Is CFA A Good Career Option For Girls?

July 8, 20222 Minutes
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Are you interested in opting for a CFA career but are unsure if it is suitable for girls? You've come to the right place. Below you will find everything that will help you decide if you want to take CFA as a career.

CFA stands for Chartered Financial Analyst. CFA as a career enables you to hold a grip on the economy's financial and investment aspects. It also allows you to work as an Investment Manager and Portfolio Manager.

With interest in CFA growing with time, the number of applicants for the course is also high. There are a lot of benefits in terms of compensation and career growth opportunities. With a CFA degree one can earn INR 4,00,000 - INR 40,00,000. Placement for CFA graduates is available in renowned companies like JP Morgan. RBC, HSBC, PWC Group, etc. There is also a high scope of being placed abroad with better job opportunities that pay more.

Currently, 89.7% of the male population is employed in the CFA job sector, whereas only 10.3% of females work in this sector. But one thing is for sure; the career is open to all genders. Soon, we can expect an increase in women's ratio in this sector in the coming generations.

Here are 5 of the best career options as a CFA:

  1. Portfolio Managers: Avg salary - 10 lakhs. Responsible for investing money. They also handle the client's mutual funds investments. They manage bonds and equity portfolios to maximize the investment returns with an acceptable level of risk. This position mainly requires experience in financial asset management and investments.

  2. Risk Manager: Avg. Salary -10 lakhs. They analyze the risk in the market and prepare to execute a specialized plan to reduce the level of risk facing. They usually coordinate with the risk management activities to prevent liabilities. They keep a check on whether the office staff is adhering to safety rules or not.

  3. Business Consultant: Avg. Salary - 9 lakhs. Their role is to deal with business problems and suggest possible solutions. Analyzing the company's financial statements and then helping them meet future goals. They develop the high-level roadmap of the business initiatives and future objectives. They balance the customers' requests with the technical constraints.

  4. Private Bankers: Avg. Salary - 8.5 lakhs. Private bankers maintain relationships with the bank's clients and monitor their needs. They provide the credit, loans and other solutions to the client. They aim to increase clients' wealth through investments and help to purchase houses and estate planning.

  5. Chartered Financial Analyst: Avg. Salary - 6.6 lakhs. They are responsible for analyzing financial portfolios and creating recommendations based on the same. They set the financial goals and identify the key steps to achieve them.

    Opt for free career guidance at Glow and Lovely Careers (formerly known as Fair & Lovely Career Foundation) to help you confirm if CFA is the right career for you. Best of luck!

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July 23, 20214 Minutes

Komal Mangtani: The Rebellious Girl Learned Coding and Is Now One of America’s Top 50 Women in Technology

**Coming from a conservative family in Surat, Komal's rebellion was taking up Coding as a career. Today, Komal is the Senior Director and Head of Engineering and Business Intelligence at Uber.** <br /> <br /> Komal came from a conservative family in Surat. The idea of women working or going away for higher education was not popular. "*I come from a conservative family. People were loving but not necessarily giving me the right feedback.* ***Back then, traveling 200 km to study, staying in a hostel, was all a no-no. I distinctly remember crying, trying to convince my family this was the right thing for me."*** **So Komal rebelled and decided to take up Coding.** <br /> <br /> *Having the right career guidance is important. It is easier to succeed when what you are doing matches your interests.* [*To get a free online test in career planning click here!*](https://www.glowandlovelycareers.in/en/career-guidance) **Using education as a ticket to independence** Komal once said, *"For me, computer engineering became a ticket to freedom, to independence."* Coding helped Komal explore her career differently. She could move away from social norms that were otherwise tying her down. **The initial struggle** <br /> <br /> It was not easy though. Komal studied engineering almost 20 -- 25 years back. During the 1980s- 1990s. Computers were not easily available then. ***"I had to pay by the hour for computer time!"*** To save money, Komal started writing software programs on paper first. Then she would run to the local cybercafé and type those programs on the computer. Komal, however, did not let these challenges discourage her. Instead, she started having fun. She treated these challenges like a game. Writing software programs and testing them gave an outlet to her creativity. **Converting challenges into opportunities** Komal's imagination was strong. She loved solving puzzles and riddles. When the computer programs she wrote didn't work, she treated them like a puzzle. It was her version of a video game. **Breaking society's rules** **After graduation, Komal joined Wipro as a software engineer. The society, however was not happy. At that time, people thought a working woman meant the family was poor.** <br /> <br /> At that time, Komal's father supported her. **Taking up a job...... Going away from home to pursue a career.... Pursuing Technology, which was predominantly a male-dominated profession...... Komal kept breaking the typical norms.** <br /> <br /> **Taking these risks paid off** The job in Wipro as a software engineer was the start of a successful career. Due to her background with Wipro, Komal could shift to the US. There she got an opportunity to work with Oracle in the US. Later she joined Uber and has been in the news ever since! Today, Komal is a senior Director in Uber and heads engineering and business intelligence. **Komal on girls entering the world of Technology** **Komal's advice to girls wanted to enter Technology is that they should broaden the definition of Technology. Match using Technology with their interests. She gives an example of YouTube and Facebook.** <br /> <br /> **One may be developing the next YouTube because she or she likes love watching videos. Similarly, one may create the next Facebook because he/she likes to socialize.** <br /> <br /> *Having the right career guidance is important. It is easier to succeed when what you are doing matches your interests.* [*To get free career guidance about your dream career, click here!*](https://www.glowandlovelycareers.in/en/career-guidance/career-options) According to Komal, having an equal number of men and women in Technology is beneficial to business. Since women think differently and bring a unique approach to solving problems -- which may be different from a man's approach. Komal is a strong supporter of women joining Technology. She is on board of communities such as Women Who Code and Girls Who Code -- organizations that help girls make a career in Technology. In fact, Komal was also instrumental in Uber donating more than a million dollars to Girls who Code to help girls develop technical knowledge at a young age. **Komal on empowering girls to make their own decisions** <br /> **Be it career or deciding what to eat, Komal firmly believes that girls should make their own choice.** <br /> *She feels that we need to empower girls to make decisions from a very young age. It can be a simple activity such as going to a restaurant and allowing them to order what they want. This helps boost their confidence."* Komal herself has 2 daughters. One is 10 years old and the other is 14 years old. She keeps telling her girls not to allow the world to define them. She feels girls should invest in themselves and now allow others to define their strengths and weaknesses. *If you wish to pursue a career in computers and Information technology, you can check out our [free online courses in Information Technology](/online-courses)* *Or you can* [*click here to get free career guidance about your dream career!*](/career-guidance/career-options)