Education · 1 of 5

The path

A degree, an internship, then an optional but powerful set of exams.

1. 1

   High school

   Grade 12

   Take the hardest math you can handle, plus any economics or accounting elective. Learn spreadsheets properly, not casually.

2. 2

   Bachelor's degree

   4 years

   Finance, economics, accounting, mathematics or engineering. The subject matters less than the numeracy and the internships.

3. 3

   Internships, especially the summer before your last year

   2 summers

   In this industry the junior summer internship is effectively the job interview. Firms make full-time offers from it.

4. 4

   First analyst job

   2 to 3 years

   Two to three years building models, cleaning data and writing the pages someone senior presents.

5. 5

   The Chartered Financial Analyst program, if you want investment work

   3 to 4 years alongside work

   Three exams taken in order, about 300 hours of study each, plus 4,000 hours of relevant work experience over at least 36 months.