Career Advice

Ok, I know this is another one of those “Help me out with my career path” questions, but this seems to be the best place that I have found for my situation. So any thoughts and advice would be greatly appreciated. Here it is: I graduated with a BA in Secondary Education with a Mathematics Major. While finishing up my education, I got involved in Land Surveying and enjoyed it so much that I decided to pursue this career since I enjoyed that amount of math involved. I am now 30 years old and the last several years I have been reading about and getting very interested in Finance, Investments, and the Stock Market. So much so that I am now being pulled into a new direction for my life, but really have no clue where to begin. I know that I really enjoy Stock and Investment Analysis and from everything that I have read, obtaining the CFA is right up my alley. I really want to just sign up for the June exam, but am not sure if I am just “jumping the gun.” Should I first search out a new job in the finance world, just to get started? Should I go back to school and earn a Masters in Finance? Or, would passing a level or two of the CFA exams show to potential employers that I am serious? If I do go after a new job in Finance, what would be a good entry level position. I just don’t know where to begin going from my current position in Land Surveying to my ultimate dream job of Portfolio Management or Mutual fund Manager, or something else. Any thoughts about my situation? Any help to get me pointed in the right direction would be of tremendous help. Thanks.

Sorry man, CFA won’t really help you, you’ll be competing for entry level jobs with people like me. And I already have L2 down. Not to say you can’t do it, but you have knocks against you, in the form of age, and lack of relevant experience. If you’re really interested in investing, invest your own money.

Your better off going to, at least a Top 15-20, business school for an MBA with a concentration in Finance if your just now trying to break into the industry. The finance industry is shedding jobs, many of which are never coming back, so there is a glut of talent that already has industry experience and have already passed multiple levels of the CFA exam. Not saying your screwed, but the pursing the CFA at this point in your life may not be the best way of breaking into the finance industry. Don’t think that getting the CFA will automatically land you a job in equity research or portfolio management, because it won’t. For you right now: Top 15 MBA > CFA If you were already in the finance industry, preferably in a FO position, than CFA > MBA. Even then, becoming a PM will be extremely tough.

You can try going to work for a REIT fund since you have relevant industry experience.

ASSet_MANagement Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > You can try going to work for a REIT fund since > you have relevant industry experience. Sorry, but your work experience is not transferable for a job at a REIT fund. In your case, I suggest MBA over CFA. As for your age, I don’t think you’re too old. Good luck.

MBA will help you more with the transfer than CFA, because what you most need is a network of people who know you and think you can add value in this industry, but if you really like analyzing stocks and building portfolios, CFA will get you more into the details of how to do that. Either way, it will be a tough slog, but not impossible. You might as well sign up for L1 if you’re committed to this path. You aren’t going to be able to start an MBA program before next June anyway, there’s plenty of time to prep for the exam, and if it turns out that you discover you hate the material, well, that’s good to know too.

At age 30 with 0 finance experience. A top MBA is your best bet. Passing CFA L1 or L2 won’t do help