Career Advise , MBA OR CFA ?
It’s good to see here that people still believe in helping and sharing things with others .I am really amazed with the comprehensive answers given by the independent consultants on this website.
Well, I need your help regarding my higher studies.
I am a student of IBA doing BBA (second year). I want to purse a career in the field of finance particularly Investment Banking. Although I have decided the destination where I wanted to be in the near future but it’s extremely difficult to select the way that leads to it. Two options have entangled me, either to go for CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) after BBA or to do MBA in Finance from a good US university. Which option should I consider given the fact that I am a very good finance student (having CGPA of 3.4 at IBA) and wanted to settle abroad?
My parents are compelling me to go abroad for a specialized MBA but I am more fascinated by the CFA program offered by the Global Association of Investment Professionals.
Please help me in deciding which options would be good keeping in view the recent financial turmoil abroad and its consequences on the employment opportunities. .Waiting for your answers
Thank you
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The best option is an MBA…CFA is a professional qualification not a degree. MBA can get you a better entry level Job. Once you’re in the sector then you should go for CFA. Majority of CFA Charter holders are MBAs
Thank you Raza for your reply.
Yes I agree that MBA would be a good option to go for after BBA and it will easily get me an entry level job. CFA is more of a professional qualification not a degree. But my problem is that I don’t have enough financial resources to bear the educational and other expenses abroad. Even in IBA I have got 60% scholarship and I intend to go abroad for higher studies on scholarship only. Furthermore, most of the good universities in the US require at least two to three years full time job experience for MBA.
What my teachers suggested to me is that I should do CFA level 1 with the BBA. After the BBA I should gain some practical experience in the industry and try to clear another two levels of CFA in the that period .
Practical experience along with CFA would get me good a part time job abroad, so that I can fund my expenses easily. Thus after these two years, I should think of applying to reputable Business School in US for MBA executive.
Another reason why I am bit scary to go abroad right after BBA is the recent financial crises. Giant business groups around the world are either shutting down or laying off the employees. So it would be much safer to go abroad once things get settled otherwise it would be a great problem for impecunious people like me to survive there without any part time job.
I need your suggestion on this. Whether the plan suggested by my teachers is good enough or I should consider something else.
Waiting for the answers.
Well.. Do your MBA from IBA or lums. and then do cfa. you think that part time jobs are available for cfa candidates aborad, you are wrong. Secondly there is no MBA executive abroad, its something common in pakistan. They have a full time MBA or a part time. MBA.
When making a decision about your career always keep the local job market your first priority. If you want to get a good job related to finance. Then just a bachelors won’t do good. Most likely you will get a job in sales, the growth is good but the work is not analytical.
You state that you have financial problems and you want to do your mba from aborad. First of all landing a scholarship for MBA isn’t that easy as there are very few out there and most uni require 4 years of expereince.
Given your background, i would suggest you to go for MBA from lums or iba. Get a good job do your CFA after that.
I know some one who did his engineering from abroad, did his MBA from lums, got a job as head of finance at uch, cleared all levels of his CFA, got a job as fund manager at MCB asset management and then was hired by JP Morgan for Saudia.
I also know some one from IBA did his MBA from there and was hired by JP Morgan for Canada and he was in pakistan.
So if you really want to go abroad for your studies don’t just go for an MBA, If you are really serious. Do level 1 & 2 after your BBA in a year and apply for an MBA here at Lums or IBA. Then after your MBA or while doing it give level three . Then gain two years of work exeperience and after that apply for a PHD in FInance. There are several scholarships available for them and lots of companies will prefer PHDs for good positions in finance, in the future.
Hi!
i am Vaqas from Taxilla, Can you guide me for further studies in Sweaden, already done MBA (Finance).
Regards!
If your first degree qualification is different from your desired post or masters degree, then you must first, do a post graduate degree program in the same field or a pre-masters degree to qualify you for what is required to study for a degree you want. Read more: online masters degree benefits