Top Private Equity Certifications to Improve Job-Readiness
Finance graduates dream of breaking into private equity, soon after graduating from college. Private equity certifications can aid this career goal.
Private equity is one such lucrative sector, every finance graduate across the world would love to enter as soon as he finishes his degree course in finance or related subject discipline. But, it’s considered extremely difficult to break into this coveted business domain. Only those who practice excellence get hired in private equity, and that’s the case with every country, whatsoever. The competition becomes especially intense when it comes to getting your foot in a US private equity firm.
Besides, private equity, other than being lucrative, is among the world’s largest industries, in terms of generating revenue & profits. As per Statista, the globally renowned market-research firm, worldwide private equity transactions amounted to $811.31 billion in 2017, which surged to $905.99 billion in 2018, and since then, the value of PE deals had only increased.
The Role of Certifications in Getting Job-Ready
In the current digital world, where the competition is growing intense for entry-level jobs in finance, especially the coveted private equity jobs. You really need to be skillful and need to master multiple skills to break into the said industry. Financial markets are ruthless, and that is the reason in itself, for private equity firms only hiring the cream, in terms of talent.
Acquiring skill-specific 🔗 private equity certifications is the need of the hour. They not only offer you a competitive edge but also make you aware of the standard practices prevalent in the concerned sector. Private equity qualifications are something, that recruiters in the PE industry, see as a mandate to even accept the applications for entry-level jobs.
Best Professional Credentials to Develop a Career in Private Equity
Private equity careers are successfully made, when you have a love for financial markets, deep down inside. One needs to be financially literate, and aware, to become an eminent personality in the business domain of finance.
Here are a few PE-specific professional credentials that will help you attain your career goals in the world of private equity.
👉 Certification Programs from CFA Institute
CFA institute constitutes the largest pool of global investment professionals. The primary motto of the mentioned institute is keeping intact the world-class standards, in terms of the quality of professionals who will join the finance workforce, soon.
CFA institute runs and manages three different certificate courses in finance, namely — Investment Foundations Certificate, the Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement (CIPM), and the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).
👉 American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
The said institute came into inception in 1887. It is considered as the national organization in the US for certified public accountants. Eight different certifications in finance are offered under the institute’s umbrella. These comprise:
- Certified in the Valuation of Financial Instruments (CVFI)
- Accredited in Business Valuation(ABV)
- Certified in Financial Forensics (CFF)
- Personal Finance Specialist (PFS)
- Certified Public Accountant Certification (CPA)
- Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP)
- Certified in Entity and Intangible Valuations (CEIV)
- Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA)
👉 Chartered Private Equity Professional (CPEP) from USPEC
Among the top global certifications in the field of finance is CPEP (Chartered Private Equity Professional), offered by USPEC (United States Private Equity Council). The said professional certification is equally valuable to young finance graduates who have just completed their degree course in finance, and for experienced professionals who would want to move up the career ladder.
USPEC, under the said certification program, offers world-class study-ware to prepare for the qualifying exam. Individuals, who successfully qualify for the issuance of the said certification, rise up in their prospective careers, and a majority of them, climb up the hierarchical ladder at their respective firms, quite quickly.
You get honed as a potential leader in the world of private equity while preparing to qualify for the CPEP qualifying exam. The curriculum is comprehensive! Those thinking of breaking into the PE sector will benefit hugely from acquiring CPEP, as it will help them gain a distinct competitive edge over others when they would go for interviews for entry-level roles.
Candidacy Tracks for CPEP (Chartered Private Equity Professional) Certification
- Master’s/MBA in finance with a minimum 2 yrs of relevant work experience.
- A bachelor’s degree with finance as majors, along with 3 yrs of relevant work experience.
- Master’s(finance)/MBA from an institution/business school/university, recognized or accredited by USPEC.
- Working professional in one of the finance’s sub-functions, having a bachelor’s degree with an active professional credential presented by FRM, CFA, or a global credentialing body approved by USPEC.
👉 Institute of Management Accountants (IMA)
Among the reputed global private equity certifications, two of them, are offered by IMA. These are — Certified in Strategy and Competitive Analysis (CSCA), and Chartered Management Accountant (CMA). Both the credentials offered by IMA, focuses on management accounting. The institute is concentrated on strengthening OJT (on-job-training) skills of the chosen candidates.
👉 Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP) Institute
It’s a non-profit organization that runs certification courses in the subject discipline of financial risk. It constitutes 234,000 members as its proud community of prospective private equity professionals. The institute offers FRM (Financial Risk Manager) certification to finance graduates from across the world.
I Hope, the article will help you make the right decisions in regard to lifting your prospective careers to greater heights.
