Great Linkedin Question and Response

CFA Institute Candidate Group, I removed last names, but the person who responded is your typical person in finance Follow Move to Jobs Please weigh in, CFA or not?? Question for the group, I am debating on starting my CFA. I love finance, but I am wondering what the group thinks about the value of the CFA for back-office corporate finance types like myself. I enjoy challenging myself so part of me wants to go after the CFA regardless of the upside for my career, but I also realize how intense and time-consuming this endeavor will be. Pros and Cons? Do you see value for those of us who work in back-office finance and accounting positions? Posted 12 hours ago | Reply Privately Chance , MBA, PMP® Vice President – Financial Reporting Operations at Citi See all Chance’s discussions » Comments (3) Sara Investment Management DO NOT DO IT. It’s a waste of time. Nobody cares that I’ve passed two levels. I takes forever and everybody fails L2 like 5 times. You study after work until 2 am and you are so tired and then by the time the exam comes you are so burnt out you dont even care anymore. It’s the worst experience. I would strongly recommend a no. Posted 12 hours ago | Reply Privately

storko Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > DO NOT DO IT. It’s a waste of time. Nobody cares > that I’ve passed two levels. I takes forever and > everybody fails L2 like 5 times. You study after > work until 2 am and you are so tired and then by > the time the exam comes you are so burnt out you > dont even care anymore. It’s the worst experience. > I would strongly recommend a no. > Posted 12 hours ago | Reply Privately haha. this is awesome. everyone i know goes 3/3 but apparently everyone she knows fails LII five times. goes to show you that you are only as smart as your friends.

What the $(%& is PMP?

PIMP - left out the I. I think it has something to do with Project Management.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Management_Professional

> > Comments (3) > Sara > Investment Management > DO NOT DO IT. It’s a waste of time. Nobody cares > that I’ve passed two levels. I takes forever and > everybody fails L2 like 5 times. You study after > work until 2 am and you are so tired and then by > the time the exam comes you are so burnt out you > dont even care anymore. It’s the worst experience. > I would strongly recommend a no. > Posted 12 hours ago | Reply Privately LOL! Who failed 5 times on this board??

This is funny. During the lunch break on exam day I spoke to a man who told me he was doing level 2 for the third time. I only have one friend who is a CFA charterholder; he passed level 2 on second try. Anyway I still feel confident that I will pass level 2 exam at first try. We will know on 18th august.

ws Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > > > Comments (3) > > Sara > > Investment Management > > DO NOT DO IT. It’s a waste of time. Nobody > cares > > that I’ve passed two levels. I takes forever > and > > everybody fails L2 like 5 times. You study > after > > work until 2 am and you are so tired and then > by > > the time the exam comes you are so burnt out > you > > dont even care anymore. It’s the worst > experience. > > I would strongly recommend a no. > > Posted 12 hours ago | Reply Privately > > > LOL! Who failed 5 times on this board?? hard to find out, but I guess U of P passout maybe.

Considering this lady’s background, she is not that stupid and out of the investment industry you might think. My personal opinion on CFA is that it really makes you overwork for poor benefits. In order to make this diploma look like selective and thus prestigious, they force you to learn hundreds of formulas and concepts or notions half of which do not deserve to spend that time. Selection criteria are then: out-of-your-job working capacity and memory. I presented L2 for the second time last June. For my first time I just did it after having succeeded to LI in December at first attempt. However, I am very glad to have leant the core concepts of the curriculum which will be very useful to me. Besides, it is true that this diploma is not that recognized, especially now and out of the US or UK / SWI.