What Can I Do After B.Com?

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 degee)?”  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.

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10 Best Things You Can Do after B.Com:

#1 Get work experience at a bank

This option should be top of your list. BanksBanking (Sell-Side) CareersThe banks, also known as Dealers or collectively as the Sell-Side, offer a wide range of roles like investment banking, equity research, sales & trading are one the biggest employers in the financial services sector and they like hiring students who have just graduated with a B.Com degree.

Click here to see a list of the top 100 global banksCompaniesLists of the main players in corporate finance. We've got lists of the most important financial services companies, banks, institutions, accounting firms, and corporations in the industry. Browse these guides to prepare for a career in financial services and start networking today to accelerate your career 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:

• Investment bankingInvestment Banking Career PathInvestment banking career guide - plan your IB career path. Learn about investment banking salaries, how to get hired, and what to do after a career in IB. The investment banking division (IBD) helps governments, corporations, and institutions raise capital and complete mergers and acquisitions (M&A).
• Equity researchEquity Research AnalystAn equity research analyst provides research coverage of public companies and distributes that research to clients. We cover analyst salary, job description, industry entry points, and possible career paths.
• Sales and tradingSales and Trading Career ProfileThe sales & trading division (S&T) of an investment bank helps mutual funds, hedge funds, pension funds, etc. facilitate equities transactions (buy/sell). A career in sales & trading can be extremely strenuous with a very fast paced environment. The competition for positions is intense, compensation can be very high,
• Commercial bankingCommercial Banking Career ProfileA Commercial Banking career path is providing clients with credit products such as term loans, revolving lines of credit, syndicated facilities
• Retail bankingPersonal Banker Job DescriptionPersonal bankers offer help in managing and overseeing the financial needs of a client's personal bank account. Personal Banker Job Description details include Aid customers in opening, managing and optimizing their bank accounts and other products, pursue leads and potential customers

#2 Get work experience at an accounting firm

Still wondering, what can I do after B.Com? Working at a large public accountingAccountingPublic accounting firms consist of accountants whose job is serving business, individuals, governments & nonprofit by preparing financial statements, taxes 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:

• Transaction advisoryTransaction Advisory Career ProfileTransaction advisory services (TAS) groups in accounting firms help organizations evaluate and navigate corporate transactions, with services that include business modeling, M&A, and valuations. A career in transaction advisory is a lot like investment banking
• Due diligenceDue Diligence Career ProfileThese groups perform “financial due diligence” on behalf of acquirers of companies to analyze the target companies’ financial statements and overall financial health. A career in the financial due diligence team can require long hours when on a transaction and requires forensic level accounting and analysis.
• ValuationsValuations Analyst Career ProfileA valuations analyst provides valuation services for public and private companies. They typically focus on the identification and valuation of intangible assets and, more specifically, with goodwill impairment and purchase price allocation (PPA). A career as an analyst on the valuation team can require significant financial modeling and analysis.

#3 Get work experience at a corporation

Corporation refers to an operating company like Google, Facebook, Tesla, Amazon, Salesforce, etc. Corporate careersCorporateThe "Corporates" section of our interactive Career Map will tell you about salaries, skills, personalities, courses you need to work at a corporate issuer 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:

• Financial planning & analysis FP&AFP&A AnalystBecome an FP&A Analyst at a corporation. We outline the salary, skills, personality, and training you need for FP&A jobs and a successful finance career. FP&A analysts, managers, and directors are responsible for providing executives with the analysis and information they need
• Treasury managementTreasury Career PathTreasury management jobs involve ensuring that cash and financial risks in a business are properly managed and optimized.
• Investor relationsInvestor Relations ManagerAn Investor Relations Manager has the responsibility of bridging the communication gap between a company’s corporate management and its investors. An Investor Relations Manager helps support releasing information, handling inquiries and meetings, providing feedback to management, crisis management, analyst meetings
• Corporate developmentCorporate Development Career PathCorporate Development jobs include executing mergers, acquisitions, divestitures & capital raising in-house for a corporation. Corporate

#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 FMVABecome a Certified Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst (FMVA)®CFI's Financial Modeling and Valuation Analyst (FMVA)® certification will help you gain the confidence you need in your finance career. Enroll today!.  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 FMVABecome a Certified Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst (FMVA)®CFI's Financial Modeling and Valuation Analyst (FMVA)® certification will help you gain the confidence you need in your finance career. Enroll today! designation include:

• FP&A AnalystFP&A AnalystBecome an FP&A Analyst at a corporation. We outline the salary, skills, personality, and training you need for FP&A jobs and a successful finance career. FP&A analysts, managers, and directors are responsible for providing executives with the analysis and information they need
• Research AnalystBuy Side Research Career ProfileThe job of buy side research at an asset management firm is generating investment recommendations used in internally managed funds and portfolios. There is a lot of competition for positions, the compensation is solid, and the work is extremely cerebral.
• Investment Banking AnalystIs Investment Banking a Good Fit for You?This guide will help you assess if investment banking is a good fit for you. Investment banking is an exciting and lucrative career, but it isn’t right for everyone. You may have a desire to earn over $100,000 a year as a first-year analyst in New York City, but you need to remember is that investment banking is not just high-paying, but a high-stakes, high-pressure job.

#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?Is an MBA worth it?If you're thinking of going to business school you may be asking, is an MBA worth it?. The answer (as in every MBA class) is: "it depends". Other than the workload of doing an MBA, there is almost no reason not to do an MBA if your boss is paying for it.  They may use it as leverage against you and lock you in, but the ROI is incredible if it's free (obviously).

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 educationExplore All Courses 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:

• Private EquityPrivate Equity Career ProfilePrivate equity analysts & associates perform similar work as in investment banking. The job includes financial modeling, valuation, long hours & high pay. Private equity (PE) is a common career progression for investment bankers (IB).  Analysts in IB often dream of “graduating” to the buy side,
• Investment BankingInvestment Banking Career PathInvestment banking career guide - plan your IB career path. Learn about investment banking salaries, how to get hired, and what to do after a career in IB. The investment banking division (IBD) helps governments, corporations, and institutions raise capital and complete mergers and acquisitions (M&A).
• Equity ResearchEquity Research AnalystAn equity research analyst provides research coverage of public companies and distributes that research to clients. We cover analyst salary, job description, industry entry points, and possible career paths.
• Corporate DevelopmentCorporate Development Career PathCorporate Development jobs include executing mergers, acquisitions, divestitures & capital raising in-house for a corporation. Corporate

The basics: what is financial modeling?What is Financial ModelingFinancial modeling is performed in Excel to forecast a company's financial performance. Overview of what is financial modeling, how & why to build a model.

Learn more: financial modeling guideFree Financial Modeling GuideThis financial modeling guide covers Excel tips and best practices on assumptions, drivers, forecasting, linking the three statements, DCF analysis, more

#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 corporationsCorporateThe "Corporates" section of our interactive Career Map will tell you about salaries, skills, personalities, courses you need to work at a corporate issuer (not as well with banksBanking (Sell-Side) CareersThe banks, also known as Dealers or collectively as the Sell-Side, offer a wide range of roles like investment banking, equity research, sales & trading and accounting firms)AccountingPublic accounting firms consist of accountants whose job is serving business, individuals, governments & nonprofit by preparing financial statements, taxes, 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 & analysisFP&A AnalystBecome an FP&A Analyst at a corporation. We outline the salary, skills, personality, and training you need for FP&A jobs and a successful finance career. FP&A analysts, managers, and directors are responsible for providing executives with the analysis and information they need

Conclusion about what you can do after a B.Com

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:

• Interactive Career map
• How to get a job in investment bankingHow to Get a Job in Investment Banking?This guide will outline how to get a job in investment banking using out top three tactics: networking and resume, interview prep, and technical skills
• Compensation guidesCompensationCompensation and salary guides for jobs in corporate finance, investment banking, equity research, FP&A, accounting, commercial banking, FMVA graduates,
• Interview questions and answersInterviewsAce your next interview! Check out CFI's interview guides with the most common questions and best answers for any corporate finance job position. Interview questions and answer for finance, accounting, investment banking, equity research, commercial banking, FP&A, more! Free guides and practice to ace your interview