📈 Financial / Investment Analyst
Finance & Accounting career path
From securities basics to the CFA charter and alternatives specialism.
Typical roles
- Financial Analyst
- Equity Research Associate
- Portfolio Analyst
- Portfolio Manager
- CIO
Suggested certifications, by phase
Foundation
- CFA IF CFA Institute Investment Foundations Certificate
- SIE Securities Industry Essentials Exam
- FMVA Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst
- CFA UK IMC CFA UK Investment Management Certificate
Core
- CFA L1 CFA Program Level I
- CFA L2 CFA Program Level II
- CFA CIPM Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement
Advanced
- CFA L3 CFA Program Level III (CFA charter)
- CMT Chartered Market Technician
- FDP Financial Data Professional
Mastery
- CAIA Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst
- IWI CIMA Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA)
A suggestion, not a set of prerequisites — one or two certifications per phase is plenty.