About Swiss Finance Academy

As someone who came into the program with no background in finance, what are your thoughts about the Swiss Finance Academy curriculum?

I would recommend this program to anyone who is interested in a career in finance, but especially to those who have no prior knowledge of or background in finance. Do not be intimidated! SFA faculty are there to help you, and they know that they are throwing some pretty challenging stuff in your direction. When I arrived in Verbier, I had no idea what a Capital Assets Pricing Model was; by the time I left, I felt like I had become fluent in another language. I think it’s important for liberal arts majors to know that they are not alone in their relative lack of knowledge when they come to the program; the material was novel for everyone, including the finance and business majors in the program. As SFA faculty like to say, “humility is key.” Faculty members are more than willing to do whatever it takes to instill an understanding of the material; it is simply a matter of asking for that added explanation, or for those added examples of ways in which the concept is used or applied. The professors won’t move on until everyone is on the same page. SFA wants its students to succeed, and in my experience the Academy did whatever it took to help us achieve that success. By the time I left the program, I felt like I knew just as much as anyone who had taken many courses in finance, and even more when it came to applied skills and concepts.

Why did you choose Swiss Finance Academy?

I got the impression that SFA taught its students that which they needed to know to successfully seek, interview for and land a position in the industry. As a non-finance major, I wanted a program that would quickly bring me up to speed with all the relevant skills and knowledge that I would need to pursue a career in the finance industry. I wanted to learn concepts that I could actually apply on the job, rather than outdated, theoretical concepts that would never be of any use when I started working. SFA has the unique ability to do this, because its faculty is composed of former investment banking professionals. They know which valuation methods will actually be used on the job. They know how you need to prepare your resume to get yourself noticed, and how to successfully approach an interview. Their industry insights are extremely candid, so that there are no surprises about what you are actually getting yourself into. When I applied to SFA, I knew that the program would be intense, but I was also betting on the fact that it would be a worthwhile investment; believe me when I say that my experience was all that and much, much more.

- Zach Gittens