Varun Jain is the CEO of Miles Education. Varun is popularly known as one of the world’s favorite CPA and CMA instructors. Varun has trained over 40.000 (and counting) CPA and CMA aspirants in India and across the world. He is extremely popular for his high-impact, high-energy videos for CPAs and CMAs, and his YouTube videos have cumulative views of 50 million or more. Prior to co-founding Miles, Varun worked with Deloitte Financial Advisory Services and was an investment banker at Morgan Stanley. Varun is a Harvard Business School alumnus.

Most parents settle for Chartered Accountancy (CA) as a future non-science career for their children. Many students and early stage professionals claim that CA is one of the demanding professions as it promises flexibility to practice in various industries and build clients on their own. With digital trends changing the face of business products and services, accounting and financial careers have witnessed a meteoric rise in the Indian financial sector. To break down the myth of considering CA as ‘the’ best study & career option, we help you with some lucrative and trending accounting and finance qualifications that can land you in ground-breaking careers at Big 4 and leading MNCs home and abroad.

US Certified Public Accountant (US CPA)
In a global economy, companies engage in transactions and interact with subsidiaries offshore. To advise on tax and organize operations of doing business offshore, companies hire US CPAs. Also for many traveling around the world may be an expensive habit, but having a fast-track credential under your belt, your next career step can be in the US, Canada or UAE. They are also hired by government treasury departments to frame tax policy and ensure regulatory compliance to avert fraudulent activities. They also evaluate the financial system, reporting and examine financial records of companies to drive informed business decisions by managers, stakeholders and investors. They can become tax specialists, forensic auditors, financial advisors, risk specialists, corporate controllers and others. The average median salary CPAs can expect is over 9-11 LPA and above for experienced professionals.

US Certified Management Accountant (US CMA)
Strategy, planning and performance are core keys to business success in companies. To identify gaps in operations, data and cost analysis, qualitative financial reporting and budgeting, Big 4 and top MNCs trust and value US CMAs as they are geared with capabilities to dive deep into the financials of the company. They create an impact from starting a new product line to purchasing

a business and forecast revenues and expenses to increase ROI efficiency and fuel business decisions to achieve high performance. Critical roles for CMAs are Cost Accountants, Financial Analysts, CFOs, Risk Manager, Accounting Manager, Controller and others. The average median salary US CMAs earn is between 5-10 LPA and above for experienced candidates.

Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
Three factors that are deeply affecting investors in the financial system today are information, innovation and influence. To change the client relationship and earn investors trust, CFAs become the most sought-after solution. In a time where the investment industry is challenged by turbo shifting economics, regulatory and end-client expectations, CFAs build investment models to save companies from decline. CFA charter is a highly valued finance certification in the global finance industry and opens doors to extensive career opportunities like research analyst, portfolio manager, credit analyst, risk manager, investment banker, corporate finance analyst, equity researcher and others. The scope for CFAs is wide as a recent study states that the CFA registration has jumped 30% in India and over 2.3 percent of the population have made investment into capital markets. The average median salary CFAs earn is over 10 LPA.

A study reveals that organizations spend only 50 percent of their time on risk management, but with the onset of the pandemic the demand for risk professionals has skyrocketed in banking, insurance, credit rating and financial institutions as they deal with large scale monetary transactions. Critical roles for CMAs are Cost Accountants, Financial Analysts, CFOs, Risk Manager, Accounting Manager, Controller and others.

Finance Risk Management (FRM)
Financial landscape is unpredictable and markets are prone to fluctuating interest rates, natural disasters, payment default and even recession. But having an FRM in place would not just help the company manage unforeseen risk but also recognize and estimate potential threats and design strategic risk version policies to save organizations from loss and closure. A study reveals that organizations spend only 50% of their time on risk management, but with the onset of the pandemic the demand for risk professionals has skyrocketed in banking, insurance, credit rating and financial institutions as they deal with large scale monetary transactions. The average median salary a FRM charter holder earns is up to 10 LPA. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for FRM professionals is expected to rise in the next one decade.

As organizational structures become more fluid and continual upskilling has taken the centre stage, here are 4 cutting-edge qualifications pathways to make your career journey both exciting and fulfilling.