In recent years the popularity of B.Com has increased dramatically. The competition to get admission in B. com in well-known universities is quite high. In Delhi University, the first cut off for admission in B.com ended on 96.5%. Getting admission in B. com in your preferred college is not sufficient. The real confusion for a student starts after B. com. A B. Com student has many courses after B. com to enrol in, but the best one according to their values and interest, is tough to choose. We would advise the students to go for career counselling after B.Com to understand what course will help them to have a suitable career.
The main preference of the students after B. Com is to enroll in professional courses. Commerce is a professional and job oriented subject. This is the reason that more students opt for it after the 10th. The path for commerce students is easy after 12th as most of them go for a Bachelor Degree in Commerce, but after that, the confusion begins. There are various course choices available for the students after B. Com. Today, we will discuss the different courses after B. Com.
Also, Read: How To Start A Career In Finance?
What to do after B.Com?
After 12th, most of the students pick the option to get admission in B. Com, but what after B. Com? this question must haunt you. After B. Com, commerce students can either go for further studies or start their professional lives. Career counsellors always suggest the students complete their education first before joining any full-time job.
Students who are confused about the professional courses after B. Com must check all the available course options before making their minds. No matter what course you pick up after B. Com, it will be a professional one. Let’s look at the best career and course options after B. com;
Best Career Option after B.Com
In the last year of B. Com, the students are confused about the further steps they need to take. In this confusion, they usually end up with the wrong decision, but if they do some research, they will find something that can help them in their professional lives. We cannot ignore the importance of education to have a stable career, and the right choice, of course, can land a student a better job.
The irony with most of the students is that they prefer to follow in others’ footsteps instead of making their path. It is recommended that commerce students consult with a career counsellor before making any decision about further studies. Following what their friends do can be a suicidal decision for their career. They can end up with the least interesting job, and going to the office will look like a task. So better think a lot before making any decision about courses to pursue after B. Com. Here we have compiled some best career options for commerce graduates. Read them and then decide which career option will be better for you;
1. Master of Business Administration (MBA)
The combination of B. Com and MBA is one of the best to get a lucrative job in the private or banking sector. MBA offers a good job with a high salary not only in India but all over the world. Most of the professionals have an MBA degree, and those who haven’t enroll in MBA are now planning to do an executive MBA. If you want to continue your studies after B. Com, then you can get admission to MBA. The knowledge you have gained in your bachelor’s degree will help you in your MBA.
We would suggest the students go for an MBA after B.com from a reputed university. A better university offers campus selection, which cuts down your struggle to get a job. Another reason to suggest the well-known university to get admission in MBA is that many big companies want professionals from good colleges with high ranks. So the right university will help you throughout your career.
MBA in Business Management, Finance, Supply Chain, banking, all are the most preferred specializations that a commerce student can choose. If you want to shift to marketing or any other field, then MBA opens the door for this.
The best way to get admission in MBA is through entrance tests like CAT, MAT, or the university’s entrance test. The course duration is two years, and job possibilities are high after the completion of an MBA.
2. Chartered Accountant (CA)
Your B.Com degree will surely help you if you want to be a CA. CA or Chartered Accountant is one of the most reputed qualifications that a commerce student can go for. Students can also go for CA after 12th, but if somehow you didn’t pick this as a career choice at that time, then after B.Com, you can enroll in CA.
To make a career in CA first, you will have to register with ICAI. All the students will have to take the CPT exam. This is a common exam for 12th pass outs and graduates. If you have scored more than 55% marks in graduation with commerce and studied any three from the following subjects; Accounting, Taxation, Auditing, Costing Management Accounting, Business Administration, you can get direct entry in CA. If you get direct entry, you will not have to face the CPT exam and get admission to IPCC. In Direct Entry, you can complete CA in 3 to 4 years.
3. Company secretary (CS)
CS is one of the most stable career choices for commerce students after CA. The company secretary is a prestigious job that offers a handsome salary too. In recent years many commerce students have preferred this career option as it offers a secure career.
According to the Companies Act, companies must have a certified CS. To make sure that all rules are followed, the companies hire one. After completion of B. Com, the graduate students can get direct admission in CS Executive course. Though the option to pursue CS is open for 12 pass out commerce students, but on choosing this option after graduation with commerce, the students will get relaxation on the foundation course.
To be a CS first, you will have to get registered with ICSI. The executive-level exam will be conducted in two groups. The CS exams are held twice a year, in June and December. You can choose any one of the cycles to take the examination as per your feasibility.
After completion of CS, the new company secretaries will have to undergo the internship. The internship duration during the executive program will be three years, and after clearing an executive course, the duration of internship will be two years. After the CS executive, you will have to take the CS professional exam. On completion of the Professional Programme, the internship duration will be one year only. For CS, a 15 days management skills orientation program is a must too.
4. Masters in Commerce (M. Com)
One of the common choices after B. Com is M. Com. M.Com is a step ahead of B. com. Whatever you have learned in B. Com in masters, you will get more advanced knowledge. Many students prefer M. Com on other career choices after B.com. One of the most common reasons for this is uncertainty about career choices after B. com. But it doesn’t mean that M. com is not a good career choice. It is great to get a master’s degree in your subject. It will help you when you decide teaching as your profession. The duration of M. com is two years, and it is offered by most of the universities.
5. Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
Another career choice for commerce graduates is CFA. CFA is a globally recognized course in the field of Financial and Investment Management. It is a highly reputed course, and after its completion, you can get an overseas job. Students will have to complete CFA in three levels; Level 1, 2, and 3. To pursue CFA, the students must have completed their graduation in any subject with four years of experience.
CFA, an American-based organization, offers the course. It suits best to those who have an interest in investment banking. The duration of the course can be 1.5 to 4 years, depends on the student’s caliber. The course’s difficulty level is high, and the ratio of students that pass out the CFA levels is 40-50%. The exam of level 1 is conducted twice a year in June and December, and the exams of the other two levels are conducted only once a year in June.
To pursue this course, you will have to register on the CFA website and complete the further procedure. The exam of CFA will be conducted online.
6. Business Accounting and Taxation (BAT)
Another course that can offer a good salary and stable career to B. compass outs is BAT. With this course, commerce graduates can get more information about accounting, taxation, and payroll policies. Upon completing the course, the students can get jobs in accounts, taxation, and sales departments.
To enroll in this course, one has done B. com from a government recognized institute. BAT is a certification program designed to make the B. Com graduates prepare to face practical issues related to accounting and taxation. The course offers the training of System Application Product (SAP), an in-demand business management system. After completing this certification course, you can get a plethora of opportunities as an Accounts Executive, Finance Analyst, or more.
7. Certified Management Accountant (CMA)
CMA is a certification course that can get you a job in a foreign country as well. The course is offered by the Institute of Management Accountants in the USA. CMA course offers expertise in management accounting and financial management. You can enroll in this course after B.com one you will gain two years of experience.
To be a certified management accountant, you will have to clear two-stage of examinations. This course will make you an expert in financial planning, financial analysis, control &decision support, and professional ethics. CFA professionals are always in demand in the USA, and along with the USA, many other countries also accept it as a professional course for accounting experts.
8. Certificate in Investment Banking (CIB)
CIB is an ideal course for those commerce graduates who have an interest in investment banking. It is a certification course, and commerce graduates can complete it in six months. Though the duration of the course is short, it increases the worth of your resume. The course offers knowledge about investment banking, and on its completion, you can offer services to the client about selling equities and raising capital.
CIB is a globally accepted certificate, so it works well aboard as well. The course helps the students develop a strategic approach to suggest crucial financial decisions to the company. CIB certified professionals help companies in mergers and making financial decisions.
9. Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)
Still wondering about the professional courses after B. Com, then ACCA can be a good option for you. It is one of the most preferred certifications after the B. com course. The course is accepted in 173 countries, so it is popular worldwide among commerce students.
The course duration is two years, and in these years, the students will have to clear 14 papers. On completion of the course, the students can choose an array of stable jobs with high salaries. The course enhances the skills and knowledge of an accountant.
10. Financial Risk Manager (FRM)
Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP) offers a Financial and Risk Management course to the commerce graduates. The course helps the graduates to understand the financial risks to the companies. All the MNCs hire FRM in their finance team, so their demand is high in the industry. FRM certificate denotes that the certificate holder has sound knowledge of risk management.
The duration of the course is nine months, but it increases the worth of your resume. You can opt for this course after B.Com if you are looking to get a high paying corporate job. Exam for FRM is conducted twice a year, in May and November. The demand for FRM certified professionals is high in banking and loan offering companies.
11. Certified Public Accounting (CPA)
If you are looking for the courses after B. com that is acceptable in the US, then CPA is a suitable one for you. It is a globally recognized certificate course that enhances the expertise of commerce bachelor degree holders. To pursue in CPA, one must know generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). The course opens the door for commerce professionals to work in other countries as well.
After completion of the course, you can update the investors about the financial health of the company. A CPA certifies professional can also prepare the financial statements for auditing purposes. The certificate also makes the B. Compass outfit to provide financial advice to the company or its investors.
12. Certified Financial Planner
A financial planner can be a good career option after B.Com, and for this, you will have to complete a six-month certification course. CFP is the course that will give you expertise in financial planning for any company. After completing this course, you will give advice related to finance-related decisions like investments, loans, and others. The duration of the course is six months, and eligibility for this course is graduation.
13. Bachelor of Education (B.Ed)
After B. Com, you can also get admission in B. Ed to be a teacher and teach others the same subjects. As we have stated above, more students are showing their interest in commerce, so the demands of commerce-related subjects’ teachers are high. B. Ed is a postgraduate program that teaches you the techniques of teaching. To be a teacher, it is a must have a degree. Most of the universities organize entrance test to offer admission to the students in the B. Ed course. In this program, the students learn about instructional technology, pedagogy, educational psychology, social justice, special education, educational policy and leadership, assessment, and lesson planning.
14. Digital Marketing
Digital marketing is a hot career choice nowadays. If you love creativity and don’t want to get stuck with all the debit and credit entries and profit and loss business, then take the challenge to make a digital marketing career. You can enroll in the course to learn the basics and the details of Digital Marketing. The course duration can be varied from 3 to 9 months based on its syllabus. Digital marketing is a certification course, but you can stand out from the crowd once you earn the certificate.
15. Supply Chain Management (SCM)
Another course after B.com is a diploma in Supply Chain Management. This is a one-year diploma course that introduces the student to the complexity of supply chain management. After B. Com, this course can be a good choice for logistic in charge, purchase manager, and supply chain manager. The SCM diploma holders are always in demand as handling the logistics and supply chain is one of the most crucial work for the companies.
