I just wonder - A lot of folks here seem to come from a pure IT background. After doing and completing the CFA what types of roles are you likely to be hunting down? I am in a smiliar position and want to keep doing IT (Java and VBA), whilst also putting to use the skills learnt from CFA… Are people here aiming towards IT management with a CFA?
Utilizing my CFA skills to the max in water cooler conversations
Help desk.
Analyst for IT companies sounds like a good transition
JustPass Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Help desk. Good one. +1
I am afraid you are not going to get very many ‘meaningful’ answers to this question.
How about consultant for Murex?
crish_r2008 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I am afraid you are not going to get very many > ‘meaningful’ answers to this question. Can you please explain why? On a forum with smart individuals it infuriates me the amount of pointless chit chat that takes place. Just look at the above - Helpdesk? Why do people bother polluting threads with stuff like this. And this happens right across the board.
Sorry, sorry, no offense intended. OK, I don’t have an IT background but I’ll take a stab at it: writing trading applications for quantitative strategies?
Now I’m interested. . . What do you think joey122?
JustPass Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Sorry, sorry, no offense intended. OK, I don’t > have an IT background but I’ll take a stab at it: > writing trading applications for quantitative > strategies? CFA is no help there, you are better of with Math or MFE degree
joey122 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > crish_r2008 Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > I am afraid you are not going to get very many > > ‘meaningful’ answers to this question. > > > Can you please explain why? On a forum with smart > individuals it infuriates me the amount of > pointless chit chat that takes place. > > Just look at the above - Helpdesk? Why do people > bother polluting threads with stuff like this. > > And this happens right across the board. It’s like going on a CPA forum and asking how a CPA could benefit someone in IT while remaining in IT…fairly self explanatory.
go work for a software company. maybe you can help them write the new version of analytics/charting/something for finance people to use. At least you would understand what a “bollinger band” was…I guess that is applying CFA knowledge in a way. My personal opinion, however, totally worthless.
I suspect that there was a time from about 1995-2005 when an IT background was a very desirable combination, because the development of the internet and improved computing capacity meant that people with the best IT systems had a competitive advantage in the fund management world. At that time, IT + CFA was probably great because the people making investment decisions wouldn’t have to explain why they wanted analysis of X, Y, and Z, and the software designers could probably anticipate what the end users would be interested in if they had CFA type training. Over time, however, a lot of the stuff for fundamental-oriented shops started to be available off-the-shelf, and at prices and quality that meant that there was less value to doing things in-house. That doesn’t mean IT+CFA isn’t needed, just that the number of job openings has shrunk compared to the past So here are the options that might be out there: 1) Traditional fund shops: Compete for a limited number of jobs that are probably mostly about making VBA modules for use in spreadsheets that analysts need. These will fill in the gap between what they can purchase off the shelf and specific things they need that are related to their particular strategy. 2) Financial software vendors: here you might be working to optimize the code for software sold to funds. You wouldn’t manage money, but the CFA would presumably help you in demonstrating that you have some idea of what your customers will be wanting. 3) Quant funds shops: here you will be competing with MFEs, Ph.D.s in Math, Physics, Econ, and Computer Science. Your best shot would be promising to be cheaper than those guys and willing to work beneath them. 4) If you are interested in working abroad, it is possible that the IT+CFA combination will go further, since those folks may be wanting to build proprietary systems. You’d want project management experience if you do that. 5) All organizations have basic IT needs - networking, help desk, etc. - not terribly exciting, and CFA won’t add much value here, but you would be “in the industry” at least.
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I see your point.
bchadwick Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I see your point. 
Depends on what type of IT. I’ve seen the types that go around and install computers/fix programs… There’s the other type that manages the database, and writes programs. If it’s the first type, I doubt the CFA would help them. The second type can hopefully move into a application developer/modeling code writing role.
joey122 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I just wonder - A lot of folks here seem to come > from a pure IT background. > > After doing and completing the CFA what types of > roles are you likely to be hunting down? > > I am in a smiliar position and want to keep doing > IT (Java and VBA), whilst also putting to use the > skills learnt from CFA… > > Are people here aiming towards IT management with > a CFA? I know of someone who, being skilled in programming and VBA, but also economics/math, and general understanding of the CFA curriculum, who landed a position as head of a risk department at a major institution.
MehdiOchre Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > joey122 Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > I just wonder - A lot of folks here seem to > come > > from a pure IT background. > > > > After doing and completing the CFA what types > of > > roles are you likely to be hunting down? > > > > I am in a smiliar position and want to keep > doing > > IT (Java and VBA), whilst also putting to use > the > > skills learnt from CFA… > > > > Are people here aiming towards IT management > with > > a CFA? > > I know of someone who, being skilled in > programming and VBA, but also economics/math, and > general understanding of the CFA curriculum, who > landed a position as head of a risk department at > a major institution. Thats exactly my point - I already work in an asset management company in Risk. All the senior people have a maths /MBA degree but what they do very well is program and automate processes. Thats why in my mind having strong database skills and programming skills together with quant skills is THE killer combination. I mean you might know that calculating returns using the log function is better then taking closing prices because it is time consistent , but you need to do that to thousands of instruments and prices.