History of Hedge Fund Designations

By Richard Wilson

Within this article we provide some information on the history of hedge fund designations and then some tips on how to select a certification program for yourself.

Hedge Fund Designations:

• HF designations started out as a way for the industry to evaluate that a professional held a certain level of knowledge allowing them to complete some basic types of work within the industry.
• The programs started out with just required readings and an examination and quickly grew into more robust offerings. Nowdays programs can include career coaching, resume feedback, resume templates, internship programs, online multimedia such as video modules or expert audio recordings, and very detailed study guides and book summaries which helps participants prepare for the examination.
• When designations were first started they required you to travel to a few select cities to complete testing requirements, now you can complete tests online from anywhere in the world opening up this educational option to 1,000's of additional professionals.

Tips for Selecting a Program:

• Make sure that whatever program you select that it is very specific to your field of employment. With so many designation options there is no point completing a generic program that is not specific to your field
• Do your homework and make sure that the program you join does not require expensive ongoing membership dues just to "use" the letters of their program behind your name. If membership dues are required ensure that they are low and provide you with more value than they take.
• Try to complete a certification that is ran by a industry association so that you will also get the benefit of their advice, connections, resources, webinars, and networking events as well.
• Consider taking an online program which cuts out the travel and testing center headaches of more traditional programs which require on campus courses or testing centers.

I hope this article helps you see how HF designations have grown over time and changed with technology.

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