Hi all,
Just wondering if there are any accountants here who have completed the CFA program? I’m just curious to know how the CFA helped you to change careers or find better prospects. I’m hoping to get into a equity/fixed income research position after I qualify and complete the CFA.
Any comments?
Greenman has I believe.
Median accountant > median dude in finance
Speaking as somebody who started in accounting and jumped ship, your best risk/reward play here is to get into corporate finance in the industry that you were an accountant for.
well many finance back office jobs are kind of accountants.
I switched. The CFA program did not help me in finding a better job or new prospects. I had to do all of that on my own, through networking. A lot of networking…for a long time. Once I had the beginner job, I then completed the CFA program and have used it to try to move up to a more advanced level while continuing to network like a beast. Still trying.
The CFA equips you with some of the technical knowledge you need for equity research/fixed income but in terms of making an impression on recruiters - nada. What did help was networking, especially attending the CFA UK events in London. It’s sheer agony if you’re introverted but potentially very rewarding.
Working as an accountant in the back office of an asset manager/bank is career suicide if you want to go into ER. I just fail to see what value you would add to an FI/Equities desk with that kind of experience, perhaps unless you are analysing asset managers/banks (…yaaawnnn)…