Hey everyone,
I’m working on my CFA right now and it’s teaching me a lot about M&A, debt and equity capital markets, and sales and trading. But I’ve noticed that investment banking recruiters don’t seem to put much weight on the CFA. I get that it’s more for asset management, but I’m wondering why IB folks don’t value it more.
I’m in Europe, if that matters. Has anyone else noticed this? What’s your take on the CFA for IB careers? I’m not complaining, just trying to understand the industry better.
Thanks for any insights!
Hey Charlotte91!
I totally get where you’re coming from. The CFA puzzle is an interesting one, isn’t it? 
Have you considered that maybe IB folks are looking for a different skill set? Like, what if they’re more interested in your ability to hustle and close deals rather than deep financial analysis?
I’m curious - what made you choose the CFA path in the first place? Are you thinking of pivoting to asset management if IB doesn’t pan out?
Also, have you tried reaching out to any IB professionals on LinkedIn? Might be worth picking their brains about what they really value in candidates. Could give you some insider insights!
Keep us posted on how it goes, yeah? Always intriguing to hear about different career paths in finance!
hey charlotte, i’ve noticed that too.
CFA is good for asset mgmt, but IB value deal experience and modeling more. they focus on transactions rather than theory.
keep at it tho, extra knowledge never hurts!