Some of the most frequent questions that are asked in the comments section of one of our earlier blogs Career Options after B.Com are:
- I have completed my CA, what should I do next?
- I was pursuing CA but could not clear so what other options do I have?
I am sure that the people commenting are not the only ones looking for the answer, there are many others that are seeking answers for these questions. There are many more career options present for you in the field of finance as well. Here is the list of finance course that you can pursue for a better career. So below is the list of career options that one can pursue after completing/quitting CA for better growth opportunities.

CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst)
CFA is a very good option if you plan to make it big in the investment banking world. Career opportunities after CFA include opportunities in Portfolio Management, Investment Banking, Equity Research, Research Analysis, Auditing etc. Salary earned after CFA is also good as compared to many other domestic courses. With CA your career growth will be limited only to India but CFA will open up a lot of global opportunities as well.
To get the CFA charter you’ll have to clear the 3 levels of the exam and you’ll need 4 years of professional work experience. You can register for the CFA Level 1 examination after your graduation or in the final year of graduation. Work experience is not required to appear for the exams.
More information about the CFA Course
ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants)
Pursuing ACCA after completing your CA will broaden your career prospects. By becoming the member of ACCA you’ll be able to work in diverse industries and in MNCs as well. It will give you an additional information about UK GAAP, IFRS and international laws which means opportunities in global market as well.
ACCA exams have 14 papers. If you have completed CA, then you are eligible for 9 exemptions which means you’ll have to appear for only remaining 5 papers. If you have cleared your IPCC then you are eligible for 5 exemptions.
More information about the ACCA Course
CS (Company Secretary)
Although a Chartered Accountant cannot practice both CA and CS together, pursuing CS will prove that along with the accounting matters you are qualified enough to look after the corporate legal matters as well. If you plan to take up the job, then CS qualification will give you an upper hand as compared to the other CAs.
Also, CS is a little easier as compared to CA, so if you were not able to clear CA due to the difficulty level then you might want to give a try in CS. To get the CS certification, you’ll need to clear 3 stages (Foundation, Executive, Professional). If you are pursuing after graduation, you can directly start with the Executive stage.
CMA (Certified Management Accountant)
Pursuing CMA will prove your worth in cost accounting and management. If you wish to make it big in cost accounting and management and are looking forward to the international opportunities, then pursuing CMA is the best option. The job roles that you can pursue after CMA include Finance Manager, Financial Analyst, Cost accountant among many others.
To become a CMA, the student is required to clear two examinations that are conducted after every two months.
CPA (Certified Public Accountant)
A Certified Public Accountant is one of the highest standard of competencies in the field of Accountancy across the globe. In addition to the CA qualification, a CPA will have knowledge of US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards), Generally Accepted Accounting Standards (GAAS), US federal taxation and business laws. Career options after CPA include Forensic Accounting, International Accounting, Tax Accounting among many others.
CPA Exams consist of 4 papers or section that can be completed within a year or even less.
BAT (Business Accounting & Taxation)
This one is specially for the ones who could not complete CA and are therefore left in between. BAT (Business Accounting & Taxation) is a short term course designed by EduPristine that will give the students practical understanding of accounting, taxation, reporting and compliance and all the skills that you’ll need in accounting firms (Big 4s), KPOs or other hard core finance and account profiles.
More information about Business Accounting & Taxation (BAT) course
CA is one of the most common choices of Commerce students when it comes to deciding a career. But after a point of time only few are rewarded with the opportunity to prefix the words CA before their name. Whether a CA or not a CA, the above mentioned will definitely give a boost to your career. Many Companies and organizations in today’s life are looking for specialized and expert marketers to get higher profit in a smarter way. Here are some Courses in marketing that you can pursue to start a career in marketing. So think hard, go through the information about the courses and make the correct choice. It is good if you get good marks, but what if you don’t? What do you do? There are plenty of career options and courses available after B.COM even if you have scored less in the exam. If you have any doubts, mention them in the comments box below and your queries will be solved at the earliest.
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