What should someone do after completing a CA course in order to advance their career?
I am discussing here the generally pursued courses by various Chartered Accountants students along with the course, since you have not mentioned any specific details.Role of each Profession -CA - Core in Auditing & Accountancy (Mostly Indian concepts)CMA - Core in Costing & Finance (Global concepts)CS - Core in Companies Reporting & Secretarial practices (Mostly Indian concepts)MBA - If you are already a CA, then MBA is just like a better GMCS Course (Soft Skill course)Law - Core in legal framework (Strictly Indian scenario)CIMA - CMA in UK (Global concepts)Combinations & their functions -CA + MBA -- A person who needs to do job in MNCsCA + CS -- A person who wishes to do job in all companies except MNCs OR who wants to practice as a CA in core orthodox areasCA + CMA -- A person who wishes to do job at key posts in companies OR wants to practice as a CA in innovative & upcoming areas OR wants to become entrepreneurCA + Law -- A person who wishes to practice in Taxation, Arbitration etc. where legal advice is attached to your work OR job in legal & regulatory functions of company.Why not Three?Two makes a combo and denote specialization, when you do three (popularly known as Triplets) it denotes confused people, no specializations, who had nothing to do, so grabbed another degree to boast of.I believe if you have two, the knowledge of third is already at your hands, so third is not required.Worsts CombinationsAnything with MBA is worst combination, because a CA is already 10 times better than an MBA, except the interactive part. Its just that when 1 CA qualifies, already 10 MBAs passout at the same time.So, MBAs are available in bulk, that's why they are mentioned on all job profiles, which also means that bulk are paid low! I would keep IIMs and the Global best B-School passouts separate in this context.High returns CombinationsCA + CS because then anything that a company needs in India can be done by you.CA + CMA because anything that a company needs strategically, can be done by you, further you knowledge is globally applicable, not restricted just to India, so you can work anywhere around the world!CFA, FRM, CFP are Finance related courses, not so popular, but still have a lot of scope for finance specialization.
I want to become a history teacher but i'm afraid of the pay?
Teaching history is the most amazing job in the world. I can't imagine doing anything else. Do I make as much as my software engineer husband or my accountant sister? No. But,I do get summers off, a long Christmas break, spring break and plenty of other days in between and for me, that makes up for it. Also, you know, being a teacher because it is a noble profession and I get to work with amazing kids that capture my heart and challenge my mind. History is also my obsession which is why I chose to teach it. As for the finer things in life and the pay scale of a teacher, it all depends on where you are. Florida teachers make about 46K per year on average according to a website I found and it goes up every year. I don't know what your living expenses are like how much rent is, groceries, taxes etc but if it's fairly cheap to live in Miami then your salary isn't bad. Teachers in NY and CA make a lot more on the dotted line but their living expenses are so high that their take away isn't as high as it sounds. I live in a state with really low living expenses and so my salary goes farther than it might in NY or CA. You would certainly be able to travel with summers off. You could also, as a side note, pursue a MA or PhD and become a professor. That may be a level you prefer. You might consider subbing first at a local high school to see if you want to work with them. You may prefer teaching at the college level. You only need a MA to teach at a junior college and those can be great schools. Some of my favorite professors actually teach at community colleges because it's a smaller more family type atmosphere as opposed to the more "political" atmosphere of a 4 year college. Don't necessarily change your major based on these answers. Explore the world of teaching first. Most states have a curriculum they follow. Get to know what you'd be getting into before you dive in. You also may hate working with high school students which is why substituting is a good idea. Best of luck to you. I must say that I am biased because teaching history is the most wonderful job in the world. I will also say that I get my hair colored and styled every month and get a manicure every month as well and it doesn't put a dent into our budget. We also eat plenty at nice restaurants.
What are some career options after completing studies in biotechnology?
I have spent over 12+ years in graduate education and working in companies across US and India. In my opinion, after an undergraduate degree in biotechnology, I think there are plenty of opportunities to go after that most students/faculty oversee. Most faculty in biotechnology think that, the next steps after an undergraduate degree is to go for Phd/Msc. I strongly disagree with this.In addition to courses such as Master`s/Phd inBiotechnology, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Pharmacology etc…I would suggest you to also look at the following options…Patent Agent/Lawyer/Attorney (Biotech + Legal Experience/Degree)Management (Biotech + Experience + Good MBA Degree)Biomedical/Biomechanical Engineer ((Biotech + Experience/Degree in Bio related Product Engineering)Bioprocess Engineer (Biotech + Experience/Specialization in downstream processing). This area has lot of potential.Clinical Research Related Jobs (Biotech + Experience/Specialization in Clinical Trials)Clinical Data Analysts (Biotech + Experience/Specialization in SAS/R/SPSS)Bioinformatics (Biotech + Specialization in Bioinformatics)Sales & Marketing-Biomedical Equipments/Assays (Biotech + Experience in Salesand there are many more…..Also with good experience you can also look at entrepreneurship as an option. There are lot of funding available from the Indian Government to promote biotech startups.Please join the conversation at the Biotechnology Jobs & Graduate Education Forum if you have any questions related to higher education or have any questions related to which field to choose in Biotechnology/ Biomedical/ Bioengineering,To set up a consulting call, you can reach out to me anytime at ^Prashant - Talkwise
I'm 22 pursuing a chartered accountants course. I am not able to clear my IPCC (Inter) after four attempts. I am completely lost and depressed. I am not able to study or enjoy life. How do I make things right?
Hi I am 2012 CA , I hope I am eligible to answer your question.To give you a background, I was a meritorious student throughout my academics but CA :).I was able to clear uptill CA final everything in first attempt with good grades. But just before (5days)my CA final first attempt I got Jaundice and was then hospitalised.It took me 2 months to recover.Then it took me 4 attempts to clear my CA Final .why I am telling you this is to correlate to your position of miniscule and apparent failure,which it is actually not.I also felt at that time that having taken so many attempts to clear it will destroy my carrer.I will be a lesser CA who will be considered less preferred in interviews.But my friend in CA, it is only about the depth of knowledge that matters.once you reach an interview room then it is level playing field for all first attempters ,rank holders and people like me.After qualifying I got 2 jobs before campus.Joined the promising one.Within first year got another offer from highly reputed IT company in Gurgaon and another one which was Big 4.Joined the IT company.Now currently working in one of the biggest consulting and IT company in the world.So the question here is what mattered the most.1.Never give up attitude(I even did not start my bcom because I was convinced that I will become CA ,later on did it ) so make yourself conscious that YOU WILL BE A CA, NOTHING MORE OR LESS THAN THAT.2.While you are studying try to understand the concept and not mug up by saying "BAS EXAM CLEAR HO JAYE".You might clear exam but then its an open world which requires skill.3.Avoid coaching and tutors books as much as possible.since you had given multiple attempts i assume you would have taken enough coaching.Go into self study mode completely and refer to institutes 10 year question paper ,sometimes 15 year compiler is also available from institute only refer to that and not any private turor even if he/she is of national fame.Give mock tests yourself by randomly picking full subject question paper.4.Have General awareness and related passion.I had some research and knowledge about stock market which helped me a lot throughout.Read economic times and be updated about RBI activities,etc.5.Forget that you ever failed.If you would allow that to convince you subconsciously then it would be very damaging.Remember: Nothing great has been ever achieved without great suffering.So step up to this challenge called CA and come out as a winner.
Is becoming an engineer worth it?
When deciding on a career, chasing money usually results in your catching misery. Decide what job will give you a lot of satisfaction and then apply yourself to the job so that you become highly skilled and so that your services are in demand. This will bring you the money that you need to finance a "good life". Your father did not start earning $200,000 a year in his first year of work and if you want to earn that amount of money before you are 21 years old, you need to do a crash course in day trading. Have you asked your father how much the university would need to reduce his pay before he resigned. I have known a lot of people who have resigned from high paying jobs because they were seeking "job satisfaction". If all jobs offered the same pay, what job would you want to do --- burger flipper or physicist? Speak to your guidance counsellor again when you have decided what job you really want to do --- perhaps you really want to be a concert pianist.