Please say your current status (L3 candidate, charter holder, etc): L3 candidate Please say what country you are in : Amsterdam, the NL Did it give you job opportunities? Better pay? : Not really, CFA is not widely known here compared to the US but it gets better. But in the investment industry it’s a nice to have. Would you do it again? : Yes Your welcome to add anything else. : I don’t have a finance background so this was a great way to acquire thorough finance knowledge. Also, I can apply the things I’ve learned almost on a daily basis and I am way more confident about finance topics. From that perspective it is very helpful. It also shows that I caught up somewhat with the people who do have an MBA or equivalent. Lastly, I think all the material is fun to read, all the topics are relevant and presented in a way you can understand and apply it. Only thing I don’t like is the amount of studying that goes into this. I’ve lived a bit like a monk the last 3 years, studying in the morning and through weekends. I’m glad it’s almost over!
Current status: charterholder in Canada, VP at sell side firm More opportunities, better pay? Not yet, I only got the charter last year. But I’m glad I have it on my business card when meeting clients. Would I do it again? Yes. I do not have another professional designation (P. Eng etc.) so this is important to me. I’m a finance professional, and I can prove it. Anything else: It took me seven years to earn my charter as I failed Level I once and then failed Level II four times before cracking the nut and knocking off Levels II and III in 2009 and 2010. I learned four important things while studying for the charter: 1. Equity valuation techniques 2. Accounting 3. How buyside professionals have to fight hard for any performance advantage 4. Industry ethics In August 2009 we hired an associate right out of school who figured out that the six weeks between the end of university exams in April and the CFA Level I in June was a perfect window of opportunity to study hard and get one level out of the way. This associate was able to come to us with a Level I: PASS, when all other ‘new grad’ candidates that submitted resumes had signed up for the December 2009 exam. If people say they are committed to a finance career, success in the CFA program is the way to demonstrate it.
Maximum respect for your perseverance!!
Currently a LII candidate, United States. For me the CFA is absolutely worth it because it’s really the only thing I have. I’m currently a broker for a discount firm. I dropped out of college to start a business and therefore don’t even have a BS (contrary to belief, CFAI does not require a degree to obtain the charter, but professional eperience combined with school to equal 4+ years). CFA is my one shot to at least get a toe in an otherwise locked and bolted shut door. Going back to finish my BS will certainly be an option should I discover that a charter without a degree is like putting a suit on a homeless man. Until then, CFA is all i got… With that being said, I suppose whether or not it’s worth it is more a relative question. If you’re already in the club, it may be a nice addition but not ground breaking. On the other hand, if you’re a discount broker making 50k a year, perhaps it could change your life…
You will need a bachelors. Better start planning on it now. The bachelors is likely more important than the CFA.
nielsendc Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Currently a LII candidate, United States. > > I dropped out of > college to start a business and therefore don’t > even have a BS (contrary to belief, CFAI does not > require a degree to obtain the charter, but > professional eperience combined with school to > equal 4+ years). I wouldn’t hire anyone without a BS, and I really doubt any respectable well-known firm will for a junior position. Plenty of young elite school grads to choose from who have passed L2 and L3 to go around twice over.
Status: L2 Candidate, Chicago BLOT wrote: "Current status: charterholder in Canada, VP at sell side firm More opportunities, better pay? Not yet, I only got the charter last year. But I’m glad I have it on my business card when meeting clients. Would I do it again? Yes. I do not have another professional designation (P. Eng etc.) so this is important to me. I’m a finance professional, and I can prove it. Anything else: It took me seven years to earn my charter as I failed Level I once and then failed Level II four times before cracking the nut and knocking off Levels II and III in 2009 and 2010. " Not trying to put BLOT down in any way… but he is a VP… this shows that knowledge from experience and knowledge via education are two different things. As more idiots decide to cross ethical boundaries, the demand and value of a CFA CHARTERHOLDER increases… notice I said Charterholder, not a Candidate… anybody can show progress.
Forget about everything else and think about the learning experience you get from it - that is great by itself 
I don’t care if I ever make it to chareterholder as long as I’m learning something worth the payment I’m making
worth it, if one knows where he/she is and where he/she wants go. If you already have MBA or phd(finance/econo), then CFA is another title (and not game changer)
Level 2 candidate US I can’t answer about jobs because I am going to begin searching after June, however my friend who is taking level 3 got a job after passing level 2 and he had been interviewing for over a year. According to him after he passed level 1 it got him interviews but no offer. He said after passing level 2 suddenly employers were much more interested and he got a job right away. I also agree with the statement above regarding ethis. With this insider trading scandal going on right now that supposedly is going to implicate a lot of equity analysts I would think that it will create a higher demand for CFA charters.