In the second of a series on the CFA exams, we take another look at what the CFA can do for you.

Firstly, what it won’t do: it won’t open a door to a job. But it will indicate that you’re of the right caliber.

Peter Douglas, founder of GFIA, a hedge fund research firm, says the CFA is a very high quality program which signifies your interest in the industry: “My perception is that, while it won’t make you a better analyst or fund manager, it’s a very useful indicator to an employer, because it says you were prepared to give up three years of your social life to study to gain entry to the industry.”

At Standard Chartered Bank, staff who are directly involved in the business of financing, banking and accounting are encouraged to attain the CFA. While “not a must” for most support functions, having a CFA does provide an individual with more career mobility within the bank, according to David Lim, Stanchart Singapore’s head of human resources.

“In fact, it is an essential ingredient for staff in certain functions of the bank, for example, corporate finance,” Lim says.

Tim Hird, managing director of Robert Half International, Singapore, says the CFA can be a better indicator of aptitude than a Masters in Applied Finance (MAF) or a Masters in Financial Engineering (MFE) – the credibility of the latter two programs depends more on the institution that disburses them.