World domination a la Dr. Evil
I don’t see how you can feel so blasé about getting the charter. I agree that I thought I would be a more confident investor after L3, but there is no doubt that CFA says something about how much you know about a lot of things that portfolio managers need to know, and it says something about your dedication to pass three difficult exams and sacrifice a lot of time acquiring the knowledge. I’m working with a strategy group at a major asset manager right now, and they don’t have a single CFA charterholder on their main team. Now a lot of these guys have years of experience, and they are for the most part all pretty smart, but I am very surprised to see all the strategy points they miss, that the CFA curiculum informs. Even though I don’t have as many years of experience as them, I can definitely see the value that the curriculum adds in terms of the tools and analysis I can bring to my consulting, and it makes me very excited to be so close to being able to add those letters after my name. (and when I started, I just figured this was something I needed to do; I wasn’t all ga-ga about the value in itself)
It amazes me that a number of people have said more money What makes you think that becuase you have a CFA you will get paid more? If the job you are doing *actually* requires CFA then yes you have an advantage. If it does not then its just another qualification so I dont understand this properly
What will I do with my charter?? No clue, but hopefully more than I did with my university degree. I never bothered to go pick it up and didn’t want to pay the 10$ delivery…
DirtyZ Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Having completed it, I’m no longer enamored with > it. Have felt that way for weeks, rising unsatisfaction and lack of objective. I had to convince myself, its not over yet and I registered for Level III a day back. Like daj224 said, to me CFA curriculum imparted daily food for intellect, kept me motivated. My biggest concern is I don’ t know if I want to be PM yet. I am a corp financial analyst, so if (hopefully when) I pass CFA what will I do with it. I need a mentor! Anybody volunteering?
Earning the charter was the greatest thing that ever happened to me. When I think about passing all three levels it makes me want to do the Terminator Ritual all day everyday: Author: ralphmacchio Date: Friday, May 6 @ 2:36 pm I have a morning ritual that I go through before every big exam. I call it “The Terminator”. First, I crouch down in the shower in the classic “naked terminator traveling through time” pose. With my eyes closed I crouch there for a minute, visualizing either Arnold or the guy from the second movie (not the chick in the third one because that one sucked) and I start to hum the terminator theme. Then I slowly rise to a standing position and open my eyes. It helps me to proceed to the exam as an emotionless, cyborg badass. The only problem is if the shower curtain sticks to my terminator leg. It ruins the fantasy.
hdave5 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > My biggest concern is I don’ t know if I want to > be PM yet. I am a corp financial analyst, so if > (hopefully when) I pass CFA what will I do with > it. I need a mentor! Anybody volunteering? I am in a similar dilemma. Haven’t registered yet for the exam, thinking that i m a corporate financial analyst and not willing to move to investment management. Analysing and forecasting the stock markets on day to day basis is not my thing… just curious, what is your detailed job description?
some interesting thoughts here. i dont want to be a PM. not even sure if i want to be an ER analyst or work in finance. looking at the markets on a daily basis isnt really my thing either. i work in accg in an ibank and enrolled to build on my finance knowledge - which was pretty limited. im actually quiet enjoying the content though - beats CPA. many others here not sure where they want the CFA to take them???
I will graduate with MBA (top 20, having put the school rank here, I really feel that the whole ranking thing is mostly BS) in May 2009. I am trying to move from engineering to “Finance”. The motivation for move is my feeling that my value add to the current job has stagnated, but the potential to add value in finance area is a lot more than in engineering. When I started my MBA program, I was advised to go through CFA program, pass level I and Level II, to show my seriousness about the career change. Even my “Investment Theory and Practice” professor, who is a CFA charter holder, has said a lot of good things about CFA program for finance jobs. In short, CFA levels on top of MBA may open more doors for finance jobs. hdave5 and sumz, you work as a corporate financial analyst. What is the job like? It seems you do not seem to be very motivated to move into ER or money management. Does corporate finance, may be the treasury role does, prepare you better for ER or money management? By the way, does the corp fin analyst experience count towards experience required for CFA charter? What is the pay like?
Talk about it during interviews. Use it to demonstrate my dedication to finance. Maybe get a jump start in firms that explicitlky instruct people to get the CFA. 3 years of work for that. It’s was worth it though.
Talk about it during interviews. Use it to demonstrate my dedication to finance. Maybe get a jump start in firms that explicitlky instruct people to get the CFA. 3 years of work for that. It’s was worth it though.
I plan to become an expert in Ass. Management