Value of the CFA in Corporate Finance... him, valuation, director, starting

smartpants

I work for a somewhat "big" international company and I sometime give a hand to the director of compensation on matters related to stock based compensation (we are still private so I get to do a full valuation of the company).

So while we were working on this, he told me he was thinking about starting the CFA and he was asking how feasable was it to do the level 1 in December. I told him that for someone with his kind of workload and responsibilities, plus the fact that it probably won't be his priority (he's a FSA and he's over 50 years old), that he should aim at doing it in june and then he told that he was hoping to do the level 1 in December and then the level 2 in June...

I guess he's really bright (you don't get to be FSA with luck), but my first reaction was more "well there goes my hope for a salary raise when I'll be done with the exams" (I'll be doing level 3 next June). I mean, if the guy in charge of compensation thinks that he could do the exam just like that while working over 80 hours a week, having a family and more as a hobby than a challenge, that pretty much mean the title is not worth much in his mind...

lucasg85

i'm in strategy & corp dev, and i get a lot of credit for finishing the exams. i now get put on a lot of interesting projects that i otherwise wouldn't

so i think it definitely has value



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at Thursday, August 25, 2011 at 01:52PM by dspapo.

PieMan

I think the CFA makes you do your job better to a point. Sure you understand financial concepts faster, are more confident with financial issues etc. But, I see quite a bit of burnout with CFA candidates and charterholders that are so drained from the program, especially after Level III, that their job performance suffers for many months and even years after. Think of how much the CFA program takes out of you that could have been poured back into your job.

iteracom

Zesty Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> @smileyglad, If the only reason to do something is
> that "it can't hurt" then there's no good reason
> to do it; in my book.


That's how I'm feeling about studying for the CPA, but every day the markets get worse and I'm thinking this finance pipe dream is not going to come through so I might as well put my undergrad degree to work.

Colum

@smileyglad, If the only reason to do something is that "it can't hurt" then there's no good reason to do it; in my book.

laurab

my own $.02 is that anyone that has a job in finance, economics, accounting, or similar fields would benefit immensely from the CFA.

If nothing else, it will help you do your job better - and i don't care what anyone says, having it on your resume can only help you, not hurt you.

Sunshine4ever

^Way too nice.

Negative NPV.