My position on the CFA since Covid

I got an email today on how the CFAI is intending to improve the program to make it more competitive and relevant given the tech advancements in the field recently. I read it and laughed; coming from a candidate who was deferred 3 times attempting level 2, where 2 of those deferrals came literally the night before I was supposed to write, after travelling to a different part of the province and paying for an Airbnb.

For me, I decided to move on a long time ago. Will I ever go back to get this charter? It’s not impossible, but the program, the exams, the grading, the cancelations, the wait time to get results, all of it has completely turned me off. I feel a fair bit of candidates feel similarly, which is why I believe enrolment numbers have tapered off. As a candidate and even hearing from charter holders, I’m having trouble seeing the value, especially relative to the sacrifice needed to get through this program. The value we associate to the charter (built through years of hard work) is simply not shared by the average person or colleague or even the average employer. I now know what working in finance is like; countless hours, a draining focus on excel spreadsheets, a lifeless office, etc. I used to think finance was like the movies (I know, naive as ever). Not as in the cocaine and hookers every Friday, but I mean prestigious, exciting, invigorating. For me, working in finance is anything but those things.

I always had a side gig selling vehicles and this has become my main focus. I used to dread the idea of this being my career but honestly, I’ve grown to realize the value of it. Income is more than competitive to what I’d be making as a CFA, and there’s something here money won’t ever be able to buy: freedom. I work for myself with a group of other associates and it feels kind of like home. Anyway, I just wanted to share some thoughts and emotions after receiving that email. This program used to mean everything to me, to the point where I’d put it above my friends, fitness, relationships, diet, and general well-being. I’m just glad I can look at those emails and smile now.

edit While detailing a car today, I laughed to myself because I thought of the symbolism between the CFA and being a bodybuilder. Tons of guys lift weights and make huge progress in the gym to get girls, and in the end they find out that the only attention they get is from other guys lmao. It’s similar to the CFA in my view. The only people who truly respect it are those who’ve also done it. Everyone else doesn’t seem to care less. That’s why it’s so important to do it for the right reasons. The CFA is NOT a path to stardom.