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| *Ostroff, Fair and Company>>>Technology |
Entry level jobs for CFA that are attainable? |
What other entry level jobs could I possibly get which would allow me to earn experience toward the CFA? I only have a 3.0, but I have worked two internships, am VP of my Frat, have a double-major in Finance & Accounting, and attend a Top 10 B-school. I know if I take the GMAT, I have been projected to get appx. 720-750. Took several practice tests at Kaplan. Could showing those scores to an interviewer increase my chances for getting a better job? Also, I know that I have a very respectable resume, however I know my GPA is not high enough to get an internship in I-Banking, are there jobs which I could apply for that I could realistically get which would enable me to start earning experience toward the CFA? I am a CFA charter holder and I was in a similar situation when I was your age. I was a Finance/Accounting double major in a top 10 B-school with a less-than-superb GPA (3.2 at UC Berkeley). I too held offices at my fraternity (and I was an officer of the honors accounting society). The GMAT scores won't apply for when you get a job, but your grades, experience and background will matter - in that order. The internships - if they were in finance - will help big time. If not, then much less so. Firms want to know that you have experience and don't really want to hire a green graduate unless they are obviously are supermen. Make sure you get recommendations from your internships to prove that you could be thrown in the fire and excel - regardless of your grades. Be very specific in your recommendations as to the tasks you did and the quality of work you had. This is your ace in the hole. Your background may also help. Were you working class and had to work your way through school (this will go a long way in explaining lower grades). Did you spend summers volunteering with your local politician? Were you the lone black kid in an all white school? This may not apply to you (it didn't for me - no excuse for me as I was lazy in school), but any edge to help explain away your GPA will help. The CFAI is very specific as far as what experience qualifies as work experience toward its charter. http://www.cfainstitute.org/cfaprog/gets... You'll note that the >50% role and specificity of working in a securities-based job pretty much defines where you need to apply. I would apply at the following obvious places: Brokerages Mutual funds Hedge funds (finding these guys is hard as there is no centralized list of hedge funds) Bond funds Here's some more ideas: http://www.cfainstitute.org/cfaprog/gets... Here are the less obvious ones that you should also hit: Insurance company (portfolio side, not the sales side) Trusts (i.e. hit every major university as they will have a portfolio that needs to be managed) Funds of funds Very large non-for-profit trusts Older companies (find companies that were old enough to have defined benefit plans rather than the newer ones that just have defined contribution plans). What did I do? I went into Big 4 accounting. I got my 2 years of audit under my belt and passed the CPA exam. I didn't want to BECOME a CPA, but it was the stepping stone to break into I-Banking. I have worked in investments ever since and am now an equity analyst with a major global stock broker. The accounting does NOT qualify for "experience", but it did give me the overwhelming edge against other applicants. I beat out over 2,000 other applicants when I joined. how about working as accountant |
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