What Should You Do After Completing CFA? What Job Profiles Or Courses To Target?

There are accomplishments in the finance world as formidable as completing the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) exams. But this is not where the journey ends; it’s just the start of even more exciting ventures.

Having an idea of what to do next after the CFA would guide you on how to maximize your potential while ensuring that you progress in your career.

The CFA will provide you with many opportunities as well as several advanced learning options, but you have to get it right for someone in your profession.

If you have completed CFA, this blog will help you chart the path forward by describing job profiles relevant to CFA, options for further education and skill development.

After CFA: What to Do Next?

Once you’ve passed the CFA exams, you can consider yourself a member of an elite cadre of finance professionals. But there are still some important things you need to do to capitalize on your CFA qualification.

        1. Complete the Certification Process:

You must submit your work experience to receive designation as a CFA charter holder. Before being conferred a charter, the CFA Institute mandates candidates the need to gain four years of applicable work experience. These could be roles in investment banking, asset management, financial analysis, etc. After you submit work experience and it’s verified, you will be officially recognized as a CFA charter holder.

       2. Update Your Resume and LinkedIn Profile:

After you have officially achieved the CFA designation, it’s time to update all of your professional profiles. You’ll want to make sure potential employers know you’ve completed the gruelling qualification, so be sure to put your CFA status on your resume and LinkedIn profile. List of all skills, projects and achievements related to CFA -if any.

       3. Networking with Professionals:

Networking is an important element of career growth. Get to know professionals in the finance sector after you earned your CFA. Network — be part of CFA community, see significant events in finance, guest seminars. Interacting with other CFA charter holders and professionals can give you access to job opportunities and mentorship.

      4. Reflect on Career Goals:

Give yourself time to think about your career aspirations. Do you want to get into the job market as soon as possible, or would you rather continue your education to gain more skills and qualifications? An additional qualification such as an MBA would aid you if you are looking for guidance. Consider the FRM (Financial Risk Management) Certificate: If you desire greater specialization within Risk Management, consider the FRM (Financial Risk Management) certificate.

What Jobs Can You Aim For After Earning a CFA?

The CFA qualification is recognized across the finance sector. There are countless career options once you have completed the program. Based on this, here are some of the most common job profiles for CFA charter holders:

      1. Investment Banking

Roles to Target:

Investment Banking Analyst — As an analyst, you’ll work on financial modeling, pitch books, and due diligence and generally support senior bankers with their client transactions.

Investment Banking Associate — With a few years of analyst experience under your belt, you can move into an associate position, where you will be responsible for a higher level of deal execution, client management, and advisory tasks.

Salary:

The salary for a CFA level 1 (Investment Banking) analyst in India is between ₹10-15 Lakh (LPA). In the United States, attracts initial salaries of around $100,000 to $150,000 per annum. Over time, you may progress to Principal or Vice President roles with higher pay (₹25-30 Lakh+ or $200,000+ in the U.S.)

     2. Portfolio Management

Roles to Target:

Portfolio Manager — As a Portfolio Manager, you’ll handle investment portfolios on behalf of clients and make strategic decisions based on market analysis.

Research Analyst — CFA charter holders can work with specific asset class such as equity or fixed income, perform in-depth financial analysis, and give recommendations on investment opportunities.

Salary:

In India, a Portfolio Manager with CFA earns an average of ₹8–12 Lakh per annum whereas the same in the U.S. lies between $80,000 to $120,000 per annum. In India, established professionals have the potential to make over ₹25 Lakh a year and over $200,000 in the U.S.

        3. Corporate Finance

Roles to Target:

Financial Analyst — For corporate finance CFA charter holders analyze the financial performance of a company, they also prepare reports and help in decision-making processes.

Treasury Analyst — A treasury analyst deals with the management of a company’s financial assets and its cash flow along with the risk involved in its financial operations.

CFO — After gaining experience, a CFA charter holder can reach the position of CFO, responsible for all financial operations and strategy in a company.

Salary:

The average salary in India for a Financial Analyst is ₹6-10 Lakh per year. In the U.S., that’s usually $70,000 to $100,000 a year. Executive corporate roles like CFO acquire over ₹50-60 Lakh annually in India and $300,000+ in the U.S.

        4. Asset Management

Roles to Target:

Investment Analysis — Wealth Management, Analyze and interpret economic and business trends, as well as financial data and information to identify investment opportunities or risks.

Client Relationship Manager — This position requires building strong relationships with customers while advising them on their finances and helping them make better investment choices.

Salary:

In India, the Fund Manager with a CFA earns ₹10-20 Lakh per annum. At a senior level, fund managers can earn above $200,000 annually in the US, with the average salary of fund managers between $90,000 and $150,000 per year in the U.S.

          5. Risk Management

Roles to Target:

Risk Analyst — A CFA charter holder can work as a risk analyst, focusing on identifying, evaluating and mitigating financial risks within a portfolio or organization.

Risk Manager — This is a more senior role, and involves taking responsibility for managing risk at an organizational level, as well as working with the development of strategies.

Salary:

The average yearly salary of a risk analyst in India is ₹6-10 Lakh and in the U.S. it is $70,000 to $100,000 per year. In India, senior risk managers can command ₹25-30 Lakh per annum and above and $150,000 in the U.S.

           6. Consulting

Roles to Target:

Finance Consultant: As a finance consultant, you will provide advice to companies on their finance strategies; you’ll help them achieve better performance, improve their profitability and lower their costs.

Strategy Consultant: This typically requires analyzing a company’s profitability typically looking for ways to tackle a company’s financial health over the long term.

Salary:

The pay scale for Finance consultants in India with a CFA ranges between ₹8-15 Lakh per annum, whereas in the U.S. it could range from $80,000 to $130,000 per annum. It can go higher for senior consultants or those working at top firms.

(All Salaries Source: Glassdoor, Payscale)

Also Read– CFA Jobs & Salaries In India

Which Courses Should You Focus on Post CFA?

When you pass your CFA, it’s a major accomplishment, but we don’t stop learning. If you want to build on your CFA qualification, obtain additional certifications or degrees to boost your career prospects. There are some great options to keep in mind:

Financial Modeling:

Financial modelling is a basic and important skill set for anybody engaging in financial analysis and valuation. This is the process of creating models, which mirror the financial performance of a company or investment. This is especially true for roles such as equity research, investment banking, and corporate finance.

Want to know more about Financial Modelling,

FRM — Financial Risk Management:

CFA is an investment analysis certification, whereas FRM is a risk analysis certification, so they work well together. This certification will give you an in-depth knowledge of identifying, assessing and mitigating risks if you want to work in risk management.

Completing your CFA is a significant achievement, but the learning doesn’t stop there. To further enhance your career prospects and build on your CFA qualification, you can pursue additional certifications or degrees. Here are some great options to consider:

MBA in Finance:

An MBA in finance will train you in leadership and managerial skills, which can lead you toward senior-level Fortune 500 roles (e.g., CFO, financial director). This is especially valuable if you are trying to get into senior leadership positions at large corporations.

CFP: Certified Financial Planner

For wealth management and financial advisory, the CFP certification can assist. Your knowledge of personal finance, tax planning, retirement, and estate planning will be solid.

Want to know more about CFP, then checkout :-

ESG Certification:

With an increasing focus on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing, the demand for ESG talent is soaring. Having this certification, you will be able to work with organizations or investment firms that are concerned with sustainable and socially responsible investing.

Data Analytics:

Learning advantageous tools like Excel, Python and Power BI will help you scale your financial data analysis effectively in today’s data-centric world. Learn Data Analytics to stand out in business or fintech jobs.

Also Read – CFA or MBA in Finance?

Skills to Build post-CFA (In-demand Skills)

You don’t need to stop your learning after completing your CFA. In fact, building on key skills will make you more attractive to employers and help you advance in your career. In the finance world, there are just a few critical skills that are exalted and in demand. Here are a few of these skills and how they can help you.

1. Excel

This is because Excel is probably the most common tool used within the finance industry. Once you’ve finished your CFA, progressing in your Excel skills will enable you to perform your work more effectively. This analysis often covers a whole lot of data, and analyzing and organizing data is one of Excel’s main power features.

What to Learn:

• Automated calculations with Functions and Formulas
• Building sophisticated financial models.
• Summarizing data with pivot tables.
• Charts and graphs for data visualization

Excel enables rapid analysis and interpretation of financial data which is useful in positions like financial analyst, portfolio manager, and risk management.

2. Power BI

Power BI is one such tool which provides dashboards and visuals to present data. When you have to communicate complex debit or credit information to others in a simple manner, this is super helpful in the field of finance.

What to Learn:

• How to visualise key financial data in the form of dashboards for a quick understanding.
• Presenting financial trends and KPIs with Power BI
• Connectivity of Power BI with various data sources through which to publish reports directly.

Power BI lets you convey complex data in easy-to-grasp visuals making financial reports clearer and more impactful to your team or clients.

3. Python

Python is a widely used programming language in finance used for financial modeling, analyzing data in larger quantities, and automating multiple repetitive tasks. If your career aspirations include any quantitative finance or data analysis, learning Python after your CFA can be extremely useful.

What to Learn:

• Basic command and syntax of Python.
• Modeling finance with Python.
• Libraries like Pandas and NumPy for data analysis.
• Automating tasks such as risk analysis or data collection.

With Python, it can help you manage large data sets and build models faster, thereby saving time and increasing accuracy. It is particularly valuable in professions such as quantitative analysis and algorithmic trading.

Also Read –Questions You Should Prepare After CFA Level 1 Before Attempting Your Job Interview

Developing Soft Skills Post CFA

Technical skills are great but don’t forget to also work on your soft skills. Soft skills are the people skills that get you through your day and help you work well with others. These are important to finance, where you will often need to engage clients, manage people and make key decisions. Here are the two most crucial soft skills that you need to work on post-CFA completion.

Communication Skills

All jobs in finance require good communication skills. Whether you’re explaining that to clients, colleagues or your boss, you’ll need to break down complex financial concepts into simple terms. The ability to articulate your thoughts clearly and confidently can go a long way in helping you forge strong relationships and advance your career.

What to Focus On:

• Delivering information about financial concepts in a clear, concise fashion
• Making common reports and emails easy to comprehend
• Emotional confidence to create a positive attitude and a way of thinking.

Enhancing communication skills will prepare you to better communicate financial data or strategies to clients and coworkers in a clear, concise manner.

Leadership Skills

If you’re aiming for senior roles in the future, the ability to lead is also essential. These skills will help you guide teams, make decisions and inspire others to achieve company objectives. Even if you haven’t taken a leadership role yet, developing these skills will prepare you for when you will.

What to Focus On:

• Leading a team and making choices that will serve the group.
• Leading and inspiring others to reach their objectives.
• Resolving conflicts and giving constructive feedback.

Similarly, good leadership skills will ensure that you stand out to employers and can move up to a team leader, manager, CIO or even the CFO position.

Also Read – Trending CFA jobs in India

Pursuing CFA with IMS Proschool’s CFA Prep Course

So, whether you’re considering CFA, or, after finishing the exams, want to build upon your knowledge, a CFA prep course by IMS Proschool can be the way to go! IMS Proschool offers:

• Expert Instructors: Learn from the best in the field with in-depth knowledge of CFA exam patterns and finance concepts.

• Structured Study Material: With the CFA Preparation guide you get access to well-structured and comprehensive study material in accordance with the CFA curriculum.

• Practice Tests: Give mock tests to know the exam pattern and which areas you have to work on.

FAQs

Q1: What do you do after CFA? What are the prospects?

Careers: Following CFA completion, opportunities may be found in the areas of investment banking, asset management, risk management, corporate finance, consulting etc.

Q2: Is there additional education I must pursue after completing CFA?

Not really, it depends on your career goals. For senior roles such as CFO or CEO, an MBA in Finance may be required by some companies. If you are interested in risk management, a FRM can be your partner with a CFA.

Q3: After completing a CFA course, when can one find a job?

The length of time it takes to find a job depends on the type of experience you have had in the past as well as the amount of networking you have done. On average, it takes about 3-6 months to get a job post-CFA.

Q4: Does CFA qualification enable working in different sectors?

Yes, CFA charter holders can also consider fintech, consulting, and roles related to ESG focus which are gaining the strength.

Q5: Besides CFA qualification, which are the other certifications that one could pursue?

Certifications such as FRM, Financial Modeling, MBA and CFP could help you fill in your CFA/level gap and help open up specialized career paths for you.

Q6: Does CFA preparation assist in getting into fintech or ESG careers?

Yes, CFA by itself is a good fit for fintech or ESG roles however if you also complement your CFA with data analytics or ESG certification then you have a great model to run fintech or ESG.

Conclusion

Achieving your CFA is a great feat and leads to plenty of opportunities in your finance career. Regardless of if you pursue roles in investment banking, asset management, or risk management, CFA is the expertise you need for your success. Besides this, advanced courses and related certifications such as FRM, MBA, Financial Modeling, etc. are sure to boost your career.

Join IMS Proschool for the CFA course if you want to pursue a thriving career in the finance industry. You can accelerate your career towards passing the CFA exams with expert guidance and structured study support.