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Opportunity for CA in finance

anonymous (abc) (36 Points)

25 August 2011

I am a newly qualified Chartered Accountant. I am interested in joining Corporate Finance stream in industry. But I am afraid that industry prefers MBA finance over CAs for Corporate Finance function. Pls guide me for persuing career in Corporate Finance. Are there chances for a newly qualified CA?

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Rajiv (Director) (42 Points)
Replied 25 August 2011

I myself am a chartered accountant (I qualified in May, 1997) and have worked in corporate finance most of my career. I started with a practicing chartered accountant and then joined Mafatlal, from where my career took off. I started with looking at their bank funding, and slowly moved on to full fledged corporate finance across streams and all levels. Since then, I have been the head of treasury of a UK company as well. So to cut the long story short, whether they prefer MBA or not, start small and start with the appropriate company. Post your cv to companies in core finance function areas and identify which companies you have opportunity to work with will allow you to move into corporate finance, sooner than later. Do not join too large a company at first, and start with an Indian industrial house, where the pay might be less than what your friends will draw initially, but the experience you will gain in your field will be immense. From there, focussing on finance related activities and dealing with banks and financial institutions, push up your value in these areas and start scouting for either medium sized banks or larger corporations which would place you in better position. So if you have your goals firmed up, start working towards attaining them say in the 3 years time. Keep on revising your goals, upping your ante, and raising the bar to become a highly sought after investment banker or corporate finance senior leader in due course of time. Internally, once you join a company, they will let you move onto you chosen area say corporate finance if they see promise in you. I myself have shifted several people who have worked with me into different roles than what I had hired them for initially. All the best, go out and achieve what you desire!

I have also posted this reply at my blog at empowertheloser.com, and you can interact with me further there should you chose so.

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