General question

[archived_user]

Hello everyone,
I have a general question - when you started to prepare for the exam, did you tell your colleagues / friends about it? Or did you say it just when you passed?
Thank you.

 

[archived_user]

I told my close friends (some colleagues included) when I started to prepare for the exam; the frnds who would motivate me to study or help me in studying. I did not tell my other colleagues or friends until I passed.
Telling other people can sometimes create unnecessary attention but I feel a little social pressure is healthy for me to push myself. Still it would totally be a personal choice if you want to have that or not.
I would suggest that you tell those with whom you feel comfortable or close with (just like your family), the ppl who will not put unnecessary pressure on you but rather help you pass the exam. Don’t tell others who will be jealous or create negative vibes. All the best !

 

[archived_user]

effectiveV wrote:
Hello everyone,
I have a general question - when you started to prepare for the exam, did you tell your colleagues / friends about it? Or did you say it just when you passed?
Thank you.

Told friends when I started studying…told colleagues once I passed LVL1 and had decided I’d earn the Charter, what ever it takes.
There were so CFA hopefuls pursuing Charter (at least in my office)…everyone was so hyped about it in the beginning and then the excitement wore off. Few months in and first ones gave up or “decided that now is not the right time to do it” etc etc.
Just thinking about your reputation, I don’t think it’s a good look if you announce to everyone that you’re pursuing Charter just to announce few months later that you quit. And being the guy who quit LVL1 is not good for two reasons. One: It tells your colleagues and boss that you quit. Quitting is rarely regarded as a positive thing. Two: It indirectly tells your colleagues that LVL1 material was too complicated for you. As LVL1 curriculum (or any CFA level for that matter) isn’t rocket science, you might not want to let everyone know that LVL1 got the best of you.
So just to be on the safe side, tell your co-workers that you’re pursuing the Charter only after you have cleared LVL1.
I think it’s better not to tell your colleagues…just in case you can’t make it for whatever reason.

 

[archived_user]

I started mid November. Yes I told my friends and colleagues, but I think I shouldn’t

 

[archived_user]

Well, I have a philosophy of quitting early and quit often but not because something is hard. It is hard to know what you want to do in life. often jobs we really want don’t turn out to be that exciting or the work involved wasn’t what you imagined. I think if you are coming straight out of uni, then try a few things until you find a job that supports you, you enjoy waking up to and a place that will challenge you and help you grow.
There is no shame in failing and with level 1 you can go again in 6 months time. Those that earn the charter often have similar traits of perseverance and mental tenacity. When it came to passing these exams, it came down to old fashion hard work and practice. something that translates now into my work ethic. If you work 50hrs a week and study 20-25hrs then when you are finished with the charter, working a 70hr week will not be as draining (more stress with the studies).
The interesting thing is that we all have strong areas and weak areas, so when im good in derivatives someone else may be better in equity which makes conversations more interesting. You will see as you progress that you will be stronger in areas than others and vice versa which is a good thing.
I would not recommend telling a lot of people at work you are taking the exam as if you fail, you tend to get judged. I sometimes tested people in the past and tell them i failed level 1 and had a few negative reactions. i told them i actually passed but wanted to see how you would treat me or reply, which confirms my initial impressions of you being an ass. they never spoke to me again which was fine by me.
i remember my level 1 experience where half my section didn’t turn up. One person left after being told she could not use her casio calculator. in the afternoon, people didn’t show up. i thought to myself that i’ve done all the work and practice, then i can and should pass. i had this ‘f u cfa exam’ mentality and fought for every question on the exam.
also, when you do your first exam and score like a 50 you will be mentally drained but after a lot of practice and a few more exams, when you hit 75/80 then those exams are less time consuming, less stressful and you are only reviewing 30% of the questions you missed or got lucky on which saves time in review.