How Financial Modelling Can Help You Prepare For The CFA Course

Recruiters often ask, “Why should we hire you?”

It’s tough to come up with a suitable answer and then back it up. How do you prove you are the right person for the job? It’s especially hard for freshers. You can always say these commonly used sentences:

“I’m a hard worker,” or “Finance is my passion.”

But these words are meaningless if you don’t have proof to support them.

The most efficient way to persuade a potential employer to take a chance on you is with the professional qualifications and abilities you list on your resume. They need to know you have the knowledge and skills they are looking for.

In the investment industry, a CFA certification opens rewarding opportunities for you. It signifies that you are more than capable of taking on the job. It wows the recruiter, slips your resume to the top of the pile and helps you rise further in the investment services industry compared to your peers.

Now add a financial modelling qualification, and your career will truly skyrocket. As a financial modelling CFA professional, you become an elite hire. It opens up many lucrative prospects with some of the world’s leading companies. The two courses balance each other. They help to shape you into an impressive finance specialist. The combination of the two certificates can have a lasting and fruitful impact on your career.

If you’re wondering if you have the time and energy to do both courses, there’s good news. The financial modelling and CFA courses complement each other. The former even helps you prepare for the latter. So you get double the benefits for half the effort. Now that is a very good investment to make for your career.
 

The Importance Of Financial Modelling

The FM method is an extremely significant tool in the field of finance and accounting.

It helps you evaluate and assess a company’s financial performance through spreadsheet software such as MS Excel.

• Financial modelling is used to prepare financial statements, balance sheets, cash flow statements, etc.
• It offers a clear and accurate picture of the company’s finances for a particular period
• It can also create complex models that help to make predictions about future performances
• The method is often used by finance experts when raising capital, selling assets or working on M&A projects
• Financial modelling CFA professionals are considered the cream of the crop in the industry

 Eager to become a CFA Charterholder? Learn Financial Modelling first!

Why Financial Modelling Is Considered A Stepping Stone To The CFA Course

1. Financial modelling is based on the CFA level 1 syllabus 

This point makes your life so much easier. Many financial modelling CFA professionals have revealed that a part of the financial modelling syllabus is similar to the CFA level 1 course. The subject of Financial Reporting and Analysis (FRA) focuses on financial statements and valuation. In fact, it covers 20 per cent of the exam in level 1. If you have done the FM course, you are guaranteed to do well in this section, giving you an edge in clearing level 1.

2. You get a well-rounded and detailed education on financial concepts

This is why financial modelling and CFA are so compatible. The FM course goes into great detail about practical financial knowledge. You become well-versed in topics such as discounted cash flow analysis, intrinsic value, cost of capital and ratio analysis, to name a few. You learn about the technical terms and functional perspectives of finance. This helps a lot with your CFA course, as you are required to master the above concepts.

Financial modelling CFA specialists are very keyed into the nuances of the finance field and are able to apply the knowledge from both courses accurately.

3. You are better prepared for your job interviews

If you are planning to apply for a position with some of the big guns in the industry, it helps to be a financial modelling CFA professional. Recruiters often analyse potential hires from a practical standpoint. They need to know you can think quickly on your feet, have a deep understanding of technical skills and can tackle unexpected challenges.

When you undergo an assessment during your interview, you may be required to put your abilities into action. They could ask you a number of practical questions. You may be quizzed on projection and valuation or different financial statements. Whatever they throw at you, you need to be able to handle it. With both qualifications, you will.

Read – Top Job profiles & 5 tips to get a job after passing CFA level 1

4. Can help in identifying your niche

The two courses offer a variety of diverse subjects that can help you decide your area of expertise. The CFA alone can lead to many interesting profiles, such as equity research analyst, portfolio manager, risk analyst and wealth manager. As a financial modelling CFA professional, you have a bigger range of options than most other people. When you are exposed to so many profiles and possibilities, you can narrow down where your interest lies. Both courses are engineered to ensure you have thorough training in the finance industry. This gives you a solid foundation on which you can create your niche.

5. FM is an essential requirement for many CFA profiles

When you are a financial modelling CFA professional, you are at a significant advantage. The CFA course opens up opportunities in specific fields like investment banking, credit analysis and equity research. These areas also require you to be adept at financial modelling.

A CFA-certified candidate who lacks training in building financial models will lose out to those with the expertise. The two certifications will give you an edge and help you land the job profile you are after.

6. The two courses enhance your analytical and problem-solving skills

If you want to be a successful financial analyst, you need the abilities listed above. The CFA course helps you attain a high level of skills by ensuring you are able to apply your knowledge to real-world challenges. Whereas, financial modelling teaches you how to analyse and compartmentalise special financial situations and business operations. When combined, they both ensure you become a high-calibre financial modelling CFA professional.

Checkout IMS Proschool’s Financial Modelling Course

Why IMS Proschool Is The Best For Financial Modelling CFA Professionals

IMS Proschool is one of India’s leading institutes for CFA as well as financial modelling courses. In fact, this institute was one of the first to start the Financial Modelling course in India. Today, they ensure students receive the training they need through two variants — Financial Modelling Plus and Financial Modelling Advanced. Both are taught by some of the most respected and experienced professionals in the industry. The faculty is known to teach through active learning methods, so students receive a practical education that helps them to use their thinking skills. If you have your heart set on becoming a financial modelling CFA specialist, look no further. This is the best coaching school that will help you kickstart your professional journey.

Course details:

• IMS Proschool offers 2 variants in Financial Modelling Course – 3 & 5 months
• The 3 months Financial Modelling Course covers core concepts of finance such as FSA, Financial statements, Corporate Finance, Project Finance, Equity Modeling  etc.
• The 5 months course teaches all of the above concepts and also teaches Mergers & Acquisitions, Visualization in Tableau & Power Bi
• The course is taught by talented and skilled industry experts with 15+ years of industry experience
• After completing the course, IMS Proschool helps students get placed in organizations like Saxo Group, Insync Analytics, Morgan Stanley, Morningstar, Axis Bank, TCS, Crisil etc.
• There are additional resources available to help students learn better
• Students also receive an NSE certification along with the financial modelling qualification
• IMS Proschool is well-known for its innovative teaching methodology
• This is one of the best programs to become a financial modelling CFA expert

In Conclusion

The global financial market is rapidly expanding, and the opportunities are ripe for the plucking. If you want to be a financial analyst, you need the right mix of skills to get ahead. A financial modelling CFA professional has the perfect combination of theoretical and practical knowledge to qualify for several lucrative job profiles. The best part? It’s not too challenging or time-consuming to do both courses. They complement each other beautifully so you can complete both certifications seamlessly. Once you are ready, you can enter the job market to grab a few of the multiple possibilities that emerge when you are a financial modelling CFA specialist.

Click here to find out more about the financial modelling course