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To enroll for the CFA programme and register for your first level of exam, you must have one of the following criteria:
Education: A Bachelor's degree or be in final year of any Bachelor's degree is needed to pass all the levels of CFA Exam. Work Experience: Four years of Professional work experience
Now the question is what kind professionals can become CFA. What kind of work experience is required to get the CFA institute membership is the main concern in your mind right now. As per CFA institute, there are limited professionals who can become CFA:
You have at least 4 years (48 months) of experience in the field of investment
Any type of decision-making process; supervising persons who conduct such activities; or teaching such activities related to investment will be eligible for CFA membership
Operations in big investment banks, deals with processing of the trades and record it in Accounting Systems will be eligible as well
As per CFA institute, trading, economics and corporate finance such type of fields are also acceptable as your working experience
Minimum 50% of your 4 years of working experience should be spent directly involved in the investment decision-making process
Work must be full time and can be earned before, during, or after participation in the CFA programme
Managing investments for yourself or your family or friends does not eligible
Combination of Education and Experience: 4 years in addition of education and work experience in total to passing the Level I CFA Exam. First, there is the educational benefit; you will learn a great deal and add a great credential to your CV. Then, there is the boost to your reputation. People in the business know the time and dedication it takes to earn the charter. When they see you have earned it, they will likely believe you have the ability, dedication, ethical grounding and analytical skills necessary to do the job in question. There also may be financial benefits. You may see your salary increase after you've become a CFA or you may surpass other applicants who don't have this designation when competing for a new job. The operative word here is "may. "
Buy-side trader or other buy-side professional positions
Sell-side analyst, associate or other sell-side professional positions
Business school professor
Economist
Financial advisory or financial planner
Beyond this list, there are a number of professions in which having the CFA Charter helps,. .

Hi,
There are some really good answers here, but as someone who has none of those designations I thought I would add my perspective.
Understand that a CFO, generally speaking, is an executive responsible to the CEO and company board for translating business operations into consumable, actionable information so that they can set strategy and execute a business plan. Certainly a CFO is responsible for much more, but in the end the CFO must be the CEOs confidant on most things with numbers attached. Further, and in larger organizations, the CFO can count on a controller who ensures the technical aspect of the finance department continues to run smoothly.
Now, talking about another program, the CFA Program focuses on investment management. The top employers of charter holders include the most respected financial corporations in the world, e.g., JP Morgan, Citigroup, Bank of America, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, UBS, and Wells Fargo to name a few. Many of these are investment banks, but the CFA program focuses on the knowledge and skills most relevant to the global investment management profession from the standpoint of a practitioner.
Investment professionals who hold the CFA designation (or CFA charter) meet rigorous educational, work experience and ethical conduct requirements.
Only those who complete three graduate-level examinations, four years of work experience and annual membership renewal (including an ethics and code of professional conduct attestation) are permitted to use the CFA designation. Complementary codes and standards (such as the Global Investment Performance Standards and Asset Manager Code) help enhance this professional distinction.
I hope it's clear now.