Looks Like Accountants are not welcome

A

Ali_Nili1987

New member
Joined
Jun 18, 2026
Messages
0
Reaction score
0
Dear All
I am a third year accounting student (under grad) and want to pursue my CFA and become an financial analyst, however it seems accountants are not welcome so much within the community, any reasons why ?
Do you find accounting suitable ? I have no options of turning back ,my only option is to study finance for my masters.
I thank all in advance
Ali
 
In this community? Well, it is a community geared more towards investment professionals. Investment professionals in general (excluding a handful of areas where accountants and investment professionals meaningfully overlap), do not consider themselves to share too much in common with a pure accountant.
Witness the pain of many CFA Level II candidates, who majored in finance to get away from the dreary world of accounting, only to see after they graduate and pursue the designation that they would have to obtain near-CPA-level accounting knowledge to be successful on what is arguably the toughest level of the CFA. It is painful because they tried to get away from this awful material years ago.
I myself have found that conversation with a pure accountant is something to be avoided at all costs (to be clear, I’m talking about someone who only practices accounting for the function of recording history; I’m not talking about valuation guys or guys who are investments guys in reality but also happen to have a CPA). Many accountants are not too creative and come off as very conservative, making them horrible guests at dinner parties.
As a great man once said: “Accountants record history. Investment analysts make history.”
 
I can only give you the perspective I have here in the states. I would suggest you:
graduate with your accounting degree
get a certification (CPA) in the states but something else over there…
work in a role that is still accounting but as close to FA as you can get
get a good MBA
get an andvanced role in something like corporate strategy
then decide if the CFA is worth it
Corporate level FA is not really CFA type stuff but your accounting knowledge will come in helpful and once you have some expereince under your belt you can move over if you really want to. Decide at that point if you want to put in the time to do the exams, not now.
 
First Of All Thank You for your kind response.I myself only studied accounting beacuse there was no option for me to study finance .I would have studied it definately but life circumstances moved me to study accounting however every time I study accounting I know I want to be an analyst not an accountant.
What Advice do you have for me (someone who studies accounting but dreams of being an analyst)?
I thank you again
 
Dear Jaymands
Thanks Dude,It was helpful especialy with the hostility of other members towards accountants,so do you belive my
accounting degree wil become useful in FA ? Since I never want to be an accountant in its true definition but am geared much more towards financial analysis and finance,my father is a senior enconomist (phd) and works in finance, however I did not have a choice at the time to study something else.
I again thank you for your kind reply
 
I double majored in Accouting & Finance. Started off professionally in accounting and then switched to finance. It’s been a struggle.
Will an accounting degree do well in FA? I think so.
 
My major is accounting as well, though my work background is far from a typical CFA Charterholder (FP&A, corporate treasury, risk, regulation). Essentially I’ve been a client of the typical CFA type for my career. That said, I have never seen any hostility towards those with accounting backgrounds.
That said, if you’re plugging financial statements all day, the CFA program probably doesn’t offer you much. Even beyond that in corporate finance roles the program didn’t offer that much (other than giving me a little more credibility when dealing with the financiers).
 
^ +1. Well said.
I’m a CPA in tax practice. I’m proud of the fact that I finished the CFA program, and I’m hanging the giant certificate on the wall today. However, I’m not really sure that it will do anything for me that the CFP or CIMA wouldn’t have done, with a whole lot less time involved.
EDIT - CIMA, in this context, is the Investment Management certification, not the Management Accountant certification.
 
I have an accounting degree and I’ve never done accounting. People generally like it. I will tell you though when you’re going for jobs and talking to recruiters they will spam you with accounting jobs - since the field has more demand. Even after doing nothing accounting related I still get approached for those types of roles at big finance firms.
 
I thank everyone here who helped me so much, so I guess those with accounting can do well in FA. I Am So Glad to hear that.Any other points of view ?
 
No one is hostile towards accountants here. In fact I think it’s beneficial to have an accounting degree in this field (at least where I am).
Complete your degree and get good marks/network/internships and you won’t be disadvantaged in FA recruitment.

The reason you are not getting positive responses is because you posted on a weekend, and then posted the same question under this title a few hours after trying to elicit more responses.
There are two things that AFers do not appreciate: 1) not using the search function, and 2) asking a question and clearly not having done any research on the topic. If you need to be spoon fed you are in the wrong field.
 
S2000magician wrote:
Note, too, that Greenman72 is a CPA.
Click to expand...
Yet, he has trouble with numbers. He does seem to have thick skin though and is persistent.
 
The whole reason that got me worried was some universities are not appreaciating accountants studying masters in finance therefore i was thinking maybe i Wont succeed in the CFA program.
 
I kind of envy you having both the CPA and CFA.any advice for me ?
 
Greenman72 wrote:
^ +1. Well said.
I’m a CPA in tax practice. I’m proud of the fact that I finished the CFA program, and I’m hanging the giant certificate on the wall today. However, I’m not really sure that it will do anything for me that the CFP or CIMA wouldn’t have done, with a whole lot less time involved.
Click to expand...
Cima will be cake walk for you.You will exemptions in 8/9 papers of CIMA based on your CPA.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top