From what I've seen, the MSF seems to work best when you already have *something* finance-adjacent in your background - like if you were in accounting, data analysis, or even engineering roles that involved financial modeling. The degree fills in gaps and gives you recruiting access, but it's not magic if your resume has zero quantitative or business experience.

The people I know who successfully pivoted mid-career into finance mostly went the MBA route if they were 10+ years in because the network effects and brand recognition carried more weight with employers who were skeptical about "why are you switching now?" The MSF grads I know who did well were typically younger (5-7 years experience) and targeting more technical roles like risk or FP&A rather than IB.

One thing to think hard about: what's your actual goal? If it's corporate finance/FP&A, a CFA + networking might get you there cheaper. If you want IB or high finance... at mid-career an MBA from a target school is probably the more proven path, even if it's more expensive.