I’d say yes, the CFA would definitely help get you a job… but here’s a small rub: In addition to passing the exams, you have to have 3 years of “qualifying work experience” in accounting, finance or economics before your charter is actually granted… but the CFA Institute is pretty generous about how they define such experience. For example, qualifying experience would probably include practicing as a securities lawyer, working as a commercial lender or even mortgage broker… again, they’re pretty liberal about the experience requirement.

Let me put it to you this way… let’s say I’ve gotta hire someone to work for me and I’m looking at two people. They seem pretty much the same from an experience standpoint but one went to Podunk University and got their CFA charter and the other went to Harvard Business School and doesn’t have their CFA charter. Without hesitation I’m going to favor the person with the CFA Charter. Why? Because over 95% of the people that went to HBS graduated, so I really don’t know what that person knows (it’s hard to get in, but you can be a complete dolt and graduate from a top MBA program). Maybe they’re the next Warren Buffett, maybe they’re an idiot. I have no idea. At least I know the person with the CFA Charter knows something tangible – they passed a very rigorous set of exams that a lot of smart people failed and their MINIMUM knowledge level is pretty decent. (Now this person may also turn out to be a dolt, but I’m playing the odds here…)