9 Steps to Build a Strong Finance Career (Beyond Just Degrees & Certificates)

After teaching 12,000+ students, spending 6+ years in Financial Services (including Big4s), and mentoring 1,000+ students, I’ve compiled a practical guide on what to upskill to build a career in Finance:

𝟭. 𝗖𝗙𝗔 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝟮 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝘀: Whether or not you sit for the exam is your choice. But borrow the CFA Level 1 & 2 books from friends and get thorough with Equity, Corporate Finance, FRA, Portfolio Management, Quants.

𝟮. 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹: Finance = analysis, and spreadsheets are the foundation. I’ve shared a 3-hour free podcast with 20+ case studies for you to get hands-on. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸.

𝟯. 𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗕𝗜: Reporting is at the heart of most finance roles today. Learn at least the fundamentals.

𝟰. 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴: Be able to build a 3-statement model, and understand revenue drivers, cost drivers, capex, and debt funding.

𝟱. 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Pick one sector (banking, pharma, real estate, etc.) and learn it deeply like the key players, ratios, SWOT, business cycles, govt rules. This will set you apart in analysis.

𝟲. 𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝗗𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀: Choose two finance domains (Investment Banking, Equity Research, FP&A, Big4 Consulting all are different) and do structured courses from good content creators.

𝟳. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀: Draft well, speak with clarity, and practice brevity. This cannot be learned in classrooms – it comes only from exposure. (I mentor on this, happy to help!)

𝟴. 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘆: Invest money, apply for IPOs, do trading (small amount only), read books, listen to podcasts take bets and experiments. The more mistakes, at an early age, better it is.

𝟵. 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴: Career opportunities take time to mature. Just like childbirth, the process needs patience and effort.

I once attended a “Career options in Finance for CFAs” seminar → met someone → got referred to ISB for Excel training 5 years later.

So start Building – the right Ecosystem for yourself.

If you know Shraddha Kapoor is on LinkedIn but don’t know what is =COPILOT or FlexiCap fund or Leila Gharani or Ray Dalio or Regression then you are follwing the wrong people.

Fun tip: Start watching Billions (Showtime) and Silicon Valley today.

Don’t rush into Python: First master Excel, Power BI, and Financial Modelling.

𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽: I have 30+ mentors, and I mentor 1,000+ people. Mentors aren’t gifted – you have to earn them, don’t expect free help without building rapport or providing value.

𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: Finance is important, but life is bigger than IRR, or ROI.
Go on dates, follow hobbies, and be passionate & support causes. That balance will make you sharper in your career too.

The photo was taken at Masters’ Union Campus, Gurgoan/Delhi.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/amtechinmaya_chinmayaamteexcel-activity-7366712705996468224-vxcl

Timestamp: August 2025