Career In Commerce Check Complete Career Options & Growth

Every field offers numerous career opportunities, but selecting the right stream in which you believe you are interested is critical. In Supergrads' career path series, we emphasize the importance of knowing the career path well before choosing a career. Such options will enable you to make an intuitive and well-informed career decision.

Commerce as a Career

If you enjoy numbers, economics, and business, or if you want to build a career in management, commerce is the perfect vocation for you. 

• Commerce is a viral stream with an industry-driven syllabus and a curriculum that offers a wide range of career options after the 12th grade. 
• Most professions in the commerce stream demand on-the-job experience and specific skill sets to help you advance. 
• Courses after 12th Commerce have a lot of scope and benefits if taken wisely.
• The field of commerce is sometimes misconstrued as a simple one. It is a common misbelief that good students should opt for science and average students should opt for commerce. If you enjoy business and finance and want to make a career out of it, disregard these myths and go for it.
• Many rewarding careers in commerce provide high-paying jobs in various sectors, such as business, economics, statistics, etc.

So, if you're wondering what your alternatives are after the 12th commerce, this article will help.

Popular career choices in commerce

Investment banker

• An investment banking company's role is to give its clients (companies or individuals) financial advice and recommendations to help them make optimum use of their finances and achieve their financial goals.
• Investment bankers are mostly consultants and brokers who assess their customers' needs and then find appropriate solutions to meet those needs.
• When the customer decides to go for the deal, it is for the bankers to negotiate agreements and mergers to keep their best interests in mind.

Chartered Financial Analyst

• A Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) is a lucrative employment opportunity for those aspiring to become investment professionals.
• A CFA job is best suited to students who are interested in finance, financial planning, etc.
• It involves several tasks, including property management, equity, credit research, and so forth.

Actuary

• Actuaries are among the best mathematicians with strong problem-solving talents, business skills, and numerical cracking abilities.
• The primary role in the field is to assess the financial consequences of risk and uncertainty.
• As a business expert, an actuary excels in determining the risk possibilities related to economic activity and mitigating the dangers. In a nutshell, actuaries are used by every firm that requires risk management.

Read more: Courses after 12th Commerce

Cost Accountant

• Cost accountants are in charge of gathering, adjusting, auditing, and examining all financial data.
• The goal of cost accounting is to prepare budgets and analyze profitability.
• They compile the numbers into financial reports, including planning processes, wages, bonuses, and operational rules.
• The goal is to assist management in making decisions based on this information.
• Cost accountants must have strong technical skills because they spend a lot of time analyzing data, so they should be familiar with the latest software. They must also be analytically strong and have an interest in money.

Financial Risk Managers

• Credit risk is the potential loss that a financial institution may face if a borrower fails to make loan payments.
• A Credit Risk Manager's role is to ensure that credit risk is minimized and that the bank or financial institution can recover from any losses that may occur.
• A credit risk manager employs several tactics to reduce the risk of financial loss for a lending institution in everyday work. 
• The position entails implementing the proper strategies and procedures for a financial organization to reduce risk and increase revenues. 
• These policies could include things like looking for early warning flags in a borrower's portfolio, limiting the resources available for lending, etc.
• It is also responsible for the education of a company's financial waste and increasing profit. 
• It safeguards a company's economic value by utilizing financial instruments to manage its risk exposure.

Personal Financial Advisor

• A profession in the investment industry has grown in popularity over the last few decades.
• One of the various job profiles accessible is that of a Financial Advisor.
• As the name implies, a Financial Advisor administers funds utilized for investment reasons by private and corporate investors.
• They have grown more popular in mutual funds, where private investors rely on their experience and abilities to supply them with essential information, allowing them to invest in the correct firms and organizations, bonds, and so on.
• They access the financial needs of individuals and help them with decisions on investments (such as stocks, futures, options, bonds, etc.), tax laws, and insurance.

Read more: Study Plan for 12th Commerce

Courses in Commerce

Understanding the courses available after the 12th course is critical. The following article provides a detailed analysis of degree courses that one can pursue after 12th Commerce with their job profiles:

B.com / B.com (Hons.)

The B.Com is one of the most popular three-year undergraduate courses among students in the commerce stream. Students are taught the fundamentals of accounting and finance beyond the basics covered during the 12th class. Those who have completed their higher secondary education (10+2) from a recognized board with at least 50% aggregate are eligible to apply for this course.

• The degree provides students with a wide range of managerial skills and competence in the area of commerce. 

• In B.Com (Hons.), the same courses are extensively and specialised, making it a more popular option among students.

• BCom (Hons.) is the best course option for careers and jobs in management, teaching, advertising, journalism, mass communication, law, design, public sector, etc., provided pursued by a renowned university.

• The BCom (Hons.) is the ideal choice for CA and CS aspirants.

Cost Management Accounting(CMA)

The CMA program, short for cost control accounting, is one of the most successful initiatives in the finance field. The CMA course would be a perfect option for someone who dreams of making it big in the accounting manager industry. In recent years, the program has become a popular choice for commerce students and those seeking to enter the business field.

• The CMA curriculum focuses primarily on accounting problems, review of financial results, regulations on working resources, public financial reporting, etc.

• Those who have completed their higher secondary education (10+2) from a recognized board with at least 50% aggregate are eligible to apply for CMA Foundation Level. A career as a licensed professional can be highly lucrative.

Chartered Accountant (CA)

A Chartered Accountant is a professional accountant who has received certification from a statutory authority that they are qualified to do business. Accounting and taxation difficulties include filing tax returns, auditing financial statements, preserving investment records, and producing and updating financial reports and paperwork.

• Being a professional course opens up a range of career opportunities for graduates, starting from being self-employed as an independent CA or working for major Indian and multinational corporations, local and international banks, and audit firms.
• Under the Education and Training Program, an applicant may take the Chartered Accounting Course through the Foundation Course Route or the Direct Entry Route. The Foundation Course is the entry point to Class XII, whereas Direct Entry is for graduated students.

Company Secretary (CS)

The Company Secretary is responsible for handling the legal aspects of a firm. A CS is responsible for completing a company’s tax returns, keeping records, advising the board of directors, and ensuring that the company complies with legal and statutory regulations.

Certified Financial Planner

CFP, or Certified Financial Planner, is a certification given by the Financial Planning Standards Board (FPSB) to individuals who wish to take up financial planning as a profession.

• The CFP is recognized internationally and considered the best for financial planning training, education, and ethical practice.
• The FPSB defines financial planning as a “process of developing strategies to help people manage their financial affairs to meet life goals.”
• It includes analyzing the client’s financial status, developing a financial plan for the client, and implementing it for its benefit. 

BA Programmes

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) is a 3-year undergraduate program considered India's most popular course. The basic eligibility is to have a minimum of 40 per cent in Class XII from any recognized university and be admitted to a good college offering a Bachelor's of Arts in India. You should seek to score higher marks in Class XII. 

• As admission is made chiefly through merit, the cut-off for top colleges such as Miranda, Gargi, Hindu, Hansraj, etc., is above 98 per cent. 
• As part of the BA course, students need to study five mandatory subjects and a few elective subjects. These subjects differ depending on the discipline chosen by the candidates. 
• These courses are not directly related to commerce but have a great scope. The most popular specializations in the BA pursued by commerce students are B.A (Hons.) Business Economics, B.A. Economics, B.A Hons (English) and Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA).

Read more: Commerce Study Notes

Skills Required to pursue a career in Commerce. 

• Interest in finance-related matters and a strong aptitude for the analysis of numbers.

• Financial Aptitude and awareness of what’s happening in the financial market are also necessary, as these factors significantly impact the commerce and finance field.

• Analytical abilities: This is the most significant skill to have. If you are a commerce student, you should be able to analyze a company's financial accounts. 
• Problem-solving Ability and strong negotiation skills 
• One must also develop strong presentation, verbal communication, and writing skills to excel in this field.

Top B.Com. Colleges in India

The list of top B.Com Colleges in India, along with their location, is mentioned below:-

• Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) (University of Delhi)
• Lady Shriram College for Women (LSR) (University of Delhi)
• Loyola College (University of Madras)
• Christ University (Bangalore)
• St. Xavier's College (University of Mumbai)
• Hindu College (University of Delhi)
• St. Joseph's College of Commerce (Bangalore University)
• Hans Raj College (University of Delhi)