The CFA is not necessarily a direct route into a new job, but it could boost your career. Exactly what point in your career you decide to undertake the qualification could also have a bearing on its impact. After all, an increasing number of university students are signing up to Level I in an attempt to differentiate themselves from scores of other applicants for graduate positions, while those in back office jobs are doing so to prove their technical prowess.
The CFA’s Asian unit has handily provided some real-life examples of how the qualification has helped people across different sectors within financial services in its new 2014 career guide.
Needless to say, there would have been a lot more going on to advance their careers than the infographics suggest, but it shows an interesting variation in finance professionals’ motivations for undertaking the CFA – everything from breaking in, to professional development, to what seems like an unnecessary personal achievement once in a very senior position. Here’s a selection of the more interesting business areas.
Fund management:
Research:
Corporate finance:
