagement Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > YOU CRAZY FOR DIS ONE! True, true…

wow, dude…

This cant be real