Well I am a CFA level III Candidate and quite naturally so I chose to write about my current subject of interest, CFA. Kids these days have to do so much to increase their employability and be abreast with the current industry standards and requirements. If I talk about myself I started my Masters in Financial Management in 2012 and while pursuing the course I was quite certain that I also wanted to do CFA. But I finally sat for my Level I exam in the June of 2016. What I am really talking about here is the lapse of time, 5 of the most crucial years of the early 20s of a person’s life. So my advice to you if want to do CFA and you are quite sure of it, Start Early!! So recently I stumbled upon International College of Financial Planning and discovered their unique, integrated MBA program in Financial Analysis. This super-specialized MBA program covers 100% of the curriculum of all the three levels of the CFA program and also has additional subjects relevant to the Indian context. It is such a win-win. While you get your MBA degree from the University of Mysore (UGC certified) you are also academically equipped to sit for the CFA exams. How cool is that! Started in the year 2011, this is a one of its kind program. For one it is based on an industry oriented international curriculum of CFA that is globally recognized and acclaimed. The international recognition that comes with this highly sought after qualification for investment professionals, opens the doors of global financial markets making international placement opportunity quite possible. Some of the highlights of the program include a 2-month internship that allows students to take a glimpse of how the financial world actually functions and associate closely with the roles and activities keeping the choice of career path in mind. Focus is also on combining theoretical knowledge with the practical application in such a way that it increases employability of the students. Semester 1 contains CFA level 1, semester 2 is all about CFA Level II and Level III is covered in Semester 3 and Semester 4.Some of the practical aspects of the course include imparting the basic know-how of share trading and capital markets and basic and advanced learning of financial modeling, a tool that complements the learning of the CFA program and is high on the employer's list of required skills. Globally the various job profiles most suited for a CFA include Investment Banking, Portfolio/Fund Manager, Credit & Risk Analyst, and Equity Research among others. So if this is the kind of career you are looking for yourself I would highly recommend that you enroll yourself in the MBA-FA program at ICoFP.   Blogger details: Diksha Dumra CFA Level III candidate

It is true that most of the students decide about their course of study in the final years of their schooling itself. These decisions are sometimes planned and sometimes influenced by friends and family. However, during graduation one makes up one’s mind as to what course one would specialize in order to reach the desired goals of life. Students having a flair for figures and interest in accounts and monetary aspects of economy search the education industry for suitable finance courses. Finance is a broad sector with numerous opportunities at different levels. It depends upon the qualifications of an individual that he enters at a lower executive level and upgrades himself to promote further or directly enters the senior management level of any business entity. Finance Industry has very bright prospects in the modern economy and is a rewarding career for people with the right attitude. At the school and graduation levels, finance normally studies as a part of the commerce subjects. Economics, Statistics, Accounts, Mathematics are usually taught in these courses. These subjects form a good basis for a student to understand the concept of finance, its relevance in the industry and its relation with the other factors of the economy. Generally, students look forward to specialization in their desired field of finance after their graduation. For this one can choose from a degree course or a short diploma course. The finance courses offer specialized education in the field of insurance, planning, analyzing, banking, investment, wealth management, accountancy, taxation and many more. The common practice followed by students willing to make their place in high earning finance professionals is to do MBA in Finance with specialization in their desired course. Few professionals even aim for the highest certifications in the industry like CFP and CFA that ensure a global arena of work opportunities. International College of Finance Planning (www.icofp.org) offers its students assistance and guidance in preparing for CFP Certification. The experienced faculty, updated reference resources, and rigorous training have proved very helpful for its students and over 11000 students have accomplished their certification. The otherf offered by ICoFP are MBA in Finance Planning, MBA in Finance Analysis and some diploma courses for those who look for a short term study course. There are some distance learning opportunities and short duration courses for those who want to upgrade their qualification while pursuing other interests or job. While choosing a finance course, one must analyze certain factors like the prospects of the course and its relevance in the industry, right set of skills to match the standards of the position, the reputation of the institute, the placement assistance of the institute and the satisfaction level of its alumni, the industry training and the practical know-how sessions’ availability in the syllabus. The extra-curricular activities to enhance the personality, confidence, communication skills, presentation skills, and leadership and team orientation qualities in the aspirants also play an important role in transforming them into trained professionals.

As we often get to hear about the new advancements in the field of education especially finance, many such courses have emerged that have given a new meaning to the study of this subject. The courses that were earlier studied with a regional or domestic market concern are now framed keeping in mind the global perspectives. However the market is still dominated by the old pattern of education, the new courses in finance have taken up the international markets by storm. They not only offer up to date knowledge in their curriculum but also have challenged the levels of difficulty. It ensures that the one who gets across them has to work hard and deeply understand the underlying concepts so that they can be interpreted successfully in any complex real life situation. CFA course i.e. Chartered in Financial Analysis course is one such advanced courses of finance that has pushed the threshold of global finance community. One who clears the three leveled exam of this course is awarded with the title of ‘the charter holder’. One who holds this certification is considered to be the epitome of financial knowledge in any organization. CFA course raises the standards of the highest remunerated financial professionals in any industry. They have to be experts with the knowledge of market analysis, factual foresightedness, useful advices to the organizations for dealing with different situations, studying the market trends and making readable reports etc. The CFA holders are considered to be the pillars of strength of any organization. While the course revolves around the subject of finance only, it requires a dedicated amount of effort and passion in order to achieve this certification. One has to be good at the aptitude, professional, interpersonal, mathematical and analytical as well as presentation skills. There are three difficulty levels of exams that one needs to clear in order to pass through the CFA course. The final evaluation of each level goes on for six hours each i.e. the time for examination. The candidates are tested for their knowledge in the subjects by putting through various questions in different formats. In a way the candidates are examined to know how efficiently they can deal with the real business world complications that one keeps on facing time to time. The three modules of this course are designed to prepare the students for different topics of finance. These different topics include the study of investments and banking, securities and equities, capital markets, mutual funds and insurance etc. The chartered financial analyst is expected to be a pro with the interpretation of data and facts, thus the job responsibilities include their knowledge on the current market trends and the latest information on the latest happenings in business world and their impacts on various sectors and economies. In India, International College of Financial Planning offers assistance in studying for CFA course through its full term MBA in financial analysis program. It enables the students to study about all the above mentioned aspects in detail that serve as a strong foundation for clearing the different levels of CFA exam certification.

Finding the right institute is as important as finding the right course. Why?? Because the right choice of the study course will decide one’s career path and the right choice of institute will decide how one walks on that career path. It might not have been that important to focus on the institute a few years ago, but in present time, it is a must and every student understands the importance of the institute. There are so many deciding factors to measure the effectiveness of the institute- The courses offered, the teaching staff, the modes and techniques of teaching, the syllabus of the courses, the reference material, the extra academic activities, the industry exposure opportunities, the practical implication opportunity of the theoretical teachings, the teacher student interaction and accessibility, the alumni sessions, the resources, the placement effectiveness, the urge to update the students with latest trends in the business world and last but not the least- the reputation of the institute in the corporate community. All these things contribute to the overall grooming of a professional passing out of any institute. The student does not become a professional merely with studying the books, but he evolves with the constant rigorous activities to shape up his mind, thought process and analytical abilities accordingly. Every year lakhs of students take entrance exams with a hope to secure admission to the best MBA in Delhi; because they understand that having MBA degree and having MBA degree from the best MBA are two very different things in practical. In Delhi, many management institutes quickly came up in last decade to cash the increasing demand for MBA courses. With fancy outlooks and superficial claims about being the best MBA in Delhi, they succeed in attracting students too; but one must be very careful and cautious in deciding for the most suitable institute. Apart from the courses available, one must look for the experience and qualification of the teaching staff, the facilities and activities mentioned in the curriculum, the placement history and if possible one must try to get some feedback from the alumni of that institute. International College of Financial Planning is among the pioneers offering best MBA in Delhi. Established since 2002, it has earned a great reputation among the financial planners on national as well as international grounds.  ICFP offers its students a wide array of financial courses with varied duration to choose from. There are full time (two year) programs of MBA in Financial planning and MBA in Financial Analysis; one year post graduate diplomas, distance learning programs and special short duration programs for executive class as well. In addition, ICFP is also among the few education centers offering effective training for the international certification of financial planning (CFP) and chartered financial analysis (CFA®). It has a proven track record of success rate and students feel proud to be a part of this institute. International college of Financial Planning is playing a great role in providing best education to develop world class financial experts.