3 Financial Certifications to Ensure A Bright Career in Finance Certifications are known to bridge the gap between novice and seasoned skills, and their criticality can be well sensed in meticulous job profiles such as finance and accounting. Investing time and money in certifications improves employability and grabs the attention of finance recruiters in Dallas and the US. The blog post discusses three such certifications that instantly put you on the wish list of finance recruiters and employers across the US.
1. Certified Public Accountant (CPA) The CPA holds the reputation of being one of the oldest and the most sought after certification for finance professionals in the US. CPA establishes the credibility of any finance professional in diverse disciplines such as management accounting, financial accounting, taxation, corporate finance and strategic planning. Moreover, a CPA certification also helps a finance professional stand out of the crowd as it is one of the prime employability factors for companies into the financial services business. A typical CPA certification costs anywhere between $2000-3000 and takes a year to complete. The prerequisites for taking the CPA varies across states in the US; however, a bachelor’s degree, a few college credits in financial and accounting courses and relevant experience are the key eligibility factors.
2. Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) A CFA certification is ideal for finance professionals who aim for a career in investments and stock markets. People designated as CFA are considered experts in vast disciplines such as accounting, economics, portfolio management and securities analysis. The CFA program offers great visibility and exposure to a number of investment firms and financial recruiters in the US. Moreover, CFA helps you to attain specialized skills required in the financial world and beneficial for professionals who wish to work as fund managers, hedge fund managers, and equity analysts. The CFA certifications cost around $2500 and require a bachelor’s degree along with four years of relevant financial experience.
3. Certified Management Accountant (CMA) A CMA pertains to management accounting and is a must-have certification for professionals who are either at the bottom or top of the finance ladder including CFOs, finance controllers, finance executives and managers. Considering employability, CMA helps professionals get jobs in accounting firms and proves the credibility of the professional in solving day to day accounting challenges. The cost of the certification ranges from$1000-2000 and takes one to
two years to complete. Eligibility factors for undergoing CMA include a bachelor’s degree and two years relevant experience in financial management or accounting.
The Way Forward Additional certification has become a prerequisite for finance professionals looking for better opportunities. The certification courses mentioned in the blog may help you find a high paying finance job and take your career to a new high. Many recruiters and prospective employers look for specific certification while hiring for accounting profiles, and they are equally useful for experienced professionals too as they can help get a promotion, raise or even better perks.