Hello All, I'll try and keep this as concise as possible. Stats: -Canadian citizen -Wife is a med student and we'll be moving to New York in June of 2010 -B.Comm in Accounting -Almost done CGA (Canadian accounting designation). The CGA is all but irrelevant in the US. The B.Comm is one thing, but nearly everyone now has a bachelor's degree. SO, I need to differentiate myself in the eyes of an American employer that would justify them to sponsor me down here. I've looked at a few designations which I've found interesting, and would appreciate any commentary/advice you could offer with respect to how readily applicable they are in terms of finding a job. Option A) Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) -Good: high perceived value, globally recognized, etc. -Bad: expensive, longer in nature Option B) Chartered Certified Accountant (ACCA) -Good: globally recognized/accepted -Bad: UK-based, could be a logistical nightmare Option C) Chartered Market Technician (CMT) -Good: easy entry, inexpensive -Bad: questionable perceived value I've also looked at a couple of Professional Certificates offered from the New York Institute of Finance. The positives there are that they'd be easy and inexpensive to attain, negatives being that they're probably not too highly thought-of. So, what would everyone suggest? Alternatively, if there are any other finance-related designations which are of value to attain, I'd love to hear about them. Thanks in advance for any sort of responses offered. Jack
If you're scouting the NY financial market for a job, that sector is dead in the worse way possible. You'd have to set something up in advance if you're moving here and expect to get a position. And/or contact a school which you would like to get your advanced certification from and see what their placement rates are. But for an outsider coming into the job market, I have no idea what is conisdered relevant, or even applicable in our current job market ... the people still employed are holding on to their position with tooth and nail while getting MBAs to secure their positions, college grads are being defrayed with optionable job packages for when business picks up, and the problem of outsourcing skilled intellectual talent remains, and is getting worse. Bottom line, good luck with that one.
Thanks - to be honest, I don't particularly care where I work, as I'll only be there (New York, specifically) for two years. Long term, though, if my wife isn't able to land a residency spot at a hospital in Canada, she/we'll be living in the U.S. for quite some time, possibly forever. Could be Connecticut, New Mexico, Utah, anywhere. As my background is in accounting, I was just wondering whether any of the designations I listed were pure crap. I like the idea of the CMT designation, since it doesn't cost much and probably wouldn't take up too much time in the way of study. I also like the NYIF diplomas, but I'm not sure whether or not that school is just looked-at as a University of Phoenix-esque clown college. Any commentary on the designations/courses specifically would be appreciated.
People who come to America for career education tend to stay in America to work. If that is the case you may want to plan to stay here for a while just in case. By all means, avoid the CMT like the plague. Employers view technical analysis as voodoo witchcraft. You would be wasting your time and money. The CFA takes forever but if you want to begin it here in the US you can finish it in Canada if you return home. Now here's something that will serve you well no matter where you live -- a Master's Degree in Taxation about the American Tax Code, from an American School. If you stay in the US you are gonna be in super high demand. If you leave the US you'll be in super high demand. This is just the first school I pulled up when I googled "master science taxation new york." Do some research and see if this interests you. If you have ten years experience and this degree you will be making somewhere in the area of $150k USD. Good luck! http://zicklin.baruch.cuny.edu/programs/graduate/ms/degrees/taxation
Here's an example of a job listing in New York with the MST. The biggest decision you'll have to make is how much to pay your nanny(s). http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSee...&APath=2.21.0.0.0&job_did=J3H11T6C46JLTLDLTM0
the1 - thanks, I really appreciate that. Sounds like a decent route. I had my skepticism's about the CMT, so I also appreciate another viewpoint on that. I guess the only problem with the MST is that it's not distance-ed possible, which would be preferable. But I'll look what else is out there. Thanks very much!
Enclosed is a link to colleges and universities which give a MST through distance learning: Distance Learning Universities It looks like a pretty good selection of schools to me, with any of the California State Universities providing a quality education in the discipline from my own personal experience (CSUN). (maybe or Long Island University and Bringham Young as well, but I only have experience with the CSU schools.)