The ultimate guide to: what can I do after b.com?
One of the most common questions we get from CFI students before they start is: what can I do after B.Com? They often come to us feeling a bit confused about what to do next.
On the one hand, they have worked hard and invested a lot of money in earning a b.com. On the other hand, for many career paths, a B.Com is not enough, and more training, education, or even a designation is required.
This guide is designed to help you navigate any confusion and find the path that’s right for you.
10 Best things you can do after B.Com:
#1 Get work experience at a bank
This option should be top of your list. Banks are one the biggest employers in financial services and they like hiring students how have just graduated with a B.com degree.
Click here to see a list of the top 100 global banks and start planning your approach. Be sure to attend campus recruiting events if you’re still a student, or start networking with alumni if you’re already graduated.
The top options for careers at banks for someone with a B.com include:
#2 Get work experience at an accounting firm
Still wondering, what can I do after b.com? Working at a large public accounting firm is a great place to start. The biggest accounting firms hire a lot of university graduates each year and their training programs give you a great experience.
The best options for careers at accounting firms with a B.com are:
#3 Get work experience at a corporation
Corporation refers to an operating company like Google, Facebook, Tesla, Amazon, Salesforce, etc. Corporate careers can be an excellent training ground for a recent bachelor of commerce graduates, as they can offer a wide range of work experience and provide a good work-life balance.
The best roles for a B.com at a corporation are:
#4 Study for your Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation
If you don’t get a job at one of the above 3 choices right after school (or even if you do) you may want to consider studying for the CFA. This designation is widely considered the best in the industry, but it is also the most challenging and time-consuming.
It can be so challenging, some recent B.com graduates prefer to focus on studying for it full time and after they finish the undergrad degree.
Career paths for a CFA designation include:
#5 Go back to school for your MBA
Still wondering, what can I do after b.com? Earning a Master of Business Administration (MBA) can help set you apart in a crowded job market, and earn you the respect of your peers. Another fall back plan if you don’t land a job at the first three options is to pursue your graduate degree.
To learn more, see our guide: is an MBA worth it?
Pursuing an MBA can be very rewarding, but they are often expensive, and vary widely in quality and reputation.
Also see: compare a CFA vs MBA.
#6 Earn an online certification in financial modeling
With the massive shift in trends from traditional education to online education, dynamic learning solutions, you should seriously consider an online financial modeling certification.
Most of the elite jobs in corporate finance require financial modeling skills, yet most B.Com programs don’t teach it.
If you want to stand out, taking CFI’s online courses can be a great way to master this skill.
The top jobs that require financial modeling are:
The basics: what is financial modeling?
Learn more: financial modeling guide
#7 Get an accounting designation (CPA or CA)
We already listed public accounting firms in spot #3, but that was for positions that don’t necessarily require becoming an accountant (those positions can be occupied by finance professionals).
If you’re willing to start in the Audit group at a public accounting firm, you can earn your CPA or CA designation (depending on what country you’re in) and move up to be a full-fledged accountant, or move on into other areas of the firm.
Becoming a CPA will give you the gold standard in accounting knowledge, and make you employability much higher. Bank, corporations, and institutions love hiring professionals with accounting designations. Compare a CPA vs CFA.
#8 Change career paths
When you asked, what can I do after b.com, you probably didn’t expect to hear “change career paths” as an option, but the reality is sometimes that is the best choice.
The B.com has given you great training and exposure to finance, now you can complement that with another skill like coding, engineering, or entrepreneurship and move into an area that may be a better fit.
It may be hard to make a change after investing so much time, effort, and money in a bachelor of commerce, but always stay open to the idea of moving into another field entirely.
To see what change is the best for you, explore our interactive career map.
#9 Use your university alumni network
If our suggestions still haven’t satisfied your question of, what can I do after b.com, perhaps this one will? One of the biggest assets of a B.Com program is the alumni network.
The best way to get full value from your alumni network is to talk to the career center and ask for introductions to alums that are in the same field as you’re interested in working in.
Here are a few points for effectively networking with alumni:
- Focus on people with jobs that are relevant to what you’re looking for
- Find alums who are 3-5 years out, as they have experience, but aren’t too senior yet
- Don’t directly ask for a job
- Ask to for an informational interview, to learn about what they do and what they like/don’t like
- Ask each person you meet with to introduce you to one more person, this way your networking process never ends
#10 Offer to do a research project or unpaid internship
If all of the above 9 options have failed you so far, try offering to do a research project or free internship at a company you really want to work for.
This strategy works especially well with corporations (not as well with banks and accounting firms) as they can be more flexible and entrepreneurial.
This “foot in the door” strategy could be all you need to jump start your career at a corporate. The top divisions for a B.com to try this with are:
- Accounting
- Finance
- Financial planning & analysis
Conclusion about what you can do after b.com
Hopefully, these 10 ideas have clearly answered your question: what can I do after b.com? If you follow this guide and our many more resources, you should be in great shape.
Additional resources you may want to consider include: