pre-CFA & pre-FRM

Question

Hello, I am 32 and currently unemployed. Have an MSc degree. Searching for a job since last 4 years. Now, I want to switch to Finance and planning to do FRM L 1 in 05.2021 and CFA L 1 08.2021. Do I stand a chance, considering my age, to get an entry level position in the industry?Looking forward to your answers.Thank you.Dave

cfachris · Answer

@daved10 - is there any specific field in finance you want to go for? It is important to understand your motivation here for a career in finance (and which part). Getting a CFA charter is not a golden ticket to jobs, so I'm worried you're spending extra time and money and not getting what you really want to achieve with this.Honestly speaking - and I don't mean to be a naysayer - the current employment market is not looking great for all, and finance is an extremely competitive field as is. The 4 year unemployment gap can be an easy target to discount your application, and age may be an issue too with graduates flooding the market. Switching career and/or job function is never a one-step thing, and usually people achieve one change at a time (i.e. switch job function but different sector, or switch sector but holding the same job function). I wonder whether you would be able to leverage your math/programming background to get into the finance sector to start (but not your ideal job function)?Lots of food for thought here, and not enough information.

DD_CAIA L1 · Answer

I worked in Quality management for a refrigerator company. The manufactured refrigerators must follow the EU energy standards.No experience in finance field. I am Physics graduate and have solid Maths and Programming foundation.