My question is aimed at the investment professional specially working in hedge funds, who might be in a better position to shed some light on this issue. For somebody at a senior level IT position and over 8 years of experience in this field and working for the financial services, how beneficial would the CAIA qualification be:- 1) Assuming that the main objective is to enhance and upgrade ones career to better perform within IT field with emphasis on moving to the next level within IT in hedge funds or other financial markets? 2) How easily could a mid to senior level IT person; with CAIA and experience in financial markets but on software development side; move into a more business role, and how would his IT background augment or help him and his company in this new role. 3) How would such a combination be helpful(IT and CAIA) for a potential employer, and are their any roles/job descriptions which would require this qualification?
They always need somebody to program models if the are on the quantitative side.
True however most of the quantitative jobs one comes across on the web, ask for PhD in mathematics or something like that. Or am I missing something?
It seems like MBA would be a better fit for you.
The problem with an MBA is that one from a top tier university costs like a zillion. NYU fees for their executive MBA is well over $100000.
all these mba’s and cfa and caia’s are all over rated now…the best bet once u graduate is immediately work… there’s no real value in taking an mba nowadays…unless ur doing something academic and R&D…
Again refer back to my original question, where I mentioned:- “For somebody at a senior level IT position and over 8 years of experience in this field and working for the financial services,” So the question is not pertaining a fresh grad but an experienced professional.
there’s no real value in > taking an mba nowadays…unless ur doing something > academic and R&D… Not speaking from personal experience, but I disagree. The recent MBA’s I know (I work with a couple) get great pay bumps and are increasingly sought out for opportunities.
so does this mean that CFA or CAIA would be of no use in the stated case?
ahmadmaghfur Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > all these mba’s and cfa and caia’s are all over > rated now…the best bet once u graduate is > immediately work… there’s no real value in > taking an mba nowadays…unless ur doing something > academic and R&D… This is a ridiculous coment. Jobs in this industry are not handed out to people with zero qualifications. While it is important to get work experience right away, there is no reason (besides laziness) not to pursue greater qualifications and knowledge of this industry (which is what CFA and CAIA do) at the same time. MBA’s from top business schools are a huge bonus as well, but I would prefer a degree that is more focused (ie MS Finance) at a less expensive University due to the fact that MBA’s from top business schools are extremely expensive.
I once looked at the CAIA as well, and the material certainly sounded like interesting stuff to learn, but when it came down to it, the present limited membership base and even more limited application of the material didn’t seem like it would be of much benefit. Not to mention the cost of the program seems fairly high for a self study program. That being said, if you are already working in IT in a hedge fund, I don’t see how it would hurt. Being able to talk shop might make the difference between staying in IT or moving in to the business, or at least moving to a more business oriented role within IT. As for your last question; I suppose you would be looking at either a senior BA or PM type role where your focus is managing the business’ IT needs, but from a fundamentally business oriented perspective and not necessarily a technical orientation. Ultimately, however, I think the MBA is the way to go if your aim is to obtain credibility from the business side of the industry. Without it, you’re going to have a harder time making those connections and bridging that gap. While it’s not impossible by any means without it, the MBA is specifically designed to help you with making that transition. I agree with McLeod that other degrees have more quantitative depth, but none match the MBA (from a top school) in terms of networking and from establishing a business management perspective.