Chartered or Company Secretary

Chartered or company secretaries work largely to advise company directors on how to ensure that their organisation both complies with legal and statutory requirements and is managed efficiently on a day-to-day basis. The work includes maintaining statutory company records and sending annual reports to Companies House, organising and minuting board and general meetings, and advising directors on legal points. Where relevant, company secretaries also act as a link between shareholders and directors.

Many chartered or company secretaries have a range of other administrative duties in an organisation, often centred on accounting and finance, including responsibility for the annual budget, internal audit, credit control and the company payroll. Beyond finance, their responsibilities might include human resources management, pension schemes, office management, insurance, data protection issues or computer systems.

Entry level
The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA) has an 'open access' policy, which means that you can join its foundation training programme without any formal academic qualifications. You would simply need to be at least 17. In practice, however, many company secretaries are graduates with considerable professional experience. Before you can be accepted as a member of ICSA, you must supply two references confirming that you are a 'fit and proper person' to undertake the work involved.

Maturity and experience are at a premium in a job carrying such high levels of responsibility and it is usual to gain experience in different kinds of corporate administrative work before becoming a company secretary.

Making the grade
The ICSA scheme of study is based on the themes of administration, management, corporate law and corporate finance. The foundation programme offers an introduction to business economics, information systems, organisation and human resources, quantitative techniques and English and European Union law. The pre-professional programme prepares people for positions of responsibility in managing information systems, management principles, business law and accounting. The professional programme covers eight modules: management accounting, financial accounting, company secretarial practice, professional administration, corporate finance and taxation, management practice, corporate law and administration of corporate affairs. The courses may be studied full-time, part-time in the evening or by distance learning. On average, it takes three to four years to complete the three programmes by part-time study.

Graduates with a recognised first degree or postgraduate award are normally exempt from the foundation and pre-professional stages and can register directly for the professional programme. Candidates with other academic or professional qualifications may be exempt from at least the foundation stage.

To become an associate member of the ICSA, you must also gain six years' appropriate work experience. In common with most other professional people, you must then undertake a programme of continuing professional development to ensure that you keep your knowledge up to date.

Personal qualities
You must be able to grasp the details of complex legal and financial issues, often dealing with several matters at the same time. The ability to prioritise and to work methodically under pressure is therefore essential. Having access to the innermost secrets of an organisation, you would need very high standards of diplomacy, discretion and integrity.

Excellent written and spoken communication skills are needed, not only for writing up the minutes of board meetings but also for explaining clearly to non-expert colleagues the implications of sometimes highly technical matters, not to mention negotiating with lawyers, accountants and other professionals. You must also have good number skills for dealing with the financial and other figure work associated with your organisation.

Looking ahead
While it is true that there are opportunities related to legal requirement for every company in the UK to have a company secretary, it is equally true that most company secretarial departments are small and offer limited prospects for internal promotion. You might therefore need to change jobs and companies - even switching across the private and public sectors - in order to gain experience and responsibility.

With broad experience of legal, financial, administrative and human resources issues, you could go on to become a partner, company director or chief executive. Alternatively, you could become self-employed and work for a range of organisations.

Alternative suggestions
Depending on whether your main interests are administrative, financial or legal, you may wish to consider training as an accountant, barrister/advocate, civil servant, human resources officer, local government administrator or solicitor.

Take-home pay
Salaries vary widely. A typical starting figure for a newly qualified associate member of ICSA might be £25,000, rising to well over £60,000 with experience.

Effects
Being a chartered or company secretary is an office-based job and you could expect to work normal office hours, apart from the occasional need to work late in order to meet a deadline. There may also be some evening or weekend meetings to attend. You would be expected to observe a strict code of personal and professional conduct.

Sources of information
Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators: www.icsa.org.uk

CRCI: AA