TL;DR: Sign up for CFI with your student email and get 50% off all membership plans. Once you join, you will have access to all certifications, including FMVA®, plus the entire library of courses and more.
What guarantees a successful finance career? An Ivy League degree? A high-profile internship?
If you think it’s the degree, here’s the reality: even Harvard MBAs are struggling to find jobs.
If you’ve picked the internship, this is the truth: companies started recruiting for their 2026 internship in 2024! The competition is ruthless.
As an undergrad, how do you land a job/internship when everyone has similar resumes?
That’s why programs like Corporate Finance Institute’s Financial Modeling Valuation Analyst (FMVA®) Certification exist. FMVA is an affordable, self-paced, ~100-hour program that teaches you core modeling and analysis skills that will help organizations make business decisions, proving you’re more than an intern, you’re a potential analyst.
But why does an FMVA certification hold so much value today? It stems from the current challenging job market.
Why Graduates Feel Unprepared for Jobs (Lack of Technical & AI Skills)
A lot of grads leave school with strong theory, but not the hands-on skills they’re expected to know on the job. As prospects decrease and the field gets more competitive, employers are counting on freshers to have practical technical skills; something that college curricula lack.
You might learn the importance of financial models, but you won’t know how to build one. Colleges don’t typically cover advanced Excel, DCF modeling with real-time company data, or turning large, raw, and messy data into clean visualizations (that CFI’s FMVA® program does).
This creates a real gap between what you learn in school and the technical, job-ready skills employers are looking for.
Even internships don’t always give enough exposure. They usually focus on administrative tasks like data entry or creating spreadsheets instead of teaching in-demand skills like complex modeling or end-to-end analysis. Even if they introduce you to constructive tasks, most internships are too short to gain competency in those skills.
The Need to Build AI Proficiency
When you’re applying for jobs in finance, you shouldn’t compete with technical skills and practical knowledge. You should also stand out with your AI proficiency.
Companies are using AI to automate repetitive tasks and speed up decision-making. Around 60% finance companies use AI for analytics, forecasting, reporting, fraud detection, and more, so your chances of getting hired will be higher if your AI proficiency aligns with industry expectations.
College curricula still don’t teach how to use generative AI tools for automation, interpretation, and strategy. But since it’s becoming a non-negotiable, you have to get hands-on knowledge of it to get ahead of other job candidates.
Along with CFI’s FMVA® program, you can take the AI in Finance Specialization that teaches you how to do routine tasks, data analysis, and financial modeling using ChatGPT, Excel, etc.
You’ll master AI-driven financial statement analysis, scenario planning, risk assessment, and data-driven dashboard creation with Excel automation and building custom AI tools.
If you’re looking for shorter courses or want to gain specific skills in AI, you can choose from CFI’s AI course catalog. These courses will strengthen your technical skills and show employers you can adapt to AI faster than other candidates, making you an asset who can contribute to modern finance companies.
Why Should You Take CFI’s FMVA® Program as an Undergrad?
A degree lays the foundation for your finance career, but employers want to see that you can apply what you’ve learned to real-world problems and scenarios right away. That’s where CFI’s FMVA® certification comes in. It bridges the gap between the theory you learn in college and the technical skills the industry wants.
The FMVA® doesn’t just teach concepts, it trains you in the practical, technical skills that top employers demand, the ones that most undergrad programs barely touch:
- Building and analyzing three-statement financial models from the ground up
- Running valuations using methods like Discounted Cash Flow (DCF), comparable company, and precedent transactions analysis
- Performing sensitivity and scenario analysis to guide high-stakes decisions
- Designing Excel dashboards and data visualizations that executives rely on
- Creating professional pitch decks and presentations that mirror what investment bankers use with clients
- Applying budgeting and forecasting techniques used by FP&A and corporate finance teams globally
These are the skills that make you job-ready, even before graduation. “We want people to be coming out of the FMVA® with skills that they can apply on the job right away.” – Duncan McKeen, EVP at CFI
Why Earn FMVA® While Still in School?
As a student, you already have a heavy workload. So why add another certification? Because the payoff is significant. Over 75% of CFI learners secure promotions or new roles within months of completing their certification.
- Stand out from the crowd: Thousands of graduates apply for the same entry-level roles. FMVA® proves you have something beyond just coursework—it shows you’re already trained for the job.
- Bridge the gap: Your degree teaches you theory; FMVA® gives you hands-on, job-ready training. Together, they make a powerful combination.
- Graduate ahead: Most students only realize after landing a job that they’re missing the practical skills needed to succeed. You’ll already have them, giving you a head start on promotions and career growth.
- Flexible learning: The program is fully self-paced, so you can fit it alongside your college schedule without falling behind.
The Resume and LinkedIn Advantage
Recruiters and hiring managers see hundreds of applications. Having FMVA® next to your degree instantly sets you apart.
- 85% of hiring managers, executives, and supervisors actively seek certified candidates, making FMVA® a powerful differentiator.
- It’s a globally recognized certification, signaling credibility and readiness to work in demanding roles.
- On LinkedIn, FMVA® strengthens your professional brand, catching the eye of recruiters searching for candidates with financial modeling and valuation expertise.
But here’s where CFI goes a step further: the finance world is rapidly evolving with AI, and CFI offers AI courses and specializations built specifically for finance professionals. That means you’re not just learning how to model and value companies; you can build on that by also learning how to leverage AI tools responsibly in financial analysis, reporting, and decision-making. You’ll understand both how to apply AI effectively and how to spot errors AI might miss, giving you a rare edge in today’s market.
FMVA® paired with AI training ensures you’re prepared for the jobs of today and the finance landscape of tomorrow.
The Intensive, 34-Course Structure
“The FMVA® is for anyone working on corporate finance activities that include transactions or analysis that relate to creating value for a company.”
– Tim, CEO and Co-Founder at CFI
The program is designed for students wanting to get into investment banking, private equity, financial planning & analysis, corporate development, or equity research. So, it revolves around core modeling and analysis skills.
It has 34 courses (2330 lessons), with 200+ exercises, a case study, and a final exam. The program focuses on application and offers you professional tools and software that universities might not provide.
The curriculum ensures you learn traditional modeling along with advanced analysis, so you can engage in developing business strategies rather than just crunching numbers.
Here’s how the program progresses:
Preparational Courses
↓
Core Courses
↓
Electives
↓
Case Study
↓
Final Exam
Let’s break that down.
- The (optional) Preparational Courses include strengthening your fundamentals of Excel, accounting, corporate finance, math, and capital IQ (among other skills).
- The Core Courses include learning and practicing essential modeling skills. It starts with Financial Analysis Fundamentals, goes into 3-Statement, Operational, DCF Valuation, and Cash Flow Modeling, and then covers Data Visualization, Creating Pitchbook Presentations, and Ethics in Modeling and Analysis.
- The Electives include Advanced Excel Formulas, Mining Financial Model, Startup Modeling, and Corporate Strategy, among other advanced-level courses.
The case studies include:
- Solar financial modeling for a renewable energy project, where you’ll be given confidential information about its financials. You will build a financial model and analyze the return to investors.
- Using IBISWorld to conduct a SWOT analysis, perform an industry review, and benchmark financial performance.
Lastly, you sit the final exam, and if you score above 70%, you’re eligible for the certification.
Practical Skills that Stand Out
“I never would have been able to get my first job without the FMVA®”
– FMVA Student
CFI instructors have developed training methods that are straight from investment bank programs, so you indirectly learn real-world skills from finance greats. Even professionals at firms like Goldman Sachs, Deloitte have used the FMVA® program to hone their modeling expertise.
The certification highlights your proficiency in financial modeling, valuation, and analysis used for larger companies, capital, and investments. It teaches you:
- Financial statement analysis that includes reading ratios, trends, and interpreting numbers
- Excel modeling from the ground up, including 3-statement models, forecasting, and catching errors
- Business valuation using DCF and comparable company analysis across scenarios
- Advanced M&A and LBO modeling for complex transactions
- Industry-specific modeling for real estate, banking, mining, renewable energy, and e-commerce
- Presenting your analysis confidently by building dashboards, pitch decks, and framing insights that drive decisions
The program takes 4 months to 6 months to complete, giving these skills time to develop and sharpen.
The ideal time to take the program is long before your job search begins, because the demand and the industry demand real-time skills, not just a degree.
In fact, Goldman Sachs hired a student from Peru for an investment banking role because of the skills he learned through the program.
Aid Benefits for Undergraduates
CFI subscriptions are affordable, with the Self-Study Plan is $348 per year and the Full-Immersion plan, which offers additional support and guidance, is $593 per year.
Plus, CFI offers 50% off both of their membership plans to university students who enroll with their university email address.
You don’t need to be enrolled in a business degree to sign up for the program.. Anyone can enroll in the FMVA® program.
Globally-Accepted, Accredited Certification
Over 2.8 million professionals worldwide have joined CFI because of the credibility of their certifications.
CFI is accredited by the Better Business Bureau® (BBB) for its training standards, recognized by CPA institutions in Canada, and approved by the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) in the US for education credits.
The Bottom Line
If you’re a finance student worried about landing that first job, FMVA® can help you stand apart from the competition.
It fills the skill gaps that colleges miss out on and gives you actual projects to work on and showcase during interviews. Other candidates might talk about what they learned; you can demonstrate what you’ve done.
In an industry where AI is doing basic tasks, this certification proves you can manage complex analysis and strategic thinking that businesses can benefit from.
This article was produced by the Class Central Report team in partnership with the Corporate Finance Institute.
The post How CFI’s FMVA® Certification Can Help Finance Undergrads Get Hired appeared first on The Report by Class Central.
