- Started CFA L1 7 years ago, which inspired me to switch into corporate FP&A jobs. Doing L1 was one of the best decisions of my life.
- Put my CFA L2 on hold to do my CPA
- Have found success in the startup world as a VP of Finance (handling investor reporting, controllership) at tech startups
- Am now chasing a corporate FP&A job at a F100 company, which may value the CFA a little but definitely does not require it.
- My dream is to do that for a little bit and then be a startup founder that sells a company for 8, maybe 9 digits.
- If I succeed in 4 and 5, maybe I’ll be a VC or PE afterwards.
As of now, I’ve studied maybe 10 hours total for the CFA L2. I have no desire to be in a hedge fund, iBank, or private wealth management role. My focus is #4 and maybe #6 someday. I don’t know that having a CFA will help me achieve those.
I constantly ask myself if I’m doing the L2 for the wrong reasons. Am I doing it because it will help me get a job at a F100? Is a lot of the CFA material even relevant to doing the day-to-day at a F100 finance job? If not, why am I doing this? The ego trip of passing a tough challenge? The fear of telling people I’m one of the “quitters”?
Curious to hear what others in corporate FP&A/strategy have to say.