Somesh comes from Mumbai, Maharashtra. His interest in commerce stems from his father who used to explain how accounts work and since the time he was in fifth grade, Somesh used to post invoices in Tally ERP. His father played a key role in determining his future profession to be a Chartered Accountant. Even before the SSC results were out, he had made up his mind to pursue CA.

Somesh began his CA journey right after school and cleared all levels with dedication. During his CA finals, he was diagnosed with Tuberculosis. However, this did not dampen his dream to become a CA. He went ahead and cleared it in the second attempt. While pursuing CA, he also completed his B.Com from Mumbai University. As part of his practical training, he worked at V.R. Sabnis & Associates, where he gained hands-on experience in audits, taxation, and financial reporting across various industries.

After becoming a Chartered Accountant, Somesh began his professional journey at Ernst & Young (EY), working in the Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences sector. Spending close to two years there, he learnt the nuances of internal audits and risk. Later, he joined PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), where he further strengthened his skills and was awarded a Client Appreciation Award for his performance. He eventually rose to the role of Assistant Manager and was also recognized as one of the top-rated employees at PwC India.

While Audit gave him a strong foundation, Somesh was inclined towards finance from the time he cleared his CA. However, his financial conditions made him take up the first job that landed in his path as he had to shoulder family responsibilities and manage huge debt on his parents. Once his family was in a better position financially, he decided to take up a course in financial modelling and investment banking to make the career switch which he was passionate about, for so long.

Soon after completing the course, Somesh successfully secured a role at Jarvis Finvest as a Senior Research Analyst, marking a new and promising chapter in his professional journey.

Below is a transcript of his interview with us:

1. Why Did You Choose the CA Path and What Made You Interested in it?

My father in my childhood used to treat me with sweets and pastries in exchange for posting invoices in Tally ERP for his work. Here I got a taste of what debit-credit is, what is a voucher and what is payment transaction. I liked these basics and over time it developed my interest in commerce. One of my friend’s parent was a CA and I heard how CA as a profession is about managing money, finance, accounts and transactions. These factors were enough for me to choose CA even before I had graduated from school.

2. How was your experience working at EY and PwC?

At EY, I worked with a pharmaceutical company where I helped find gaps in different processes of the industry such as manufacturing, order to cash, procurement and so on. It gave me solid experience in internal audits and working with different departments.

At PwC, my role became more strategic. I helped a pharma MNC identify huge amounts in taxes, improved their risk policies, and even led an investigation into fraud. Further, I found cost-saving opportunities in their supply chain and flagged compliance issues in manufacturing and R&D operations. Leading teams and working closely with senior leaders taught me how to manage complex challenges and make a bigger impact.

3. What struggles or challenges did you face during your CA journey?

Honestly, my CA journey was quite tough as the syllabus was huge and managing it along with articleship training was not easy. I had developed severe anxiety issues during my CA finals which led to insomnia and other several health issues, in turn impacting my daily study routine. Further, getting diagnosed with Tuberculosis in CA final shattered my dream of clearing my CA final in the first try. Along with that came a point where I was about to lose my home 10 days before my exams due to some legal issues. But looking back, all those challenges taught me about resilience and that sometimes, good things take time.

4. What made you consider investment banking as an alternative career path?

After gaining experience in audit at both EY and PwC, I felt like I wasn’t learning anything new. The work was starting to feel monotonous and with no value additions to my growth. I wanted to try something more exciting, where I could use my finance knowledge to help businesses in bigger ways. Initially, it was my family responsibilities and huge debt that made me choose a job as soon as possible. But once that got out of the way was when I started searching about investment banking courses as I felt passionate about valuations and financial analysis. I felt this was something I’d enjoy more in the long run.

5. How did the investment banking course help you secure your job?

I feel the investment banking course really helped me gain real-world skills like financial modeling, valuation, and understanding how big business deals take place. It wasn’t just about reading or learning bookish material but I got to work on real-life examples, which really made a huge impact on my knowledge. This hands-on training gave me the knowledge and the confidence I needed to apply for investment banking roles. It helped me make a successful move from an audit profile to a new role in Investment Banking at Jarvis Finvest, something I had always wanted to do. 

Somesh’s journey from audit to investment banking shows how focus, adaptability and the courage to explore something new can lead to exciting opportunities. He’s a great example for anyone in finance looking to grow beyond their current path.

You can connect with him on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/somesh-maurya-32a731181/