by Swati, on 9 May, 2019 6:00:00 PM
Looking for good career prospects?
What about a Company Secretary?
What are you studying; what do you plan to do next; what kind of jobs are you looking for; what are your career prospects? These questions are always on everybody’s mind, aren’t they? Whether it’s your parents, your friends or your relatives, your neighbors or maybe even people you’ve met for the first time, they all need to know what’s going on with you. Truth is, there a lot of job titles and career prospects that a lot of people are still unaware of, and a career as a Company Secretary is one of them. It’s an incredibly respectable job with a highly appealing pay package, but it’s also something that sets you apart from all the engineers and the like, and it’s arguably just as difficult in terms of course-work and training.
So, what exactly is a Company Secretary and what does he do?
A Company Secretary, Corporate Secretary or simply Secretary is a person responsible for the efficient administration within a company by ensuring all employees as well as the board is in compliance with statutory, regulatory and legal requirements. A CS is also responsible for ensuring all board decisions are being successfully implemented within the company. It is a Company Secretary’s job to oversee every employee – lower, middle and upper management operates within the law; keep and maintain company records, communicate with shareholders and directors, among other things. So, as you can see, it isn’t the easiest job in the world and requires special attention and training.
A Company Secretary’s expertise comes in handy the following areas:
- Being a legal expert; a Compliance Officer who works only for that company.
- Being an expert in Corporate Laws, Securities Laws & Capital Market and Corporate Governance
- Being Chief Advisor to the Board of Directors on best practices in Corporate Governance
- Being responsible for all regulatory compliances of company
- Being the Corporate Planner and Strategic Manager for a company
Almost every industry is in need of a Company Secretary and the demand for them is ever-growing. So, a career in CS is one of the top choices these days! Let’s take a slightly broader look at where else a Company Secretary is needed. In addition to the above, there a number of other CS Career Options as you can see below:
Corporate Governance and Secretarial Services
- Corporate Governance Services
- Corporate Secretarial Services
- Secretarial/ Compliance Audit and certification Services
Corporate Laws Advisory and Representation Services
- Corporate Laws Advisory Services
- Representation Services
- Arbitration & Conciliation Services
Financial Market Services
- Public Issue, listing and Securities Management
- Takeover Code, Insider trading, Mergers & Amalgamation
- Securities Compliance and Certification Services
- Finance & Accounting Services
- Taxation Services
- International Trade & WTO Services
Management Services
- General/ Strategic Management
- Corporate Communication and Public Relations
- Human Resources Management
- Information Technology
Here is the above visualised in a nice mindmap:
But that’s not the end of choices for an aspiring CS. You can also work in:
- Foreign Collaborations and Joint Ventures
- Arbitration and Conciliation
- Project Planning
- Capital Market and Investor Relations
- SEBI Act
- EXIM Policy
If the theory aspect of CS appeals to you, then teaching is an incredibly fulfilling CS career option. The Institute of Company Secretaries of India offers a globally recognized Ph.D course.
Are you interested in pursuing a teaching option? Contact us to know more:
On a more global scale, there are Company Secretaries working throughout the world in countries like the US, Canada, UK, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, Middle-east, Africa, to name a few. With their research, legal skills and expertise, they’ve managed to attain jobs in some of the best known corporations in the world.
On the socio-economic front, India has entered into agreements with countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Mauritius etc so that Company Secretaries can cross borders without hassle and seek employment apart from their own country.
The ICSI has an existing MoU with the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, UK. This MoU recognizes Company Secretaries of both the countries on certain conditions. And thanks to initiatives such as these, the Company Secretary position has become very lucrative for Indians who wish to work abroad.
We’ve mentioned the ICSI in various places in the blog because you won’t be able to pursue a career in CS if you don’t pass your exams that are held by institute. If you wish to pursue the CS career option, then ICSI is the best and only way to start.
The ICSI is the only government-recognized statutory body that works solely around the profession of Company Secretary. This includes its development, progress and regulation. The institute provides the best quality of education in the CS realm and has the most reputed faculty members in its academic family. Its main headquarters are located in Delhi and has four regional offices located in Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. It also has branches in 70 other locations across India.
There are three levels of the Company Secretary Course from ICSI:
Foundation Course that you can apply for after your 10+2.
Executive Course that you can apply for immediately after your graduation. You can be a graduate from any field except Fine Arts.
Professional Course that you can apply only after you clear the CS Executive programme.
If you need any extra help or information on how to become a successful CS, sign up with LearnCab and help us better your chances.
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