Being professional pays high dividends

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There are a number of professional courses available for Commerce stream students. Some of these are:

Chartered Accountant (CA): This is a professional course offered by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). It requires a minimum of four years of study, including practical training. This rigorous and challenging course requires students to clear examinations at three stages — the Common Proficiency Test, the Integrated Professional Competency Course and the CA Final examination. The CA course also requires a student to take up three years of articleship and acquire training in IT, general management and communication skills. It offers many career opportunities in fields such as accounting, taxation, auditing, and financial management.

Company Secretary (CS): This three-year professional course is offered by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI). The course focuses on the legal and regulatory aspects of a company and prepares students for careers as company secretaries, corporate governance professionals, and compliance officers. There are three qualifying stages for becoming a company secretary — the foundation stage, the executive programme and the professional programme. Students can join the foundation course after completing Plus II and then move on to the executive level of the course. Alternatively, one can complete graduation/postgraduation and then seek admission directly to the executive stage. Apart from courses of study students also have to undertake an industrial training and short-term programmes on development of management and communication skills.

Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA): This is a globally recognised professional course offered by the CFA Institute. It is a three-year course that focuses on investment analysis, portfolio management, and financial planning. The CFA course prepares students for careers in investment banking, asset management, and financial analysis.

Cost and Management Accountants (CMA): This is a professional course offered by the Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICAI). This three-year course includes practical training and focuses on cost and management accounting and prepares students for careers in cost accounting, financial management, and strategic planning.

Overall, these professional courses offer excellent career opportunities to Commerce stream students in India, and students should choose course that aligns with their interests and career goals.

The writer is Assistant Professor, Baba Balraj

Panjab University Constituent College, Balachaur