Company Secretary

A career as a company secretary is strictly for dedicated people who have the ability to pay meticulous attention to detail. Company secretaries must be able to communicate effectively with people from all other departments of a particular company to ensure that the company practices are both legally and financially acceptable.

Company secretaries are generally very organized individuals who enjoy working with numbers. The job also involves constantly familiarizing oneself with the latest relevant laws so that they can perform their job to the best of their ability.

The main purpose of company secretaries is to ensure that the company complies with all legal codes, performing duties often attributed to legal advisors. The job entails a wide variety of duties that may vary depending on who a company secretary ends up working for.

Most Company secretaries work for individual corporations. Their main purpose is to specialize in that particular company’s departments and make sure they are working in accordance with the laws of the land. However, some experienced company secretaries prefer working on a freelance basis, being contracted for short periods by different companies.

Their work generally involves organizing large amounts of data collected from various departments of the company. They must take responsibility for overseeing various aspects of the daily operations of a company, including safety of employees, their insurance coverage, corporate social responsibility programs, accounting and tax related matters and much more.

The job is rather holistic in nature, and so most company secretaries are not limited to a particular department. Rather, they look at each aspect of the company they are working with or working for, depending on their contract.

In terms of qualifications, they are generally required to have the same qualifications as chartered accountants. This may include certification from Association of Certified Chartered Accountants. While a master’s degree is not a requirement, it is considered a welcome bonus when applying for competitive jobs in reputable firms.

Company secretaries generally earn an amount that is proportional to their level of experience in the field. As a result, the starting salaries are generally modest, but there is a lot of room for increase in salary. In the UK, the average starting salary generally ranges between £29,000 and £33,000. Experienced company secretaries can earn anywhere up to £200,000 per annum if they work for larger public limited companies.

In India, the monthly starting salary can be anywhere between Rs. 28,000 and Rs. 40,000. Here, too, there is a lot of room for increments as experience and a renowned employer can boost the salary of a company secretary to Rs. 100,000 per month.

Company secretaries generally also receive several non-monetary benefits including holidays with pay, insurance, and access to credit for housing and transport as well as sick leaves.

Company secretaries generally work office jobs from 9am to 5pm. While most company secretaries do not leave the office much, some are required to travel from the head office of the firm they work at to all divisions to see that no day to day operations are contradicting the law.

Company secretaries generally do not work overtime as in most cases, their daily tasks can be completed within the timeframe. This Is perhaps because they work on long term goals, rather than meeting aims instantly.

Company secretaries, particularly in India, have stressful professional lives because of the nontransparent nature of legislation. There is a fine line between legal and illegal, a line that it Is often difficult to spot. As a result, company secretaries must constantly be on top of their game, and learning while working is an essential part of life in this career.

There are a number of perks associated with company secretaries. One of the main reasons why people opt for this career path is because of the high earning potential within the field. With experience and qualification, company secretaries earn very respectable salaries.

Moreover, the job, unlike many others in related disciplines, normally does not require one to work overtime. The fixed timings generally attract a large number of people into the field. Additionally, company secretaries are very well respected within their organizations. All departments of all companies depend on them to ensure that their functioning is in accordance with the law.

The biggest downside is probably the large number of applicants within the field. Because of its perks, positions of company secretaries are very competitive and actually becoming a company secretary is not that easy.

Moreover, the job can get very monotonous since it entails paying very close attention to details that would go unnoticed by most others. Also, since it involves a generalized set of tasks, company secretaries often find themselves alienated from the larger corporation.

The positions for company secretaries, while they are increasing, are still insufficient to meet the huge amount of demand for such jobs. because f the high potential for growth and earning, a lot of people are seeking such jobs. New openings are infrequent because of the adverse economic climate.

Because of this combination, the level of competition is very fierce and only the most qualified individuals find themselves with a job as a company secretary. One should have internship experience to go alongside their formal education record.

Company secretaries are demanded anywhere there are commercial and office setups. As a result, larger cities generally hold more opportunities for prospective company secretaries. Within India as well, this holds and the larger urban centers and business hubs generate more employment for people in this field.

There is three stage professional examination of a company secretaryship course i.e. foundation, executive and professional. Students who have passed senior secondary (10 2 or equivalent) examination of a board/university constituted by an India law or any examination recognised by the central government as equivalent, are eligible to join the CS foundation programme. All graduates and post graduates (excluding fine arts) need not go through the foundation programme and can directly seek registration to the executive programme stage of the CS course.

After clearing the executive/professional programme, one needs to complete 15 months of training in a company or under a practising CS. Additionally, one has to undergo 15 days training with the Registrar of Companies, stock exchanges and specified regulators and 15 days compulsory Management Skills Orientation Programme (MSOP). After the professional course and training, one become eligible to be associate member of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India, (ICSI). One can be in employment or start his/her own practice