I was super gung ho about doing L1 because it allowed me to get a more formal training for a career in corporate FP&A. After doing L1, I joined a startup as their finance/accounting leader. I paused the CFA so I could blaze through the CPA. After doing the CPA, I was ready to do L2, but had to admit that the juice wasn’t worth the squeeze for the world of startups i.e. the CFA would benefit me maybe during an acquisition but would do zilch for me day to day at an early-stage tech company.
I left the startup and am now preparing for a corporate finance job at big prestigious tech company (think a Google or Facebook). The job posting listed “MBA or CFA preferred” but nothing in the interview process has indicated to me that the CFA would actually help me in my day to day functions, at least not as much as a mastery of Excel, SQL, business analytics, big data principles, or communication skills.
I realize that if I’m going to do L2 in June 2019, I better start really soon. I am hellbent on completing my CFA at some point in my life, but I am just not convinced that doing it now is going to offer the most lift.
I don’t see why this is a big decision. CFA exam is not supposed to dominate your life. Thousands of people take it in their spare time, on top of full time jobs.
There’s not really a question in your post but the stream of thoughts doesn’t really make a lot of sense. If you’re hellbent on completing this program then there really is no sense in holding off getting into Level II. The time pressures will always be there and are unlikely to get any easier.
I’m not sure to understand . you pass lvl 1 , work in a start up but you assume that cfa leverage is minimal.
Then quit start up to work in big company, where cfa would have more leverage. Then say , it’s not worth it now because you could have done something else ?
it seems like those company worshipped cfa more because you said that they ask for cfa/mba .
Also most of sql , analytics etc… i might be wrong, but you will learn them directly at work .
