José Manuel, CFA, and Maria del Pilar, CFA

Bogotá, Columbia
Charterholders since 2009

The CFA is at the Heart of Our Story as a Couple

We both live and work in Bogotá, Colombia, and family is a very important aspect of everyday life for us. Because of this, one of the most challenging parts of earning the CFA charter in 2009 was sacrificing time with family and close friends. At first it was a little difficult to say no to family lunches or dinners, or any event that took us more than 1 1/2 hours. But as soon as they understood the adventure we were living, they not only supported us but helped us by trying to work our study schedule around family events.

When we came home tired after work and didn’t feel like studying, we would recall a favorite quote of ours: “If there is something you really want to achieve in life and you can share that journey with the one you love…how else can you make your adventure and life easier than achieving it together?”

I suppose that is why we decided to register for the CFA Program when we got married. We both are very keen to continue our education, and we first learned about the designation in The Economist Magazine. When we read about the CFA Charter and realized that it was a top certification worldwide, that it covered the topics we were interested in, and that there were so few charterholders in Colombia, we decided it was the perfect next step for both of us.

We were starting a new life together and thought it was appropriate to begin our education and life journey simultaneously. The most difficult part was considering what we would do if one of us passed and the other failed. Incredibly enough, we both passed and failed at the same time. When we didn’t pass Level II we were able to boost each other’s spirit and persevere; we worked hard at motivating one another and staying positive despite our initial failure.

We studied side by side but not together, and we decided before we started a study session when exactly we were going to take a break, so that we had a previous agreement in case anyone was tired before time was up. We always tried to stick to that schedule as we knew that discipline was a key variable in our success. Near the date of the examination, when the study sessions were a lot more intense, we decided that we were going out every Saturday for a sit-down dinner at a nice restaurant so we could have fresh air and think about something other than the candidate body of knowledge.

We also designated a specific area at home as our study or library room, which had good lighting and comfortable seats. We decided that studying in the bedroom or at any place where your mind can easily escape was not going to help in terms of effective hours of study. Unfortunately, we both had a heavy workload at our jobs and didn’t get any time off from our employers to study, so creating a plan and sticking to it was vital. So the main rule was to work in the appropriate room in the house. During those four years of our journey, the CFA became a central part of our new life.

The fact that both of us were dedicated to the same project was incredibly enriching, not only for our professional careers, but for us as a couple. Whenever one of us was feeling like we wanted to be somewhere else or do something else – anything other than studying – and you turned your face and saw your partner working hard, the first thought was: we can do this together, just keep focused and wait for the rewards at the end.

Sharing years of study together to earn a charter that only a dozen people had in Colombia at that time is very special to us. We will never forget the day we received our charter in a ceremony in 2009; it was one of the best memories of our lives together…at least so far!