“It was my best decision to use Salt Solutions”

Emre Han Türkel recently graduated from Koç University, in Istanbul, Turkey, and shortly thereafter started a new job in the Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) Advisory department at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). Emre credits Salt Solutions with helping him effectively manage his time, focus on the right material, and pass the Level I exam.

After passing Level I, Emre got the boost in confidence he needed as someone early in his career. He plans to continue using Salt Solutions for the next two levels of the CFA exam. In fact, he says choosing Salt Solutions was his "best decision." Learn more about Emre and his CFA journey in our interview, conducted via email.

What is your motivation for earning your charter?

My motivation is to earn a globally recognized and respected title in the area of finance by putting in time and effort to improve myself in the area that I love and am very excited about. The CFA curriculum also gets me familiar with many of the concepts of finance theory, which provides great know-how to excel in a finance career.

Could you describe your career right now and what you do professionally?

I graduated from Koç University in January 2022 with an industrial engineering major and economics minor. I started my career at Koç Holding, the leading conglomerate in Turkey in the corporate finance division. After 6 months of work experience, I am now moving to a new job next week at the PwC M&A Advisory department, which I am very excited about.

I believe the inclusive and thorough know-how in many areas of finance gives you confidence, especially in the early years of your career.

How do you predict that what you learned for the first level of the exam will be immediately applicable to your new job?

I highly believe the [CFA Level I exam] material will be applicable in my new role. On a higher level, I believe the inclusive and thorough know-how in many areas of finance gives you confidence, especially in the early years of your career. More specifically, I believe Quantitative Methods, Corporate Finance, Financial Reporting and Analysis, and Portfolio Management will be very applicable in my new role. (Editor's note: A free trial of Salt Solutions gives you access to the full topic for Quantitative Methods!)

What are some obstacles you've faced so far in your CFA exam preparation and how have you overcome them?

Time management. The main obstacle was balancing my preparation time with work life, which I am recently adapting and getting used to, since I only have a couple months of work experience. The concise and easy-to-follow format of Salt Solutions really helped me get the most out of my study time.

The concise and easy-to-follow format of Salt Solutions really helped me get the most out of my study time.

What made you decide that Salt Solutions should be your choice for CFA exam prep?

Throughout the trial period, I loved the nature of the material, which was visually supported and just what I needed to pass the exam using my time in the most efficient way, which is very precious in the work life. Also, the artificial intelligence–supported analytical system that tracks your progress really helped to motivate me.

What was your favorite aspect of preparing using Salt Solutions?

The whole study experience was perfect with Salt Solutions. I believe the best part was getting the most out of my study time. Salt Solutions allowed me to focus on my work, personal life, and CFA preparation journey in the best way by guiding me through the process. I knew exactly what to focus on, how to study, and where I was in the whole process at a given time, so that I could adjust my actions accordingly. Having that peace of mind made a huge difference in my study experience.

Salt Solutions helped me to focus on the right and most important material. The quality of the material Salt Solutions provides literally speaks for itself while you study. You feel that the material is prepared by highly experienced, expert individuals. It was my best decision to choose Salt Solutions in my CFA journey.

I knew exactly what to focus on, how to study, and where I was in the whole process at a given time ... Having that peace of mind made a huge difference.

How did you feel when you learned you’d pass the Level I exam?

I felt very proud of myself. The confidence I immediately felt regardless of my years of experience or my age inspired me even more to continue to progress in my CFA journey. Also, I felt thankful I’d made the decision to work with Salt Solutions. I’ve made a further decision to definitely work with them in the following levels.

Thank you for sharing your story with us, Emre! We're looking forward to seeing you succeed at the exams and excel in your career at PwC and beyond.