Hi,
I am a 2012 graduate of a public university with a dual degree in Economics and International Relations that, despite its high ranking amongst public universities, is still not a well known name in the finance world. I had an average GPA at this school (3.4) and was a member of the school’s investment fund team. I am now almost two years out of school, and while I have stable employment with a startup doing retail analysis, my ongoing job hunt for an entry level investment research analyst position has been utterly fruitless, with only two interviews in the past two years, one of which I admittedly botched. My only experience in the finance world was an internship for a financial advisor. I am starting to lose hope that I can find such a position and not finding one soon makes me worried that I will not even be considered for entry level positions in lieu of yet another incoming class of graduates. I am considering signing up for the CFA Level I to boost my credentials, but am weary about making this financial and time commitment without knowledge of how it will influence my entry level prospects. I would love to hear some advice on this front, and if the CFA is not the right route for me to take, I would appreciate any other advice.
Thank you in advance
I say do it because the knowledge will make you more marketable, much more so than an economics degree.
You’ve got enough knowledge to do an entry level RA job but it sounds like you’re lacking in any connections to get into the industry. How hard have you been networking? Do you know anyone have any connection to the industry through family or friends? I would recomend not starting the CFA. One, passing the level 1 will not make you stand out. Two, it takes way to much time out of your life that you should be dedicating to finding a job. And three, you have no work expirenence, so even if you manage to pass all 3 levels you’re not even going to get the Charter and will be no further ahead than you are now. If you don’t have any ins into the industry than you should be looking at doing an MBA and buying your way in. Good luck!
The MBA was the other primary route I was considering taking, but reading statistics on hiring out of MBAs in these times makes me skeptical that this is an even larger monetary commitment which will not greatly improve my prospects. I agree, from a networking standpoint, I am behind the curve, but would getting into an average MBA program (since a 3.4 GPA and only 1.5 years of work experience will only get me into an above average program at best) be the best allocation of my time? What would you advise in terms of getting my name out there and networking if the CFA is not the route to take? Again, any advice is appreciated. Thanks in advance