CIA, CFA, CFP?

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I'm studying Finance at LSU and I can't decide which program I want to join for the spring semester. Any advice from alums will help.

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What do you want to do in life? What do you like doing best as it relates to finance/accounting?

I did lvl 1 cfa in my last semester at Masters Finance, took the class at LSU which is nice to get 3 hrs A credit for it, but I am not continuing on with the program because I dont like the jobs that it is useful for.

I will say I learned more finance in my time studying for the CFA than I did in my masters or undergrad.

Dont do CIA if you don't want to be in internal audit.

Dont do CFP if you dont want to financially plan shite.

If you dont know what you want CFA is better but it is geared toward equity trading and managing funds/others money.

What year are you?

If you're not totally sold on Finance or confident that you'll find one of the better Finance jobs over your classmates, the CIA isn't a bad choice. I'd rather be an LSU finance grad working for a Big 4 acct firm than an LSU finance grad without a job. CIA bridges that gap for many students. Also, if you don't like your CIA internship you can always stay and get your M.Fin.

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CIA bridges that gap for many students.

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Yeah I'm pretty sure I'm sold on CIA. I talked to someone who is fin. grad and did CIA. He graduated with a 3.1 and has a much better job than his friends that didn't do CIA.

I appreciate the help

I did CIA but I was accounting too so I guess I didn't get as much benefit from it as finance or management folks did. At the absolute least the program at LSU trains you to look at an organization from a risk-based approach. I'd assume CFP would mainly teach you how focus on tax/private investing and CFA would teach you how to analyze investments. The other 2 are probably more specialized and possibly prestigous but CIA program at LSU (and to a lesser extent studying for the test) might give you a different skill set.

Email the recruiters from the websites of the smaller local firms (Laport Sehrt, P&N, etc). I knew a guy who got on with Deloitte NOLA by calling the receptionist and asking who he could speak to about getting on there. She connected him with a partner etc.

Just get out there and throw your resume around.

Ha, not quite. He was an external auditor for a couple of busy seasons and transferred to consulting in Chicago and is a senior consultant. Prob been with the firm for about 3 years even now.