CAIA not as popular as before?

^ Somewhat disagree. My friends and I who’ve earned the designation let the letters lapse when our employer stopped paying the dues. jacking the dues from $250 a year to $350 a year and then who knows now wasn’t helpful either.

My resume/linkedin says in so many words, “Awarded the CAIA Designation in 2012” I just can’t display CAIA after my name.If I need the letters, I simply need to pay dues again, no retesting.

I let mine lapse.

I suspect that that’s correct for CFA, and very incorrect for FRM and CAIA. FRM holders can use the designation without paying annual fees; I believe that most FRM’s go this route. I am going to stop using the CAIA designation as soon as my employer stops paying for it. When I was writing the exams, I thought CAIA would open some doors in terms of employment, but it turns out that that is not the case.

^This is kind of a “chicken and egg” issue, when I think about it.

If you have a job where the employer won’t pay for it, that means you are doing work that your employer can’t see the CAIA or FRM applicable to. Or, that you can’t successfully make the case for your boss to put it in your budget.

As for the “opening new doors” case, well, it is somewhat true that CAIA or FRM, on their own, don’t necessarily open new doors, but of course…it depends on where you are looking. In asset management/risk management/quantitatively-oriented positions, I have found these designations useful in engaging with people in these positions and getting access to better employment opportunities. It should be obvious by now, but most hedge fund people don’t necessarily look to CAIA holders as alts experts for running the strategy – however, they do love to hire wholesalers and client PM-type people who have the credential. Furthermore, I have noticed quite a bit of analysts reporting to PMs in alternative strategies who have the designation, as well as PMs who probably have it, because you know, what the hell.

If you treat any of these things as a golden ticket by themselves, it’s not going to work. However, if you obtain these credentials as the rigors and demands of your position(s) naturally progress and you can find alignment between what you do and the material covered in the designation curriculums, then I think that this “natural course of job function route” will probably see the people having the most success with these designations, and probably likely to report the greatest satisfaction with having obtained them. I am one of those in this camp.

^Respect.

At least you came to your senses and aren’t in denial.

I’d do it now before it’s nearly impossible, whether it’s worth something or not. Remember when 90+% passed CFA exams, well before they were worth anything? No one asks you when you passed CFA exams…all that matters is that you have the letters after your name (and if you want a job, that you know people). :slight_smile:

FTFY