CFA: What Next?

If you’ve finished your CFA, then congratulations. If you’re just starting, then best of luck. It’s going to be a tough old road, but you’ll get there. Either way, you’re probably wondering where the CFA leaves you after you’re done.

We thought we’d explore this a little further and see what might be your best options.

What?

Well, according to the CFA Institute, over 20% of its charter holders are currently portfolio managers, and a further 15% are researchers in the financial world. These two roles have the highest number of CFA charter holders than any other type of role, although that by no means guarantees you a job.

According to data from eFinancialCareers, sales or risk roles are your best bet in terms of entering the employed world, as there are only five and seven (respectively) CFA qualified candidates applying for each role. On the other side of the coin, trading is the most oversubscribed industry, with 55 charter holders applying, on average, for any trading posts that may become available.

Where?

The UK does quite well here, as there are only 13 CFA candidates to each CFA-required job in the United Kingdom. In contrast, 19 candidates apply for each position in New York and a huge 36 on average apply for each opening in Singapore, where there must be a glut of charter holders all in one place.

So, if you apply for a sales job in London, with a CFA, you’re sorted. Only kidding of course, but your chances are far higher than if you applied for a trading role in Singapore. Just something to bear in mind when those applications come calling.