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  • 1.  FP&A and career after CMA US

    Posted 03-02-2025 02:16 AM

    I've heard that breaking into FP&A as a fresher is very tough.  

    How can I secure an FP&A role as a fresher after completing the US CMA? Do I need additional certifications like CPA or CFA etc to crack FP&A roles ? Also, what other strategic planning and analysis roles, similar to FP&A, can a fresher US CMA get into?



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    Gunuganti Shivayagna
    None
    Nalgonda
    India
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  • 2.  RE: FP&A and career after CMA US

    Posted 03-09-2025 01:13 AM

    Dear Nalgonda,

    In my view, your CMA expertise already covers planning, budgeting, and forecasting for an FP&A role. To further enhance your FP&A career, consider these options:

    • IMA Financial Planning and Analysis Certificate: Available through IMA's continuous learning platform.
    • CFI Financial Planning and Analysis Specialization: Excel-based, practical, and focused on real-world scenarios.
    • FPAC (Certified Corporate FP&A Professional) from AFP: The top global FP&A certification, rigorous with two parts. CMA holders can skip Part 1 (terms apply).

    I hope this addresses your query.

    Best regards,
    Mujahid Ali, CMA, CFE, PMI-RMP, Cert. IFRS
    United Arab Emirates



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    Mujahid Ali CMA
    Supervisor
    Dubai
    United Arab Emirates
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  • 3.  RE: FP&A and career after CMA US

    Posted 03-09-2025 09:56 AM

    CMA is supposedly a certification for FP&A hence doing other FP&A courses so soon after passing CMA is not recommended.

    Simply work on your digital and soft skills and continue to stay in touch with CMA course content and concepts so that you apply what you learnt.

    Still most likely you will not get FP&A role as a fresher hence whatever you get just take it up and when the right time comes few years down the line you can breakthrough into FP&A job role.

     



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    Kushnabh Chhabra CMA
    Analyst
    Bengaluru
    India
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