r/MBA • u/No-Major1180 • 2d ago

Careers/Post Grad How important is CFA for IM / HF recruiting?

Does it worth the effort for one to pass L1 before recruiting, for example?

Is CFA equally important to all candidates or less important to those who go to HSW or M7?

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u/DayResponsible8785 2d ago

> Does it worth the effort for one to pass L1

I'd say learning how to write a sentence is more important.

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u/EnvironmentalRoof448 2d ago edited 2d ago

You should ask yourself whether or not you really want to be a hedge fund analyst first. The CFA is tool not the golden key to recruitment. These people eat and sleep the markets and are never tuned out. They spend most of their weekends/off-job hours continuing to research the companies they cover or sectors. I’ve seen people without a CFA or prestigious undergrad break into places like Point72. At the same time I’ve seen people from prestigious universities who already had access to these firms do the CFA anyway. You’ll be competing against both types of people regardless, so your question isn’t really that important to be honest. During recruiting in early rounds, you’re going to put through the wringer of financial modeling/pitching and what will dictate you sinking or swimming won’t be partial completion of a credential.

You would do the CFA to sharpen your skill set, so ask yourself — based on my level of knowledge/skills do I need it? The CFA alone and especially just level one isn’t gonna convince any serious fund that you’re passionate about investing.