Chartered Finance Analyst (CFA) is getting more and more recognition by the day in the realm of finance and banking. So, if like many, you are wondering what CFA is and how will it give your career the push it needs, then here’s our insight into CFA and its increasing relevance.
For starters, let’s answer the basic question:
What is CFA and who should go for it?
- The chartered financial analyst program is a certification which is being provided and affirmed by the CFA Institute. It is a certification which is acknowledged around the globe. It is conducted in 3 levels where you are required to clear one level to get to another. Clearing all the three levels in one go is considered by most candidates, equivalent to winning the world war…thrice.
- What is essential in this program is absolute hard work by the candidates who are aspiring for this certification at graduate level and want to pursue their career in investment. Only a person who is dedicated to academics only can pursue the CFA program. Undergraduates who want to boost up their careers at early stages of their degrees apply for this program, but one thing we should keep in mind is that it’s just a certification and not a guarantee.
It is a big task as compared to those other management programs, like the MBA where relatively less efforts and commitment is required. There are many MBA pass outs and Chartered Accountants who join CFA to get into core investment banking jobs and find it more difficult that their previous programs. CFA gives you with the ample of job opportunities and provides you with the broad scope but it asks for utter seriousness in return.
If you wish to build a career in the field of finance then they you should go for CFA as it focuses essentially on ethics, portfolio management, accounting, corporate finance, fixed income and equity investments.
Ideal jobs for a CFA-
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Portfolio Management:
As CFA has its focus on training you on portfolio management skills, a CFA cannot go wrong with a job as a portfolio manager. The role and responsibilities of this job include making financial decisions for people who have given the control of their money to you or your company.
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Research Analyst:
A research analyst is expected to analyse the financial transactions and records for clients. They to prepare their observations and primarily give an insight on what the client would want to know about the financial health of the organisation in such a way that nothing pretty important is overlooked before making any strategic decisions. Some similar positions include: investment analyst, rating analyst, financial analyst, equity analyst.
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Finance Consultant:
The role of a finance consultant is to provide suggestions, recommendations and professional advice that will benefit the firm. The CFA program covers corporate finance which will assist the professional to make alternative decisions and recommendations to the third party or the client in satisfying their queries and requirements.
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Accountant/Auditor:
The role and responsibilities of an auditor include keeping a track of all financial footprints and documents of the business or company that he is associated with.
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Investment Banking Analyst:
An IBA has to keep a check on all the possible pit stops, analyse and evaluate all possibilities before any investment is made. This professional has the responsibility of directing and making the firm aware of the risks and difficulties associated with big decisions like mergers and acquisitions. This task can be efficiently performed by any CFA as the course has a section on corporate investment, equity investment, economics which prepares you for such a position.
The given list is only suggestive, not exhaustive. The world of Finance is a canvas for a CFA as various opportunities of all kinds are available in the corporate sector and the academic scope of CFA study satisfies most of them well.
Conclusion:
It won’t be wrong to point out that many organisations and individuals alike are getting interested in CFA, as it provides security of finance for the former and of career to the latter.
