Career conversations: The power of a different perspective in risk management

My parents were skeptical about the fact that for the same amount of money that I would pay for a CFA® Level I, I can enroll for a master's program.  

I told them that a CFA® charter is way more valuable than a master's degree because a master's degree tells the world that you have completed this area of study and now you need professional experience to be a qualified specialist, but a CFA® charter tells the world that you are already a specialist in your area of study. My name is Mariam Agha and I'm a CFA® Charterholder.  

The challenge was awareness about the overall CFA Program because back in 2013 when I was graduating, there was not much awareness about what it entails what it's about, and what are the future benefits of doing this charter.

Luckily, I had some friends who had already attempted the CFA® Level I, and they helped me gain insight into what value it would add in terms of career progression.

It was 2015 when I was working in the product development department, and I was also studying for my CFA® Level II exam. A lady who used to come for the CFA® Level II tuitions along with me told me about an opportunity in the risk management department within her bank.  

She also told me that they need people who are already working in the risk management function. But because I am now pursuing my CFA® Level II and already completed Level I at such a young age, they might be willing to make an exemption.  

Two days later they called me and they said that because of your credentials with respect to the CFA® Level I, we are willing to make this exemption, and then they offered me a job.  

I'm currently working as Manager Financial Risk at U Microfinance Bank. I'm looking at four different domains of risk, including credit, market, liquidity, and financial.  

The CFA® charter has greatly helped me to perform my duties as a Risk Manager in terms of developing financial risk management techniques and of assessing the risks inherent within the bank and within different instruments that we are using in general.

Taking decisions based on large data sets is a daily part of my job. And taking the CFA Program has helped me to train my mind to think critically and to look at things from an analytical perspective and to derive quick decisions based on large data sets.