Acquiring an appropriate professional qualification is the first positive step towards a successful career.

A bachelor's degree in commerce or economics is a good starting point. The big three Indian professional bodies offering finance-related certification chartered accountancy (CA ! management accountancy (IC"A or company secretary (C# allow students to pursue their courses after finishing school by enrolling for the foundation stage without having to wait for completing a bachelor's degree. These courses ta$e appro%imately three years and are a good blend of theoretical education and practical training! designed to equip students with the relevant level of $nowledge and s$ills for the profession. Though the chartered accountancy course has en&oyed wide popularity with those $een on traditional finance! accounting and ta% career! IC"A and C# programmes have gained popularity over the last few years. An '(A in finance or a master's programme in finance and control are some other options to consider. In order to widen $nowledge and diversify s$ills! most students opt for two professional courses! a good combination to provide fle%ibility with career options. All institutes do provide the benefits li$e paper wise e%emptions based on each other's qualifications. International qualifications In recent years! the ceasing of economic barriers has put India at the forefront of trained human resource pool! not only in information technology but also in finance. Thus! international careers have become highly remunerative and provide good mobility. There is a good mi% of international qualifications that are open to students in India - Chartered )inancial Analysts (C)A programme offered by the Association for Investment 'anagement and *esearch (AI'* ! Certified +ublic Accountants (C+A ! Chartered Institute of 'anagement Accountants course (CI'A and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA . Those willing to commit themselves to a full-time course may consider pursuing a programme from an overseas university or a business school. There are several leading American! (ritish! ,uropean and Asian institutes that offer specialised courses in finance with good postqualification placement options. Employment options

The professional careers' mar$et is hard hit these days due to recession and finance is no e%ception. The financial mar$ets may not be soaring! thus putting careers in equity sales! research and trading out of favour. -owever! areas li$e traditional ban$ing with specific $nowledge of leasing and derivative products! fi%ed income and credit derivatives still hold a lot of promise. (esides! opportunities for fresh graduates and e%perienced professionals e%ist in traditional finance areas - avenues e%ist in finance departments! audit and ta%ation! ban$s! management consulting and public services hold a lot of promise! both in professional practice and industry. There is a section of the corporate world that believes that finance professionals ma$e better C,.s. /ndoubtedly! competent and enterprising finance professionals are a captive requirement to $eep the wheels of corporate businesses turning. -arendra 0ailath of 0+'1 says! 2The need and necessity for financial e%pertise is critical for success of business and cannot be substituted. In the present mar$et! niche finance s$ills are still very much sought after.2