Non-CAT Study Options for Commerce Students

For those who have not taken the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2010, this is not the end of the road for this year. The BCom programme provides a good base for an array of careers. These are broadly of two types - those related to business and finance such as chartered accountancy (CA), company secretaryship (CS), cost and works accountancy (CWA), and banking, as well as those not related to finance.

Depending on your aptitude and interests, you can explore careers such as:

• Mass communications, journalism, and public relations, if you have good communication skills

• Travel and tourism, or hospitality, if you are more practical and people-oriented.

Else, hone any skill you have, whether in design and animation, languages, computers or any other. You may spend the next year exploring and developing these skills so that next year you have alternative careers to consider. Today, career opportunities are vast, so you should look at your interests and aptitudes to decide.

There are also many alternatives to the business management programme depending on the area of expertise you wish to pursue. If you have good communication and accounting skills and are interested in a career related to legal affairs, then the CS qualification is a good option. If you wish to enhance your qualification in accounts, you can consider courses such as CWA, or other courses related to finance and banking such as a diploma in banking and finance offered by a number of universities including Aligarh Muslim University and the University of Rajasthan.

Other courses in banking and finance for graduates include a PG diploma in banking operations offered by the Institute of Finance, Banking & Insurance, New Delhi, a joint collaboration between NIIT and ICICI Bank, as also the PG programme in banking and finance offered by the National Institute of Bank Management, Pune, for which admission is through the CAT. If you are interested in working with non-banking financial companies, or in stocks and securities, there are several courses in securities and capital markets.

The Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India (ICFAI) offers a PG diploma in treasury and forex management, and a PG diploma in merchant banking and financial services. These will enable you to get into financial consulting and finance-related services. There are a few other short courses in capital markets offered by institutes such as the Indian Institute of Capital markets, Navi Mumbai; the International College of Financial Planning, New Delhi and the BSE (Bombay Stock Exchange) Training Institute and the National Stock Exchange.

The Institute of Financial and Investment Planning offers a one-year correspondence-cum-lecture course leading to a diploma in financial and investment planning. In addition to these, there are short courses in export-import and foreign trade offered by the Indian Institute of Foreign trade, New Delhi; National Institute of Export Management, Chennai; and KC College of Management Studies, Mumbai, which offers diplomas in export-import management through correspondence.

The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) offers several diploma and certification courses through distance learning.

Author: Usha Albuquerque (HT Horizons)

Date: 28th December, 2010

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