02-21-2007, 08:32 AM
As Asif said, CFA has a potential but one needs to have clear objectives and reasons for pursuing this designation. The syllabus does cover a lot of finance and accounts, but I think this knowledge would best serve someone intersted in an equity or fixed income research, or someone interested in an asset management business. While I see alot of CFAs working in non-core areas but someomes I wonder did they actually need to be CFA qualified for their role?
I also think CFAs would be better served in a developed financial market than an emerging market setup.
These lucrative salaries that the middle eastern market is offering these days are an interesting one. I would think an average annual salary for a newly qualified CFA in NYC or London would be in the region of £50k. This is similar to what Asif said in his responce. Now if you are getting the same salary (okey I know there is taxes that have to be paid in these markets unlike middle-east), I would still take a role in London or NYC over middle-east. Why? Because, money isn't everything. You get a lot more exposure in London/NYC and may get to experience a variety of career paths than you would in Middle-East. Also, bear in mind that middle-east/emerging market salaries have an embedded safety risk premium.
DT
I also think CFAs would be better served in a developed financial market than an emerging market setup.
These lucrative salaries that the middle eastern market is offering these days are an interesting one. I would think an average annual salary for a newly qualified CFA in NYC or London would be in the region of £50k. This is similar to what Asif said in his responce. Now if you are getting the same salary (okey I know there is taxes that have to be paid in these markets unlike middle-east), I would still take a role in London or NYC over middle-east. Why? Because, money isn't everything. You get a lot more exposure in London/NYC and may get to experience a variety of career paths than you would in Middle-East. Also, bear in mind that middle-east/emerging market salaries have an embedded safety risk premium.
DT
