I am a CFA Level III candidate. Currently working at a Big Four firm (mainly Transactions Services). I am fed up with the long hours and high-pressure environment that I have to go through every single day. It is like I have to beg my employer to go home at 8pm and study. My CFA exams are more like a burden to the firm, rather than an investment.
So, with this backdrop, I would really like to obtain my CFA charter and work in a typical 9-5pm job, with some extra hours here and there if necessary. I like the CFA content (I also like my current job) but it seems to me that most interesting jobs related to the Charter are high-pressure with a poor work-life balance.
My question is this: Are there any jobs at all in which you can apply CFA knowledge and work decent hours?
Asset management is front office with nice hours. Investor relations can be interesting and less high pressure but can require lots of travel which becomes tiresome after a while. Traders often work surprisingly reasonable hours (i.e. market hours).
People are mentioning small boutiques, or wealth management type jobs. However, don’t you have to deal with the markets in these types of jobs? And isn’t that really stressful?
A good buddy of mine runs an RIA with a small staff but huge AUM. He works pretty long hours. Clients are always calling him about whatever the hell their current problem is. That said, it’s still a pretty cool gig. Not like it’s IB or anything.
Welcome to life at a Big 4 firm. These companies generally don’t care about your career aspirations, since you are disposable and there are 100 young graduates lining up to take your place. And why should they care about your professional designations? Should they let you have time off so you can study, just so you can take your skills elsewhere when you go?
I think that this is just going to be the prevailing attitude at most big auditing companies. They’re generally just mills that use/abuse their staff as long as possible before they start abusing the next batch.
If I were you, I’d tough it out until after L3. Trying to find a new job and learn a new job will take its toll and distract from your studies. I’d do enough at your job to not get fired, finish L3 (it’s only a few months), then get the hell outta there, and take a job with better hours.
Thanks Greenman. It is also not easy with a wife getting tired my CFA and work commitments, but I will tough it out until after L3.
I’ve also come to realise - what the hell is it worth working all these hours when I could just spend some quality time doing things I actually want to do? Personal decision I guess.
Corporate finance. I work 8-5 max most days, I take a leisurely lunch, read the news, post on AF. And I’m a manager, so I have a heavier burden than your average worker bee. My comp is average compared to the CFA survey for someone with similar experience on the banking side but I work 20-30% less easily with limited pressure. Plumbing though is a good six figure potential career of 9-5 hours. No stress. Clean the sh*t off your shoes at the end of the day and go home for a six pack and pizza.
my pops got into plumbing past few years, and given it’s seasonal nature, he works pretty efficiently during the cold months and spends the summers relaxing on his boat.
yeah this whole plumbing thing has gone too far. you cannot compare CFA route to plumbing. sure some plumbers make a couple hundred grand but there are many CFAs that make that and didn’t really have to take any risk getting there. further, there a plenty of CFAs that make $1M+ without a ton of effort. just born smart, know the right people, bam, millions.
