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The CFA Conundrum - Does CFA with MBA in Finance add value?

Comments
 

Ankit

Great article. But I think CFA helps a lot even in Investment banking. I was in the US for training and a lot of people in senior positions were asked if CFA helps and the overall gist was that it does. Most people join as analysts at the start even in front end investment banking roles and its not client facing for quite sometime. People who have done a CFA/CA definitely have a great head start when analyzing balance sheets of companies for valuation purposes. But I do agree that corporate banking has not too much to do with a CFA coz thats what I do and no one in my team has even appeared for level 1.

11 Nov 2011, 10.35 AM

Pankil

Hi If you do your cfa, do you need an MBA then?

11 Nov 2011, 11.50 AM

+Read Replies (2)

Ankit

@Pankil - Front end jobs are hard to come even if you are a CFA in India/cleared level II CFA unless you have a top tier management degree. Over the years, due to lack of enough number of quality finance jobs competition is fierce. Also, there is an exclusivity mindset which makes people from top tier institutes to only let people from their own institutes get those jobs. Things should change as more and more jobs become available in India.

11 Nov 2011, 12.59 PM |

Karan

I know people who get absorbed in good banks in certain posts after clearing an L2. But for good progress along the way, an MBA is probably important.

14 Nov 2011, 09.06 PM |

Abhinav Tripathi

I`ve cleared CFA level-2 and have worked in a boutique investment bank for 1.5 years. As mentioned in the earlier posts, if you count on CFA alone, you might as well kiss goodbye to your chances of getting into a good i-bank. At best, you can get into another boutique investment bank or a back-end role at a big i-bank. Moreover, in India, if you want to get into a front-end bulge bracket role, only aim for IIM A/B/C. For the other B-schools, you can only get front-end roles in boutique i-banks/Indian I-banks (Yes, this also includes big names like other IIMs) I`ve worked in the industry so am giving the general idea of how the industry works.

29 Apr 2012, 07.58 AM

MKiing

Haha. Funny how you folks just think of how everything can be positioned to an employer. Employer employer employer. Come to the west, and you'll realize the number of fantastic money managers who don't even hold a degree in Business or Finance. You folks will just keep chasing qualifications to end up in a front office role at a BB I bank. Is your life restricted to just that? Think beyond that. And the CFA is great for Investment Management.

19 Jul 2012, 04.31 PM

Karthick V S

I would like to kknow if this CFA can be done before hand. i mean even before getting into a b-school?? and how long is this certification valid??

26 Aug 2012, 09.37 PM

+Read Replies (1)

@ykay

You can do it after your graduation/degree. It is valid for life.

27 Aug 2012, 02.59 AM |

vaibhav

Does clearing CFA L1 helps in IIMs PI?

5 Oct 2012, 01.27 AM

MBA Guy

CFA may not help at the B school level but does affect once you start toiling in the field.

12 Nov 2012, 04.34 PM

Vamsi

i would like to know if by clearing certain level of CFA would add any value in the IIM admission process?

12 Dec 2012, 11.29 PM

srikar

Very useful article :) Can you please enlighten us about FRM certification too. The opportunities for a person who completed CFA level 1 and 2 vs the one who finished FRM part 1 and 2. I know that CFA and FRM focuses on different parts. But I am uncertain about the job opportunities 'in reality' with the help of these certifications. I work as an IT support in Operations Risk field.

3 Jan 2013, 03.41 PM

shradha

can we do CFA along with our B-school? or is it necessary to first complete the graduation?

29 Apr 2013, 12.53 PM

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15 Jun 2014, 04.05 PM

Riya Dingria

Anyone Please Help Me I Want To Study MBA+Cfa Together And I Want To Settle In Abroad. Whether I Get Any Kind Of Job Opportunities In Abroad After Doing Cfa +mba

5 May 2016, 09.29 AM

+Read Replies (1)

Team InsideIIM

We are the team behind your favourite platform.

If you want to settle abroad - there is a higher probability of you being able to do that by doing your MBA/Masters abroad than in India.

10 May 2016, 12.10 PM |

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Comments
 

Ankit

Great article. But I think CFA helps a lot even in Investment banking. I was in the US for training and a lot of people in senior positions were asked if CFA helps and the overall gist was that it does. Most people join as analysts at the start even in front end investment banking roles and its not client facing for quite sometime. People who have done a CFA/CA definitely have a great head start when analyzing balance sheets of companies for valuation purposes. But I do agree that corporate banking has not too much to do with a CFA coz thats what I do and no one in my team has even appeared for level 1.

11 Nov 2011, 10.35 AM

Pankil

Hi If you do your cfa, do you need an MBA then?

11 Nov 2011, 11.50 AM

+Read Replies (2)

Ankit

@Pankil - Front end jobs are hard to come even if you are a CFA in India/cleared level II CFA unless you have a top tier management degree. Over the years, due to lack of enough number of quality finance jobs competition is fierce. Also, there is an exclusivity mindset which makes people from top tier institutes to only let people from their own institutes get those jobs. Things should change as more and more jobs become available in India.

11 Nov 2011, 12.59 PM |

Karan

I know people who get absorbed in good banks in certain posts after clearing an L2. But for good progress along the way, an MBA is probably important.

14 Nov 2011, 09.06 PM |

Abhinav Tripathi

I`ve cleared CFA level-2 and have worked in a boutique investment bank for 1.5 years. As mentioned in the earlier posts, if you count on CFA alone, you might as well kiss goodbye to your chances of getting into a good i-bank. At best, you can get into another boutique investment bank or a back-end role at a big i-bank. Moreover, in India, if you want to get into a front-end bulge bracket role, only aim for IIM A/B/C. For the other B-schools, you can only get front-end roles in boutique i-banks/Indian I-banks (Yes, this also includes big names like other IIMs) I`ve worked in the industry so am giving the general idea of how the industry works.

29 Apr 2012, 07.58 AM

MKiing

Haha. Funny how you folks just think of how everything can be positioned to an employer. Employer employer employer. Come to the west, and you&#039;ll realize the number of fantastic money managers who don&#039;t even hold a degree in Business or Finance. You folks will just keep chasing qualifications to end up in a front office role at a BB I bank. Is your life restricted to just that? Think beyond that. And the CFA is great for Investment Management.

19 Jul 2012, 04.31 PM

Karthick V S

I would like to kknow if this CFA can be done before hand. i mean even before getting into a b-school?? and how long is this certification valid??

26 Aug 2012, 09.37 PM

+Read Replies (1)

@ykay

You can do it after your graduation/degree. It is valid for life.

27 Aug 2012, 02.59 AM |

vaibhav

Does clearing CFA L1 helps in IIMs PI?

5 Oct 2012, 01.27 AM

MBA Guy

CFA may not help at the B school level but does affect once you start toiling in the field.

12 Nov 2012, 04.34 PM

Vamsi

i would like to know if by clearing certain level of CFA would add any value in the IIM admission process?

12 Dec 2012, 11.29 PM

srikar

Very useful article :) Can you please enlighten us about FRM certification too. The opportunities for a person who completed CFA level 1 and 2 vs the one who finished FRM part 1 and 2. I know that CFA and FRM focuses on different parts. But I am uncertain about the job opportunities 'in reality' with the help of these certifications. I work as an IT support in Operations Risk field.

3 Jan 2013, 03.41 PM

shradha

can we do CFA along with our B-school? or is it necessary to first complete the graduation?

29 Apr 2013, 12.53 PM

tozca leather

http://www.tozcaleather.com

I extremely like to browse this submit, and I agree making use of the troubles in that creating. I suppose appropriate in this article is one of the superb impression. I'm intending there is to do some thing you would like to once watching. <a href="http://goo.gl/5mVstL" rel="nofollow">tozca leather</a>

15 Jun 2014, 04.05 PM

Riya Dingria

Anyone Please Help Me I Want To Study MBA+Cfa Together And I Want To Settle In Abroad. Whether I Get Any Kind Of Job Opportunities In Abroad After Doing Cfa +mba

5 May 2016, 09.29 AM

+Read Replies (1)

Team InsideIIM

We are the team behind your favourite platform.

If you want to settle abroad - there is a higher probability of you being able to do that by doing your MBA/Masters abroad than in India.

10 May 2016, 12.10 PM |