# Need some advice on CSC



## hdurran (Apr 29, 2011)

Hey everyone,

I am in a bit of a dilemma and really worried about myself and where I am heading. I am currently 26 years old and graduated from university about 2 years ago in 2009 with a Finance major and was having a really hard time finding even a CSR position at a bank or any entry level position at a decent financial institution. 

My work experience isn't really that impressive, I worked in a call center for a bit doing technical support. Although i was pretty good at that I wanted to do something in my field of study so i planned to enroll in the CFA program hoping it might help towards getting an entry level position as an investment representative or as a junior investment analyst. 

Anyhow i passed my level 1 CFA exam this December 2010 in my first attempt and till now have had no luck what so ever. I keep getting rejected by those automated emails again and again. I tried to change my resume to make it look better but still the same old result. I don't have a CSC though could that be a reason why i keep getting rejected from jobs? I don't mind giving the CSC and since I passed the level 1 cfa just recently most of the stuff is still fresh in my head and If i work hard i can probably complete both the CSC exams in a month and a half.

My only concern is, what if i end up paying 1000 dollars and still be stuck where I am right now. It would be great if anyone who has worked in a financial institution could help me out and tell me what i need to do to get an entry level job at a financial institution even its a CSR job. Both the University degree and the CFA level 1 apparently have been fairly useless till now.

thanks


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## Helianthus (Oct 19, 2010)

If you've already started on the CFA, do not bother with the CSC. 

For those I know in Finance, it is about who you know. I had a friend similar to yourself struggle for years trying to get in to the industry and finally just gave up. He actually passed all three levels too. My other friend took 18 months to find a job, and even still he had to take a pay cut to make that happen. 

At your experience level, I'd recommend that you keep trying, but make sure you exhaust any and all potential contacts in the industry. I'd also try to get out to any networking events that you can to help you meet more contacts. 

Best of luck!


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## MoneyGal (Apr 24, 2009)

Your best shot is to become an assistant to an established advisor. Those jobs are not that easy to find, and they are *extremely* personal as in the advisor is looking to clone himself or herself, and personal fit is the main characteristic they are looking for. 

If you want to work as an IA, you will need the CSC designation. If you passed the Level 1 CFA you will have no problem passing the CSC with no additional preparation. 

I'm not sure whether you should enroll and pass now, or wait. Probably your best bet is to wait, and then discuss with a potential employer in the course of employment negotiations (I'm not sure, to be honest, a non-bank employer will be that interested in paying for a required course for an employee they are just taking on. You might end up paying for it yourself, but at least you'd have future employment income at that point). 

As for where to find the kind of job I have described - this is probably purely a networking thing. You need a LinkedIn profile and you need to start identifying the kinds of jobs you want and seeking informational interviews with those people. (This is not distinct to this field.)


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## Four Pillars (Apr 5, 2009)

Congrats on the CFA I. 

It wouldn't hurt to still get the CSC. A lot of companies like to see it.

Most fin companies advertise new positions on their websites - I would be checking as many companies as you can every day. Have you called the HR department for jobs you were rejected for and asked for feedback?

Networking is key - do you know anyone who works for a financial company? Give them a call and find out if the company is hiring and what areas. If you can get a referral from an existing employee, that should help.

Lastly - at one time I took some company-sponsored courses in job hunting ie how to interview, how to network, make a good resume etc. I never ended up using the info, but it really opened my eyes about how crappy an interviewee I was.

The commercial job-search courses are too expensive, but you should check with your local employment office to see if they have any kind of courses/workshops for that sort of thing. It might help.

If that doesn't work out, maybe buy a book or two or do some surfing for job hunt tips and work on your technique - ie get your interview answers prepared and do practice interviews with people.


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## Dmoney (Apr 28, 2011)

Hey I'm in a similar situation having just finished school this April with a finance major. While the CSC won't necessarily get you a job, it won't hurt to have and is extremely easy, especially for someone who has passed the CFA 1. It's required for much of the banking industry, but very little demand for it in the research/analysis/investment banking side of things. 

Depending where you want to go, it may or may not be useful. Retail banking it is mandatory, I believe for trade execution or any sort of advisory role it is also mandatory. 

If you're looking to get into retail banking, make sure to apply online to any position you're interested in, then go in person and make the contact with whoever is hiring for the position. I tried the online application route for two years while still in school, and heard nothing from any of the big 5 banks, however the first time I went into a branch and spoke to a manager, I had the job within a couple of weeks. 

If you're more interested in the analytical side or investment banking, experience and connections count for everything. It also helps to have gone to a school from which the big firms recruit heavily. Check out sites like 

www.mergersandinquisitions.com (very good interview/resume tips)
www.careers-in-finance.com (job descriptions, paths and much more)
www.thefatlefttail.blogspot.com (a guy who just got in with a major firm and talks about the process)

Countless more that can be Googled easily.

It really all depends which route you want to go, and while I don't have any interest in the retail banking side of things from my past experience, there is huge room for promotion in branches.


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