CFA Complete Waste of Time; Here's Why... university, experience, teachers, nothing, because

manchester88

This thread is targeted towards two types of profiles:
Younger candidates probably still in university or fresh out of it within the past 12-18 months.
Older candidates with some type of professional experience outside of finance looking to get into finance
You may think you are some sort of special gift because of what parents and/or teachers have been drilling into your mind. Let me assure you that there is nothing special about you and for every special thing you think you may have there will be another guy who will be ten steps ahead of you and thus much better.
Is this so bad?
ABSOLUTELY NOT.
However, you want to be in finance and let me assure you that a proper entry-level finance job is damn near unattainable. Even assistant portfolio manager positions and analyst positions are impossible to interview because the competition is unreal.
Please go on your local career websites and show me how many jobs there are for CMA/CGA/CA?
Then show me what the F*** is there for CFA’s?
…but, but, but
Younger and/or gullible idiots always point out “hey, but CFA is required for portfolio mgmt.”
Really, genius? What makes you think you can even get an interview for an Assistant PM, let alone a full PM?
Again, show me the CFA jobs…at this point you will be thinking of networking and all other types of nonsense to get you in, but at the end of the day you’ll be beat down OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN! Networking will kill you, because the population of egomaniacs & psychopaths working in finance will judge you and spit on you.                                            
The CMA is the best route to go for general analyst roles on the corporate side. CA will be a waste of time due to the articleship headaches. CGA is ok, too.
Younger kids in college/university; DON’T WASTE YOUR BRAIN AND ENERGY ON THE CFA. You will end up old and bitter like myself.
I can show you examples of Portfolio Managers right now who do not even have the CFA yet are the most respected managers on Bay Street (Toronto). I also know of younger Associate/Assistant PM’s who simply hold some generic undergrad degree. What does this illustrate? If you are from the right background (i.e. WASP) most likely they will take you. On the other hand, if you are a kid who has worked his ass of throughout university at two jobs and come from a working-class background, good luck to you….Finance is loaded with arrogant, pretentious, psychopath yuppie types. Run away while you can.
Any idiotic responses to this thread should be replied with a comparison of how many CGA/CMA/CA jobs vs. CFA jobs you can come up with…I rest my case.

Darien

i like random outbursts of anger…how old are you??

cfalevel2011

I love this…….many hints of truth in there.

ruchita

whats a CMA broski?

Carson

Where are you from then?

dirk01

“Good, I can feel your anger…. Let the hate flow through you….”

ryanlb

lol i never implied it did…just curious thats all

IAmNeil

I will keep bumping this thread until the youngest of the bunch read it. I want younger people to go the CMA/CGA or maybe even an MBA route.
While so far you may think I am upset or angry, I actually say all of this out of genuine concern for the younger folks.
With a proper CMA/CGA and/or MBA type of education you may even have employers running after you. No need to be in an industry with COMPLETE PSYCHOPATHS.

Wendy01

^ i like this guy

KungFuPanda