What Is A CA And How To Become One?

May 15, 20222 Minutes Read
Success Stories

Link Copied!

Are you good with numbers and confident in your analytical skills? Well, then Chartered Accountancy might be the ideal career choice. Being a CA is not easy. But you earn respect. The starting salary is around INR 7lakh per year.

But, what is a CA?

A Chartered Accountant is a finance professional. They could be in charge of the accounting department. They generate financial statements, manage taxes, audit and act as financial advisors. A CA has four specialisations that they can choose from:

  1. Financial accounting and reporting

  2. Management accounting

  3. Applied finance

  4. Taxation

    As a CA, you can work in both public and private sectors. The job scope includes:

  • Chartered accountant firms

  • Financial institutions

  • Consultancy firms

  • Businesses and industries

  • Capital market services

  • Independent practice

    Here are some job roles and their respective responsibilities:

  • Financial Accounting: Manage accounts, Perform internal audits, Manage salaries and wages, Send out invoices, Manage tax

  • Cost Accounting: Forecasting, Budgeting & control, Expenditure control

  • Tax Management: Advice on taxes as per changes in business plans

  • Auditing: Perform statutory audits as per Company Act, Internal audits

  • Consultancy: Corporate law advice on financial aspects, Project planning, Business advice regarding profits, expansion and more, Information systems management

Why become a CA?

The entire world runs on money. Every business needs help in managing their finances, filing taxes and auditing. Regardless of the industry, every organisation needs finance management. Chartered accountants are the solution. The opportunities to work are endless. All of this makes the job essential. Which in turn increases the demand. The salary is also pretty high.

How to become a CA?

The journey is long, but you can do it! To become a CA in India, you'll have to gain membership to the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. The ICAI is responsible for the education and administration of the CA Course. Below is the list of courses and exams you will have to take to become a CA.

  1. After 12th grade, complete a 4 month CA Foundation Course. Appear for the Common Proficiency Test or CPT.

  2. Complete an 8 month CA Intermediate Course. Appear for the Integrated Professional Competence Course (IPCC) Exam. You need to pass at least one of the two exams to move forward.

  3. Complete 4 weeks of Integrated Course on Information Technology and Soft skills (ICITSS).

  4. Apply for Articleship: 3- year article/practical training.

  5. Clear the pending IPCC exam if you haven't.

  6. After the first year of your articleship, you can apply for a 4 week AICITSS course. AICTITSS stands for Advanced Integrated Course on Information Technology and Soft skills.

  7. Complete the CA Final Course and appear for the Final Exam.

  8. Enrol as a member of the ICAI to be designated as a "Chartered Accountant".

    If you are a commerce graduate or a post-graduate and wish to become a CA, you can! The only condition is that you must have scored at least 60% aggregate. The journey is similar, except you can avoid step 1 completely.

    If you are unsure, opt for free Career Guidance at Glow & Lovely Careers (formally known as the Fair & Lovely Foundation). If you plan to take the exams, brush up your knowledge with their Finance Courses.

Get Inspired with

Blog and News

Success Stories
December 17, 20214 Minutes Read

Time To Get Influenced by An Influencer: Social Influencer As A Career Option

25-year-old Anushka is an MBA in HR. She is also a social media influencer who is into make-up and beauty. She shares her journey and everything you need to know before taking up a career as an influencer. So let's get some influencing done!

Hello Anushka! It's very nice of you to speak with us. Please tell us about yourself.

Hi, I am Anushka; I completed my MBA in Human resources in 2020. I am currently doing a corporate job and simultaneously working as a social media influencer.

How did you start your career as a social media influencer?

I had got very interested in makeup and beauty some five-six years ago. Even during my MBA, I often used to think whether I should start my makeup vlog on social media, but I was pretty much uncertain about it.

When the covid pandemic happened, I could not get placed at any job. I was very stressed, and at that point, I decided to step into social media influencing.

At first researched video editing, presentation, etc., and then uploaded just 2-3 videos. I had fun doing them. And was happy with the way they turned out.

Surprisingly I got a good response from the people. I got motivated by the people's support and appreciation. So I continued doing it and gradually became known as a beauty influencer.

Very interesting! Anushka, if someone did not know about this field, how would you educate them?

If you want to start a career as an influencer, proper research and practice are essential.

For example, if you are a girl who does not know anything about makeup, you must watch YouTube videos and start practising. Makeup is an art. And you master it by practising. Even I was terrible at makeup earlier. But I practised a lot.

You don't need to enrol for expensive courses or training

If you are determined to do, you can also train yourself at your home! Consistency and patience are required; that's it!

You have a full-time corporate job as an HR professional. And now you also work as a social media influencer. So tell me, how do you manage and organise your day?

On the weekdays I am busy with my office work.

But on the weekends, I shoot and edit my vlogs. This way, my weekends are all about shooting and content creation which, of course, I love!

Tell us more about being a social influencer as a career opportunity

Being an influencer is like a dream job! You can work from anywhere and at any time. There are no restrictions.

Also, many people support and praise us, which pushes us to work harder.

In fact, you get paid for what you love, and you need not take any particular degree or course to get into this career.

You need to make a bare minimum investment while starting as an influencer. A ring light, an android phone, or a camera if you have and you are done!

I have always wanted to work with big brands. This dream of mine is accomplished by being an influencer! I have collaborated with the brands like Nykaa, Purplle Mac cosmetics, etc.

Also, the support of my social media followers is immense! So these are the things I will never forget.

In my view, being an influencer is not always very happy-go-lucky!

There will be hatred; there will be negative comments flowing out in the comment section of your page. A courageous person who can take all this more realistically can choose this career.

Also, if you only love doing something and start your vlog page and then stop when you get bored, it will not help. Continuation and the will to inspire people should be there inside you.

Moreover, you need to learn skills like editing, presentation, shooting, etc. You should have that spark to learn things. Even I handle all the things by myself. In the end, people will watch you for 2-3 mins, and you should stand out and stick to their attention!

What is your message to the young girls out there?

I see a lot of girls getting confused about their careers. I would say that go slow, analyse what you love.

It could be dancing, singing, acting or anything! At some point in life, I loved makeup...I followed my passion, and today I am happy with what I do rather than being stressed out.
Anushka is genuinely inspiring, and this is why she is a successful influencer today.
To read more such inspiring stories of successful girls, click here!