The work

Company secretaries, sometimes known as chartered secretaries, have a wide range of financial and legal management responsibilities. These include maintaining company records such as lists of directors and shareholders and annual accounts, and sending annual returns based on these to the Company Register or to the Stock Exchange. They also keep records of the company’s property, such as buildings, land, and vehicles. The company secretary is the company’s named representative on legal documents, and it is their responsibility to ensure that the company and its directors operate within the law and in line with the company’s established articles.

Company secretaries may have a range of other administrative duties. Many are involved in accounting and finance, including responsibility for the payroll, annual budget and internal audits. They may also assist in the general management of the company and in liaising with professional advisers. They must have in-depth knowledge of the company’s operations and of relevant national and international laws.

Hours and Environment

The hours are normally 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, although this varies where deadlines must be met, and it is sometimes necessary to attend evening meetings. Some posts are part-time.

The work is office-based although there may be some travel to meetings.

Skills and Interests

To be a chartered secretary you should:

• have excellent verbal and written communication skills
• have presentation and negotiation skills
• understand business and finance
• be methodical and well-organised and work with accuracy
• be able to understand and explain complex legal and financial matters
• have sound judgement and problem solving skills
• be able to prioritise and manage a busy workload.

Entry

You will normally need to work towards Associateship of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA), through the ICSA International Qualifying Scheme. This involves three stages: Certificate, Diploma and Professional Programme (Parts 1 and 2).

If you do not have previous relevant qualifications you can start with the ICSA Certificate in Business Practice and work your way up to the Professional Programme. Relevant experience is desirable but not essential.

You may qualify for exemptions from the Certificate and possibly the Diploma in Business Practice if you already have qualifications such as a business-related foundation degree or higher national diploma (HND), or a professional qualification in business or finance.

If you have a degree or postgraduate degree in accounting, finance or law, or if you are a fully-qualified chartered accountant or solicitor, you could enter the ICSA Qualifying Scheme at the Professional Programme Part 2.

See the ICSA website for a full list of exemptions.

Entry requirements for a degree are usually five Olevel (A-C)/S grades (1-3) and two or three A levels/three grades, or equivalent qualifications.

Training

become a member of the ICSA, you must pass the three levels of examinations (unless you are exempt from some of the exams as a result of holding equivalent qualifications). See ICSA website for full details.

You will achieve graduate membership of the ICSA after successfully completing the Professional Programme stages. To become a full associate member you must also necessary to gain six years' relevant work experience. This may be reduced for time spent in relevant full-time study.

You can study for ICSA courses full-time, part-time or by distance learning. Several universities and colleges offer qualifying programmes that lead to membership of ICSA. See ICSA website for lists of course providers.

ICSA also provides single-subject certificates in subjects such as offshore finance or charities management, which can be studied either as stand-alone qualifications or as part of a continuing professional development (CPD) scheme.

Opportunities

Company secretaries work in many different organisations such as charities, trade and professional associations, universities and local authorities. There are opportunities for company secretaries to become general managers or company directors or to move to larger organisations.

Chartered secretaries who can demonstrate career progression to senior level and have eight years' relevant experience are eligible to become Fellows of ICSA

Annual Income Further information