Seven lucrative and interesting careers that you can do after Commerce in full detail, the exams that you need to take for it, the courses that you would need to do, the types of jobs that you can get. And as a bonus, I will give you four additional exciting careers towards the end of the video. Also, don’t worry because the main points are going to come up on the screen so you can take screenshots. You can also find this content as a video podcast on Skill Up with Chat Chat, which is available exclusively on Spotify. Let’s begin.
Career Number One: Chartered Accountant (CA)
Career number one is that of a Chartered Accountant, or a CA. So, to become a CA in India, what you need to clear that much dreaded CA exam conducted by The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). Now this CA exam has three levels: Foundation, Intermediate (or IPCC), and Final. Now, the Foundation exam is taken after 10 plus 2, while the Intermediate and Final exams you can take after you’ve finished your graduation. And don’t worry, it’s not that bad, okay? Maybe it is, but with a little hard work and dedication, you can do it.
Let’s talk of types of jobs. As a Chartered Accountant, you can work in audit and taxation, in advisory, and in finance. You can also be a tax consultant, an audit manager, a financial analyst, a cost accountant, and even an investment banker. So you can choose a career path that suits your interests and skills. Now the top firms to join, this is a juicy part. If you’re looking to join the top firms, then you’ve got to aim for the Big Four accounting firms, which are Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers (or PWC), Ernst & Young (or EY), and KPMG. Now you can also work for any other large corporate. Maybe you can have your own consultancy too as a CA. And it’s shout out time. This week, the shout out goes to Janisha for leaving this lovely message under my last video. And if you want a shout out in my next video, you know what to do: leave me a message below with a hashtag #ChatChatters.
Career Number Two: Company Secretary (CS)
Career number two is Company Secretary. Now, to become a Company Secretary, you need to clear one exam, which is the Company Secretaryship exam, which is conducted by The Institute of Company Secretaries of India. But don’t let the name fool you, it’s not about being a secretary. What is a Company Secretary? Actually, this person is responsible for ensuring that the company complies with legal and regulatory requirements. Now let’s talk about this exam. This exam is divided into three levels: Foundation, Executive, and Professional. Once again, the Foundation exam is if you’re taking it after 10 plus 2. If you’re taking the Intermediate and Final exams, they are for graduates. In fact, the Foundation exam can be taken by any student, regardless of whether you study Commerce. You could have studied Arts; you could have studied Science. Let’s talk about the types of jobs. As a Company Secretary, you can work in various sectors. You could work in legal, corporate governance, and finance. The kind of job profiles that are available include Compliance Officer, Legal Advisor, Corporate Planner, and Risk Manager. Now before moving on to Career Number Three, I want to remind you that we have two really good videos on the channel already: “What to do after 10th” and “How to choose your career.” So make sure you go back and take a look at them as well later, and do subscribe to the channel if you haven’t already, so you keep getting all this cool content that I make for you every Friday.
Career Number Three: Cost and Management Accountant (CMA)
Career number three is Cost and Management Accountant (CMA). Now, if you want to become a CMA in India, you need to clear the CMA exam conducted by The Institute of Cost Accountants of India. Once again, the exam is divided into three levels: Foundation, Intermediate, and Final. The Foundation exam comes after your 10 plus 2 education. Once again, the Intermediate and Final exams are for graduates. And like the Company Secretaryship, again the 10 plus 2 can be in any stream, but the graduation needs to be in any subject other than Arts and Music. Let’s talk about types of jobs. A CMA is about being a master of Finance, Accounting, and Management. As a CMA, you can work in various sectors. You can work in finance, accounting, management. Difficult job profiles would include Cost Accountant, Financial Analyst, Management Accountant, and Budget Analysts.
Career Number Four: Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Career number four is MBA (Master of Business Administration). Now, an MBA degree is a very popular choice where you have a number of specializations like Finance, Marketing, Human Resources, Entrepreneurship, Supply Chain Management, or even Operations Management. Now, to become an MBA in India, for most MBA institutes, you need to clear the Common Admission Test (CAT). Some institutes, like the ISB Hyderabad, also accept GMAT scores. Some of the top institutes that you can go to are the IIM (Indian Institute of Management), XLRI, ISB, and many more. I studied at XLRI Jamshedpur. Now, since MBA is a postgraduate program, you could perhaps as an undergraduate, right after school, do a BCom, a BBA, or even a BA or a BSc — works just as well. Talking about types of jobs, depending on the specialization that you pick, typical job profiles for MBAs could include Business Development Manager, Marketing Manager, Investment Banker, maybe Management Consultant. There could be a number of profiles, and they all map to the specialization that you’ve taken. But remember, an MBA is not just about getting a degree; it’s about gaining knowledge, building connections, and developing your skills. So keep your head high, study hard, and don’t forget to have fun along the way.
Career Number Five: Financial Planner
Career number five is Financial Planner. A Financial Planner helps individuals or businesses create a comprehensive financial plan to achieve their financial goals. Now, the courses that you need to pursue could be a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) course or a Chartered Wealth Manager (CWM) program. These are rigorous exams. They cover everything from retirement planning to tax management. So you’ll need to study very hard. Types of jobs: You could work as a Financial Planner, maybe for individuals or families, helping them manage their investments. You could help them plan for retirement and achieve their financial goals. You can also work in an inner Financial Advisory firm. You could work at a bank. You could provide financial planning services to clients in these organizations. The possibilities are endless. And if you’re interested in corporate finance, you could work as a Financial Analyst, helping companies make strategic financial decisions.