Popularly known as B.Com, Bachelor of Commerce is a 3-year undergraduate course. B.Com offers students an in-depth understanding of a variety of subjects such as Economics, Taxation, Management, Accounting, and Business Law. As the second most popular course in the commerce sector. What makes B. Com so popular is the fact that students can pursue it as a distance learning course if they choose to do so. Potential candidates who have chosen a science or commerce stream can choose to pursue B. Com as a professional career choice.
Criteria for pursuing B.Com
As with most courses, there is a certain eligibility criteria that comes with selecting B.Com as your graduation course. These criteria are –
- Students must meet the minimum cut-off admission criteria for the college they wish to apply to.
- Students wishing to pursue B.Com must have chosen either Science or Commerce as their stream in 11th/12th grade and must therefore have a basic understanding of Economics, Mathematics, Accounting to be able to pursue B.Com as their career option.
- Every college has a different cut-off criterion as part of their admission process based on their ranking as a college. Top universities will have a higher cut-off mark than a college that is on a lower rank. Students must meet the college’s marks criteria in order to be selected.
What are the various advantages of pursuing B.Com?
There’s a reason why B.Com is so popular with the generation of today. It opens up a wide array of job opportunities for you after you complete your graduation in the said field. Some of those benefits are –
High employment rate
Businesses are always looking to hire experts who have a good understanding of the financial
Aspect of the business and its management.
Opens you up to a world of opportunities
If you do a course such as Advertising your career options post-graduation are limited. You can either choose to do a masters in marketing, or MBA or a postgraduate course in design or writing based on your area of expertise. However a student who has just graduated from doing a B.Com course has a huge plethora of options to explore, job opportunities to explore thus letting you choose what works best for you.
Career options After B.Com
As mentioned above, after your graduation from B.Com, students have a vast variety of career options to choose from in the field of finance. Some of the most popular and in-demand job opportunities for young B. Com graduates are –
Master’s in Business Administration
Master’s in Business Administration or MBA is one of the most popular postgraduate courses in India and Abroad. What makes this course so popular is the fact that any student no matter which field they graduated can be selected to do this 2-year course. MBA offers different specialization courses to the students so one can choose it as per their interest. Students can either choose to finish their MBA the old-fashioned way i.e. by attending a college that’s full time or they can choose to do it online or with distance education based on their needs and requirements. To apply for an MBA course, one must first prepare for the CAT exam or most popularly known as Common Admission Test. The result of this test will determine the colleges that a student can then apply to.
Chartered Accountant or CA
One of the most sought out career options for students who are studying for B.Com is becoming a CA. There are many students who are studying to become a CA straight out of high school. There are 3 essential stages or exams to clear before becoming a CA. These three exam stages are –
- CPT – Common Proficiency Test
- IPCC – Integrated Professional Competence Course
- CA Finals
After clearing these exams, students must have also completed a 2.5-year internship.
Company Secretary CS
Similar to becoming a CA, a student who aspires to be a CS can do so after their 12th. You must also study law in order to become a CS as Company Secretary Job profile is being responsible for handling the companies tax returns, they are also on the company’s advisory board of directors and their job is to ensure that their company complies with legal and statutory regulations. To become a CS one must successfully pass in the following exams –
- Foundation Programme
- Executive Programme
- Professional Programme
Masters of commerce
If you love banking and accounting then this post graduate course is the right fit for you. In accordance with studying B.Com, M.Com or Masters of commerce is a continuation of what you learnt while studying B.Com. Since M.Com is a continuation of B.Com, only those students who have graduated in the field of B.Com are eligible for this course. When studying M.Com you can choose the subject you want to specialize in, your available options are –
- Taxation
- Mathematics
- Accounting and Finance
- Banking
- Marketing
Chartered Financial Analyst Career Options After B.Com
Chartered Financial Analysts or CFA is a globally recognized course that includes a variety of interesting subjects that are covered right from statistics, economics, corporate finance, derivatives, investments and many more. CFA is a 2.5-year course which students can pursue post their graduation in B.Com.
Business Accounting and Taxation
Also most commonly referred to as BAT is a programme that’s designed to get you ready for a job in accounting. This course is the perfect blend of practical knowledge as well as experiential learning. Study some of the most sought after and in-demand subjects from the accounting and taxation industry, this course is perfect for someone who would love a job in numbers.
Certified Management Accountant CMA
If you are someone who is looking to settle abroad, then this is the perfect field for you. The main focus of this course is in two key fields – management accounting and financial management. Completion of this course means that you will be competent in areas of financial planning, analysis, and professional ethics. To complete this post graduate degree, one must clear 2 exams and have 2 years of work experience.
US Certified Public Accounting CPA
A globally recognized post graduate course CPA is a course offered by the American Institute of Public Accountants (AICPA). In order to obtain a CPA license, one must have a solid background of accounting and one must pass a rigorous four-part exam. The main job profile of a CPA is to prepare financial statements or audits for the company. They’re also responsible for advising the company on financial planning for both corporates and individuals. At the core CPA’s primary role is to provide advisory services and financial reporting so that the company can make important informed decisions.
B.Ed.
Bachelors of Education is a teaching course that you can apply for if you have an interest in pursuing education. Teachers are the main building blocks in the life of a student. No matter where you end up, you start as kids in a classroom who are nurtured by teachers. If you are someone that’s interested in shaping the young minds of tomorrow, then this is the perfect stepping stone for you.
Association of Chartered Certified Accountants
Founded in the year 1904, ACCA is a globally recognized accounting body with over 2,00,000 members and students in more than 180 countries. Becoming an ACCA is not a simple task. One must attempt to clear 14 subjects in a span of 2 years. Students can pursue this course while graduating.
Certified Financial Planner
Spread over a span of 6 months the Certified Financial Planning course is for someone who is looking to start a career in the insurance consultant or financial consultant department. Certified financial planners are those who provide a variety of services such as tax issues, personalized financial advice, investment plans for their clients.
IBPS PO
If you are someone who loves working with numbers and is looking for a government job, then the position of a Bank Probationary Officer could be the right fit for you. There are many advantages to working in the government sector, there are numerous benefits that one stands to gain. As a PO you will start at the entry level where you will be required to undergo a 2-year probationary period or training after which depending on your merit and skills you can get promoted to the post of being an Assistant Manager of a bank.
Financial Risk Manager Career Options After B.Com
Suggestive of the name, the main role of a Financial Risk Manager of FRM is to identify and analyze any potential threats to the company’s assets and earning capacity. FRM managers can choose to work in various fields such as sales, loan origination trading, and marketing. In order to become a FRM one must clear the Global Association of Risk Professionals exam which takes place twice a year once in May and November respectively.
Investment Banking
To become an Investment Banker, one must take the CIB Course of six months. The job of an investment banker is to provide its clients with your professional expertise in raising capitals by selling them equity and issuing debts in the company. CIB of Certified Investment Banking exam is an intensive global certification programme, that’s specifically designed to test and evaluate your knowledge, understanding of the banking sector. Here you will be judged and tested on your merit for creating a systematic and strategic approach which will determine the valuation for both listed and unlisted companies.
Digital Marketing
One of the most upcoming job trends is Digital Marketing. With more and more companies using their resources to market online, companies are always looking for individuals who can help boost their online sales and marketing. In digital marketing you get to study about SEO, Google AdWords, Google Keywords and other important tools that are used by companies to increase their visibility online.
Stock Broking Career Options After B.Com
If you love the thrill and excitement of the stock market, then becoming a stockbroker is a good career opportunity for you. To become a stock broker, you need to have an in-depth knowledge of stocks and the share market. If you choose to do a course that lets you learn about the share market, then you can find jobs in a company or start your own business by investing on your own. What one must remember is that if starting out on your own, the stock market could be risky as it is a gamble and unpredictable so one must be careful before investing.
Graphic Designing
We don’t always follow the path that was laid out to us. Sometimes it’s best to follow your true passion and do the thing that makes you truly happy. If you are someone who loves getting creative and designing, then graphic design could be the job for you.
Web Designing
India is a country that is growing enormously in the digital sector. Companies are always looking to hire people who can design their website in a unique manner. In order to become a web designer, you must firstly learn coding and do a course in website development.
Data Scientist
Data scientist is someone who uses algorithms and complicated systems to extract knowledge from the structured and unstructured data and applies this knowledge to the company’s advantage.
Conclusion
Completing your graduation in B.Com is just the stepping stone towards a bright future. As mentioned above, there are a plethora of opportunities for you to discover as you complete your graduation in this field. Before finalizing on a career option, it is best to speak to those who you seek guidance from, read up on the fields that best interest you, evaluate and then make the choice that is best suited for you.
