- This topic has 13 replies, 9 voices, and was last updated Nov-185:56 pm by
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Up35
Hi guys,
I just stumbled on this forum yesterday, and it seems like the perfect place to ask this question. I am a biology/premed major, set for graduation in May of 2014. I have come to the realization that I absolutely do not want to go to medical school. After shadowing and talking to doctors, it’s just not for me. I have always been interested in finance and investment, and I truly want to take the CFA exam and get into the industry.
My question is…Is it possible to get a job as a junior analyst of some sort after passing the Level 1 exam, even though I will have a Bachelor of Science degree? If not, what other kinds of options are available for me? I read around and passing the Level 1 is supposed to show a level of committment and motivation that companies are looking for.
If anyone can shed some light on this matter, it is greatly appreciated!Thank you in advance,
Syed
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Up4
Hi @skareemoutloud, welcome to the 300HC community!
Yes you absolutely can. I’d recommend going for internship and work experiences in the investment field too. This is important, and with a CFA level 1 and good interviewing skills I don’t see a problem at all. Your bachelors shouldn’t really matter here in a junior role.
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Up4
I’d reflect @sophie’s advice – invest as much time as you can into learning about the industry as you can. A medical degree shows a lot of discipline and I’ve seen quite a few in the finance industry so it’s a function of making sure you put yourself in front of the right firms and people.
We cover a lot of career-related advice in the blog – these should get you started:
https://300hours.com/how-to-write-a-good-resume-cv/
https://300hours.com/how-to-network-effectively/
https://300hours.com/how-to-prepare-for-an-interview/Good luck with the job hunt and CFA exams!
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Up4
Hi
Carrying on this discussion. I am based in M&A within the Big 4 in the UK. I am hoping to self-study CFA. With Level 1, would I be able to land a decent job? Ideally hoping for a salary of £42k plus (have a family to consider!)
Thanks!
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Up4
Hi,
Continuing the discussion. I am a technical guy (java and related technologies) working in financial applications as a developer for 6 years and also would like to go for cfa level1. But what kind of job opportunities exist? Can you please elaborate more on the type of jobs offered? I am interested in business analyst roles, but not sure would that kind of profile really hire me or not as I am more into technical for the past these many years. -
Up3
> @Sophie said:
> Hi skareemoutloud, welcome to the 300HC community!
>
> Yes you absolutely can. I’d recommend going for internship and work experiences in the investment field too. This is important, and with a CFA level 1 and good interviewing skills I don’t see a problem at all. Your bachelors shouldn’t really matter here in a junior role.Thanks for the answer, Sophie! Would the degree matter as I move up in the ranks? I know that a lot of MBA holders get hired as senior analysts right out of business school…if my information is correct. Would I have to go back and get my MBA in order to move up, or can my performance and whether or not I hold the charter substitute for that?
Thank you again! And I’m so excited to be starting this journey, and that I have found this forum early on. I can see that it’s going to be really helpful alone the way.
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Up3
Well i agree with the advice of getting more familiar with the industry,
i also need help on getting a job as i hv passed the level 1 cfa exam. currently unemployed. thank you -
Up2
These transitions post CFA part I are possible.
After I completed my CFA part I, I went from a totally different job (albeit a quantitative thing) into a role in risk consulting. However as @policedog rightly says, there’s more to it than that. For example, make sure you leverage the skills you already have from your undergraduate degree. My starting salary was > $100k. (That’s Switzerland though!)
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Up1
I’d reflect @sophie’s advice – invest as much time as you can into learning about the industry as you can. A medical degree shows a lot of discipline and I’ve seen quite a few in the finance industry so it’s a function of making sure you put yourself in front of the right firms and people.
We cover a lot of career-related advice in the blog – these should get you started:
https://300hours.com/how-to-write-a-good-resume-cv/
https://300hours.com/how-to-network-effectively/
https://300hours.com/how-to-prepare-for-an-interview/Good luck with the job hunt and CFA exams!
Thank you so much for this! I figured the degree would be useful in the sense that it shows discipline at least haha. I wil definitely look through those links. I’m sorry if I sound like a huge noob, but I am still getting familiar with this forum!
Thanks again!
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Up1
@skareemoutloud the purpose of this place is to help – so no problem at all!
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Up1
@hairyfairy Well, I won’t knock Switzerland; I love it. But 100k doesn’t go as far as you’d think here!
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Up0
@navesnitw‌ to break into finance a lot more work than taking the CFA exams. get to know the industry, get to know the role itself (day to day) and network with people. As your experience is not related you’ll need to rely more on knowing the right people to get you started.
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