Career in Commerce after intermediate

After completing Intermediate or +2 with commerce streams, a student has a wide range of career choices, even beyond those related to accounting and economics.

Professional Courses

There are professional courses offered by professional bodies in India such as CA (Chartered Accountancy), CS (Company Secretary), CMA (Cost and Management Accountant), lawyer, etc. Apart from private sector, these professionals may also serve the government in various capacities. The duration of each course, certification, entrance exam and criteria depend on the governing body. After pursuing these courses, one can either work as a professional or as an advisory. Some other courses like CA are ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants), CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants), CPA (Certified Public Accountant), etc. These institutes also offer further diploma and certificate courses for those interested to learn.

Degree and Post-Graduation

After MEC, the student can pursue graduation in any field related to any of the three subjects, i.e., Mathematics, Economics and Commerce. Generally, intermediate is followed by B. Com (Bachelor of Commerce) or BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration) and then the relevant post-graduation i.e., M. Com (Master of Commerce) and MBA (Master of Business Administration). However, the student may graduate in any related field of interest among economics, statistics, history, computers, hotel management, IT, marketing, etc. There are many reputed universities including IIMs (Indian Institute of Management) in India, offering courses for graduates and working professionals. As mentioned above, one can also study in fields of interest other than accounting such as fine arts, literature, vocational courses, diploma courses in their personal areas of liking. The scope of MEC is wide and allows the student to pursue any course in social and developmental sector. Post-Graduation may be followed by a Ph.D.

Law

Students are given exposure to number of legislation and are also given the opportunity to participate in moot courts. Graduates can practice litigation or opt for corporate law. BA LLB, BBA LLB, B.Com LLB (5 years) courses available to students across law colleges in the country.

Fashion Design

This four year Bachelor of Design (B.Des) or Bachelor of Fashion Technology programme introduces the subjects that deal with Elements of Textiles, Pattern Making, Fashion Studies, Design Management, Fashion Forecasting etc. After completion of the course, graduates can either work as a fashion designer, interior designer, work in fashion house etc.

Hotel Management

With consistence growth in the tourism sector of India every year, the Hospitality sector is also growing by leaps and bounds. The 3-year course trains students to take on managerial responsibilities in hotels. Guest Service Management, Housekeeping Management, Kitchen Management, Communication Fundamentals, Hotel Engineering etc. are some of the subjects taught in this course.

Entrepreneurship

As the student has basic knowledge of the business world, finance and accounting, it benefits those aiming to be entrepreneurs. There are entrepreneurs from every field however, having knowledge of business administration, finance, operations, accounting and analysis helps greatly. So, students can pursue business-related courses with ease and start their own ventures. There are various courses that include the knowledge relevant for entrepreneurs. Acquiring basic knowledge of all the aspects related to a business helps entrepreneurs take better decisions at a lesser cost.

Government Jobs

The government provides employment opportunities across various sectors such as banking, railways, social development (IAS, IPS, taxation, etc.). These jobs have entrance exams and the criteria for applying is intermediate or graduation. Hence, after graduating, students can prepare for government jobs. As they have a strong knowledge of the fundamentals of mathematics, it helps them with logical analysis, reasoning and understanding abilities. They also gain an understanding of the basic functioning of Indian economy. Apart from subject knowledge, these skills are vital to be employable today.

(The author is a Assistant Professor, Commerce & Management, AMS Arts & Science College for Women)