SII or CFA

hello

i appreciate this has been asked before but i want some advice for my situation.

i recently passed the SII Certificate in Investment Management, so I now have the set (passed Securities and Derivatives and Principles of Reg last year). so....

the CFA attracts me as there is a lot to learn and i know it is highly regarded. a lot puts me off though.
1. it is quite general and will take a very long time, especially as i have missed the June cycle for this year. i'm 28 next month and 3 or 4 yrs is very offputting.
2. i've been on their website and registering seems a nightmare. i couldnt even get it to accept my password. do you need a sponsor or something?
3. i have no intention of ever working in the US.

SII attracts me as...
1. I'm already a member and it will be easy to get the ball rolling.
2. i can specialise early.
3. i can get it done before i'm 30.
BUT i'm concerned it might limit me to the UK, as i do like the idea of relocating to Europe, and, well it isn't the CFA.

any thoughts? i work as a data analyst now (Eurobonds) but the data side of things bores me to death and i'm interested in becoming an analyst of fixed income, equities or markets or finding something in portfolio/investment management. i'm not so interested in trading or ops.

VERY grateful for any advice.

Jon

you can take level 1 in december and level 2 the following june if you pass. minimum exam period would be 2.5 years though 4 years investment experience is also required. im sure you can use the experience as a data analyst as many middle office people in banks are able to get away with their 'investment' experience.

as far as the exams go i dont think they are difficult at all to be honest. they are highly regarded within investment management but its becoming more of a case "oh, you dont have the cfa" rather than "wow, you have the cfa". however experience counts for a hell of a lot more than qualifications so i would suggest trying to get into asset management or research areas of a bank as soon as possible. things are tough this year but asset managers are still recruiting so you could give it a shot.

Jon,

Why not try the Euex Traders Exam? It's far better (and more detailed/difficult) than the SII's Derivatives exam. Study material/texts are free from Eurex and you can take the exam in London (can't remember the cost but it's not high). I reckon it would an impressive addition to your cv.

Also, there are numerous US CFTC exams (equivalent to the SII exams) but covering many separate areas. These are known as, eg Series 3, Series 16, etc. Should get the details from the CFTC site.

Or, how about a 1-year full-time/2-year part Masters in Financial mathematics, or numerous other related subjects?

Grant.