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TOP COURSES TO DO AFTER CA

By CA, CPA Vinod Kumar Agarwal

In order to start your career in Investment Banking, you need to opt for short term training for two basic skills – 

• Financial modelling and 
• Valuation.
• Profiles : Valuation Analyst, Investment Banking Analayst, M&A Analyst etc.

• Employers : JP Morgan , Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, Credit Suisse, Barclays Investment Bank, Deutsche Bank, UBS, RBC Capital Markets etc.

• Salaries : Starting at 9-10 Lakh Per Annum

• CAs + CFA gives you an all-around knowledge and in the field of Core Finance.
• It gives you more international acceptability.
• Profiles – Portfolio Management, Equity Research, Valuations, Portfolio management, Stock trading etc. 
• Employers : Investment Banks and Consulting firms such as Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Crisil, HSBC, Deloitte, Evalueserve etc.
• Salaries : For fresher CA’s with a CFA Charter, salaries tend to average anything between 8 and 12 lakh.

You can have better hold over legal language and edge over other Chartered Accountants in matter drafting appeals or presenting cases before authorities.

• Entrance Exams: Common Law Admission Test (CLAT), AILET – All India Law Entrance Test, LSAT – Law School Admission Test etc.
• Salaries : Start as high as Rs 70,000 to Rs 1,00,000 per month.
• Profiles : You can take up cases on Civil Law, Corporate Law, Labour Law, International Law, Family Law, Constitutional Law, Patent Law etc.

FRM is globally recognized designation issued by Global Association of Risk Professionals .

• Exam: You need to clear both levels of FRM. The examination is conducted in November and May.
• Employers : ICBC, Bank of China, Citi, KPMG, Deloitte, E&Y, Deutsche Bank etc.
• Salaries : For fresher CA’s with a FRM, average salary is around 7-8 lakh.
• Profiles : Risk Manager or Credit Manager in Banking sector, Insurance sector or Consulting firms. 

• Many subjects of these two courses are overlapping and hence getting 2 degrees from same knowledge is a useful proposition.
• Chartered Accountants usually pursue CS to get a strong hold in Corporate law, along with their core domains – Audit and Taxation.
• Exam : To get the CS Degree, you need to clear the three levels of examinations – Foundation, Executive and Professional. If you’re a CA, then you will get direct admission in CS-Executive.
• Profiles : A combination of these two degrees would boost up the chances of getting a Job as a Legal Adviser to MNCs for matters related Taxation, Audit and Accounting.
• Salaries : Average Salary of a Company Secretary rangers between 6 to 7 Lakh

• CPA is the American version of Chartered Accountancy. 
• The CPA degree is given by American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and it is mandatory to have this degree in order to practice as a Public Accountant in US.
• Profiles : A Chartered Accountant with a CPA degree can work in a wide variety of areas like Assurance services, Forensic Accounting, Tax and Financial Planning, International Accounting, Internal and External auditing etc
• Salaries : Average Salary of a CPA is between Rs 8 to 10 Lakhs in India.
• Employment opportunities : If you’re looking for opportunities to setup your practice in US or to get a job in Indian MNCs for the profiles mentioned above, then CPA is a good option after Chartered Accountancy.

Exemptions from Knowledge Level papers (F1, F2, F3) and Skills Level papers (F4, F5, F6, F7, F8, F9) are available. 

Exemptions for Professional Level papers are not allowed. You must undertake exams for Professional Level papers.

• Profiles : A Chartered Accountant with a ACCA degree can work in a wide variety of areas like Assurance services, Forensic Accounting, Tax and Financial Planning, International Accounting, Internal and External auditing etc
• Salaries : Average Salary of a CA + ACCA is between Rs 8 to 10 Lakhs in India.
• Employment opportunities : Global opportunity

• Profiles : A Chartered Accountant + MBA degree is a deadly combination. Path to reach highest corporate ladder.
• Salaries : Average Salary of a CA + MBA is between Rs 10 to 15 Lakhs in India. Can be more if MBA is completed from a reputed institute.
• Employment opportunities : A large number of options open up.

REASONS WHY MOST OF THE STUDENTS FAIL IN CA EXAM

By CA, CPA Vinod Kumar Agarwal

• One must keep in mind that CA is not just like any other accounting course. Everyone knows that passing the CA exams is not that simple.
• So it will be right to say that there are no shortcuts and only hard work and patience will be paid off in the end. The higher the level, the greater will be the difficulty level of the examination.
• After the declaration of Result, there are a few happy faces of candidates who’ve managed to clear the exams. Their hard work has been rewarded and they are all charged up for a good career ahead.
• But after the results of every exam there are many sad faces as well of candidates who’ve failed to clear their exams. With passing percentages of professional competitive exams being too low, very few candidates manage to clear their exams and the rest are declared as failed.
• Interestingly, a high proportion of the candidates who appear for such exams are those who’ve been outstanding in their career record throughout and thus when they face failure, they get traumatized. Many candidates get demotivated and get depressed about their failure.
• A student fails or gets lower grades when he/ she doesn’t know all the factors or does not pay attention to all the factors that are necessary for passing the exams and getting good grades. Approach to study, attention to details, punctuality in class, method of preparing for exams, exam taking tactics and strategies, making good and helpful notes, method of learning, confidence and study related extracurricular activities are some of the important factors that guarantee exam success and good grades.
• It is strongly suggested to stick to the basics of study to avoid further failure and ensure success. Some basic reasons of failure in exams are:

Most of the students are careless towards their career. They just enroll into a course because their friends are doing so but that is not a good thing to do.

If you decide to do something in respect of career, do it for yourself as you will have to study for your exams and not anyone else. So, be serious. Else you will feel guilty throughout your life even if you do something good elsewhere.

Usually, students get engaged in other activities during preparation such as Marriage, birthdays, family get together, pujas, parties, etc. But remember that all these events can be completed without you.

Proper utilization of this time is really essential to clear your exam in first attempt. So in this way to prepare an effective study schedule, time management is very important.

And do not just take the text book and start reading from the first chapter. Plan your subject, your interest, have an overall feel of the Book, Chapters and their importance. Do not leave any chapter in option.

You need to refer the book which is given by your Coaching teacher but without ignoring the material provided by ICAI like study material, practice manual, RTPs, MTPs etc. 

You are not required to read these materials wholly and thoroughly but the main idea is for you to realize their importance.

Study martial is considered as Bhagavad Gita/Bible/Quran for the CA students. So you need to first read this and then if required any other reference book, particularly for theory subject.

The institute materials are suggested as they are very much helpful in understanding the way Institute asks a question and expect us to answer.

Rough work is how a CA Student defines his practice. But this technique is a big blunder. You must always practice as if you are giving your final performance.

This habit if inculcated will reap in more benefits than you anything you can think of as it helps you to maintain your speed and accuracy even during the practice sessions.

Students solve practical problems in the text book by ticking the posting. In exams we are not provided with answers which we have to verify.

We have to actually write the answers. So practice in note book and ensure that you complete full question. Don’t leave halfway.

Another basic study point is to give ample emphasis to a good revision plan. There is nothing is this world which can substitute a good revision plan. To succeed revision is must.

Most of the students don’t give due value to the theory in the practical subject. So right amount of theory preparation in practical subjects is equally important.

The best way to solve this issue is to prepare notes of frequently asked theory questions from Scanner or the Study material that you are using.

These are some of the main reasons why the CA students fail to clear their exams even after doing every bit of the hard work required. But these are not the only reasons.

Besides these, there are some basic reasons that are responsible for students’ poor performance in the examination, and they are discussed as below:

No one will teach you how to manage your valuable time; after all it’s your precious time. You need to understand your utility of time.

Everyone has their own capabilities, strength and weakness. No one can be able to figure out such kind of a study plan that will be feasible for every student. So, plan accordingly as per your own assessments.

It depends on your preparation and availability of time along with your capability to handle both groups at a time. Most of the students get confused whether to give both the groups or one group at a time.

There is no point in discussing it with friends or taking advice from others. Remember you and you only are the best judge.

This is the statement of many Rank Holders. They say that they have scored rank because others don’t have the proper and needed writing skills. And thus, this is another main reason of failure in ICAI Exams.

So work on your presentation skills from now on otherwise you will never realize what mistake you are committing in every attempt.

CA Students accept every other CA Students’ advice which is actually doing more harm than good. Until and unless the advice is coming from an expert, please don’t accept any one else’s advice. Don’t even listen to them as it will only distract you.

Some students are fully dependent upon coaching class. It is suggested to at least develop your own assessment and calibers.

In other words understanding of prevailing examination pattern in a proper manner is also very important for a good start to your exam preparation.

Once you understand the structure of the exams, then it becomes possible to tackle the exam and be successful. Based on the structure of exam, planning should be made.

The problem with the CA Student is that he is inquisitive enough to listen to the motivation being provided by the friends, teachers, peers, parents etc.

but the only problem is that there is more of listening and less of implementation. There is no point of listening if you are not converting those thoughts into actions.

Get very specific about the reasons of your failure. Failure is there not without a reason. It’s there to give you the wisdom you need to succeed.

Each failure you encounter increases your wisdom and brings you one step closer to success. If you have this mindset, you will see failure differently. You will see each failure as an opportunity to learn.

Look at your failure objectively, unemotionally. It takes courage and deep strength to overcome the overwhelming feelings of frustrations when you fail an examination.

You should help yourself by staying strong by neglecting all the negative feelings brought by the disappointments.

Success is for those people who never quit. You should look forward for good things to happen ahead of you. You should tell yourself that a failed examination may give you bad days but not bad life. 

These are the problems that most of the students fail to deal with and fail in the CA examination. But you have to keep yourself motivated and patient and it will surely help you to concentrate on your preparations. 

You just need to make proper plans & strategies and follow it completely because half hearted preparations or self-doubt will never let you achieve what you always want to get.

Though the exams are definitely tough, but good things come to those who work hard to get them.

CA is a degree which you have to earn by your whole hearted preparation as it is one of the most reputed degrees of the country.

Students don’t put in the right amount of the hard work that is required of them for the course they are pursuing and then end up demoralized and demotivated after the results and they also end up losing precious time of their life without completely understanding where they are lacking.

So just avoid making the mistakes mentioned above and give your 100% effort and you will definitely get the positive results and clear the examination and get your dream career.

EFFECTIVE TIPS TO CLEAR IN FIRST ATTEMPT

By CA, CPA Vinod Kumar Agarwal

• This examination is like a sea.
• Avoid Selective studying the topics selectively. 
• Study every single topic of the entire syllabus. 

• Review the old ones regularly.
• Ensure that concepts are clear. 
• Revise entire syllabus at least twice / thrice before appearing for examinations .
• Solve previous years question papers.

• Use internet only for their studies
• Do not waste time over social media. 
• Switch off the notifications.
• Hide Social media Apps

• Minimum of 14 hours of effective study a day. 
• 14 hours of sincere efforts. 
• Helps to cover all the topic.
• Time for revision and mock tests.

• Follow a strict schedule while preparing for the CA exams. 
• Give equal weightage to all the topics / subjects. 
• Prepare your own time table.
• Time table should include mock tests and practice of previous year papers. 

• Revise the theory subjects periodically.
• Huge volume of topics demand repeated revision. 

• Not possible to cover the entire syllabus in a single day. 
• Own notes helps to revise easily and quickly at a later date. 
• Short notes of the important lessons in hand helps in prompt revision.  

• Work on enhancing the quality of your answers. 
• Presentation plays a key role.
• Work on improving the handwriting.
• Study regularly from Suggested Answers, RTP and MTP. 

• CA exam demands a lot of mental strength.
• Do yoga , exercise and meditation. 
• Healthy food and good sleep.

• You don’t have to answer every question in order to clear the exam. 
• Focus your efforts on answering the question you know.
• Do not devote too much time to a single question.
• Start preparing for the next exam after taking a little rest.
• Focus on the next exam. It’s a new day, and a new chance.

• The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little EXTRA.”
• The extra means extra passion to achieve, passion for recognition, passion for accomplishment.
• Extra effort, extra focus, a dash of this extra in everything.
• If you are ready to do that extra, getting a rank is definitely achievable.

HOW TO SCORE 80+ in CA FINAL SFM EXAM

By CA, CPA Vinod Kumar Agarwal

• Many students consider SFM as a tough subject to handle and score,
• SFM can be managed easily with good score in exam.
• This is not the case.

• Prepare Theory on daily basis.
• Make your own formulae book.
• Practice solving a good number of questions on each topic (SM, PM, RTP, Suggested answers, MTP, notes, Reference Book).
• Try to solve each problem on your own.
• Don’t refer to solution from your notebook or any where else.
• Use proper format for presentation.
• Adequate Working Notes in supporting to your answers. 
• State the assumption clearly.
• Avoid overwriting. Strike off and write again. 
• If there is a question for which you do know the answer but do not have the time to write it fully, write a synopsis for the answer. 

1. Go through each and every topic thoroughly and understand conceptual points supporting each topic.
2. Try to solve as many questions as you can and also go through Practice Manual, Revision test papers, Suggested answers, Mock Test papers. (to the extent possible and available).
3. You should test your preparation by attempting some previous exam paper, revisions test papers, mock test papers under ultimate exam condition or environment. Later on check the result of your effort and make necessary correction/modification to your study preparations.
4. I personally recommend you to attempt Revision test papers, Suggested answers, Mock test papers at least one in a day. You will find variety of questions and you will never get disappointed in exam hall.
5. Always leave left hand page for showing workings, assumptions and notes. Workings are a must for the answer to be valid and should be fairly elaborate. Present them parallel to the question concerned. Use last page of the booklet for rough work.
6. You are advised to practice such numerical questions which cover the technical points, formulas and adjustments of entire chapters.
7. Before answering any question you need to make a rough solution in your mind and then go accordingly. No need to make hurry in papers like SFM as one mistake may spoil your entire efforts. In SFM you won’t get amendments very frequently, so no need to worry about amendments etc.

Æ  Believe me, if you would study in this way, would be able to secure good marks in the 

   subject.

Æ  I sincerely believe that the suggestions mentioned above would be of some help in SFM 

             preparation.

FAILED IN CA EXAMS - Its OK

By CA, CPA Vinod Kumar Agarwal

It’s OK to fail in final as long as you are not losing hope to become a Chartered Accountant. 

No shame in admitting that you failed in CA Exam.

Many CAs failed in CA exam but now they are doing well in professional life.

• Instead of blaming the luck or institute, it’s time for you to be honest with yourself, 
• Analyze the reasons for your failures without blaming anyone or anything, 
• Write it down on paper. 
• Reasons could be 
• Not preparing thoroughly
• Leaving so many topics in a particular subject
• Got nervous before exams
• Wasn’t able to attempt paper completely
• Wasted more time on irrelevant topics etc. 

• Do SWOT analysis of subjects for yourself.
• Know your strengths and weakness before starting preparations; 
• Identify subjects in which you have to put special efforts to clear the exams. 

• Identify when your mind is at its receptive best, 
• It may be early morning or late night or in afternoon, so that you can study difficult topic at such time to grasp them better. 

• If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail
• Plan your preparations wisely
• Have an action plan ready
• How much time you are going to allot on particular subject or topic
• When you are going to revise it
• Measure your progress regularly, 

• Avoid negative people or negative environment
• Avoid people who want to remind you of failures
• Avoid people who keep on saying negative things about exams like “It’s impossible to pass” or “CA final is very tough” etc. 
• Ensure environment around you must be positive and supportive.  

• Solving the problems in writing even you already know the complete solution. 
• Do not make the mistake of solving practical problems orally
• At least three complete revisions are required to be confident in a particular subject. 
• Plan your preparations in such a way that there is enough time to revise the important topics three to four times. 

• MTP help you to understand the exam pattern whereas 
• RTPs and Suggested Answers give you confidence that you have prepared thoroughly. 

• Keep your head cool before exams 
• In order to overcome the nervousness, keep on saying that, “irrespective of difficulty of the question paper, I am going to pass, I prepared thoroughly, I did my best and I am going to excel in exam today”.  

All the Best for Your Exams

DIFFERENT FIELDS OF ARTICLESHIP

By CA, CPA Vinod Kumar Agarwal

• An article gets a hands-on experience of the real-life business world. 
• Gets a chance to apply theory into practice. 
• Helps to get an overall understanding of how various business belonging to different industries work 

• Checking the financial statements of the client.
• Review that the client have followed required provisions and regulations. 
• Helps to get the knowledge of interpreting and understanding the financials of company .
• Helps to gain confidence and in personality development as you might be expected to deal with senior level management of client too. 
• Usually involves travelling. 

• Direct taxation 
• Indirect taxation. 
• Good for those who wish to pursue career in tax computation, tax filing, tax advisory, tax structure, tax planning and tax litigation. 
• Usually doesn’t involve much travelling. 
• Try to join articleship in Taxation from a mid-sized firm or Big4. It makes you well proficient in provisions, procedures, and knowledge of even the minutest things in taxation
• Big4 companies also don’t hire for taxation field so often.

• It is done for the internal management of the company
• Help clients to improve their controls and performance. 
• It is basically an audit of different processes of businesses. 
• It helps in finding out whether the work is taking place as per the pre-decided policies and norms or not. 
• Involves a lot of travel.
• Helps to understand businesses and improves communication skills. 

• It involves providing advises on mergers, acquisitions, investments and due diligence to corporates. 
• Evaluate whether a particular investment or disinvestment is viable or not. 
• It would help to get understanding about how actual valuations take place.

• Forensic audit deals with finding fraud. 
• It is basically an investigation to analyse and identify the evidences of frauds. 
• Since it is a very sensitive matter hence mostly firms usually don’t offer articleship in same. 

• Transfer pricing deals with international transactions and taxations. 
• With increasing globalisation and wide spreading MNCs, the scope of transfer pricing is increasing,

• Try to find out what seems interesting to you.
• Try to opt for a field that provides more holistic learning

All the Best!

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO ONE DAY BEFORE THE EXAM AND ON EXAM DAY

By CA, CPA Vinod Kumar Agarwal

• Day before the exam RELAX!!!!
• First and foremost, ask yourself to calm down. 
• You have been preparing for this day for the past 4 months. Now, you just have to bring it together.
• Few students fear that they won’t be able to remember what they have studied at the time of writing exams.
• Don’t worry, in exams you would be able to remember most of what you have studied.
• Bring out the notes – Ideally, notes should be prepared for most subjects so that a ready summary is available.
•  Go through only the prepared summaries or highlighted portions.
• Sleep as you wish – Sound sleep is essential. It keeps you alert during the exams.   

• We would repeat our mantra, RELAX!!!!
• Reach the centre at least half an hour before the exam, adequate stationary, admit card, etc.
• Just an hour to go before exams- Do what makes you more confident when going to the examination room.
• We would, however, suggest at least 30 minutes as cooling off period before the exam starts.
• You have got the paper in hand- So, you don’t know the answer to the first compulsory question. Or our esteemed Institute has again a good on you?  
• You don’t have to answer every question in order to clear the exam. 
• By answering we don’t mean mere attempting but writing the correct answers.
• You may have attempted 100% of the paper correctly is too much to ask for.
• Focus your efforts on answering the question you know and try attempting the rest of the question.

• Do not devote too much time to a single question at the expense of others.
• The last ten minutes- Generally this is the time to revise. But revision is not really possible at times.

• Just handed the paper to the invigilator. The exam is over, again the whole cycle starts for next exam
• Don’t check the paper yourself
• Don’t discuss the paper with your fellow students or start searching for answers in the books.
• The best thing to do is to head home.

• An examination is the only window through which you interact with the examiner.
• What sets your paper apart is not just the correctness of your answers but also their presentation.

• The examiner is interested in knowing how you have derived those answers. 
• He wants to knows whether your thinking process was on the right lines.
• Explain the answer to the examiner in a step-wise manner.

• Theory question are easy to attempt but difficult to evaluate.
• Break down your answers into paragraphs or points.
• Underline the headings or main points.
• Make the examiner read what you want him to read. 
• Institute prohibits the use of pencil or highlighters.
• Bad handwriting and grammatical mistakes create negative impression on examiner.

“If you make it easy for examiner, he’ll make it even easier for you”.

• You should plan your answer first before writing it. 
• An effective presentation begins with planning.

All the Best !!!

WHY RECORDED LECTURES ARE SUPERIOR TO ONLINE LIVE LECTURES ... Click here to read more .

HOW TO MAKE ONLINE STUDY AT HOME MORE EFFECTIVE

By CA, CPA Vinod Kumar Agarwal

• Cooped up at home, for the last four months, students have been attending virtual classes at their homes.
• The students can’t interact with their classmates or teachers in the real world.
• They feel sad, worried and confused.
• For some, e-learning might be even tougher than being in class. 
• But there are some ways to stay focused and make lockdown learning a better experience.   

• While you may be more inclined to study on your bed or the sofa, it’s not exactly a smart choice. 
• Doing so can lead to bad posture and body ache. 
• You might even fall asleep while you study on your bed!

• While you may be more inclined to study on your bed or the sofa, it’s not exactly a smart choice.
• Doing so can lead to bad posture and body ache.
• You might even fall asleep while you study on your bed!

• Make sure the spot you pick as your studying corner has plenty of natural lighting. 
• If you are studying in the evening or night time, find a spot directly under the light or use a table lamp.

• If you are used to studying early in the morning, then shift study time to right after lunch or late evening.
• You can instead catch some extra sleep in the morning or even use it for meditation or working out.

• Instead of studying non-stop for hours, take some mini breaks.
• Make yourself a yummy snack, stretch, spend some time with your parents.
• If you have a pet, relax in their company.
• The point is to get away from the study space and refresh your mind. 

• Try to find more spots where you can study. 
• This can be in your room, in one corner of the living room and if you have a big kitchen, you can use that, too! 
• If you have a quiet rooftop or garden, when the weather allows, you can think about shifting your study time outdoors.

• Sitting on the right chair, having the table at a certain height etc., are also important.
• Make sure you keep your study spot clean and clutter- free.
• Too many things around you can either distract you or discourage you from spending time there. 
• Instead, to make that spot feel more like a classroom, get a chair, a desk and even a little cupboard to store your study material.

All the Best !!!

BIG SIZED FIRM V/S MID SIZED FIRM

By CA, CPA Vinod Kumar Agarwal

• Articleship is a 3-year practical training phase that allows students to work on real assignments for real employers. It is a mandatory part of the CA program, and it provides a better overall learning experience. Articleship Training is one of the golden periods in the life of CA Aspirants. It is a golden roadmap for a CA Student from where he can gain exposure.
• It has been seen amongst students that they are a bit confused while choosing a firm for the articleship training. 

A good CA Articleship experience helps in understanding the practical aspects of what you have studied. Hence choosing the right CA articleship firm is important not only for CA final exams but also for success in future practices.

1. You got to learn Auditing at its best. The same will not apply to small clients in mid-sized firms.
2. Your role is much specified in Big 4 firms i.e., you will learn one aspect of accounting in every detail. In a mid-sized firm, your role is not defined, and you must learn everything. You will not specialize in a specific area.
3. The way of working, procedures, and the method of achieving the same ultimate objective differs in big4 and midsize firms.

Now the question of where you should join arises. The answer is that it depends upon where you wish to be in the long term. Some general scenarios are:

• Auditing & Accounting related jobs in larger companies: Articleship in Big 4 Companies.
• Jobs in big companies in other fields: Articleship in Big 4, with the effort to learn things on your own, which may be a prerequisite in those other fields.
• Jobs in small companies: Any option is fine, Big 4 firms are preferred.
• Practice in non-Metro Cities: Articleship in a mid-sized firm
• Practice in Metro Cities: Articleship in Big4 either in taxation or in the auditing department.
• Working in Start-up: Articleship in a mid-size firm
• Small Scale Business: Articleship in a mid-size firm

As your CA articleship will shape your career ahead, then go with the best opportunities available to you, it is important to take decisions on correct parameters and not on a random basis. Following are the factors which must be kept in mind while joining the mid-sized firm:

1. The number of experienced partners: More the number of experienced partners, better would be the development of the firm as a convention, and in turn, more opportunities for you to learn.
2. Size of firm & number of articles: Prefer firms which have at least 15-20 articles and a few Chartered Accountants as Managers, apart from the Partners. Learning at these firms is generally better than firms where the number of articles is few.

1. Areas of work and scope of assignment: The whole point of working in a midsize firm is to learn a variety of work and therefore, it is important to choose a firm that allows you to gain experience in different types of assignments.
2. Overall work environment: An encouraging and cheerful environment in the office usually helps your overall development. Factors to consider while choosing a Big 4 firm for Articleship.

As such there aren’t many differences among the Big Four Firms as they all operate in almost the same way, especially when it comes to training articles. So, once you have decided to join a Big Four firm, the only question left to ask is the choice of city and the choice of department. Choose a city near your hometown and a department based on your plans. Big Four Firms usually hire in the auditing department and the options of Articleship in other departments like Business Taxation, Indirect Taxation, Financial Advisory, etc. are rare.

1. Stipend: The total loss of stipend will be compensated in a single month after becoming a CA if you focus on gaining experience and not earning money. 
2. Work Pressure: Work pressure is always going to be there in real jobs, irrespective of what career roadmap you choose. So it is better to learn to handle pressure at an early stage rather than running away from it.
3. Friends: Consider Articleship as an opportunity to network with new people as networking is a skill that is important in the long run. So don’t worry if you don’t have friends at the firm, and, don’t join a firm simply because you have friends there.
4. The study leaves: In general, all firms allow at least 3 months and on average 4 months of study leave for CA Final examination. More study leaves don’t help you in your preparation, it usually gets wasted. 

The choice of CA Articleship firm is a very important decision and therefore, make sure you choose wisely, as your career path depends upon it. And once selected, do your job with utmost honesty with a focus on learning. Never say no to any learning opportunity. You can blame the education system for its stiffness in ranking students' knowledge, however, Articleship is an open platform and a real-life experience. So don't make excuses for not performing well in this department of your career. 

JOB V/S PRACTICE AFTER CA

By CA, CPA Vinod Kumar Agarwal

• Having got through CA Final, the question that revolves around CA fresher is whether to pursue job or practice. 
• This is dilemma that mostly every CA fresher has faced.
• Sometimes your heart says one while brains say another. 
• Each alternative has his opportunity cost. 
• This makes decision even tougher.
• Practice may yield better returns but often less explored by fresher.
• It has never been easy for a first-generation Chartered Accountant to start his/her own practice. Therefore, most of us join either Industry or a CA Firm.

1.      No investment - 

2.      Specialisation – 

3.      Early returns – 

4.      High returns in Initial years – 

5.      No need of Networking – 

1.      Diversified learning - 

• In Practice, you must continuously keep learning. 
• You must be updated about everything 

2.      Better Returns in Long run – 

• In long run, your earnings are unlimited. 
• The more clients you can fetch, the better returns you can make in long run.

3.      Satisfaction – 

4.      Autonomy – 

• You are your own boss.
• You would have full freedom of what you want to do, what work you want to do, and how you want to delegate authority and responsibility
• Sometimes you may earn less, but you have authority, and it gives you satisfaction and free of work pressure.

• Do you want to take up risk in initial years or not?
• Do you want to be employee or your own boss?
• Early Returns or Scope of Unlimited Returns?
• Are you good at building networks or not?
• Investment or not?
• Specialisation or Diversified Learning?