Career After CFA: Roles, Responsibilities, Job Profiles, CFA Salary

After completing a CFA program, a candidate can get a plethora of job opportunities in the financial beat. Know all about career after CFA here.

Career After CFA Programme

Career after CFA: CFA charter holders are equipped with skills to work at senior and executive positions in risk management, asset management, investment management, and more. The CFA credential can boost an individual's career exponentially along with the rise in the pay package.

Chartered Financial Analyst, also known as CFA is one of the most sought-after courses for aspirants interested in the finance fields. Candidates with a bachelor’s degree can enrol for a CFA course and appear for Level 1, 2 and 3 exams to become charter holders. The three levels of the CFA exam revolve around the fundamentals of investment tools, asset valuation, portfolio management, and financial planning.

CFA Job Roles and Responsibilities

With a boom in the investment industry, finance professionals work closely with clients to make investment decisions, invest their money, manage their portfolios, and provide financial services. The scope of these services includes trading, asset management, and regulating financial systems as per the laws. Holding a CFA charter shall prepare candidates for various career options in the investment industry.

Employers value the designation of CFA for functions in every finance industry sector, including portfolio management, analysis, personal wealth management and consulting.

Career After CFA: Job Profiles

CFA charter holders can be considered for multiple job profiles in the investment and financial industries. With the job roles revolving around the investment sector, here are some of the job profiles one can get after completing the CFA programme.

Portfolio Manager

Portfolio managers are financial professionals who are involved in making investment decisions. A portfolio manager is typically a client-based advisor working with individuals or businesses to manage investments. Job roles of a portfolio manager include:

• Implementing investment strategies to meet client goals
• Construction and management of portfolios
• Making decisions on what and when to trade investment securities

Many portfolio managers work within financial institutions to reduce tax burdens and recapitalise revenue. While a few portfolio managers work for individual clients to help them meet their long-term financial goals. Key skills required to become a portfolio manager includes:

• Investment strategy and process
• Execution and construction of a portfolio
• Risk management and performance measurement

Portfolio management is one of the primary job roles considered by CFA charter holders.

Also Check: Career as Financial Analyst

Risk Analyst/ Risk Manager

Businesses employ risk analysts or risk managers to reduce negative effects caused by events of risks including natural disasters, operational risks, or financial risks. Risk management professionals implement techniques or precautionary measures from future risks. Risk analysts are the individuals analysing future risks, while the risk managers implement techniques to reduce any unforeseen situation.

Key responsibilities of risk managers/analysts include:

• Interpreting data related to risk using Risk Information Management Software (RIMS)
• Evaluating the potential negative effects of future risks
• Identification of practices that would contribute to increasing financial risk
• Compiling reports to communicate the findings to stakeholders of the business
• Evaluating techniques to support the collection and interpretation of risk management data

Research Analyst

CFA charter holders can consider job positions in research analysis within the investment industry. Two major research analysis roles in the investment field include credit analyst and equity analyst. The roles and responsibilities of research analysts involve professionals to collect and evaluate data about investable securities/ companies and build earning models. In addition, research analysts conduct valuations and recommend the same to portfolio managers and/or clients.

Skills required to become research analysts include:

• Data analysis
• Industry and company analysis
• Financial analysis
• Financial modelling
• Valuation

Also Check:

• Career as Equity Analyst
• Career as Credit Analyst

Investment Banker

Investment bankers are professionals having the financial services industry expertise involved in the activities of raising capital, mergers, acquisitions, etc. These professionals lend their services to startups, established organisations, or governments. In return, investment bankers expect a fixed fee or a commission. An investment banker is a key player helping in the growth of an organisation. Job responsibilities as an investment banker include:

• Raising capital via:
• Book Building
• IPOs
• Prospectus Drafting
• Investment Meetings
• Selling or Issuing Securities
• Private Placement of Capital
• Mergers, Divestitures & Acquisitions
• Organisation Restructuring
• Hedge Fund, Mutual Fund, & Pension Fund Advisory Services

A CFA program provides complete knowledge of financial markets required to become an investment banker.

Also Check: Career as Investment Banker

Private Wealth Manager

Private wealth managers as the name suggests are the professionals helping investors of high-net-worth or ultra-high-net-worth in investment management and financial planning. With the fintech industry's growth, private wealth managers' role has considerably increased. These professionals can help individual investors in the analysis of the complexities of financial markets. These individuals also help families in managing their portfolios. Services of a private wealth manager include:

• Portfolio management
• Estate and retirement planning
• Taxation services

Key skills required to become private wealth managers include:

• Financial planning
• Communication skills
• Emotional intelligence
• Business development
• Relationship management

Also Check: Career as Wealth Manager

Alternate Career Options After CFA

Besides the careers mentioned above after CFA, candidates can also consider following career paths after completing the CFA program:

1. Data Scientist
2. Chief Investment Officer
3. Investment Consultant
4. Investment Strategist
5. Accountant/ Auditor

Career After CFA: Salary

The table below mentions the average salaries of job profiles typically considered after CFA.

CFA Salary in India

Source: ambitionbox.com

Career After CFA: Top Recruiters

Some of the top recruiters of CFA graduates in India are J.P Morgan and Co, The Goldman Sachs Group, HSBC, etc. The table below mentions the pay ranges of the CFAs by the employers:

Read More:

• CFA Placements
• Career Opportunities after CFA, CPA, and CIMA qualifications
• Which is better - CA or CFA?