What Can I Do After B.Com?
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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 (bachelor of commerce degree)?” 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 the financial services sector and they like hiring students who have just graduated with a B.Com degree.
Find out about 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’ve 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 can give you more knowledge, more skills, and excellent work experience.
The best options for careers at accounting firms with a B.Com include:
#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 graduate, as they can offer a wide range of work experience and provide a good work-life balance.
The best roles for a B.Com graduae at a corporation are:
#4 Get the FMVA designation
If you don’t get a job at one of the above three choices right after school (or even if you do), you may want to consider studying for the FMVA. This designation is heavily focused on financial modeling and valuation, as well as on other practical applications.
It can be so challenging, some recent B.Com graduates prefer to focus on studying for it full time and after they finish their undergrad degree.
Career paths for an FMVA designation include:
- FP&A Analyst
- Research Analyst
- Investment Banking Analyst
#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.
#6 Earn an online certification in financial modeling
With the massive shift in trends from traditional education to online education and 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 being 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 your employability much higher. Banks, corporations, and institutions love hiring professionals with accounting designations.
#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 that 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, such as coding, engineering, or entrepreneurship, and move into an area that may be a better fit for you.
It may be hard to make a change after investing so much time, effort, and money in a bachelor of commerce degree, but always stay open to the idea of moving into another field entirely.
To see what change may be best for you, explore our interactive career map.
#9 Use your university alumni network
If our suggestions thus far 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 who are working in the same field that 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 for an informational interview, to learn about what they do and what they like/don’t like about it
- Ask each person you meet with to introduce you to one more persons. That way your networking process never ends
#10 Offer to do a research project or unpaid internship
If all of the above preceding options still leave you wondering about what your best career move is, you may want to try offering to do a research project or free internship at a company that 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 corporation. The top divisions for a B.Com to try this with are:
- Accounting
- Finance
- Financial planning & analysis
Conclusion
Hopefully, these 10 ideas have given you some helpful ideas on “What can I do after B.Com?” If you follow this guide and our many more resources, you should be in great shape.
Additional CFI resources that you may want to check out include all of the following:
