Career Opportunities after CA

Career Opportunities after CA - Are you confused about your career, as you are about to clear your CA Final exam? Is it a dilemma choosing a chartered accountancy (CA) course over other courses to pursue, as you are unaware of what career it would make possible? Well, we can resolve all your post-CA career issues if you are planning to do CA, doing it, or have completed it. While your thoughts may be limited to taxation and audit jobs as career opportunities after CA, let us expand your vision and share some more options you may have.

Versatility of Chartered Accountancy:

Even if you are confused about career opportunities after CA, let us tell you that your confusion is only for good, as CA offers a very versatile career. You have endless opportunities and options that no other career probably provides. Chartered accountancy is not a single subject but a mix of multiple subjects, each of which can give you a unique career direction to follow. For instance, when you learn about taxation, you learn about international taxation, direct and indirect taxes, transfer pricing, etc. Similarly, learning about the audit process makes you learn about statutory audits, internal audits, etc.

Thus, every subject in a CA course has its own career prospects. If you are keen on accountancy or finance management, then you can find many career opportunities in CA in the corporate sector. You can also find high-paying jobs in the service sector. Whether you want to work as a respectable employee or be a sole practitioner, CA can open multiple avenues after you clear the final exam and articles. However, a lot may depend on the conditions in the market when you finish your CA. Your career may also depend on factors like your field of interest, available relevant opportunities, location, your talent, or simply your luck to land up with the right job. Still, CA offers a rewarding yet challenging career.

How to Go About Pursuing CA?

The New Delhi-based Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) conducts the chartered accountancy course only. The institute has 5 regional offices and more than 80 branches of its regional centres. After successful completion of the CA course, the institute gives you a CA certification. In 2006, ICAI launched a new system of CA qualifications, which includes specific curriculum at different levels. The entire curriculum is a healthy balance of theoretical learning and practical training. From the start of the course, students have to tackle both theoretical and practical aspects. Check out the scheme you will need to follow to pursue the CA course:

How to Pursue the CA course?

S.N.	CA Course Stage	Stage Description and Curriculum
1	CPT or Common Proficiency Test	CPT is an entry-level test. This includes four subjects, which are general economics, accounting, mercantile laws, and quantitative aptitude.
2	IPCC or Integrated Professional Competence Course	You study the basics of core and allied subjects at this first stage of CA curriculum. The stage strengthens your knowledge of accountancy and financial reporting. It is divided into two groups. While students can appear in the exam according to each group, they can also appear for both the groups at the same time. The course module covers subjects of IT and audits, business communication, taxes, and business strategies.
3	CA Final	This stage stresses on the practical knowledge of core subjects that include advanced management accounting, strategic financial management, financial reporting, professional ethics, advanced auditing, and information systems control and audit. It also covers corporate and allied laws, VAT, international taxation, and e-governance principles.
4	Articleship	After passing group I of IPCC, students can register for 3-year articles under experienced chartered accountants. Under specific terms and conditions of articleship, students learn technical details of the profession. As they keep learning with time, they keep receiving bigger assignments and less supervision.

If you are thinking of pursuing CA, start as early as possible. Even while doing 10+2, you can start preparing for the entry-level test. You can also register with the Board of Studies. You will have an advantage if you are pursuing 10+2 in commerce stream and with mathematics as one of your subjects. If you have a knack for accounting, you can find several career opportunities after CA and do very well in the profession.

Career Options Available after Completing CA:

The country has a good demand for CAs, and about seven thousand to ten thousand chartered accountants are required every year in India. Due to the rigorous practice and training provided by the CA course, students become experts in the finance and accounting domains. Thus, they can get top-level jobs in all types of companies, whether Indian or MNCs. The profession can give you maximum career growth in India and abroad, especially when you are seeking the best of career opportunities after CA. You can be an ICAI member after clearing your final exam. The profiles you can take up include the following:

Financial management and general management profiles: While CAs can take up general management positions, the more preferred profiles can be in the specialised areas of auditing and taxation. Career opportunities after CA also include profiles that need an intensive knowledge of the law, financial planning, or financial strategy design and consultation.

Core finance profiles: The best of career opportunities after CA are available in the core finance field. You can go for positions that need the deep knowledge of asset management, budgeting, investment banking, and corporate planning. In such profiles, you can make use of your skills of financial reviewing, business mapping, financial trends analysis, market intelligence research, and accounts and financial statements preparation.

Insurance and banking sector profiles: You can have a good career scope if you land up with a commercial banking profile. Else, the field can offer you positions in retail banking, actuary, claims handling, insurance underwriting, compliance, etc. You can also go for insurance and banking profiles that require customer interaction.

Non-finance profiles: While most chartered accountants prefer the above-mentioned profiles, you may also be interested in profiles related to sales, marketing, human resources, and the like. The CA course develops your analytical, as well as leadership skills. Such skills can help you be successful in non-finance roles.

Advisory profile: When you look for the right career opportunities after CA, it is not mandatory to work for others. You can easily start your own CA practice and become an advisor or consultant to firms.

If you want to enhance your knowledge and skills further, then there is another option of taking up additional courses like CFA (chartered financial analyst), CMA (certified management accountant), BAT (business accounting and taxation), and CPA (certified public accountant).You may even opt to take competitive exams like civil services. Thus, opportunities are numerous when you become a CA.

Tagged in MAT MAT test pattern MAT exam AIMA MAT exam structure

Like us on :