Best Career Options for Commerce Students

Students of all education institutions study all the required subjects that would help them to gain a general understanding of the most common career options in which academics play a vital role. After the period is over, the students are required to choose whichever course the students are good at and feel that a career in that particular course grants them happiness and success.

As stated above, the commerce stream includes courses that majorly deal with business and trade. Let us look into the potential courses that the commerce stream has to offer. 

Career Options for Commerce Students

Below are the best career options for commerce students after 12th class.

1. Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com)

Bachelor of Commerce or B. Com is the most commonly pursued course by the students. This course is of three years on an undergraduate level that the students can pursue both by taking regular classes or in the form of long-distance education. 

In this course, the students are taught core subjects which are related to both commercial and financial sector. The students are also provided with elective courses that they can choose from throughout three years. This course is spread through three years in the form of 6 month semester. Students are taught topics like economics, company law, accounting, business management et cetera.

Opting for a Bachelor of Commerce course is a smart decision by the students who desire to establish a career in commerce, accounting, banking, and insurance. The starting salary of a B.Com graduate is Rs.3 lakhs p.a.

Shri Ram College of Commerce and Hansraj College of Delhi University are the best colleges to pursue the course of Bachelor of Commerce from.

Post Graduate Courses/ Career Opportunities after B. Com

• Master of Business Administration (MBA) – After post graduating from an MBA course, a student can pursue the career of manager or in business.
• Bank/ Insurance/ PO/ DO
• Bachelor of Laws (LLB) – After post graduating from an LLB course, a can further go for a Master of Laws or LLM.
• Chartered Accountant (CA)
• Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) – After post graduating from a B.Ed course, a student can further pursue a course of Master of Education, after which they can become a teacher.
• Institute of Cost and Works Accountants (ICWA)
• Bachelor in Library Science – After graduating from this course students can become a librarian.
• Company Secretary
• Import Export Diploma
• Masters of Computer Management (MCM) / Master of Computer Applications (MCA) – After graduating from one of these two courses a student can pursue a career in software.
• Tally
• Indian Military Academy

2. Chartered Accountant (CA)

Chartered accountants are personnel who are employed in both the private and public sectors. A chartered accountant can even set up their practices. Chartered accountants’ career domain particularly lies within the financial sector. Along with dealing with their private clients, chartered accountants mainly work in the department of corporate finance, insurance, asset, and investment management. 

Responsibilities of Chartered Accountants

1. They have to review and then certify the book of accounts, balance sheets et cetera of their clients.
2. They provide business advice to their clients which is both of strategic and operational value.
3. They have to prepare the budget and the report of an institution they work in or the client they work for.
4. They have to inform their clients beforehand about all the accounting issues they may face in the future and also look into those issues.

Salary

The salary of a chartered accountant is determined by a lot of factors like the type of institution they work in or the amount of experience they have. But on average the starting salary of a chartered accountant is Rs.7 lacs and it can rise to even Rs.50 to Rs.70 lakhs with over 20 years of experience. 

Chartered accountants work in several institutions like:

• Biggest firm networks (KPMG, pwc, EY, Deloitte.)
• Chartered Accountant firms
• IT Industry
• Public Sector Undertakings
• Marico/ RB/ HUL/ P&G

3. Business Administration (B.B.A)

Business Administration or BBA is a three-year program that is further divided into 6 semesters. In these semesters the students are taught the basic and advanced level of business administration with each succeeding semester. The students can pursue this course both by taking regular classes or in the form of long-distance education. 

This course helps to broaden the knowledge about business for students. Through this course, students acquire management skills at a lower level. The students learn all about the business industry and what it takes to be a great leader. The course is designed in such a way that the students acquire all the knowledge required to embark on a career in business work along with the opportunity for students to specialize in a particular area.

Students who have completed their intermediate level in commerce and have passed are eligible to take up this course where they will be taught the business and administration skills which a person requires to run a company successfully.

If students want to keep going on the same path of business Administration academically, then they can further join the Master of Business Administration or MBA. There are several colleges where students are allowed to participate in workshops set up by the colleges. This helps the students to gain the skills required to pursue a career in business administration, like communication skills and active decision-making skills.

Job Opportunities for BBA Graduates

• Human Resource Manager
• Business Administration Researcher
• Finance Manager
• Marketing Manager
• Business Consultant
• Information System Manager
• Research and Development Manager

Students who pursue the course of BBA become skilled in marketing sales, human resources, business models et cetera. Individuals working in Business Administration should have leadership skills. With this in mind, the BBA course implements leadership skills in the students. BBA course develops a student’s leadership skills, communications skills, active decision-making, and management skills.

4. Computer Secretary (CS)

Students who desire a job in the corporate world can opt for the course of Company Secretary. This is very popular among commerce students and is a course that can be pursued from any stream regardless.

The company Secretary course is carried out under the Institute of Company Secretaries of India, also known as ICSI. The company Secretary course offers great academic opportunities and practical knowledge to carry out the requirements of a Company Secretary in the corporate sector. 

Course Structure

There are different programs for students who join the course. The programs are:

1. Foundation Program
2. Executive Program
3. Professional Program
4. Management Training

Along with the program the students also have to go through 15 months of practical training. Apart from establishing successful careers after this course, if students want to carry on with their education, they can even pursue a Ph.D. after this.

Salary

Company secretaries are a very important part of the corporate world. Because of this, company secretaries enjoy excellent earnings. On average, the starting salary of a company secretary lies between Rs.3 to Rs.5 lacs per annum. With years of experience, the salary can even rise to Rs.20 lacs. 

Job Opportunities for Company Secretaries

• Assistance to the Board of Directors
• Company Registrar
• Legal Advisor
• Corporate Policymaker
• Chief Administrative Officer
• Corporate Policymaker
• Chief Administrative Officer
• Principal Secretary
• Corporate Planner
• Chairman
• Managing Director
• Administrative Assistant
• Administrative Secretary
• Investor Capital Marketing Relations

Company Secretaries work in companies like:

• ONGC
• Deloitte
• KPMG
• PWC
• Oil India Limited
• Jaypee Group
• Punjab National Bank Ltd
• Bestech India Pvt Ltd
• HCL Technologies Ltd

5. Bachelor in Computer Application (B.C.A)

Bachelor in Computer Application is an undergraduate course of 3 years for students who wish to establish a career in the field of computers. The course provides the students with detailed knowledge about computers and their applications.

Job Opportunities for B.C.A. Graduates

• System Engineer
• Software Tester
• Junior Programmer
• Web Developer
• System Administrator
• Software Developer

Salary

On average, the starting salary of a B.C.A. graduate lies between Rs.25 thousand to Rs.40 thousand per month. Great IT companies like Microsoft and Google even offer a six-figure salary as a starting package. 

In this course, the students are taught programming skills so that they have good knowledge about computers and the IT sector. With workshops and group projects, the students learn to develop applications along with skills like teamwork and communication skills.

6. Bachelor of Architecture (B. Arch)

Bachelor of Architecture is an undergraduate course program of five years. Students who pursue this program gain both theoretical and practical knowledge through this course. Students learn how to plan, design, and construct various kinds of models. 

Before applying for this program the students must hone their creative and artistic skills. This program focuses on educating the students about architecture and not about creation and art on a basic level.

As the construction sector is flourishing with the high demand from both the private and public sectors, pursuing a career in architecture is a great idea.

Salary

Architects first start as consultants who receive a regular pay of Rs.2 to Rs.4 lacs in a year. 

Best Companies for B. Arch Graduates

• Architect Hafeez Contractor
• Dar Al Handasah
• RSP Architects Ltd
• Arcop
• Shapoorji Pallonji & Co. Ltd.
• PLF

7. Diploma in Education (D.Ed)

Diploma in Education or D. Ed is a training program through which students can pursue the career of teaching elementary school. In this course, the students are taught all the required things that are important for an elementary school teacher needs to know.

The duration of the course varies from college to college from 1 year to 3 years. It is solely up to the student where they want to apply. Students can pursue this course both full-time and part-time. Students have to pass an entrance test to be applicable for joining this course. Private institutions can admit students based on merit too.

To be applicable for teaching elementary school children, aspiring students should possess qualities like patience, enthusiasm, creativity, and flexibility. They should also possess skills like communication skills, instructional skills, management skills, imaginative skills, and lastly, people skills.

Job Opportunities after D. Ed 

• Teacher
• Writer
• Teacher Assistant
• Home Tutor
• Education Coordinator

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What are some of the job requirements of a Chartered Accountant?
Ans. Some of the job requirements of a chartered accountant are:

1. They have to review and then certify the book of accounts, balance sheets et cetera of their clients.
2. They provide business advice to their clients which is both of strategic and operational value.
3. They have to prepare the budget and the report of an institution they work in or the client they work for.

Q2. What job opportunities do BBA graduates have?
Ans. BBA graduates have several job opportunities like:

• Human Resource Manager
• Business Administration Researcher
• Finance Manager
• Marketing Manager
• Business Consultant
• Information System Manager
• Research and Development Manager