Check Out The Top Career Options In Commerce

"A student who doesn't perform well in Science chooses Commerce instead."

“Only children from families with business backgrounds should pursue Commerce degrees.”

"If I get a degree in Commerce, my career options will be limited to CA, CS, and B.Com.”

The above statements are some ideas that society, our parents, and friends have led us to believe, but they don't hold a candle to the truth. Nowadays, Commerce is one of the most popular streams that students choose after completing class 10. In truth, Commerce, much like Science, as well as Humanities, presents a plethora of career options for students.

How Do You Know Commerce Will Be A Good Fit For You?

To decide if Commerce would be a good fit for you, you could consider the following factors:

• Do you intrinsically possess good communication and negotiation skills, and want to improve them further?
• Do you often take up leadership roles? For example, are you a school captain, house captain, class representative, and always ready to take on responsibilities?
• Do you genuinely wish to become a CA, CEO, or CFO of an organisation, working with MNCs in executive positions, or run a business a few years from now, and want to learn the skills, gain the knowledge to do so?
• Do you have a good grasp of numbers, a knack to analyse and manipulate large amounts of data, and an interest in finance and economics?

If your answer to most of these questions is positive, the Commerce stream might be a good choice for you, and a great career in Commerce after 12th might be awaiting you.

Subjects And Career Options For Commerce Students

The core subjects offered in the Commerce stream are Accountancy, Business Studies, Economics, English, and Mathematics. Information Practices, Computer Science, Physical Education, etc. are some optional subjects, which vary from school to school. The following are some exciting and top lucrative career options you can pursue if you are considering choosing Commerce as your stream after class 10, or if you are already a student of Commerce.

Best Career Options After 12th Commerce

(Note- Data has been collated by Team Careers360)

Let us now explore these careers in more detail.

Economist

Research and analysis are the most important elements of being an economist. Your background in Economics, and a keen interest in the economic functioning of the market and its effect on consumer behaviour, will help you better understand producer behaviour and consumer behaviour. You will also be able to make economic predictions, design policies, and advise your clients through various reports and presentations focused on topics like energy cost, inflation, and interest rates. Being an economist is one of the most lucrative career options for Commerce students. You can be employed in consulting firms, private banks as an economist, strategist, risk management analyst, etc. Some top recruiting companies are HSBC, Centre for European Policy (Think Tank), World Bank, Citibank, etc.

Statistician

For a highly valued career in Commerce after 12th, you may consider becoming a statistician. Statisticians analyse and collect data, to solve problems and make various recommendations to organisations, both in the private and public sectors. The recommendations, which are based on conclusions and inferences gathered from interpretation, representation and analysis of numerical data, are made to stakeholders and policymakers. There are various opportunities available both in the public and private sector in jobs like risk analyst, market research, investment analyst, research professional, etc. Becoming a statistician is indeed one of the best career options in commerce with maths.Some top recruiting companies are Deloitte Consulting, TCS Innovations Labs, GE Capital, Nielsen Company, etc.

Financial Advisor/Planner

A financial advisor is a personal financial planner, whose primary job is to plan investments, and manage money in a way that maximises returns for the investor. It is primarily a number game that is challenging, as well as rewarding for those who enjoy it and have a genuine interest in the field. Financial advising is one of the most upcoming career options for commerce students. A major element of the advisory role is in determining budgets, investments, and tax-saving strategies for clients regularly, and then changing the strategy based on market conditions. You can be employed in banks, investment firms, wealth management companies as a senior financial advisor, wealth manager, financial analyst, budget analyst, etc. Some of the top recruiting companies are HSBC, Aditya Birla Group, Bajaj Finserv, LIC, etc.

Supply Chain Analyst

When we speak of career options after 12th Commerce in today’s times, we can surely not miss out on the potential opportunities for a supply chain analyst. As part of the whole supply chain workflow, a supply chain analyst collects and analyses data, to improve performance and reduce costs. To be successful as a supply chain analyst, one must possess strong analytical skills and business acumen. This complex job profile calls for strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail. Looking at the demand for such professionals today, supply chain management can be seen as one of the best career options after 12th commerce. As an analyst, you will plan and implement supply chain optimisation projects, maintain standards, and oversee inventory procedures. You will be employed in industries (shippers) and service providers as operations managers, logistics analysts, supply chain managers, purchasing managers, and so on. Some top recruiting companies are Reliance Retail, Cisco Systems, Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, etc.

Corporate Lawyer

A corporate lawyer deals with practices, rules and regulations, to manage the formation, and operations of corporate firms. It is undoubtedly one of the most lucrative career options for Commerce students. This program covers subjects like Constitutional Law, Family Law, Property Law, Administrative Law, Company Law, etc. Corporate lawyers work for law firms, casting agencies, government organisations as corporate event associates, legal counsels/officers, associate advocates, or have their own private practice. Some of the top recruiting companies are Khaitan & Co., AZB & Partners, Luthra & Luthra Law Offices, Amarchand & Mangaldas & Suresh A Shroff & Co, etc.

Business Reporter

Business reporters are responsible for gathering information about businesses and communicating with people inside and outside their organisation, including the public, government officials, and others. The role of a business reporter requires the ability to identify information and categorise it based on how it may affect the public at large. A business reporter is a journalist who covers the economy and business developments. As a business reporter, you may work for local newspapers, TV news segments, and prestigious business newspapers and magazines. For people with an interest in media as well as business, business reporting can be one of the best career options after 12th Commerce. Some of the top recruiters are The Wallstreet Journal, Bloomberg, The Financial Times, The Economist, The Washington Post, etc.

Banker (Bank PO)

Bank PO or Bank Probationary Officer is an entry-level position in a bank, where you will start your career as a trainee. During the 2-year probation period, you will work across various activities related to handling cash flow, customer support, loan processing and approval, clerical work, and participate in the daily functioning of a bank. After the completion of the probation period, you are placed as an assistant manager and will be promoted to a branch manager after a few years of experience and expertise. As a bank PO, you will be working in various positions like accounts clerk, administrative assistant, cashier, credit officer, insurance officer, financial dealer’s assistant, etc. Bank PO is one of the most demanded careers in commerce after 12th, perhaps due to the stability it brings about for a job. Some top recruiting agencies are SBI, NABARD, RBI, Axis Bank, etc.

Finance Is A Lucrative Avenue For Commerce Students

Chartered Accountancy (CA)

This is a professional course which is administered by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), and covers subjects like Cost Accounting and Financial Management, Advanced Accounting, Accounting, Taxation, Business Law, Auditing and Assurance, Ethics and Communication, Information Technology and Strategic Management, etc. Chartered Accountancy is undoubtedly one of the most popular career options for commerce students. A Chartered Accountant usually works across various domains of business such as auditing, taxation, finance and investment, etc. in private and government organisations, in areas like auditing, corporate finance, investment banking, corporate finance, consulting, etc. You can also start your private practice after a few years of experience. Some of the top recruiters are E&Y, KPMG, Deloitte, PwC, etc.

Company Secretary (CS)

Company Secretary is a professional course, which is administered by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI). This course aims to develop in the aspirants an understanding of the legal requirements of running a company, and thereby help the management make business-related decisions. Developing corporate strategies, preparing financial reports, dealing with conflicts of interests, advising on company law, are some of the duties performed by a CS. Some of the areas you may work in are joint ventures, arbitration, corporate governance, and so on. Jobs are available both in the private and public sectors, while you may also choose to set up your own practice. Some top recruiting companies are TCS, Cognizant, Mindtree, Infosys, etc.

Cost And Management Accounting (CMA)

When discussing career options after 12th Commerce, we can definitely not miss out on CMA. This was earlier referred to as Cost and Work Accounts. The CMA certification can be pursued only under the Institute of Cost Accountants of India. In this course, aspirants learn about performance evaluation, asset management, budgeting, cost management for a company, and so on. Usually, cost and management accountants work along with corporate executives, and prepare reports for regulatory authorities (tax authorities, creditors, etc.), financial plans and strategies, etc. Eventually, with a few years of experience, you may climb up to senior positions in the finance domain. Some top recruiting companies are ONGC, Reliance, Tata Motors, Capgemini, etc.

Actuarial Sciences

To become an actuary, you need to acquire the certification from the Institute of Actuaries of India (IAI). Actuaries work primarily in the insurance, business, and healthcare sectors, analysing the financial risk for the companies, thereby enabling the companies to make crucial business decisions. Their work often involves extensive data analysis, and aspirants of actuarial sciences must have an immense fondness, and a strong aptitude for maths, and related fields like statistics. Some of the top recruiting companies are Max Bupa Health Insurance, Prudential, Pwc Actuarial Services India, Milliman, etc.

There are numerous other career options for Commerce students out there, making this one of the more lucrative streams to opt for. Those willing to go through the rigour of studying Commerce, will be able to carve a path for themselves in this field burgeoning with possibilities.

Yashodhra Arora is a Counselling Psychologist. She holds more than 10 years of hands-on experience in HR, and behavioural and career counselling of high school students, in India and the USA.