The value of a CFA

(08-04-2014, 08:04 AM)opmi Wrote: The MOST IMPORTANT thing to do in any job is to make sure your bosses like you. Capability is secondary.

I tend to agree with you on the statement, but in a slightly different way.

"The MOST IMPORTANT thing to do in any job is to make sure you are a good team player. Capability is secondary"

Most of the time, individual hero doesn't help, and overall team efficiency and effectiveness counts.

I have to agree with mrEngineer about the merits of an Engineering degree, having come from an Engineering background myself.

Frankly speaking, one should work a few years in the relevant Engineering field before deciding whether to make a switch to another new field. Nowadays, I see Engineering undergrad already plotting their moves to start work after graduation in a non-Engineering field.

The relevance of Engineering in investment is not really clear-cut, but there are certain skills that are portable. I have seen sell side analysts covering the tech sector having an Engineering degree and worked a few years in the Engineering field before doing their CFA.

What most people don't see is that it is not a matter of having a CFA or not, but rather whether you can convince your future employer that you have the potential to add value to their organization. Of course, having CFA is a plus, but it doesn't mean that it is a minus if you don't have to enter the finance/investment sector.

Ultimately, you have to prove yourself to be at least competent in your current job before switching to another one. Otherwise, even if you have a CFA, it also cannot help you.

(08-04-2014, 10:00 AM)CityFarmer Wrote:

(08-04-2014, 08:04 AM)opmi Wrote: The MOST IMPORTANT thing to do in any job is to make sure your bosses like you. Capability is secondary.

I tend to agree with you on the statement, but in a slightly different way.

"The MOST IMPORTANT thing to do in any job is to make sure you are a good team player. Capability is secondary"

Most of the time, individual hero doesn't help, and overall team efficiency and effectiveness counts.

I want to combine both statements.
"The most important thing is to make sure your boss like you and you have a good team player under you." You will fly very high.

(08-04-2014, 10:51 AM)Bibi Wrote:

(08-04-2014, 10:00 AM)CityFarmer Wrote:

(08-04-2014, 08:04 AM)opmi Wrote: The MOST IMPORTANT thing to do in any job is to make sure your bosses like you. Capability is secondary.

I tend to agree with you on the statement, but in a slightly different way.

"The MOST IMPORTANT thing to do in any job is to make sure you are a good team player. Capability is secondary"

Most of the time, individual hero doesn't help, and overall team efficiency and effectiveness counts.

I want to combine both statements.
"The most important thing is to make sure your boss like you and you have a good team player under you." You will fly very high.

iron rice bowl is the best, so much free time to do anything you like.
why would you want to switch for a 60hr/week job at your age? lol
you do not need a cfa to get into front office, in fact many of the junior hires do not have cfa.
天堂有路你不走，地狱无门你自来?

There is the old saying : 行行出状元

This is very true. Even a very talented person or a genius have to work very hard before he or she can excel in their career. One of our very successful Singaporean music prodigy said that she practices her skill not less than 8 hours a day. There is no short cut to become successful in any endeavour.

So like everyone else that said, CFA is a good to have and no sure way of a finance job.

I talked my way thru to an investment job without a Level 1 because I guess I was able to articulate investment ideas properly.

Now, I am Lvl 3 purely for egotistical sake.

But bottom line is to do what you love. No terrific science here but do much better for your life.

I would say network trounce CFA in finance if you really want to get in.

(08-04-2014, 03:02 PM)scottleey Wrote: So like everyone else that said, CFA is a good to have and no sure way of a finance job.

I talked my way thru to an investment job without a Level 1 because I guess I was able to articulate investment ideas properly.

Now, I am Lvl 3 purely for egotistical sake.

But bottom line is to do what you love. No terrific science here but do much better for your life.

I would say network trounce CFA in finance if you really want to get in.

nepotism beats network anytime...hahah..

Appreciate all inputs thus far. It has been enlightening to listen to all.

Think I'm around your age. Friends of mine also thinking of just changing jobs. One of my friends at age 32 is studying JD at SMU for his law degree. I guess its really how bad you want that job. But also, I think have to be sure if that job is what you really want bah..

I've worked in both civil service and banking (trade finance) before. Banking definitely much harder an industry to work in, with all the hungry and smart people wanting a piece of that proverbial pie.. However, its also a place where you can learn and also network with people, whether its RM, IB, middle office folks, etc..

Just my 2 cents..

(07-04-2014, 10:44 PM)greengiraffe Wrote:

(07-04-2014, 10:26 PM)LikeWise Wrote:

(07-04-2014, 09:04 PM)opmi Wrote: Don't quit your civil service job. You will
appreciate it when you hits middle age.

Pursue investment interests outside job. Get bread and butter
first. Value investing don't work in the fund mgt
becuase of institutional imperative and career risks.

How to pass CFA - take 2 weeks leave from exams and study the guide books
and get a good approved calculator. High fail rate because a lot people never take
leave to cram study coz people taking exams got degrees so proven can study one.
Warning: This advice may be outdated. Hahha.

haha... yeah... that's what my mum keeps telling me. I agree that a finance job can be unstable and it's hard to justify not buying overvalued stocks in a bull market when everyone is making money and you are not if you work for a fund.

I guess maybe I'm jaded after 5 years at the job. Sometimes I find myself dragging my feet to work, I find little meaning in my work sometimes, and I wondering if there is something more interesting out there.

Alamak, then wait till you buy a share thinking that you have covered all angles and then it sits there for the whole time when other stocks all zoomed past it only to see it performing after you sold and switch to another counter...

This is what I call more jaded. Better off learn from some NBN (no brand name) buddies here to make more $ from a stable income better.

Just got to work hard after work and find more rewards in a hobby. I have heard of some successful civil servants who build a substantial portfolio via investing their stable income - why not aspire to be like one of them - thereafter everyday eng eng seng seng...

GG

haha... yes I get your point. thanks for the advice.