Certification courses in Finance to boost your career

Now-a-days, when there is cut throat competition in every field, nobody can afford to rely on either college studies or study materials. Few students also discontinue the course after finding it very difficult to pass the examination. Failure is the stepping stone for success. Some may not realize that they are very near to the success but leaving the course. If you take some good basic steps , then , you cannot be a failure in this course. Almost every company gives high weightage to practical knowledge, no matter whether you are a CA/CWA or a MBA from reputed institute. So, in this article we have tried to compile a list of some important areas which can help you to boost your career.

I. SAP FICO – These days most of the large scale organizations use sophisticated software like SAP, Oracle, PeopleSoft, JDedwards etc. SAP being the most preferred ERP Package. While the original finance certification course may cost you more than Rs 3 Lakhs but you can gain working knowledge of this software from any good training institute within 40-60k. And then you can improve your skills through online tutorials and books like SAP FICO Blackbook, SAP ERP Financials and FICO Handbook by S.N. Padhi etc. Tally has limited reach now.

II. Microsoft EXCEL Advance knowledge -   We all know how important it is to have advance knowledge of Excel because of its high use in financial analysis and management, MIS, budgeting, KPIs etc. You have to have knowledge of advance functions like VBA macros, sorting & filtering, pivot table, charts, graphs, V/H Look up logical and mathematical functions etc.

III. IFRS CERTIFICATION - Almost every company/Big 4s demand high knowledge of Ind AS, IFRS, US GAAP. Merely studying a course book will not be sufficient, it’s very important to know how to apply them practically. In interviews of Big 4s and large scale organizations, they pose practical situations and ask how to deal with them. Basic knowledge of AS/Ind AS will not work when the situation demands systematic application and explanation in practical scenarios.

IV. Financial Modeling - Knowledge of financial modeling is extremely important when you have to deal in mergers & acquisitions, project finance, risk evaluation, decision making, private equity etc. There are various institutes which offer short term certification courses in finance modeling through systematic modules.

V. NSE/BSE Certification - If you want to join an organization which deals in Equity, trading, derivative market, capital markets, Portfolio management. Then doing finance certifications courses in these areas will be highly beneficial for building a strong foundation.

VI. Certification course in Investment banking and Financial Research - If you want to build your career in investment management, wealth planning, Risk Manager, Financial Analysis etc then a course investment banking and financial research will not only increase your employment prospects by making you technically sound but will also provide a base for CFA course.

How investment banking courses give you an edge over others

Finance is the life force of business. Without capital, one cannot imagine running a business. A layman does not know how to deal with a market or take the major financial decisions of a company. One cannot take a financial position without any formal education in banking. One needs to undergo training to work efficiently in the world of finance and banking. To get a job in a bank, you need to fulfil certain qualifications. Investment banking represents one of the most challenging career choices in the current marketplace. The level of remuneration is typically very high, but the expectations of banks with regards to their employees are equally high. In short, only exceptional candidates are considered for any given post.

Investment banking courses make you an ideal candidate for a job, here’s how-

1.       Business schools have for long been the training grounds and feeders of talent for global investment banks and regional firms. Despite the setback that the industry suffered during the financial downturn, investment banking remains highly attractive to MBA students. The combination of rigorous financial training, an extremely demanding work environment and early exposure to CEOs and CFOs at client firms provides an irresistible combination of experiences and skill building that can fast-track one's post-MBA career.

2.       The reason why investment banking is considered to be such a prestigious career choice is because investment banks play a critical role in the business world, facilitating important acquisitions and transactions in the marketplace. Investment banking courses teach students to conduct capital market transactions, carry out mergers and acquisitions and perform other corporate financial services. A career in investment banking is highly competitive and the industry of investment banking is involved in conducting a broad range of financial services.

3.        There are some qualities that a business expert needs to have. He must have the ability to work under tight deadlines and produce work of high quality in a pressurised environment. He also needs to showcase good leadership qualities in extra-curricular activities and promote harmony among the different departments of a company. Formal business analysis training helps students to develop all these qualities.

4.       Investment banking companies usually assist their customers to access resources through equity, debt and other sort of investment products. Investment banking courses train students to deal with clients. They are taught how to answer the customer’s questions and clear his doubts. Investment banking isn't one specific service or function. It is an umbrella term for a range of activities including underwriting, selling and trading securities, providing financial advisory services and managing assets.

Investment banks offer their services to companies, governments, non-profit institutions, and individuals. When you undergo business analysis training, it is vital to finish the class, module, or book that you have chosen, to abide by the instructions cautiously and complete exercises precisely as specified by the training materials or the instructor. Many people leave the training mid-way because they cannot live up to its demanding nature.

All you need to know about financial analyst course

Depending on the nature of the organization and project, a business specialist’s duties can vary greatly. However, there are some activities that a business expert does for every project. These include investigating goals and issues, analyzing information, communicating with many people, documenting findings and evaluating solutions. For a given project, a specialist defines and oversees a series of carefully structured tasks which aim achieving the general goals of analysis, synthesis, planning, and evaluation. Business specialists are responsible for identifying change needs, assessing the impact of the change, capturing and documenting requirements and ensuring that those requirements are delivered whilst supporting the business.

Once the goal of the analysis is determined, a methodology is selected and data is acquired to support the analysis.  Data acquisition often involves extraction, cleansing, and integration of data into a single repository such as a data warehouse or data mart.  The analysis is typically performed against a smaller sample set of data.  Business analysis training guides you to use tools ranging from spreadsheets with statistical functions to complex data mining and predictive modeling applications.  As patterns and relationships in the data are uncovered, new questions are asked and the analytic process repeats itself until the business goal is met.

An important characteristic of a good business specialist is his ability to communicate with different people. Communication does not necessary mean expressing his ideas but also means listening to verbal and non-verbal messages, establishing open dialogue, confirming that he has understood the details, and communicating his ideas. A business analyst is also an objective listener. He needs to determine the requirements of the management by speaking to the shareholders. A financial analyst course teaches you to do efficient documentation. This is a very important aspect of a business analyst’s work profile. This includes framing documents in text or visual form including charts, graphs, illustrations, etc.

Centralizing services to make tasks and the working environment more efficient is an important characteristic of an effective business expert. He has to get rid of any duplication processes that may be occurring between departments. Business analysis training helps you to perform all these functions effectively. As a commerce expert, you have to develop relationships with necessary external sources to acquire services for the completion of projects.

A very important characteristic of a business expert is his ability to solve different business related problems. He must spend time identifying options for solving specific problems. It is his duty to choose the best option for solving a particular problem. The chosen solution is then evaluated to ensure that it continues to meet the business needs. A financial analyst course trains you to choose the best implementation process to improve your business’ position in the market. When you work for a business enterprise, there are many departments within the entity. An effective business expert seeks to promote harmony between these departments. He has to be a good negotiator and solve problems of different departments without being partial.

The skills required to be a good business analytic

Meaning of Business analysis –

Business analysis is to enable a change in an organizational context by defining the needs and providing the appropriate solutions or applications to the stakeholders. It is a disciplined approach for initiating and managing changes in the organization be it profit-based businesses, government or non-profit businesses. It is used to identify and articulate the need for change in the corporations and to successfully bring them into existence. Business analysis training provides an individual with the necessary skill set and knowledge to define the solutions that will maximize the value of output delivered by an organization.

It is one of the most resilient and in demand skill compared to any other skills in the business management system. This skill is technologically independent and you sure don’t need to rely on advanced gadgets. It offers better risk management and future planning to the organizations as well. It is functional in nature which means that whatever you learn today, it is going to help you throughout your life, unlike technology that keeps changing in every few months. As the nature of business analysis is more corporate, the pay and perks are always higher providing better job security. Also, the path of the growth is quick as the job is Managerial.

What is the role of a business analyst?

The key responsibility of an analyst includes discovering the underlying need of the business, its goals and missions, in order to be addressed and to get access to the information related to the projects and its requirements through the conversations with the stakeholders. A business analyst organizes, specifies and models the requirements to ensure that they are complete and apparent. They are supposed to document all these informatics in a portable format so as to share them easily with the stakeholders. Next is to validate and verify all the data. They need to make sure that the information is approved by all the stakeholders and meets all essential quality standards as well.

At times, they may also have to take control of some senior responsibilities like planning the business activities or managing the requirements. The definition of this profile allows for multiple different approaches for this role such as bringing professionals who work on projects primarily focused on integrating multiple software systems, building new ones or modifying the existing software or migrating from one system to another. You can pick any attribute of a project, be it organization or stakeholder group, often the analyst’s role is shaped around multiple attributes altogether.

This position is not at all monotonous in nature as it the job keeps on varying in tasks, duties and responsibilities and there is always something different to do depending on the company one is associated with. The job profile of a business analyst is best suited for people who want to acquire and utilize a wide range of skills that could be analytical in nature or even comprehensive and who want to contribute closely in the profit-making of the organization.

Investment banking courses offer a wide range of career options

Banking is one of the top most career choice made by the student. Banks are in-charge of an individual’s or organization's money. Banks compensate interest on the deposited capital, offer loans to people for individual or commerce use. They also offer a broad array of services such as giving advice related to investment and insurance, exchange of foreign currency, and acting as trustees. One can get to enjoy banking and finance courses if they happen to meet all the eligibility criteria for the same. These criteria are carefully mentioned with respect to qualification of the students and are as follows:

Under-graduates: For admittance in a bachelor’s degree, the candidate must have passed the higher secondary school certificate (10+2) examination with commerce subjects such as accounts, mathematics and economics. The course period is of 3 years.

Post-graduates: The eligibility criterion for pursuing a master’s degree is holding a bachelor's degree with commerce subjects such as accounts, mathematics and economics. The course duration is of 2 years.

The finance and service industry is revolutionizing itself in response to the market forces. Investment banking is a course that offers lucrative career opportunities within the financial industry for diligent and highly motivated individuals. Students who are looking forward to a career in investment banking need to understand the exact purpose of this job and the know-hows and principles of this sector.

Finance is a sector similar to accounting. It deals with allocating assets and liabilities over time under certainty and uncertainty conditions. Finance also applies and uses the theories of economics at some point of time or the other. It is the science of money management.

It may also assist companies involved in mergers and acquisitions and provide subsidiary services such as trading of derivatives, equity securities, market making, income instruments, currencies and more. Investment banking courses may take several forms, depending on where the course is being taught, the various aspects being covered, and whether or not the training is focused on a degree, diploma or certification program.

Some investment banking training programs are taught in traditional classroom setting hosted by the universities, technical school or training institutes and companies. Other courses are taught online, using websites with audio and/or video access to convey lessons, information, and tests from the teacher to the pupil. One who lacks time due to a hectic schedule can use self-study packages for self-guided training programs available at all leading book stores.

Students who are interested in pursuing a career in banking and finance industry need to understand all the specifications of the same from eligibility and training to the vast career opportunities related to this industry. Investment banking courses and other banking courses offer a huge array of career option for those who are seeking for a motivating and challenging career.

Scope in Online MBA

Online MBA: Concept

The basic idea behind the MBA courses on the web is to make it easier for people in employment to pursue the course while continuing their jobs. It is also a fair option for those students who wish to enroll themselves in MBA programs from reputed universities without travelling all the way to the institution but rather doing it from the comfort of their homes or offices. This may be the best solution to earn a MBA degree while still managing your hectic schedule and studying as there is no need to attend full time classes. All you need is a constant internet connection. Also it provides you with the benefits of gaining a work experience while studying. Thus, a lot of esteemed institutions are coming up with Online MBA programs. 

Institutes offering Online MBA

These days’ courses like this are emerging rapidly on the web. An ample number of well-regarded academies are providing various MBA programs virtually. The willing candidates have lots of options to choose from. But it is also recommended to check before hand if everything is genuine as it is very easy to be fooled on the web. One of the plus points of these courses is that universities can have students enrolling for these online courses from the distant corners of the globe. Different colleges have named the programs differently. For example: some called it ‘fast track MBA’, some ‘e-learning MBA’ whereas some refer to it as ‘distance learning MBA’. Starting from the Ivy League colleges like Harvard University, Cambridge University, Princeton University to the Indian counterparts, like the Sikkim Manipal University, Jaipur National University, ICFAI University etc almost every university has some kind of Online MBA program.

Business Analytic Courses in India 

Now a day there is rise in the demand for business analytics courses. It revolves around business requirements, management, strategies and solutions. These courses aim to provide the students with the understanding of various concepts of business analytics and its application in real life situation.

A lot of candidates wish to pursue this course that have a keen sense of business and entrepreneur qualities. This field of study is basically used to gain insights that help in making business decisions and to automate and optimize business systems and processes.

An ideal qualification for people seeking a business analytics course is a degree in statistics and mathematics. This is followed by an MBA. A business analyst course does not have any full time programme in India, but it is being incorporated into the MBA curriculum across some business schools.

In India, there is no dearth of professionals who can fulfill the requirements of a business analyst. India is supplying business analytics faculty to various multinational companies and that too at the best possible performance to cost ratio. Hence there is tremendous potential for a business analyst professional from India.