Hi guys, I am currently a level 1 candidate…and would be giving my attempt in dec 2012. I just wanted to know the job opportunities for cfa in USA (i live in india)…i have no prior job experience and i am stiil doing my bachelors degee…I know this sounds kind of crazy but i wish to just hop on a plane and get to america and scout for job opportunities…since i have mo work exp and have no “connections” and since I am doing my grad from india…do i stand a fair chance of landing a job in usa…?? since average salaries for a fresher cfa is around 50000$ i am hopeful that it would be “knowledge and talent” which would be given preference and not nationality…if guys from usa having same level of knowledge and skills can get an average of 50000$ on the basis of cfa certificate…i was kind of hoping i can score it too…(i know this may sound immature and noob but i do have a point right?) so the main question is should i just leave my nation and just come to usa looking for jobs or should i not…?? (the main reason for doing thid is here cfa is still n its early stages and very little opportunities are available and even if there are…the pay is very less) any help would be appreciated…!!
You have no chance.
Sorry.
And no CFA L1’s dont have any kind of “average salary” it’s really sort of meaningless. btw.
very difficult.
If you had 4 years of qualfying finance work experience, had passed all 3 level of the CFA exams, and earned your CFA charter… Plus you had a U.S. work authorization… then coming to the U.S. to look for work would be a reasonable idea.
But it sounds like you have none of these things.
@palantir- i was obviously looking to come after all 3 levels…not after level 1 @preppie- can i know y?? @wendy-thanks for the info mate…4 years of experience and a charter huh?? so i should get experience working in india for 4 years and then maybe think of coming?? no reasonable chance without any work exp?? well that is disappointing…
howcome people from usa who have completed cfa land such great jobs and a guy who has the same certificate (assuming i will get it in next 3 years) from other part of the world finds it difficult to get same such job and salary…isnt this discrimination?? 
I’m pretty sure the over-arching theme of this forum is that the CFA designation (not just passing the three tests) is in no way a ticket into the game of finance.
It is an advantage vs. other candidates (of which there are many).
Only problem is that you’re starting a few rungs below a native-English-speaking U.S. citizen on the ladder.
If you pass all three tests and then fly to the US to find a job, you could argue that you will have a higher chance of getting a job in the US than someone exactly like you who is still in India. and has not passed the tests.
But if I were gonna play devil’s advocate, I’d say that you’re much more likely to find people looking to hire & grant work visas to Indians in India than on a steet in NYC.
dude, go to one of IIMs.
Yeah…if that was an option you think he’d be posting on this forum? What a moron.
Tell an unemployed recent grad…you can’t get a job, why not get an Ivy League MBA instead?
There’s no point in really explaining it further. Just don’t do it.
And you’re not alone, there have already been dozens of people asking if passing the CFA exams will get you a job. it’s been a few weeks since the last person from India asked
Every employer in the world discriminates against job applicants that:
- Have no relevant experience
- Have no relevant qualifications
- Have no work authorization
If any unskilled Indian could simply hop on a plane and immediately get a $100k finance job in the United States, I think India would pretty quicky empty of people.
I’m nobody to tell anyone what they can and can’t do, but the odds are not in your favor.
If you are set on coming to the U.S. to look for a job, you need a gameplan. You need to know what city to target, what companies to target, who to communicate with, how to communicate with these people, etc. Also, if you are actually able to talk to some employers, how would you convince them you are worthy of a position? Why should they chose you over other candidates?
In the end, the only thing you will lose is some money for the plane ticket and housing.
Ohh…ok…
I guess it would be sane to look for opportunities here itself and then maybe few years down the road…i may consider moving to usa… it was just that I always wanted to be in usa…travel and meet new people and have fun…guess i have to come back to reality and realize that life aint that easy… @everyone-thanx a lot for replying and helping me out…really appreciate it 
There is no need for you to physically be on the ground in the U.S. to scout for job opportunities.
You can fairly easily determine whether or not you can land interviews with U.S. firms without ever leaving India: via online job applications, emails, phone calls, etc.
If the naysayers here are correct (ie. that nobody in the U.S. will be interested in giving you an interview) then you have saved yourself a lot of time and money.
akash, the only route I see you getting a job in US is by coming here for masters degree etc.
@wendy- yea i can try via online jobs/emails/phone calls etc but i dont have any idea about the same…as an employer I would be worried about fake resumes and glorified resumes which can waste a lot of time as well as energy…dont know the mechanics of how that works…il definately consider that…thanks for the advice
@palantir-masters degree is way too costly…i cannot afford it…preferred cfa over mba because of high roi…i dont see masters from usa happening…thanx for your advice though…really appreciate it…
A masters degree from a US institution would likely also ease your way through the work authorization process (H1B or other). It’s been mentioned a couple times already, but have you really investigated if you are even permitted to work in the US and/or what costs an employer would likely incur if they were to hire you??
@bvalguy- i was meaning to ask what work authorization is when wendy mentioned it earlier…but refrained thinking i will come out as an idiot…!! i have no clue whatsoever about this particular topic…i was so into working in usa that i keplt on checking salaries offered and looked upon job portals to see what are expected skills and.did research on places where it would be good to work and all that…but never realy went about knowing the “procedural side” of the same…i know i should have also taken that into consideration…it completely slipped out of my mind…after he mentioned i did check wiki and one more officiol site but did not really get a clear picture…if you/anyone else can help me out on this it would be great…thanks…
When I saw this topic, I really thought this was a troll topic you started lol.
What’s the number count of Indians wanting work in the US this month now?
dude if you have no intention of helping people…get the hell out of here and get a life…!! other people genuinely want to help here…if you are not gonna help dont bother to comment… and about indians coming to usa for jobs…that is none of your business…every individual has a right to look for opportunities that would make him successful…even if it means coming to usa or going into sahara desert if thats what it takes…if one feels that a particular place can help his career and life…why should he not do it?